Rear Facing LED lights

[ter240]

Those brackets are nothing fancy. You could easily fab them yourself if you have a drill and get creative bending some flat stock.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...m-Flat-Bar-with-1-8-in-Thick-801937/204273949
If you have a bench vise it’s even easier.
The 1/8” aluminum won’t be the toughest but it also will hold lights just fine. Now that I’ve seen this I may just do it myself.
@ter240 have you off-roaded With those and had departure angle issues where you’ve hit them?

The light kit with the harness is not cheap but it comes with the mating connectors and is plenty long to reach the engine bay.

The brackets are just mild steel and simple. By the time you source the material, fab and paint something the cost of buying them is well worth it.

I have been off road with them. They sit higher than the hitch and the bottom of the bumper, so no issue.

Regarding sourcing, I only buy quality lights from reputable vendors that are US based. For this build that means KC and Diode Dynamics. So far that has been a good decision, time will tell....

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[Jhbryaniv]

I got the Diode Dynamics version
Stage Series HitchMount Reverse Light Kit
It would be super easy to install except for the Deutsch connector. It's too big to pass through the back of the hitch. I just cut it off pass the wire through and made a new connector. Not a big deal really. You don't have to run any wires from the cab since it uses the trailer hitch harness. I haven't had any issues. If I need use my hitch I can unhook the light and push the connector into the hitch.

next time don't cut the connector, remove the connector . . .

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099RR4K7W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

here are all the bits I bought to wire up my DD lights :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083L8QTCX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09S3K8R2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082QTL2HW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 (they have multiple versions of the wire - 3 and 4 conductor.

 

[TuggerNutz]

next time don't cut the connector, remove the connector . . .

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099RR4K7W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

here are all the bits I bought to wire up my DD lights :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083L8QTCX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09S3K8R2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082QTL2HW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 (they have multiple versions of the wire - 3 and 4 conductor.

Tried, the connector design is total garbage. That little orange wedge is super brittle. It's the achilles heel of it. Even if you use the "proper" tool to remove it. It absolutely blows my mind they didn't have a way to pop it out from behind.

I got the closed barrel crimper and pins. Not a fan of the open ones.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Tried, the connector design is total garbage. That little orange wedge is super brittle. It's the achilles heel of it. Even if you use the "proper" tool to remove it. It absolutely blows my mind they didn't have a way to pop it out from behind.

I got the closed barrel crimper and pins. Not a fan of the open ones.

that sucks you had an issue with it, I remade all the cable ends for my lights (4 so far) and haven't had any issues.

I am not sure I am 100% convinced the connectors really are going to be waterproof - the rubber on the backside that the wire and pins pass through seems like a failure point. It might be perfectly fine if the water isn't being pushed in - ie heavy driving rain or submersion for long periods of time.

Did you find a connector you like better than the deutsche?

 

[TuggerNutz]

No not really.

 

[Bravesfan1995]

Those brackets are nothing fancy. You could easily fab them yourself if you have a drill and get creative bending some flat stock.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...m-Flat-Bar-with-1-8-in-Thick-801937/204273949
If you have a bench vise it’s even easier.
The 1/8” aluminum won’t be the toughest but it also will hold lights just fine. Now that I’ve seen this I may just do it myself.
@ter240 have you off-roaded With those and had departure angle issues where you’ve hit them?

I’ve bent sheet metal plenty of times custom fabbing underseat amp brackets. I do have a bending brake as well. Great idea and thanks for your input!

 

[davewho]

I mounted rear facing lights on the back of my yakima crossbars.

I bought a deutsch connector kit so I could make custom ends to the back of my lights and have a single run of outdoor multiconductor wire from the front box to the lights.

One switch for the rear facing lights one for the left flank lights, another for right flank and a 4th for back lighting all the lights....

I ran the wiring up the inside of the yakima upright, I bought self tappers and those cable holders so I can run it cleanly up the inside... Once we get a house and settled....

Would you please put up some photos of your rack & lighting setup?
I’d appreciate it.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Would you please put up some photos of your rack & lighting setup?
I’d appreciate it.

Here are a few quick pictures...


I got it half wired before we moved, so just the drivers side is connected.

I ran the wires down the uprights and through a hole under the bedrail, there is at least one at all 4 corners.

I contemplated having a splice behind each light so I don't have to run more wires from the engine bay, but didn't like the way it looked - not clean and I wasn't convinced I could waterproof it.

Maybe a solution would be to install a junction box to the top of the frame and pot it so the connections are encased in epoxy... Shrug, long term after I get a garage and a house...

 

[davewho]

Here are a few quick pictures...


I got it half wired before we moved, so just the drivers side is connected.

I ran the wires down the uprights and through a hole under the bedrail, there is at least one at all 4 corners.

I contemplated having a splice behind each light so I don't have to run more wires from the engine bay, but didn't like the way it looked - not clean and I wasn't convinced I could waterproof it.

Maybe a solution would be to install a junction box to the top of the frame and pot it so the connections are encased in epoxy... Shrug, long term after I get a garage and a house...

Super cool! Thanks much!

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Super cool! Thanks much!

Let me know if you want better/different pictures I can take them when we get back to town.

 

[dkirby]

This was on my to do list, but never got around to it.

2019-2021 Ford Ranger Rear Bumper LED Kit with (2) 6 Inch LED Straight Single Row Slim Light Bars - Part # Z385881-KIT

 

[Lariat2021]

Looking for easy solutions to mount some LED cubes/bar that are rear facing on my Tremor. I want the option to have super bright reverse lights tied into my AUX switch if needed.

I’ve tried a hitch bracket for light cubes, but the one I purchased from Amazon didn’t fit the ranger hitch receiver. The one I purchased was made by Nilight (photo attached for reference ). After seeing that the Nilight bracket would not fit, I decided to wise up and use a caliber to measure the hitch to see if any list on Amazon would fit. No luck, unless I’m overlooking.

Does anyone know of a company that makes brackets for mounting cube lights or a light bar that is rear facing? It can be any sort of solution- hitch mounted, bumper mounted, etc.

[/QUOTE
I had a '98 Ranger that I attached 2 off road lights to the rear bumper and wired into the reverse lights so they came on when I put the truck in reverse. Really lit up the area behind the truck which helped when backing at night (they would also come on if I put the MT into reverse just slightly - not enough to grind -to give tailgaters a nice glare to look at.) Is this possible on a '21 Lariat?

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