Okay a little information first...Currently, I have a damage multiplier (grille guard) with 2 PIAA 520 ATP's mounted on it. I am thinking about installing a 1" body lift to give my tires a little extra clearance off road, but before I do that I need to get rid of the damage multiplier first. What I would like to do is move the PIAA 520 ATP's to the top of my Yakima rack and purchase another set of lights and mount them on the bumper, using this writeup.
http://www.4runners.org/writeups/hella500/index.html
So my questions are:
How should I run the wires from the roof mounted lights into the cab and engine bay?
Will I need extra wiring? If so, what gauge?
Does anyone have any pics/writeups on how they ran their wires from the roof into the cab/engine bay?
Finally, what kind of lights (driving, fog, etc.) should I get for the bumper? (I would like to stick with PIAA so they match the others I am moving to the roof rack).

 

I ran my lights into my cab but i have a first gen 4Runner so running them was simple. I just ran them down the seal that seals the cap to the roof. I used a total of about 40ft of 10 gauge wire. Not counting the wire i used for the switches.



As far as the bumper lights go, get a set of yellow lights, they tend to cut through fog very well.

 

Do you by any chance have any pics of how exactly you ran the wires? I know it probably won't apply to my 4runner but I am trying to figure out the best way to run the wires so the install looks as clean and professional as possible...

I was thinking the same thing but I have read in some other threads that they really don't do much when they are mounted that high...any thoughts?

 

I've also seen people tuck the wiring under the rubber windshield trim and into the engine bay

 

kiss your mileage good bye

 

Thats not a bad idea but I don't know if I want to be messing around with windshield and trim. I was thinking about running the wires down the door pillar or something.

Haha yeah with oversized tires, a 3" lift, and my Yakima rack my mileage is already terrible so I'm not too concerned about it.

 

Why? A couple lights on the roof? I guess if you measure MPG to the .01. But seriously he's not going to notice a difference.

 

Depending on how used to it he is. When I put my roof rack on and added lights, i went from 17 mpg city down to now 15. It wasn't a coincidental loss either because the last time fuel prices rose, I took it off and went back to17. Last summer I put it back on and now back to 15mpg.

 

If he was adding lights AND a roofrack I agree he would see a slight difference... But the OP said he was planning on adding the lights to the rack he already has. Splitting hairs here.

 

I don't have any pics sorry. But it wouldn't apply to your 4Runner anyway since you don't have a removable top.

And whoever told you that roof mounted lights don't do much is full of crap. Mine light up SO much. About 3x as good as high beams, not to mention i can now see 20 feet to each side as well.



I still get 20.5mpgs instead of 21mpgs

 

Oh okay I see what you're saying. Thanks anyway!

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

Thought about running power under your carpet/trim to your cargo area? I've done this before in a Jeep - and run it out the top of the hatch to the rack. I only had about 3" of cable showing and it was pretty easily tucked into the stock rail to hide it. I also had my rack mounted towards the rear on my jeep... so this might not be the best option for you depending on rack position.

 

I have thought about that but I do have my rack mounted about as far forward as it can be so the weight is more evenly distributed over my Thule load bars. The other issue is that I have stereo equipment in the cargo area and the wires for that take up pretty much all of the extra space underneath the plastic floor pieces.

I have been looking at some other threads I think that my best option will be to drill a hole in the roof underneath the cap for the factory roof rails. Has anyone done this? Is there enough space to run multiple wires?

 

You don't even have to drill holes because under those rail end caps are plugs that you can just remove...or better yet remove those plugs and drill some holes thru for wiring and plug back in...use some silicone for water sealing.

You can run 4 16 ga. wire's through each plug no problem..

It's how I wired my roof lights.

 

Awesome! I think that is the way to go then. Do you have any more pics of your lights and how they are wired? They look great!!

 

Basic'lly I ran 8 lengths of 16ga from the switch location(2 switches), up the headliner and through the holes under the rail front end caps.

Since I re-used the yellow plugs under the caps, which I think is the better thing to do to prevent any water leak, after all they are plugs, I could only fit 4 16ga wires on each front plugs for 4 lights up top.

So 4 wires up the drivers side and 4 up the passenger side.

I find this method to be the most stealthiest way of hiding wires.

Check on my build thread for some overall pics with the lights on.




Any more inquiries just ask.

 

I would like to have all 4 of my lights on just one switch because I use the Toyota OEM switches and I am running out of switch "holes" to use. Any thoughts on how to do this? Would I still need to run all 8 wires to the engine bay?

 

when i had my yakima rack with lights on i ran the wire up the sunroof's drain hose. if you open the sunroof and look at the front corners you will see a small hole, this leads to a tube that dumps out behind the kickpanels. then i ran it (making sure it wouldnt get caught by the sunroof) and drilled a hole under the cap of the roof rack rails. i had pics up let me see if i can find them

 

Thanks for the idea but unfortunately I don't have a sunroof . I think I saw another thread where a guy did pretty much the same thing that you just described and it looked really clean...Maybe it was yours...