Hey guys

I'm going to be getting my grille guard and auxiliary lighting next week, and I want to do some side-facing lights for camping and stuff. I really don't want to find a roof rack to mount them in, as I think it would look pretty silly on a Ranger.

Anyways, here's my plan. I want to mount some small (2x6" or so) lights in the side windows (back doors). The recesses for the glass are a great place to mount some floods, and you could even open the doors and pivot them to aim the lights a bit (obviously not when you're driving!) I was looking at the KC Series 26 lamps but I'm not sure they'd be bright enough, since I have Ford's stock privacy glass. I still want to get a really good amount of light out of the side.

I'm fairly new to the off-road and lighting stuff, so any tips for fitting some nice bright floods in there would be great! (The area is about 3" deep and roughly 8" across. How much space they take up vertically isn't much of an issue since I use convex mirrors, which render the windows useless.)

 

Be careful where you run your wires and use a solid relay and switch.
Idk how much there is to say.

only problem I can see is that if there is ANY forward/backward wiggle to the light then you'll have glass on glass clicking constantly.

 

What about the heat from the lights lens, will it have any affect on the glass ?

 

Personally I would mount them outside. I can only see them getting in the way and not being as bright as you would hope due to the tint and I'm sure the heat would not be too merciful on your window/tint. Lights for camping and such is a nice idea. You should look into a roof rack or a basket and mount lights on all sides with a pivot point on the side lights so you can move them 360 degrees. Also the baskets look pretty sweet on our little trucks.

 

he said he doesnt want a roof rack.

but Another suggestion would be directly behind the cab on the edge/gunnel of the bed facing outward but you could mount them on a rubberized/shock resistant swivel that will allow you a couple degrees forward movement and 180 degrees in the back

 

I would personally try a different route. You would be better off bying mag lights.... I think the heat would end up breaking your window. If it were me I would buy a power inverter and buy some of the yellow flood lights that you can extend and make higher.

Another thought is to fab up somthing that goes into the slots of the bed rails and have it be a quick disconnect a d wired to a switch.

 

Puddle lights? Or maybe under the truck on the frame. Scott Megill has that.

 

I've seen em in action and they work great. He has them set up as reverse lights but I'm sure they would be just as good on the sides.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. The puddle light idea and hurley's mention of setting them up as reverse lights gave me an idea, since I can't find much for puddle lights on a google search. I'm going to get a pair of Recon's projector back-up lights, and I could just grab a second pair and mount them under the cab. Apparently their built for off-roading so the housings are sealed very well, so I shouldn't have to worry about them getting wet or muddy (of course I'd be careful as to where I mounted them along the truck to minimize the risk.)

 

Here are Scotts on his frame sides.

 

If you used a Light Bar you could mount at least two on the side and two more a little further in and directed out at an angle.

There are also “Go Lights” rotatable high output lights; get two magnet mounted versions and you can move them where-ever as needed and they come with plug in controls.