2008 JK Rugged Ridge Light Bar Install
08-07-2010, 02:48 PM
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2008 JK Rugged Ridge Light Bar Install
Hello to all. I recently installed the rugged ridge light bar on my 2008 Wrangler. I figured I would pass along how the install went and any tips to make is easier on others. I am happy to answer any questions regarding the install that may not be listed in the following -
I am fortunate to have a warehouse so I had plenty of room to work with and laid out all the components before the install.
1) I started with the removal of the windsheild brackets and being OCD, I made sure the area beneth was cleaned up as it was quite dirty. 
I then loosly attached the light bar brackets. 
2) In front of the Jeep I laid out a moving blanket and setup the light bar with the 5 PIAA lights to be attached. I was not interested in running the wiring for the lighting outside the bar so I new utilizing the predrilled holes would be a little tricky getting the wire out the end of the light bar. 
"Being in the Home Theater industry I had access to plenty of wire and connectors to help with the install."
I used 16 guage speaker wire for the lighting and scrapped the wiring that comes with the PIAA lights. I stripped the jacketing from the speaker wire and estimated about 25ft for each light. I labeled each of the wires 1 -5 so I would know which pair of lights to connect to each switch. So basically from left to right I numbered 1-5 and at the switch location connected lights 1&5, 2&4, and 3.
So on with the install - I first mounted each of the PIAA lights to the light bar "FYI" once the light bar was mounted I found that I had to insert four washers on each light to lift them up and over light bar as they would not tilt lower due to hitting the light bar.
Once mounted I started fishing the wiring through the light bar - I found using a thick peice of wire about the size of the hole worked best as it was stiff enough to push through the bar but the hardest part is making the turn. Another trick is using a vacuum to suck a string out the end of the tubing but I did not have to go that route. I fished the center light first as it has the greatest amount of distance and did not want any other wiring hanging up inside. I fed three of the lights through the right side of the light bar and the other two out the left side of the light bar. Once all the wiring was run through the tube. I started making the connections for each light.
I did away with the connectors on each of the PIAA lights and make the splice using a butt connector. I then applied shrink tubing over each connection. Make sure that you have the grommet installed before the splice. Once the connections were complete - I pushed the connectors inside the tubing and wrapped the wiring with electricall tape thick enough to have a tight seal around the grommet. The instructions recommend using sealent which can be done in conjuction to improve the seal.
After all the lights were mounted and wired with the wiring coming out the bottom of the tube. With the Jeep top rolled back - I placed the light bar flat across the top of the jeep aligning the tubing as close as possible with light bar brackets.
At this point I started to fish the wiring through each light bar bracket and found that the wiring will tuck nicely in creases to end up coming out into the engine compartment. It takes a little negociating but worked out great.
I pulled all of the slack out of the wring so there was only about a 6 -10 inch gap of wire between the light bar and the brackets. I stood up in the middle of the jeep making sure the wiring fed into the tubes on each side and slid the light bar onto the brackets. This can certainly be done easier with two people but was not too bad for one person. I completed the install of the light bar and all that was left was to connect the wiring. I wanted it to look at stock as possible so I ran all of the wiring through flex tubing and routed it to the fuse box on the passenger side. 
The PIAA relays are quite large and it was interesting finding a place to mount them. I ended up mounting all three relays to the top of the fuse box and left enough slack that the fuse box can still be opened. 
Once the routing of the wiring was complete "following the lines" of the other flex tubing. 
I ran the wiring for the switches/lights through the passenger side of the firewall and used an aftermarket rocker switch mount that installed at the bottom/center of the jeep console. I dont have the name handy but it is a pretty common product. The lighting for the relays was hardwired straight to the batery with the ground attached to the firewall. The 12 volt power for the rocker switches was tied into the fuse box on the ignition side of the power so they could not be left on when the vehicle is off. While I realize this is not the most detailed installation I figured it wouldn't hurt to post. The job is complete and took about 6 hours from start to completion. My camera died so I don't have pics yet of the rocker install. I will post them up if anyone is interested. I plan on doing much more and really looking forward to being a part of the forum. All the Best. T.
Here's the rest of the pics:
I am fortunate to have a warehouse so I had plenty of room to work with and laid out all the components before the install.
1) I started with the removal of the windsheild brackets and being OCD, I made sure the area beneth was cleaned up as it was quite dirty. I then loosly attached the light bar brackets. 2) In front of the Jeep I laid out a moving blanket and setup the light bar with the 5 PIAA lights to be attached. I was not interested in running the wiring for the lighting outside the bar so I new utilizing the predrilled holes would be a little tricky getting the wire out the end of the light bar. "Being in the Home Theater industry I had access to plenty of wire and connectors to help with the install."
