Author Topic: SquareD Part 5: The build continues and gets more aggressive (Read 421112 times)

EL TATE · « **Reply #1300 on:** March 20, 2015, 11:14:44 PM »

100% agreed on the bedliner flooring. Did that on the wagoneer and literally hosed the sucker out after wheeling, abused the snot out of it and it did provide some sound insulation.

OldKooT · « **Reply #1301 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:52:56 AM »

Don I run H4 Bulbs in my trucks. They are hellish bright and very simple/reliable. A bit old school, but then I tend to roll that way LoL

Dustoff35 · « **Reply #1302 on:** March 21, 2015, 08:38:02 AM »

Quote from: Flyin6 on March 18, 2015, 07:14:57 PM

You might not be able to tell, but a lot of wiring has been attached and routed that was hanging loose in the breeze a day or two ago

That's the thing with wiring, the more work and thought you put into it, the less of it you see!

Dustoff35 · « **Reply #1303 on:** March 21, 2015, 08:47:31 AM »

Quote from: Flyin6 on March 20, 2015, 09:36:46 PM

One persistent problem, though, is with the ARC switch panel. I just cannot get it to work. I have tried everything three times already!
I now believe the relay panel or cable or switch module is defective. It should have worked at some point while I sorted through it. I even double grounded the thing with no luck!

Try to run a simple circuit through the switch panel and then the relay panel independently. Isolate a single switch or relay of possible. Its easy to get something crossed up when you are working with a bundle of wires. I doubt its either the switches or relays. I like to wire one circuit at a time and test each one before moving on to the next. Tedious, I know...

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1304 on:** March 21, 2015, 10:27:35 AM »

Quote from: nmeyer414 on March 20, 2015, 11:07:51 PM

So why not spray bed liner on the floor of the cab? Everlasting and it also works as a sound deadner and an insulator?

Ya know, I never thought about that Nater...
But I'm old, let's not forget
I like my comforts
When I'm driving around barefoot (Kentucky thing) I like to wiggle my dogs in some cushy feelin' carpet!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1305 on:** March 21, 2015, 10:30:03 AM »

Quote from: OldKooT on March 21, 2015, 06:52:56 AM

Don I run H4 Bulbs in my trucks. They are hellish bright and very simple/reliable. A bit old school, but then I tend to roll that way LoL

Funny you said that
I was rustlin' around in one of my cabinets just last night and what did I come upon?
A new set of 60 watt H4 bulbs
Made by "Old-School light company!"
Well, maybe I made that up, but I have em'

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1306 on:** March 21, 2015, 10:33:11 AM »

Quote from: Dustoff35 on March 21, 2015, 08:47:31 AM

Quote from: Flyin6 on March 20, 2015, 09:36:46 PM
One persistent problem, though, is with the ARC switch panel. I just cannot get it to work. I have tried everything three times already!
I now believe the relay panel or cable or switch module is defective. It should have worked at some point while I sorted through it. I even double grounded the thing with no luck!

Try to run a simple circuit through the switch panel and then the relay panel independently. Isolate a single switch or relay of possible. Its easy to get something crossed up when you are working with a bundle of wires. I doubt its either the switches or relays. I like to wire one circuit at a time and test each one before moving on to the next. Tedious, I know...

I have tested each circuit with a voltage tester while wiring the thing
Not that
Then just to make sure, I pulled the wires off one at a time and retested with the same results
Next I pulled each fuse one at a time and retested with the same results
Thing is the switch panel does not turn off
When I apply power the circuits are hot
You should hear those two fuel pumps howling...scary!

OldKooT · « **Reply #1307 on:** March 21, 2015, 12:40:09 PM »

If you disconnect the circuits, does the switch still stay hot? If so, I'd wager you have yr-self a high tech malfunction. I should be unloading a air compressor but I am out of ambition. This always happens when I spend money LoL

JR · « **Reply #1308 on:** March 21, 2015, 12:41:03 PM »

Don, with the new reflector headlamp housing you could just run 100watt bulbs too. Same thing I am doing on the burb. Lots of choices and plenty of light and you can find a replacement anywhere.

How long do you think your carpet is going to last in this thing?

