Doing the Hella LED side marker indicators
06-20-2010, 08:34 PM
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Doing the Hella LED side marker indicators
First off I would never even have attempted this even a year back but the support you guys give is tremendous.
The very thought of drilling/cutting into my front fenders made me nervous-but thanks to some excellent write ups and getting all the tools and prepping for the holes made this no big deal compared to some of the stuff you guys do...
First off the library of excellent threads for reference material:
The master writeup by Ritzy:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f126...lights-141517/
A good one by Christian using Sonar side markers:
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech...r/96runner.htm
And another fine one by LSU Matt1514:
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech...rkers/matt.htm
Reading up on all of these convinced me that I did not want to have to pull my fenders or mess with VW side markers.
I found these sold by Hella on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Hella-00813810...7094415&sr=8-1
By ordering a pair of them I got the free shipping of course ( I am a sucker for free shipping)
When they arrived they did not come with the peel and stick mounting template as promised within the instructions. I emailed Amazon to bitch about it, and their response was that I had to buy a set of 4 to get a mounting template. Nonetheless they wanted to keep me happy and agreed to refund me 40% of the purchase price!
I contacted Hella USA in Georgia and eventually they got me the templates which most definitely come in handy. If you go to my Facebook link I have saved a copy of the template.
One template will work for both sides so I have an extra template now also if anyone else needs one. They peel off and restick easily.
So on to the pictures.
I was paranoid about the passenger side and running into the power antenna wiring. I pulled the corner lens and by viewing down the passenger side fender (from the front of vehicle to the front passenger door) it was easy to see there was plenty of clearance so as not to hit the antenna wire.
By putting my trouble light bulb at the door hinge area-it was easy to view down the fender and the picture of course does not do justice to the amount of "flare" that the fender gives to arch over the wheel wells.
The very thought of drilling/cutting into my front fenders made me nervous-but thanks to some excellent write ups and getting all the tools and prepping for the holes made this no big deal compared to some of the stuff you guys do...
First off the library of excellent threads for reference material:
The master writeup by Ritzy:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f126...lights-141517/
A good one by Christian using Sonar side markers:
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech...r/96runner.htm
And another fine one by LSU Matt1514:
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech...rkers/matt.htm
Reading up on all of these convinced me that I did not want to have to pull my fenders or mess with VW side markers.
I found these sold by Hella on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Hella-00813810...7094415&sr=8-1
By ordering a pair of them I got the free shipping of course ( I am a sucker for free shipping)
When they arrived they did not come with the peel and stick mounting template as promised within the instructions. I emailed Amazon to bitch about it, and their response was that I had to buy a set of 4 to get a mounting template. Nonetheless they wanted to keep me happy and agreed to refund me 40% of the purchase price!
I contacted Hella USA in Georgia and eventually they got me the templates which most definitely come in handy. If you go to my Facebook link I have saved a copy of the template.
One template will work for both sides so I have an extra template now also if anyone else needs one. They peel off and restick easily.
So on to the pictures.
I was paranoid about the passenger side and running into the power antenna wiring. I pulled the corner lens and by viewing down the passenger side fender (from the front of vehicle to the front passenger door) it was easy to see there was plenty of clearance so as not to hit the antenna wire.
By putting my trouble light bulb at the door hinge area-it was easy to view down the fender and the picture of course does not do justice to the amount of "flare" that the fender gives to arch over the wheel wells.
Last edited by Ron Helmuth; 06-20-2010 at 08:36 PM.
06-20-2010, 08:45 PM
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Step 2
Next came the marking of where the hole would be cut into the passenger fender. I used blue painters tape just because it is so easy to peel and stick and re-peel off and again just in case you get off vertical or horizontal.
I marked both fenders and went back and forth to ensure they were in the same spot on both sides. I measured and remeasured and adjusted my tape to get a feel for true vertical and horizontal. I used a level for vertical and honestly did not care too much about horizontal at this early stage.
The template is in yellow sitting on the stool ready to go. I have already popped out the center section for the LED outline.
It contains nice cross hatch markings- like shooting a torpedo using a periscope- it is easy to line up. Thank you Hella USA for the template.