I used 16 guage speaker wire for the lighting and scrapped the wiring that comes with the PIAA lights. I stripped the jacketing from the speaker wire and estimated about 25ft for each light. I labeled each of the wires 1 -5 so I would know which pair of lights to connect to each switch. So basically from left to right I numbered 1-5 and at the switch location connected lights 1&5, 2&4, and 3.
So on with the install - I first mounted each of the PIAA lights to the light bar "FYI" once the light bar was mounted I found that I had to insert four washers on each light to lift them up and over light bar as they would not tilt lower due to hitting the light bar.
Once mounted I started fishing the wiring through the light bar - I found using a thick peice of wire about the size of the hole worked best as it was stiff enough to push through the bar but the hardest part is making the turn. Another trick is using a vacuum to suck a string out the end of the tubing but I did not have to go that route. I fished the center light first as it has the greatest amount of distance and did not want any other wiring hanging up inside. I fed three of the lights through the right side of the light bar and the other two out the left side of the light bar. Once all the wiring was run through the tube. I started making the connections for each light.
I did away with the connectors on each of the PIAA lights and make the splice using a butt connector. I then applied shrink tubing over each connection. Make sure that you have the grommet installed before the splice. Once the connections were complete - I pushed the connectors inside the tubing and wrapped the wiring with electricall tape thick enough to have a tight seal around the grommet. The instructions recommend using sealent which can be done in conjuction to improve the seal. After all the lights were mounted and wired with the wiring coming out the bottom of the tube. With the Jeep top rolled back - I placed the light bar flat across the top of the jeep aligning the tubing as close as possible with light bar brackets.
At this point I started to fish the wiring through each light bar bracket and found that the wiring will tuck nicely in creases to end up coming out into the engine compartment. It takes a little negociating but worked out great.
I pulled all of the slack out of the wring so there was only about a 6 -10 inch gap of wire between the light bar and the brackets. I stood up in the middle of the jeep making sure the wiring fed into the tubes on each side and slid the light bar onto the brackets. This can certainly be done easier with two people but was not too bad for one person. I completed the install of the light bar and all that was left was to connect the wiring. I wanted it to look at stock as possible so I ran all of the wiring through flex tubing and routed it to the fuse box on the passenger side. The PIAA relays are quite large and it was interesting finding a place to mount them. I ended up mounting all three relays to the top of the fuse box and left enough slack that the fuse box can still be opened. Once the routing of the wiring was complete "following the lines" of the other flex tubing. I ran the wiring for the switches/lights through the passenger side of the firewall and used an aftermarket rocker switch mount that installed at the bottom/center of the jeep console. I dont have the name handy but it is a pretty common product. The lighting for the relays was hardwired straight to the batery with the ground attached to the firewall. The 12 volt power for the rocker switches was tied into the fuse box on the ignition side of the power so they could not be left on when the vehicle is off. While I realize this is not the most detailed installation I figured it wouldn't hurt to post. The job is complete and took about 6 hours from start to completion. My camera died so I don't have pics yet of the rocker install. I will post them up if anyone is interested. I plan on doing much more and really looking forward to being a part of the forum. All the Best. T.Here's the rest of the pics:
Last edited by ai_of_ga; 08-07-2010 at 03:33 PM.
08-07-2010, 02:53 PM
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sweet install im also looking to get some overhead lights but wasnt sure if i would be able to keep my windshield lights. do you know if there are longer bolts with your kit or something i could possibly do?
08-07-2010, 03:06 PM
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08-08-2010, 03:56 AM
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yea i do agree, i just really like RR and there gear but i was also looking at some of the light bars that only use the top 2 bolts of the windshield so i think that might be my route but i wasnt sure if there is a real difference in support between them.
08-10-2010, 10:53 AM
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the other pics look awesome
, so i noticed your only using one battery? and you have a winch and a handful of lights are you looking to add another battery down the line or is your one batter really cutting it? im at a stand still right now to either get my winch and lights or to upgrade to a dual battery set up so im not sure what to do first
.
, so i noticed your only using one battery? and you have a winch and a handful of lights are you looking to add another battery down the line or is your one batter really cutting it? im at a stand still right now to either get my winch and lights or to upgrade to a dual battery set up so im not sure what to do first.
08-11-2010, 04:20 AM
#7
Former Vendor
Our light bar reuses the OE w/s frame mounting bolts. The bar replaces these brackets so the bolt length stays the same. Our lower light brackets are designed to mount to our light bar without modification.
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08-12-2010, 04:45 AM
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Many Thanks!!
Vedo