JR · « **Reply #1309 on:** March 21, 2015, 12:41:53 PM »

Ooooh, new compressor. Do Tell!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1310 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:36:18 PM »

Quote from: JR on March 21, 2015, 12:41:53 PM

Ooooh, new compressor. Do Tell!

Not here...Tell him about it over on your thread! ;-))
DOTin' the place up again...

Carpet? Who knows. All I am finding so far is that Lund cut pile stuff. I think I'd like full loop mo-better

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1311 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:40:11 PM »

Quote from: JR on March 21, 2015, 12:41:03 PM

Don, with the new reflector headlamp housing you could just run 100watt bulbs too. Same thing I am doing on the burb. Lots of choices and plenty of light and you can find a replacement anywhere.

How long do you think your carpet is going to last in this thing?

Yea, maybe use a jumper cable to supply full battery voltage and run halogens
The housings might melt though!
They take H4's so that would be easy except that the bulb is a high/low combo. Not sure if the 100 waters are made in that configuration

Dustoff35 · « **Reply #1312 on:** March 21, 2015, 09:08:38 PM »

Have you tried using a heat gun to flatten out the wrinkles in the vinyl mat?

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1313 on:** March 21, 2015, 09:50:18 PM »

Quote from: Dustoff35 on March 21, 2015, 09:08:38 PM

Have you tried using a heat gun to flatten out the wrinkles in the vinyl mat?

No, haven't

But I don't like this stuff

Not like the factory rubberized stuff this stuff is more like plastic.

Real slippery and hard, not pliable like rubber. I thought I was purchasing something like I had in my F250 XL. But this is not that at all.

And after thinking about it, I won't be spraying bed liner over the floor either since it has a layer of dynamat running all over.

Nope, I think I'll search out some quality carpet somewhere

JR · « **Reply #1314 on:** March 22, 2015, 01:25:27 AM »

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hla-h71070201/overview/

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1315 on:** March 22, 2015, 08:07:51 AM »

Quote from: JR on March 22, 2015, 01:25:27 AM

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hla-h71070201/overview/

Thanks JR, You're a good man!

I'm wondering if the lexan (or maybe plastic) housing can stand up to the heat from those things. I want to think my girls used to bake cupcakes in their play oven with a lot less wattage that these bulbs!

OldKooT · « **Reply #1316 on:** March 22, 2015, 08:19:00 AM »

Don....these folks are well thought of. I personally have no experience with them FWIW

http://www.stockinteriors.com/AutoCarpet.asp?Itemid=19452&MakeId=33&ModelId=160

I am unclear yet what I will do with the crew cab. Carpet is most likely not an option in this land of dust/mud.

JR · « **Reply #1317 on:** March 22, 2015, 02:47:35 PM »

I got front and back floor mat from LMC truck parts.

Nate · « **Reply #1318 on:** March 22, 2015, 04:33:34 PM »

I don't think lmc has the stuff for his truck, I remember looking at one point in time and I didn't see anything? I could be wrong?

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1319 on:** March 22, 2015, 05:11:48 PM »

Quote from: OldKooT on March 22, 2015, 08:19:00 AM

Don....these folks are well thought of. I personally have no experience with them FWIW

http://www.stockinteriors.com/AutoCarpet.asp?Itemid=19452&MakeId=33&ModelId=160

I am unclear yet what I will do with the crew cab. Carpet is most likely not an option in this land of dust/mud.

Ordered

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1320 on:** March 22, 2015, 05:12:17 PM »

Quote from: JR on March 22, 2015, 01:25:27 AM

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hla-h71070201/overview/

Ordered!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1321 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:18:09 PM »

OK got a bit more done today

Based on the fact that I just ordered the 80/100 watt bulbs JR suggested, I knew the stock skinny wiring harness would not be up to the task. So today's project was all about tearing into the harness and adding my own jumper harness to draw direct battery voltage through a set of relays directly to the bulbs.
You will note I have one circuit for the low beams and one circuit for the high beams.
I did it that way because any component failure will only result in the loss of either the high or low beams, but not both
I actually started the day using soap and steel wool on the headlight housings and stainless retainer rings in prep for painting

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1322 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:19:12 PM »

I have decided to leave the headlight retaining rings satin stainless and paint the buckets with semi flat black

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1323 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:21:44 PM »

