I have a Couple of mods I wanted to accomplish next week end, but I have a concern... So planned mods are:

1- Installing fog lights with factory switch... No questions pretty straight forward

2- Adding Hella lights behind the grill... looking at 2 options
a- Run wire off Battery terminal to a wiring block with fuses and wire them to that in case I want to add other options in the future...Ex- winch for pulling water lines at work... power outlets in bed
b- Wire them directly to fog lights or head lights to be controlled by main switch
How do you have your lights wired? any benefits to make one out weigh the other?

3- This is going to clash with the next one a little ,but I want to level it.. I thought I could just use torsion keys but because it is an 04 2wd... It looks like I can or should only lower it with shackles is that correct? I hope it is not because like my wife tells me... When there is not alot... then every inch counts

4- Due to a military mishap my lower back and hip are pretty much shot so I am installing Nerf Bars... Getting truck painted and will likely get rid of the chrome... So what seems to last longer... Brushed aluminum or painted steps?



And for those wondering I think I am going with 2 well actually 3 tone paint.... Black bottom coming up almost to the top of the door where I will have it do 1 of 2 things.... break into a 3 inch silver stripe that goes down the body and then to orange on roof and hood or go straight to orange with a design along the break like partial flames. Could also end up with Silver bottom fading to a light blue

I am gone for several days so I hope I can get sent a wealth of information before I get back

 

i like having a separate switches to control everything, but thats just me, i like doing too much and having options

 

i ran my hellas to a relay straight off the battery. then i ran the relay to a switch they only come on when i want them on. some have them wired to come on with the brights or with the switch. it is pretty easy. i just used the instructions and modified how i wanted it. a power block wouldn't be a bad idea though. you can lower and put on nerf bars. i am trying to see if there is a way to make some power ones off of an 07+ tahoe work on mine. i know dodge has power bars but the ones on the tahoe look good. i dont know about torsion keys i thought they were for 4x4's? shackles are cheap and easy

 

Like Oklahemi did, I ran my Hella lights off the battery, so I could turn them on whenever I wanted, not just when the high beams are on like the directions say to do, or when the fog lights are on, if you wire the lights to them. As for the leveling, I could be wrong, but I thought that only the 02-05 4x4's had torsion bars and the 2wd's had coil springs. So if you wanted to raise the front, you would need coil spacers. But you could get the drop shackles if you wanted to lower the rear instead. Although, you said your back and hip were bad, so lowering the rear may be a better option, but it's whatever you would like better. As for the steps, if they are going to be taking a lot of abuse, then I would think that the aluminum finish would last longer, but otherwise, the painted steps should last.

 

Always good to see mod lists come up! In my opinion, thats where I learn the most, is from other people's experiences!

For the Hellas:
I wired mine directly to the battery. I did this by running from the Hellas, to a 35A rocker switch inside the cab. Then ran from the switch to an in line fuse, 15A, then straight to the battery. I like this because, most of the time when I run Hellas, Im not running the other lights. Mostly because when I installed the Hellas, I ran thicker gauged wiring and higher wattage bulbs. So when the Hellas are on, you can barely tell the headlights are on. I love it this way. Also, depending on where you mount your switch, you might want to add a dummy switch. I mounted my on the little panel to the left of my steering wheels, and to the right of my headlight switches. It was a pain getting in there, so I mounted a dummy right next to it for future wiring projects.

As far as a winch goes, Im not sure of you want to out your winch on a switch panel. I have mine hard wired to the battery as well, also as recommended by manufacture. It works great this way. Just a thought, where might you be mounting your winch? Im always curious to see how other people do this.

There is a ton of knowledge to be shared with the questions you have asked. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. Oh by the way, when you get all this done, POST SOME DAMN PICS!!!!! Have fun