Using KC HiLiTES Cyclones as DRLs?

[Jeepney Johnny]

I had the Go Rhino full-width bumper in my backyard before I even had a Jeep! While I was waiting for a Jeep deal to happen, I planned lighting for the bumper, and thought I was going to eventually install 3" cube lights in it.

After getting the Jeep and turning off the DRL lighting in the fenders because I preferred the look of the round halo-style lights by themselves, I forgot about the cube lights in the bumpers. I did install a couple of KC HiLiTES LZR lights to make use of my fog-light switch.

Recently, I saw some KC HiLiTES Cyclone installations which looked great! I was thinking, "I can maintain the round light theme for the front of my Jeep with these...I don't have to aim these with the diffused lighting, I can just use stainless steel corner braces from HomeDepot...yeah...*arm pump*

I wanted to use the Cyclones as DRLs. I had read online that DRLs are about 100-500 lumens, so I thought the Cyclones at around 500 lumens would work, but after testing them, they were too bright, and I thought they would annoy drivers in front of me.

I hooked up a 9-volt battery to a Cyclone, and that was dimmer, but still too bright. I was thinking, I could just wire up a couple of Cyclones in series to get them dimmer (they supposedly work at 6V), but they didn't light up at all. I resisted the idea of using resistors, because I didn't want to order and wait, then complicate (I'm a poet, and don't even know it) the parts and wiring.

I hate the idea of defeating engineering, but I wanted to find a quick (to finish this weekend) and simple way to dim the Cyclones, so I visited the local Autozone and found Plasti Dip Smoke, a translucent rubber coating. Many coats later, the diffused lighting covers for the Cyclones were dimmed enough to install. I also spray-painted the stainless steel Home Depot corner braces black.

When I was first shopping for a Wrangler, I didn't need or want the Tow Package, but I ended up getting it when I found my Wrangler, and now, I see why everyone says it's worth the premium. I wired up the Cyclones to AUX4, and they come on whenever I start the Jeep. Maybe someday I'll wire them up permanently in place of the DRLs, but I dunno, I might install a winch and move the LZRs to where the Cyclones are now, someday.

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