I will be repurposing the HID wiring harnesses. Each had a built in relay and several handy weather-tite connectors.
The power comes from the battery side of that mega fuse I placed up front for the upcoming winch cable

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1324 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:22:50 PM »

The factory sealed beam plugs were cut off and reattached to the hot end of the relay switched cables

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1325 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:24:04 PM »

After some wires were run and eventually the covering added, this is what it is looking like

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1326 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:25:53 PM »

Everything was fitted into convoluted tubing and taped to the existing battery cable

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1327 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:26:53 PM »

Next the headlight buckets were installed with new hardware

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1328 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:29:32 PM »

Now comes the cool/sneaky part...The integrated NVG driving lights. I'm starting with a violet colored bulb which should throw some respectable light for NVGs and yet be nearly invisible at night to the naked eye at any distance. I made up this bulb/harness assembly.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1329 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:30:45 PM »

It plugs into the headlight housing below the main bulb

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1330 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:32:27 PM »

I made the screws a bit purdier ( I know it's misspeld')

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1331 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:34:21 PM »

Then I repurposed some more of that old harness, creating the back side of the harness from it and adding in the Weather-tite connectors

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1332 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:35:51 PM »

And now a bit after 1800, One headlight found home so at the end of the build day I had a one eyed monster and both headlights tested just fine on low and high beams!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1333 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:38:13 PM »

The brown truck came in about 1700 delivering the two map lights that are going to find themselves beneath the overhead shelf, and a cool set of foot well courtesy lights

The 100 watt spot lights (Old school) are for the C-Max Chebby

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1334 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:39:45 PM »

Here is the SDG (state of Don's Garage) for tonight!
CYA Later!

JR · « **Reply #1335 on:** March 24, 2015, 12:22:42 AM »

Very nice Don.

Is there any concern with the main power cable down there in harms way?

Sure you are going to put a KIA Killer bumper there but that could get pinched off with just a little bend the wrong way?

What site did you get those louvers from?

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1336 on:** March 24, 2015, 10:59:39 AM »

Quote from: JR on March 24, 2015, 12:22:42 AM

Very nice Don.

Is there any concern with the main power cable down there in harms way?

Sure you are going to put a KIA Killer bumper there but that could get pinched off with just a little bend the wrong way?

What site did you get those louvers from?

Louvers here:

http://rodlouvers.com/

I think that cable will be fine. Has a winch and a killer bumper in front of it all attached to a reinforced/boxed frame

JR · « **Reply #1337 on:** March 24, 2015, 11:37:16 AM »

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1338 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:26:39 PM »

Amazing how much work you can get done when you are not eating. Tomorrow is a scheduled back end borescope so today was the mallox treatment and NO FOOD

Yea, so I'm not the happiest person but at least I get to eat again tomorrow night

So lets start with the new 80/100 bulbs JR sent the link to:

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1339 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:27:12 PM »

And they work!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1340 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:28:51 PM »

Next, I wired in the NVG lights which like I wanted, are pretty dim

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1341 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:30:59 PM »

That bluish tint might just be the wrong color. You can't see bluish/green light with goggles. I thought they were throwing some red out which is like a flame thrower to nods...We'll see (literally!)

This little rocker turns on NVG lighting

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1342 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:32:37 PM »

Next up I ran the wiring harness from the roof and started connecting all of that. First to go live was the front LED box light
It's BRIGHT!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1343 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:33:55 PM »

Here you can see it on along with the 80 and 100 watt headlight bulbs

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1344 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:36:50 PM »

The bird's nest is increasing in complexity. I will straighten all that up once everything gets wired in.

Next up was the "Owls-Eye" long range spot. It burned a hole through the wall a short time later!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1345 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:38:24 PM »

A couple more wires pulled and connections made and voila' the rear light of the "Scene-Illum" feature was making photons

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1346 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:41:38 PM »

With some time remaining (Which I would normally be chewing on something tasty, The dome light got installed. I selected a couple of the Reese units intended for trucks or campers

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1347 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:42:50 PM »

And it's now a part of this menagerie of parts!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1348 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:44:24 PM »

The current SOTM (State of the Mess)

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1349 on:** March 24, 2015, 08:49:08 PM »

I still have to wire in the side looking LED's but for now this is what it is looking like for lighting:

And that's all she wrote for build day 233