As you can see I went overkill as usual, specifically on the tape. I marked in pencil a horizontal line and a vertical line and marked "MID" for a visual reference to dead center.
Using plenty of the tape allowed the template to sit fully on the tape and this allows it to peel on and off easily. I drew the outline of the LED shape in pencil and then filled it in so I could better see the entire size the hole would be.
3rd shot is the drivers side marked off-hey how about those nice hood struts in action?
I marked both fenders and went back and forth to ensure they were in the same spot on both sides. I measured and remeasured and adjusted my tape to get a feel for true vertical and horizontal. I used a level for vertical and honestly did not care too much about horizontal at this early stage.
The template is in yellow sitting on the stool ready to go. I have already popped out the center section for the LED outline.
It contains nice cross hatch markings- like shooting a torpedo using a periscope- it is easy to line up. Thank you Hella USA for the template.
As you can see I went overkill as usual, specifically on the tape. I marked in pencil a horizontal line and a vertical line and marked "MID" for a visual reference to dead center.
Using plenty of the tape allowed the template to sit fully on the tape and this allows it to peel on and off easily. I drew the outline of the LED shape in pencil and then filled it in so I could better see the entire size the hole would be.
3rd shot is the drivers side marked off-hey how about those nice hood struts in action?
06-20-2010, 09:02 PM
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Step 3-making the cut!
Now came the real gut check. Was I ready to cut my fenders? Was I sure I had them marked exactly right? I double checked my measurements and re-read all the threads.
I believe it was LSU Matt that suggested the idea of putting the side markers at same height as the door handles. Made sense to me. So I used the ridge line above the door handles and below the side mirrors as a reference point to measure from. That became the mid line on a horizontal basis. So I double and triple checked both sides again. The tape itself does not have to run straight-so long as the pencil line marking does.
For the vertical I measured down the hood gap line from the windshield cowl, and that became my mid reference on a vertical basis. Again the tape itself may not be perfectly straight, but the square and the bubble level are my trusty tools to ensure true vertical midpoint.
If you look closely at the photos above you can clearly see my MIDs marked on both passenger and drivers sides. I then extended my pencil marks to exceed the height and width of the Hella template so I would have my cross hatch markings.
I got out my trusty step drill for metal (thanks Harbor Freight!) and began to bore out large holes on the passenger side. I then smoothed out the spaces in between with a combination of hand filing and volcano or cone shaped grinding wheels on an electric drill. I did not get too close to top or bottom or sides-I was simply chewing up the middle section for now.
Lowe's had a good selection of these and theirs are of a harder, more robust material than the ones that came with my air tool set. They also sell a dedicated metal grinder with teeth but it tended to jump a bit too much, I put that away -scared I might nibble away too much material at once.
I briefly used a 3" cutting wheel on a die grinder, but the LEDs themselves are barely 3 inches across and I was concerned if I slipped I would over cut the horizontal axis. I put the die grinder away...
I retraced at least once from the LED itself by simply holding it in place and using a sharpie marker to show the outline a little more distinctly than the pencil on blue tape. This helped a great deal visually.
The pics show the hole at about 90% done. I used the LED itself frequently to double check how the hole size was progressing. The key is to keep the hole too small. Too small is a good thing-too large could be disastrous. Once it was very close to completed size I did the last few strokes with flat bastard files for metal.
I believe it was LSU Matt that suggested the idea of putting the side markers at same height as the door handles. Made sense to me. So I used the ridge line above the door handles and below the side mirrors as a reference point to measure from. That became the mid line on a horizontal basis. So I double and triple checked both sides again. The tape itself does not have to run straight-so long as the pencil line marking does.
For the vertical I measured down the hood gap line from the windshield cowl, and that became my mid reference on a vertical basis. Again the tape itself may not be perfectly straight, but the square and the bubble level are my trusty tools to ensure true vertical midpoint.
If you look closely at the photos above you can clearly see my MIDs marked on both passenger and drivers sides. I then extended my pencil marks to exceed the height and width of the Hella template so I would have my cross hatch markings.
