I 'thought' I had started a thread on Cab Lights before, but the search turned up nada..

At any rate, I installed clear lens/amber LED cab lights this past weekend. My truck did not have them from the factory, so I bought some EuroLite 9-LED ones for a Ford, from eBay for $70 delivered. I liked the Ford-style ones better, so that's what I went with. They arrived in a box, no instructions, no packaging, only an invoice, lights, and packing peanuts...

Since my truck didn't have cab lights, I had to drill..

In a nutshell:

[*]Drop headliner (phillips screws hold visors, pinch clips for overhead console, T20 for pass. side grab-handle, T20 for QC latch trim covers, snaps for a-pillar trim

[*]Tape a straight line from top corners of windshield.

[*]Measured 6" up on each side, and taped another straight line across.

[*]Found Center line, marked it on the tape

[*]From center line, outward, measure 8.5", mark it

[*]From the center line, outward, measure 21". mark it

[*]Once you have these lines marked, measure 5.75" from top edge of windshield, back. This mark will be the forward-most point of the cab light. (this will put the wiring of the Ford-style lights right about over the inner cab-wall hole.

[*]Using the base of one light, make a cardboard template of the light base, and drill holes where wiring and screw holes will be.

[*]Mark center line on template. This will aid you in lining/centering/straightening up the lights and marking the drill locations.

[*]Align center line of template onto each parallel line for the light locations, taking into account the front of the light base on the 5.75" back-set mark.

[*]Drill the three holes required by the lights (2 mounting screws, one wiring hole)

[*]I used an 1/8" (.125) bit for making the #8 screw pilot holes. Also a pilot hole for the wiring, to be drilled out to 3/8", or .375

[*]Apply a dab of clear silicon on each mounting screw hole on the cab, and a blob around the wiring at the light base

[*]Place the light base onto the cab, carefully ensuring that it's aligned properly.

[*]Mount the light bases using (purchased separately) #8 x .75 SS sheet metal screws, and snug them down evenly

[*]Once all are mounted, move inside the truck and wire lights in series.

[*]I grounded them within headliner, and ran 'hot wire' down driver's a-pillar, to headlight switch (remove bezel, 3 phillips screws and slide headlight switch out. Wire is black/yellow.

[*]Check for proper operation.

[*]Reinstall everything if all is good to go!

Pictures to follow.. I didn't take many, but I've got a couple I could add.

I will be installing my cab light s here in the next few weeks, They are factory off a 96 Dodge standard cab,I believe.  I got them from another member here that was parting out a donor truck,  It came with the factory harness and has a small two pin connector that looks to be somewhere around the overhead console, but not sure where it’s supposed to plug in, The other plug is a big white one with three pins and looks like it’s long enough to travel down the A pillar and plug in somewhere ( maybe the headlight switch) I dunno, I havnt took anything apart yet.

 

I plan on drilling with a 7/8 hole saw with a pilot bit from the bottom up just to get the pilot hole and then from top down for the larger hole. I too have heard that their is factory pre stamped holes in the sub roof frame to use as guides. But don’t know for sure. Any input is great, for Id like to do this project in a day since Im going to have holes in my roof. and my truck won’t fit in the garage right now.

18 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

I will be installing my cab light s here in the next few weeks, They are factory off a 96 Dodge standard cab,I believe.  I got them from another member here that was parting out a donor truck,  It came with the factory harness and has a small two pin connector that looks to be somewhere around the overhead console, but not sure where it’s supposed to plug in, The other plug is a big white one with three pins and looks like it’s long enough to travel down the A pillar and plug in somewhere ( maybe the headlight switch) I dunno, I havnt took anything apart yet.

 

I plan on drilling with a 7/8 hole saw with a pilot bit from the bottom up just to get the pilot hole and then from top down for the larger hole. I too have heard that their is factory pre stamped holes in the sub roof frame to use as guides. But don’t know for sure. Any input is great, for Id like to do this project in a day since Im going to have holes in my roof. and my truck won’t fit in the garage right now.

 

Mine is a 2000 2500 that came factory with 1500 mirrors and no cab lights but it did come with a tow package and it had the holes under the roof. Its not that hard to pull the headliner down in the front if you wanted to make sure beforehand. I wish i would have known about it ahead of time myself but i guess you live and learn. Just for the sake of making things easier at the factory i would imagine that they would all have the same substructure with different stuff attached to it if that makes any sense to you... Like for example some manufacturers will have a single way of wiring the truck or things will come prewired even though it didnt have it from the factory. I cant say for sure about the plugs though because i used the 2010+ kit and it had a ground wire and a power wire that your supposed to route into the fuse box but i spliced mine into the running light wire at the drivers front running light. Hasnt blown the fuse yet so it must be a tiny amount of power being drawn.