# Suggestion for safety lights for my jeep?



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

I plow my own driveway with a jeep and would like to know my options for adding strobe/flashing lights - I have a hardtop so a magnetic unit would not do - what do you suggest? Hideaway strobes in the headlight/tail lights?


----------



## Joe Lombardo (Oct 20, 2003)

I am picking up my new Jeep next week and have been wondering the same thing. Any suggestions out there???


----------



## Pirsch (Jun 1, 2007)

Depends on your budget... With you just starting you can do the corner strobe thing but you have to remember during the daylight they'll probably wash out. If your getting a CJ type jeep you can try a rotator mounted on a pipe to put that light up higher in the air. You can mount that close to your "A" post also. 

Like I said if your just doing your drive...depending on your budget you can go semi in-expensive. You just want 360 degree coverage.


----------



## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

I think with the hard tops the best way to do it is have a bracket made to go in your trailer hitch with a pipe that comes up from the hitch and then put a bracket on the top to mount a simple strobe light. You don't need anything major.


----------



## JK-Plow (Feb 10, 2008)

Another option is to get a light bar(for of-road lights) the mounts to the front windshield. You can mount both off-raod lights and a warning light too. They are made for most vehicles including the new JK models.


----------



## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

JK-Plow;1196156 said:


> Another option is to get a light bar(for of-road lights) the mounts to the front windshield. You can mount both off-raod lights and a warning light too. They are made for most vehicles including the new JK models.


I believe KC makes that lightbar like you mentioned.


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

Good suggestions. I have a spare tire mounted bike rack that is removed in the winter. I could easily fab a bracket to go above the roof and hold a strobe. Now I gotta find a strobe I can plug into a 7 pin receiver to draw power.


----------



## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

Aveerainc;1196263 said:


> Good suggestions. I have a spare tire mounted bike rack that is removed in the winter. I could easily fab a bracket to go above the roof and hold a strobe. Now I gotta find a strobe I can plug into a 7 pin receiver to draw power.


That's a great idea, along with the hitch mount, I would prefer the light on the back anyway when backing out of driveways, the lightbar also works. I used one Thule ski rack bar and brackets I had laying around attached to my hard top.

You could go with a low-draw LED light and wire it to the parking lights so it come on whenever you are using them.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx

One of these would be slick.
http://sirennet.com/soepl7.html


----------



## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

This is what I did with my YJ, bought a mini light bar magnet mount. Took a couple of measurements, length plus width and add 2 inchs to each side. Went down to my local steel supplier had them cut a piece of 3/16 flat stock to my measurements. Took it down and had it powder coated or you could paint it. Then bought a tube of super fast drying windshield Urethane and put a couple real good rows of urethane on the bottom of the steel plate and set it in the middle of the roof close to the front. Parked it in a heated garage overnight and then placed the magnet mount mini bar on it. That thing will not move.

Mike


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

I have another idea...I have the 3 piece freedom top and could probably find a damaged left/right front panel and mount a light permanently on that and just use that piece for the winter and go back to good piece in the summer. That should work fine.


----------



## mferrari (Nov 6, 2008)

flykelley;1196765 said:


> This is what I did with my YJ, bought a mini light bar magnet mount. Took a couple of measurements, length plus width and add 2 inchs to each side. Went down to my local steel supplier had them cut a piece of 3/16 flat stock to my measurements. Took it down and had it powder coated or you could paint it. Then bought a tube of super fast drying windshield Urethane and put a couple real good rows of urethane on the bottom of the steel plate and set it in the middle of the roof close to the front. Parked it in a heated garage overnight and then placed the magnet mount mini bar on it. That thing will not move.
> 
> Mike


Thats along the lines of my thinking. I know when I used to use an el cheapo beacon the magnet came off and I used liquid nails to glue the magnet back on the light and it worked great.

If you need any assistance with the steel let me know.


----------



## Mems (Dec 19, 2009)

I bought a cheap chinese 6 strobing square system with controller that i made a deal with an ebay dealer for. I have 4 mounted in the hard top, two out the back to the rear in the top corners and two, one on each side, in the rear window towards the rear facing towards the sides allowing people to see me when i back out of driveways. Then two facing forward in the front window mounted in the top corners. Plenty of light and easy use of clear adhesive mount them to the windows. They stay inside out of the weather and work great.


----------



## massfirefighter (Oct 14, 2008)

Try this....may be a little chilly though.


----------



## ISLDSNOWREMOVAL (Dec 21, 2010)

my way is alittle jerry but works great i used a little silcone and a square metal gang box cover plate and havent had a problem for three years and when the lights of the roof you wouldnt even no it was there just an idea.


----------



## tsut (Nov 18, 2010)

*Another Jeep Light mount*

The fiberglass top clamps to the windshield... so I sandwiched a flattened sheet metal disk- actually a galvanized leftover from a recessed light fixture; put the tab in the seal space (unlatch-insert near center-latch) and have a nice perch for the flasher. Its a little wobbly, but holds the mag-mount flasher nicely (duct tape around bottom perimeter is a good backup restraint for "hard stops").