I got out my trusty step drill for metal (thanks Harbor Freight!) and began to bore out large holes on the passenger side. I then smoothed out the spaces in between with a combination of hand filing and volcano or cone shaped grinding wheels on an electric drill. I did not get too close to top or bottom or sides-I was simply chewing up the middle section for now.
Lowe's had a good selection of these and theirs are of a harder, more robust material than the ones that came with my air tool set. They also sell a dedicated metal grinder with teeth but it tended to jump a bit too much, I put that away -scared I might nibble away too much material at once.
I briefly used a 3" cutting wheel on a die grinder, but the LEDs themselves are barely 3 inches across and I was concerned if I slipped I would over cut the horizontal axis. I put the die grinder away...
I retraced at least once from the LED itself by simply holding it in place and using a sharpie marker to show the outline a little more distinctly than the pencil on blue tape. This helped a great deal visually.
The pics show the hole at about 90% done. I used the LED itself frequently to double check how the hole size was progressing. The key is to keep the hole too small. Too small is a good thing-too large could be disastrous. Once it was very close to completed size I did the last few strokes with flat bastard files for metal.
Last edited by Ron Helmuth; 06-20-2010 at 09:26 PM.
06-20-2010, 09:18 PM
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The finished look!
Once I was satisfied the Hella LED marker would pop into place I treated the hole with some spray paint I had laying around (see Tires and Wheels thread on my rim painting adventures).
I sprayed some black paint into a lid and Q tipped the hole edges with all the blue tape now removed. I kept a wet rag handy just in case I dripped onto my white beauty's fender. I let dry 10 minutes or so and then did a second application-just in case. I don't want rust forming in there from moisture. I should add the HELLA LED fixture has a nice rubber O ring around the body.
The first picture is the completed hole-see how nice and rounded the shape is? The cone grinder wheels do a really nice job of smoothing out the abrasions of the metal sides, bottom and top. A little extra force is required to keep the top side flush, the bottom edge has gravity helping you out.
I stuck in one side and used a thin blade screwdriver with masking tape on the tip to push in the other side. A very tight fit just like I wanted. I may still use some clear silicone to seal the sides just a bit more...EDIT NOTE: Yes I wired them up first and checked to be sure they were going to work...before slipping the LED into the hole. It is going to take some effort if I ever want to remove an LED, the hole is that tight and they have a spring clip that snaps into place.
For now I have them wired up simply as supplemental turn signals. I tapped into the line running to my corner lens turn signals (another Ritzy thread) and not my ARB bumper turn signals. I used the fender well to run the wiring straight from behind the corner lenses. A simple wire hanger worked well to run the wire from the corner lens to the back side of the LED. I used solder for all my connections and then shrink wrapped them all. I used a fuse to the LED lamp power supply (just in case).
At some point I do want these to be lit at all times that my parking lights are on/and to serve as turn signals also, but for now I will let them just be turn signals.
Frankly I am a little confused how to wire that up without using a relay but perhaps I just need to re- read the Ritzy master thread. I don't want my bumper lenses lit up all the time with my headlights/parking lights, but then again that might not be a bad idea also.
Hope this helps some of you on the fence about this mod. It was honestly not that hard. I still have the drivers side to drill out and so on, but the passenger side was the one I was concerned about-again due to the antenna being right there, but not in the way at all as it turns out.
mad props to Ritzy for his most excellent writeup and encouragement along the way.
I sprayed some black paint into a lid and Q tipped the hole edges with all the blue tape now removed. I kept a wet rag handy just in case I dripped onto my white beauty's fender. I let dry 10 minutes or so and then did a second application-just in case. I don't want rust forming in there from moisture. I should add the HELLA LED fixture has a nice rubber O ring around the body.
The first picture is the completed hole-see how nice and rounded the shape is? The cone grinder wheels do a really nice job of smoothing out the abrasions of the metal sides, bottom and top. A little extra force is required to keep the top side flush, the bottom edge has gravity helping you out.
