DrPerez007
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Okay, so Mopar didn’t really probably intend for this result, but its Replacement Fog and Driving Light Mounting Brackets (now 82215427AB) are actually more multi-purpose than first meets the eye. When I initially saw these (actually, their predecessor with more metal) at the 2017 LA Auto Show, I thought they were a bit big and gaudy. Not anymore.
Finding suitable windshield light mounts is no longer a challenge on the JL. However, the problem with a number of these mounts is that because of the Wrangler cowl design and bolt mount location, many of the lights end up more towards the center of the hood in the driver’s line of vision than the JK, for example (and, hence, likely more light reflection off the hood). Another issue is that for those of us that need a two-way radio antenna mount, they are harder to come by for the JL. And, thirdly, the JL has no side turn-signal indicator. And that is where the 82215427AB mount came into play.
Mopar apparently designed this mount to hold just a single light, but with that much real estate available, I realized it could be utilized to handle multiple tasks. There are eight holes on each bracket: four holes used for bolting to the Jeep itself and four additional holes, though the ad pictures generally show just one of those four latter holes utilized. So out came the drill. Two 3/8” holes were added: one on top and forward where my driving light would mount, and one on the side for the wires to run for the low profile amber light I would mount to operate my European-style side turn signal. After drilling was complete, a Q-tip and some matte-black Rust-Oleum to coat and protect the drilled holes finished off that part of the task.
In my pics, you can see my Amazon amber light mounted using the two existing holes Mopar drilled on the side, but I needed a wire exit dead center behind that light and so I drilled a 3/8” hole for an inset to allow the light to fit flush. Then some black bolts and sized lock washers and nuts and the side light was mounted. Then one wire to ground and the other (“power”) wire to the turn signal wire harness. On both sides, I just tapped into the green/white stripe wire in the harness up under the fender liner (“Thanks” Forum members for that tip). Flip the turn signal on, and bingo, you now have a side turn indicator to alert any vehicle in your blind spot or any pedestrian that might move into the danger zone. It seems to cover more territory than even Mopar’s (European-style) mirror mount turn signal (& a heck of a lot cheaper).
Using the back factory hole on top of each mount (the factory holes are somewhere between 9/32” and 3/8”), I attached a PCTEL NMO BMA “thick surface 3/8 inch hole brass mount” for surfaces up to 1/8” with 17’ of coax (run thru the firewall). For those who care, on the passenger side I mounted a Laird 800 MHz No Ground Plane antenna (just say, work related); on the drivers side I mounted a Diamond Dual-Band (VHF/UHF) NR73BNMO No Ground Plane antenna (Ham & GMRS radio). I also have grounding straps coming to attach from the antenna mounts to the body (they’ll be mounted and hidden under the bracket as soon as they arrive). This mount will work for a variety of CB radio antenna mounts, as well.
The top, front “drilled” 3/8” hole is used for my Lightforce 140 driving/spot light. Dropped right in and the light itself sits further out to the edge of the hood away from the driver’s line of sight (w/considerably less reflection off the hood). Then in the middle, factory hole, I added a black 9/32” rubber grommet to protect my soldered and heat-shrunk wrapped light wires as they run thru it and into the engine compartment to a (future) controller that will be switched in the interior (if you have the JL Aux switches, you can utilize those instead).
That’s it! There are no hyper-flash or other CAN-BUS issues because I only added a light and the system doesn’t know the difference. If you are thinking about using this bracket (& drilling), my only comment is to measure those two holes you want to drill very carefully (& measure twice) and make sure you know exactly where your top light mount is going to go before you even pick up the drill. Also, use Dielectric Grease on your electrical connections.
It’s a bit more than I would normally do, but in the end I think it turned out okay and solved multiple issues for my MOAB.
Steve
Pics
Finding suitable windshield light mounts is no longer a challenge on the JL. However, the problem with a number of these mounts is that because of the Wrangler cowl design and bolt mount location, many of the lights end up more towards the center of the hood in the driver’s line of vision than the JK, for example (and, hence, likely more light reflection off the hood). Another issue is that for those of us that need a two-way radio antenna mount, they are harder to come by for the JL. And, thirdly, the JL has no side turn-signal indicator. And that is where the 82215427AB mount came into play.
Mopar apparently designed this mount to hold just a single light, but with that much real estate available, I realized it could be utilized to handle multiple tasks. There are eight holes on each bracket: four holes used for bolting to the Jeep itself and four additional holes, though the ad pictures generally show just one of those four latter holes utilized. So out came the drill. Two 3/8” holes were added: one on top and forward where my driving light would mount, and one on the side for the wires to run for the low profile amber light I would mount to operate my European-style side turn signal. After drilling was complete, a Q-tip and some matte-black Rust-Oleum to coat and protect the drilled holes finished off that part of the task.
In my pics, you can see my Amazon amber light mounted using the two existing holes Mopar drilled on the side, but I needed a wire exit dead center behind that light and so I drilled a 3/8” hole for an inset to allow the light to fit flush. Then some black bolts and sized lock washers and nuts and the side light was mounted. Then one wire to ground and the other (“power”) wire to the turn signal wire harness. On both sides, I just tapped into the green/white stripe wire in the harness up under the fender liner (“Thanks” Forum members for that tip). Flip the turn signal on, and bingo, you now have a side turn indicator to alert any vehicle in your blind spot or any pedestrian that might move into the danger zone. It seems to cover more territory than even Mopar’s (European-style) mirror mount turn signal (& a heck of a lot cheaper).
Using the back factory hole on top of each mount (the factory holes are somewhere between 9/32” and 3/8”), I attached a PCTEL NMO BMA “thick surface 3/8 inch hole brass mount” for surfaces up to 1/8” with 17’ of coax (run thru the firewall). For those who care, on the passenger side I mounted a Laird 800 MHz No Ground Plane antenna (just say, work related); on the drivers side I mounted a Diamond Dual-Band (VHF/UHF) NR73BNMO No Ground Plane antenna (Ham & GMRS radio). I also have grounding straps coming to attach from the antenna mounts to the body (they’ll be mounted and hidden under the bracket as soon as they arrive). This mount will work for a variety of CB radio antenna mounts, as well.
The top, front “drilled” 3/8” hole is used for my Lightforce 140 driving/spot light. Dropped right in and the light itself sits further out to the edge of the hood away from the driver’s line of sight (w/considerably less reflection off the hood). Then in the middle, factory hole, I added a black 9/32” rubber grommet to protect my soldered and heat-shrunk wrapped light wires as they run thru it and into the engine compartment to a (future) controller that will be switched in the interior (if you have the JL Aux switches, you can utilize those instead).
That’s it! There are no hyper-flash or other CAN-BUS issues because I only added a light and the system doesn’t know the difference. If you are thinking about using this bracket (& drilling), my only comment is to measure those two holes you want to drill very carefully (& measure twice) and make sure you know exactly where your top light mount is going to go before you even pick up the drill. Also, use Dielectric Grease on your electrical connections.
It’s a bit more than I would normally do, but in the end I think it turned out okay and solved multiple issues for my MOAB.
Steve
Pics
- Mopar’s Brackets 82215427AB (pair)
- Mopar’s use of bracket
- Steve’s use of bracket
- Bracket showing drill locations
- Turn signal mount (note the extra hole drilled on top)
- Mount with everything mounted
- Turn signal wire exit
- Mount passenger side
- Mount driver side
- On the vehicle
- Light off
- Light on
- Light off
- Light on
- Light caught in blink mode (brighter than pic portrays)
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