Built in under car lighting for breakdowns and lift use?

[Lelandwelds]

I started out looking for under lift lighting. The only lift I have borrowed has terrible lighting. If i follow PS and CD recommendations, I estimate I will have 3 or 4 times the light. Lift lighting may not be much of an issue. Breakdowns on the side of the road may be a bigger issue.

What about undercarriage and under hood lighting? Provide enough light to change a tire, find dropped tools or lug nuts, top off fluids, etc. With cold cathode and LED available, it can't be that difficult. Any trailblazers out there?

 

[teamextreme]

Google rock lights for Jeeps/rock crawlers. They've been installing undercarriage lights since the early 2000's to light up the trail below you while you're rock crawling. With the advent of LED's recently it makes it much easier. I will have to re-do mine with LED's when I get it back running.

 

[rsanter]

So that’s what the under car neon type lights they install in the rice burners is really for...
I guess those hopped up ones are always breaking down as they leave their undercarriage lights on alot

 

[Lelandwelds]

Google rock lights for Jeeps/rock crawlers. They've been installing undercarriage lights since the early 2000's to light up the trail below you while you're rock crawling. With the advent of LED's recently it makes it much easier. I will have to re-do mine with LED's when I get it back running.

Very cool. I didn't know they made those. In ye olden days, we just pulled over and drank beer until daylight.

Thanks

 

[Angelfire]

Yep, I’ve had rock lights for several years on my Jeep. Used LED pucks and they really do a good job lighting it up. Makes doing things at night much easier (of course it doesn’t help the situation all that much when laying in mud or rock fixing something!)
Cheers

 

[Lelandwelds]

Yep, I’ve had rock lights for several years on my Jeep. Used LED pucks and they really do a good job lighting it up. Makes doing things at night much easier (of course it doesn’t help the situation all that much when laying in mud or rock fixing something!)
Cheers

How do you switch them? Horn button? Extra toggle on dash? Under hood switch? Turned on when in 4wd lo?

 

[teamextreme]

Dash toggle switch.

 

[XJSuperman]

I have a switch panel in mine for led driving lights, a lightbar for offroad, led reverse lights, and the OBA. The remaining empty switches are designated for rock lights (or underbody service lights), and the electric fan. I need to get back in and wire them up soon.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Any rock crawlers out there with underbody puck lighting and a lift? Care to post some photos with the camera at eye level and pointed at common maintenance points? Please? Pretty please with sugar on it?

Google found trail shots but no lift photos. I am betting the illumination is good and the glare is minimal. Years and years from now when I break ground, I can chose the puck location with an eye not for the trail but for reflecting off the floor. I wonder how bright these things are in a 100 FC lit shop compared to a trail at night?

 

[ChaseDE]

Trail lights are to illuminate the trail though, like down. The same lights turned on, while your under on the lift looking up, would probably be useless and/or blind you.

I think I would buy some better work lights for the shop and leave a LED handheld in the car in case of emergency.

 

[Aaron_W]

I have an LED light the size of a large bar of soap that has a hook on it. Bright, lightweight and the hook is big enough that it is easy to find something stable to hang it on. Works good under the hood, or in the trunk. I haven't had a need to use it under the car but expect it would work there as well. I also keep a few feet of wire in the tool kit so worst case I could find something to wrap the wire around and then hand the light from the wire.

Funny thing is I bought the light and then realized the car actually came with a decent light under the hood and in the trunk for basic things like checking the oil or finding something in the trunk, so I actually haven't had much need for the neat little light.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Permanent mount lights will not serve you well, and you have thought of that per your post asking for pictures.
It's too easy to have a magnetic lamp like sold at hf, and convert it to 12v.
I say the hf lamp because it has a handy three axis neck on it that stays put. The standard goose neck type will move around depending on gravity.

rock lights: They do just about nothing for you when you're climbing around under the car. They blind you or don't shine where you want.

Look up the hf lamp.
You need portable that shines on the specific area.

(a head lamp works well for me in almost all instances. If the beam is too narrow, scab one together that doesn't have a housing on it.)

I just reread your post. When you break ground put pucks I The floor. Low cost, semi piss you off most of the time, but they have a slight advantage over nothing.

Lol. Somebody always has to pee in my cornflakes.

I started out wanting in ground LED. Lift owners tell me the light is blinding. I wanted mains powered lights mounted on the lift arms. I am told it is blinding also. I asked if anyone puts barn doors on an under bench or toe kick light. Actually, I forget what was wrong with that one.

Batteries need maintenance. Flashlight sprout legs. Head lamps drive me batty. I like AC power.

 

[XJSuperman]

Ill help ruin your cereal a little more. I will be trying the rock lights later down the road, but I can justify it for offroad use even if its blinding and ***** for maintenance.

Regardless of the blinding reasoning, you can't fully replace a flashlight/worklight because permanent mount lighting will never ever be in the right place for you to see. It'll either be in your eyes, or completely off, or close enough to create shadows that will be worse than doing the work in the dark lol.

 

[mike93lx]

A headlamp in your center console.

Between this and the built in jacks, you must break down an aweful lot. Maybe time for a newer car with better tires?

Edit, just saw your comment about headlamps. Buy inexpensive ones and a lot of them. I buy energizer brand and have them all over the place... Cars, camping gear, kitchen, workbench, etc.makes it a lot less likely to have them walk away and the batteries last almost forever

 

[Angelfire]

How do you switch them? Horn button? Extra toggle on dash? Under hood switch? Turned on when in 4wd lo?

I just have a paddle switch that matches all my other switches (ie. for my lockers, air compressor, other lights, etc...). No reason to wire them into 4-Lo or reverse because I only want them on when I need them. No point having them on all the time when out bouncing around.

 

[stm317]

How about cheap, hands-free light wherever you look, that will never blind you? Small enough to store anywhere too, even in the car.