Light Question
#1
07-06-2008, 06:48 PM
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#2
07-06-2008, 06:54 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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#3
07-06-2008, 10:58 PM
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RE: Light Question
The locations you pointed out are for the factory installed fog lights. Yes it can be cut out and you can install your own fog lights there. When your truck hasno fog lamps from the factory, thereare no provisions to mount fog lamps. The trucks with OEM fog lamps have the screw holes and bracketry on the back side of the air dam/bumper cover.
You can use a 4 inch holesaw to cut the holes in the fog lamp location. Spin it slowly and backwards to get it started then spin it slowly and keep removing it to clear the plastic scraps that will come off. In not doing so you can scratch the area around the fog lamp location. I speak from experience here. When I did mine Ifound a plastic drink cup lid that was the same diameter as the fog lamp location. The lid just happened to have a dimple in the exact center of it and I poked alittle hole in it then used it as a template in the fog lamp location to determine where to drill the holeto center the arbor biton my holesaw.
Once the holes are cut you can install the lamps, Pilot makes a direct fit kit for the Dakota, the part # is PL138C.I got mine from a truck accessory store, and they were not cheap. About$110.00for the whole kit.They worked but still took some engineering of my own to get them mounted right. The kit comes with the metal brackets and wiring and a switch for the fog lamps.You can get cheaper fog lamp kits, and make your own brackets for themfrom the heavy steel constructionbrackets you can buy at Home Depot in the lumber department. It takes some work to do it though, and it probably would bea lot easier with 2 people. The lights I bought were the only ones I could find in clear lenses like the OEM lamps. I don't like the ricer type blue ones that they sell at Walmart, Autozone etc.
I used the Pilot wiring but not their switch or relay. I got around flush mount typetoggle switch at Radio shack and mounted it in theknee bolster panel rightbelow my headlight switch. I used 2 30amp Boschrelays and set it up so the fog lamps will only turn on when the parking lamps and/or headlights are on and I turn the toggle switch on for the fogs. The second relay interrupts the first relay so the fog lamps turn offwhen I use my high beams. Some people don't use the second relay so they can have high beams and fog lamps too. That's illegal here where I live and I don't need to give the police any reasons to pull me over.
It's not that hard to add the fog lamps to your Dakota. I really like mine, they don't throw much light way out in front but they do make it brighter and easier to see. And they do throw light to the sides of the road, which helps me when I go thru the country at night. Between my fog lamps and the Silver Star Ultras I use in the headlights, I can see very well at night. It's the best I could get without spending 300 or 400 bucks on a HID kit.
Jimmy
You can use a 4 inch holesaw to cut the holes in the fog lamp location. Spin it slowly and backwards to get it started then spin it slowly and keep removing it to clear the plastic scraps that will come off. In not doing so you can scratch the area around the fog lamp location. I speak from experience here. When I did mine Ifound a plastic drink cup lid that was the same diameter as the fog lamp location. The lid just happened to have a dimple in the exact center of it and I poked alittle hole in it then used it as a template in the fog lamp location to determine where to drill the holeto center the arbor biton my holesaw.
Once the holes are cut you can install the lamps, Pilot makes a direct fit kit for the Dakota, the part # is PL138C.I got mine from a truck accessory store, and they were not cheap. About$110.00for the whole kit.They worked but still took some engineering of my own to get them mounted right. The kit comes with the metal brackets and wiring and a switch for the fog lamps.You can get cheaper fog lamp kits, and make your own brackets for themfrom the heavy steel constructionbrackets you can buy at Home Depot in the lumber department. It takes some work to do it though, and it probably would bea lot easier with 2 people. The lights I bought were the only ones I could find in clear lenses like the OEM lamps. I don't like the ricer type blue ones that they sell at Walmart, Autozone etc.
I used the Pilot wiring but not their switch or relay. I got around flush mount typetoggle switch at Radio shack and mounted it in theknee bolster panel rightbelow my headlight switch. I used 2 30amp Boschrelays and set it up so the fog lamps will only turn on when the parking lamps and/or headlights are on and I turn the toggle switch on for the fogs. The second relay interrupts the first relay so the fog lamps turn offwhen I use my high beams. Some people don't use the second relay so they can have high beams and fog lamps too. That's illegal here where I live and I don't need to give the police any reasons to pull me over.
It's not that hard to add the fog lamps to your Dakota. I really like mine, they don't throw much light way out in front but they do make it brighter and easier to see. And they do throw light to the sides of the road, which helps me when I go thru the country at night. Between my fog lamps and the Silver Star Ultras I use in the headlights, I can see very well at night. It's the best I could get without spending 300 or 400 bucks on a HID kit.
Jimmy