BajaRunner

I was thinking about mounting some aux. off road lamps on my factory roof rack, and I had a couple questions. I was thinking about getting some Hella 500's.

1) Could I simply drill holes on the rack, and mount the lights like that? Or is there a better way to secure them?

2) Where would I run the wires into the cab? I didn't want to have any wires showing, but, it looks like I'll have to have 3" of wire running into the weather stripping. Is that the only way to do this?

outdoorfever

i was about to ask the same exact questions. i dont know either, hopefully someone will chime in.

Tacoma Dude

I don't know about the factory roof rack but Corey pointed me in the direction of Yakima's braces that can be adapted for a Thule rack.

I don't remember the name and am too tired to search.

...so here's a bump for ya!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I have a write-up in the Tech section either under Electrical, or Off Road Enhancements.

I think Jackson has an article in there also, or at least on his website.

jacksonpt

On a 96, there are small yellow "grommets" under the endcaps of the roof rack rails. You can feed teh wires through those if you want, but make sure you seal them up real good to keep water out. You'll have to drop the headliner to run the wires, which is a PITA. Or you can run them in through the back hatch. This is the best way to go (IMO) as you don't have to worry about water leaking in. Run them in near the hinge for the tailgate (I have mine zip tied to the hinge), down the weather seal along the hydraulic lifts, down past the tail lights, then into the cargo area at the bottom. You can run them in at the top if you want, but this will break the weather seal and probably lead to leaks. Running them in at the bottom greatly reduces your chances for leaks.

I've had mine run this way for a few years with no problems. The only thing you have to watch out for is that the hydraulic lifts for teh tailgate don't crush your wires. The wires should be fine, but it can make opening the tailgate a bit of a hastle. A dab of silicone will secure the wires out of the way.

I do have a write-up, but I'm in the middle of redoing my site and the writeup are still down. I should have things squared away mid week or so.

li_runner

As stated the “grommets” at the end of the roof rack rails lead right into the rear headliner of your rig. I did use this method to get the wires cleanly into the interior. Yes there is a possibility for water leaking in, just do the wiring properly and no water will ever get the chance to however. I just drilled a small hole through this plastic “grommet” just enough for 4 wires to fit through. Then I filled the entire “grommet” up with silicone. No water will ever get through that. For more safety on the top I drilled another hold through the plastic end cap of the roof rack rail, and put small rubber grommet (the type that seals up the back of most aftermarket headlamp housings through that small hole) and snaked the wires through there. 2 layers of protection No water has ever leaked through, and I doubt it ever will, it is sealed up really tight. This method worked for me, no drilling any metal, the grommet, roof rack end cap can be replaced if you make a mistake, change your mind about having lights on your roof, or if by any chance water finds a way through. Here’s a few shots.







The best part of this I think is that no wires are visible in the interior since they pass through to the headliner.

jacksonpt

One other thing to consider...

If you run the wires through the grommet, it makes it much more difficult to remove the roof rack if you ever want to. I put quick disconnects on all my wires, and I have easy access too them in the cargo area. All I have to do is disconnect them and the entire roof rack can be removed in about 5 minutes.

BajaRunner

Thanks a ton guys for the replies. I really wanted to know how to run those wires into the cab w/o water leakage and so you couldnt see the wires...so thanks for the great ideas!

I would try to run the wires through the grommet on the endcap but, the thought of taking off the headliner just sounds horrible.

I guess I'll try running it through the rear hatch. Just yesterday I ran my CB antenna cord through a hole near the breaklight. (Bob's writeup).Maybe I can stick another one in there.