I stuck in one side and used a thin blade screwdriver with masking tape on the tip to push in the other side. A very tight fit just like I wanted. I may still use some clear silicone to seal the sides just a bit more...EDIT NOTE: Yes I wired them up first and checked to be sure they were going to work...before slipping the LED into the hole. It is going to take some effort if I ever want to remove an LED, the hole is that tight and they have a spring clip that snaps into place.
For now I have them wired up simply as supplemental turn signals. I tapped into the line running to my corner lens turn signals (another Ritzy thread) and not my ARB bumper turn signals. I used the fender well to run the wiring straight from behind the corner lenses. A simple wire hanger worked well to run the wire from the corner lens to the back side of the LED. I used solder for all my connections and then shrink wrapped them all. I used a fuse to the LED lamp power supply (just in case).
At some point I do want these to be lit at all times that my parking lights are on/and to serve as turn signals also, but for now I will let them just be turn signals.
Frankly I am a little confused how to wire that up without using a relay but perhaps I just need to re- read the Ritzy master thread. I don't want my bumper lenses lit up all the time with my headlights/parking lights, but then again that might not be a bad idea also.
Hope this helps some of you on the fence about this mod. It was honestly not that hard. I still have the drivers side to drill out and so on, but the passenger side was the one I was concerned about-again due to the antenna being right there, but not in the way at all as it turns out.
mad props to Ritzy for his most excellent writeup and encouragement along the way.
Last edited by Ron Helmuth; 06-20-2010 at 09:31 PM.
06-21-2010, 01:32 PM
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thanks guys-Atomic that is my aluminum recycling in action. A few passes in and out of the garage and they are crushed flat as can be.
elblako-dude I just figured out photos....video is a decade away likely. Still trying to get the 8 track player hooked up....
elblako-dude I just figured out photos....video is a decade away likely. Still trying to get the 8 track player hooked up....
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06-22-2010, 08:22 PM
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drivers side now done-more shots bear with me here guys
got the drivers side done today. For some reason this hole took me longer to get cut just right but I took my time so as to not screw it up.
Keep in mind you always want the hole to be small-too large and you may end up with a gap you can't quite fill with the LED pushed in. You can always enlarge the hole just a bit more, with some more grinding and filing.
First shot is what the LEDs look like out of the packaging and I notice Amazon has finally added an image to the link above from the purchase.
Here are some night shots with my rock lights on and turn signals flashing. The LEDs light up as turn signals and of course also as hazards. I'm still investigating the proper connection to make them running lights as well, without illuminating my ARB bumper turn signals at same time.
Sharp eyed viewers may notice I have converted my rims over to the free Ivan Stewart TRDs I got at Memorial Day. And the Front Range is silhouetted in the background at sunset, you have to kind of peer through the smog of course...
Keep in mind you always want the hole to be small-too large and you may end up with a gap you can't quite fill with the LED pushed in. You can always enlarge the hole just a bit more, with some more grinding and filing.
First shot is what the LEDs look like out of the packaging and I notice Amazon has finally added an image to the link above from the purchase.
Here are some night shots with my rock lights on and turn signals flashing. The LEDs light up as turn signals and of course also as hazards. I'm still investigating the proper connection to make them running lights as well, without illuminating my ARB bumper turn signals at same time.
Sharp eyed viewers may notice I have converted my rims over to the free Ivan Stewart TRDs I got at Memorial Day. And the Front Range is silhouetted in the background at sunset, you have to kind of peer through the smog of course...
06-23-2010, 06:21 AM
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they'll get more.. and if you order 2 and they take awhile then just complain and they will knock some $$ off the price! Mine only ended up costing like $20 for the pair I was amazed how nice they (Amazon) were about it.
06-28-2010, 01:35 PM
#12
Mods for Dummies!
Maybe I should write a book!
Really nice job, found your pics over on T4r.org, and it was my FIRST post over there
I told you it would be a real gut check cutting into your fender the first time! Did a very nice job. Ya make me proud! Now if I can just get off the dime and find the stuff I need for my tranny cooling, rear axle seal replacement and redoing my front brakes (yeah, they wore out and now I need to replace the rotors and the pads) and hopefully can get it all done in 3 weeks!
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