The tools and parts I used for this project:

Parts- 2-18W 1620 lumen flush mount LED's, plastic flexibe tubing, water proof heat shrink ring terminals and connectors, Female and male disconnects, Add a circuit fuse holder, zip ties, 14 gauge AWG standed wire (50 ft red, 25ft black, I didn't use it all, but better to have too much, than not enough), 20 amp rocker switch (3pin or 5 pin), electrical tape. Optional - relay (some say necessary)

Tools- Screw driver, Allen wrenches, cresent wrench, wire cutters, crimping tool, pencil torch, Dremel, Dremel cutting wheels, Dremel grinding attachment (or however you plan on cutting the bumper), tape measure, drill and bits, 3 foot section of baling wire or coat hanger, chalk (or marker), thick paper or cardboard for template, level, utility knife.

 

To start the wiring, I pulled the center bezel off, it comes out pretty easy. Use a small screwdriver and something to protect the bezel, it scratches if you breath on it. Once you get the top corner seperated, work your way across the top, once the top pulls out, just work your way down. You can move the shift lever back if you need some more room to work, put your park brake on, turn the key to unlock and the shifter will move back.

You can also disconnect the wires from the back of the bezel and move it completely out of the way. The existing switch blanks push out from the front, I also moved my existing switches around according to how much I use them. The blanks on the left side of the steering wheel can also be used, that panel requires you to remove 2 screws and then it pulls straight back.

After I moved my existing switches around I put the add a fuse into the fuse box on the passenger side below the glove box, I used fuses marked with ACC so they will be on when the key is turned one click. As you can see I already have an add a circuit fuse holder in there for my front LED bar.

Next ran wire from the add a fuse into the back of the bezel just below the glovebox there is a nice little shelf to put the wire. I am running 5 pin rocker switches, 2 pins (+ and -) are for the illumination (part of the switch will be illuminated when the accessory lights are on inside the cab), I tapped these into the illumination wire in the wiring harness behind the switches. The illumination wire is a red wire with blue stripe.

The other 3 posts are for -, + in, + out, (the other portion of the switch will be illuminated when it is in use).

I connected the end the wire from the add a circuit to the switch, wired a ground and sent the positive wire from the switch out the drivers side of the bezel to the hood release cable.

I zip tied the wire to the cable and used the 3ft section of baling wire to punch a hole in the hood release wire grommet on the firewall to get the wire into the engine bay. (Same as my front LED bar hot wire).

I ran the wire from the drivers side over to the passenger side at the top of the engine bay, (at this point is where many would add a relay, I chose not too) and dropped it down the back behind the relay/fuse box in the back of the engine bay (same as the OEM wiring harness).

 

1st picture is under the truck, just inside the front mud guard looking up, the smaller black flexible tubing is what I put the wire in and zip tied it to the existing wiring harness that runs all the way to the back of the truck.
2nd picture is looking towards the back of the truck along the frame.


Once I got to the back of the truck and installed the Flush mounts I used the waterproof/heat shrink connectors and rings and pencil torch to connect everything together. I drilled a small hole in the support bar for the bumper to attach my grounds, there are multiple places where this can be done in the back of the truck.

Next part is getting ready to cut. I used some thin card board and cut out a template that matched the light. I decided I wanted the lights to be down 1" from the plastic on the bumper, so the top of my template was 1" wide. I measured the back of the heat sink to determine how big my hole needed to be, it ended up being 3" wide x 2.5" tall. Once I cut out the center, I made sure the back fit in it perfectly, and then trace around the front of the light on the template to give me an idea of the full size.

Once I got the template as close to perfect as I could get it, I used a tape measure and level and taped the template onto the back of the bumper where it needed to go. There is a support bar you have to look out for, luckily I have the sensors on the back, so that gave me the perfect reference and measuring point. The lights are almost perfectly centered between the 2 sensors, but they are about 1/4" closer to the inside sensor, due to the location of the support bars on the bumper. This was honestly the longest part of the process, once you cut you cant go back. Once you are completely happy with where the template is, use something to mark where your going to cut (due to the black, I used chalk). Once marked, pull the template off and stand back and look to make sure everything looks right. Then redo it about 2 more times to make sure (kidding, but not really), again, once you strt cutting youcan't go back.

I ended up going through 4 of the cutting discs, but honestly after the first 2, I realized I was putting too much pressure on the Dremel, you really don't need a ton of pressure, they actully cut pretty easily. Once the hole is cut out, I used the grinder attachment to clean up the cuts and make minor adjustment to ensure the light was level. When the holes were complete and I was good with the fitment and level, I marked the holes for the bolts and drilled them out. When that as finished I pulled out the lights and taped up around the holes and painted the cuts with bedliner to protect them from rust. Once the paint was done drying. I bolted them up and finished the wiring as stated above.

 

Finished product

 

Nice job man !!!!!!!!!! I will def be doing something like this in the near future. Thanks for the awesome write up.

 

Excellent write-up!

 

I love it. Will start on mine soon. Since my T is relatively new, I am going to refrain from the taps, and install a new fuse block for all my new toys. Use a 50 amp fuse to the block, and go from there. I like how you created a template, and hope mine turn out as well as yours. And thank you for the reminder of the brace, as I may have forgotten. Awesome write up

 

I'll try and get a picture tomorrow from behind the bumper so you can see the brace and the heat sink from the back.

 

I actually created about 5 sets of templates , finally got it right.

 

Awesome write up brother!

 

Nice write up. Saw a dodge today with flush mounts in the bumper, plus your write-up, makes me wanna get white ones for my bumper.

 

Great write up fishn.

 

I know there's tons of options out there for LED stuff now, but I'm curious as to which ones you ended up with, what they cost you, and if they seem to be built good?
I've been looking into doing something like this for a while. How much does it help seeing behind you with that cap on? I've got a cap too and am looking to reinforce my back-up lighting since I'll be backing up my boat (and to my boat) a lot in the dark this year and even having Legit LED bulbs it's a pain in the *** to see much

 

They make it a ton easier to see out the back of the topper, I also have Legit reverse, they are nice to have, but no comparison to the flushmounts. These are the ones I got, but they have gone up in price, I spent 54.99 + 6.95 shipping, so just under $62
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/NiteBruiser-Dually-Flush-Tacoma-Bumper/dp/B00S0CML7U/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1425840244&sr=1-2[/ame]

They seem very sturdy and well made, family owned business, RFE products.

 

that linky is broken.

 

Fixed er.

 

You got the spot version? I would have figured flood would have been the best option for reverse?..

 

No I did get the flood version.

 

NICE set/write up

Been wanting to do something like this for a while now......just never got around to it.:serious:

Sooooooooooo......DAMN YOU....another MOD I need to do when it gets warm out.......hmmmm, maybe I'll move the camera while I'm back there.

 

Thanks for the info.
Where did you find the LED light bar at?

 

My front LED bar is off Ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-126W-CRE...WD-Boat-/201040538774?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ecef32c96

 

Awesome write up! Just picked up all of this on the weekend and was hoping to find a write up like this!

 

Nice write-up, I made it a sticky

 

well done!

 

Nice write up! Is there any other option for power rather then tapping into the fuse block ?

 

you can run it straight off the battery to a relay and switch in the cab, you can tap into the reverse light so they come on every time your in reverse (but only then). you can tap into the power socket in the bed if your truck is equipped with one and then run a wire into the cab for the switch.