Maybe when it warms up I'll make it a bit more "professional"!


----------



## MassHighway23 (Jan 19, 2011)

try wig wags


----------



## tsut (Nov 18, 2010)

*Jeep Hardtop-mag platform*



tsut;1204069 said:


> The fiberglass top clamps to the windshield... so I sandwiched a flattened sheet metal disk- actually a galvanized leftover from a recessed light fixture; put the tab in the seal space (unlatch-insert near center-latch) and have a nice perch for the flasher. Its a little wobbly, but holds the mag-mount flasher nicely (duct tape around bottom perimeter is a good backup restraint for "hard stops"). "!


A few pictures of what I'm talking about. Hey, it works!...


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

Cool- thanks for sharing.


----------



## affekonig (Aug 5, 2008)

Wrangler TJ plowing by affekonig2000, on Flickr


----------



## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

affekonig;1209468 said:


> Wrangler TJ plowing by affekonig2000, on Flickr


BAM! That's what I did on my Wrangler. No holes to drill and looks good.


----------



## affekonig (Aug 5, 2008)

Easy to remove too. I made a pole from the rear bumper first and wasn't happy with it. This worked out really well.


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

what brand strobe is that on your jeep and how visible is it during the day?


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

Well I went out and purchased a Whelen Rotabeam from Strobes N More and for the mount I decided to use heavy duty velcro on the hardtop of the jeep. I've plowed 8 times with the set up and there is no chance of the light coming off while in motion - it's on the pretty good and it's easily removed when I'm done plowing my driveway. Really like having the light up there too...amazing how slow vehicles pass by my house now when I'm plowing with the light on compared to how it was before I had the light.

So my garage door and opener are not very high and I was worried about clearance - after the install I inched my way out to make sure I had room and sure enough I have about 3" of clearance. Well, last night I used the roof rake to clear some of the snow off the house/garage roof and quite a bit ended up in my driveway close to the house. So today when I took the Jeep out of the garage I hear this thud!! Tuns out my rear tires rode up on the piled snow decreasing my clearance and the light hit the garage door. And it popped right off the mount location thanks to the velcro!  Had it been a permanent mount or magnet it would have damaged the light - but because of the velcro no damage at all.


----------



## tsut (Nov 18, 2010)

Aveerainc;1214105 said:


> what brand strobe is that on your jeep and how visible is it during the day?


Brand? _*Old*_. 
Seriously, I don't know... two 12V bulbs - alternate on-off between them. Think the Yellow Jeep is more visible than the lights during day. Only toggle it on during turn arounds in the street anyway.


----------



## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

my buddy once drilled 4 holes in his soft top. Put BIG washers on the inside then had a metal plate the size of a lightbar and used it that way.. Never leaked! looks sweet!

personally i just went to my local Emergency vehicle store "priority one" And got Tow truck LEDS AMBER and they worked GREAT! people could see them night and day!


----------



## P&M Landscaping (Feb 20, 2008)

I took two pieces of thin gauged metal, shaped them to the size of the feet of my mini light bar and then JB welded them to the hard top. It looks good, and has been holding for a week now with no issues or signs of peeling off.Thumbs Up


----------



## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

WAIT WAIT WAIT..... I just reread the first post. you said you plow your own driveway... If thats all you do, why even bother putting any extra lights or strobes on it?!?!?


----------



## Aveerainc (Jan 29, 2009)

Plow man Foster;1340182 said:


> WAIT WAIT WAIT..... I just reread the first post. you said you plow your own driveway... If thats all you do, why even bother putting any extra lights or strobes on it?!?!?


When I get to the street I want to make sure people see me. I stack most of my snow at the end of the driveway and don't want to cause an accident. Also want to make sure if someone is coming up the driveway while I'm plowing down they have plenty of time to see me.


----------



## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

Aveerainc;1340197 said:


> When I get to the street I want to make sure people see me. I stack most of my snow at the end of the driveway and don't want to cause an accident. Also want to make sure if someone is coming up the driveway while I'm plowing down they have plenty of time to see me.


Oh haha I see. Lol do i just find all of your threads or what?!? lol 
You need something that can be seen 360 degrees like a rotator. 
I have this on our kodiak and it works great night and day

Just bite the bullet and make a Metal plate on the top and drill 1/4" screws in it and be done! lol then get a magnet mount light like this one and take it off in the summer.


----------



## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

Plow man Foster;1340406 said:


> Just bite the bullet and make a Metal plate on the top and drill 1/4" screws in it and be done! lol then get a magnet mount light like this one and take it off in the summer.


That would work well with a taller light, but squatty ones may become obscured once a couple inches of snow land on the top.

You could get away with no screws at all if you use 3M Marine 5200 to adhere the metal plate to the fiberglass top, you may never be able to remove it though (don't go too crazy with the 5200).

I still like roof-rack mount in post #19, keeps the light off the top.


----------

