How hard was it to drill the three holes per light?

 

Not hard. You'll drillthe 2 screw holes, and use a Greenlee to punch the large center hole. The hard part is convincing yourself to "cut holes" in the perfectly good roof of $40k-$50k truck!

Look at www.1stfordparts.com for the parts. If you're doing a Super Duty, you'll buy the appropriate harness (overhead console or not) and replace the one you have. It plugs into the harness behind the passenger side kick panel. Clean, neat and OEM.

If you're doing an Excursion, buy the cheap harness because you'll run it backwards down the drivers side and tap into the lights. Parts total was about $56 delivered to my door. Then I had about $5 in SS hardware at Lowes (including sealing washers) I used to mount them.

 

FamilyRide.... that's something I want to do as well but wondering what you did to access the roof. Did you use scaffolding or something? I can't see myself standing on the hood of the truck installing these!

 

I do when I wax the trucks. Course I'm only 140...

Adrianspeeder

 

Thanks, I have all the parts it just that center square hole that scares me.

 

All you need is a square drill bit! Good luck! By the way, I happend to be talking to the Service Manager at my dealer a few months ago on this very topic. They no longer offer to add even the Ford factory kit there. The reason? Too many leakers. Be careful and use lots of sealer.

 

You can have the dealership add them. They added mine to my new f-250. However, it is part of their accessories section. They have a few techs at my dealership that do nothing but truck customizing for F-450+. He said they do about 10-15 cab light installs a year, so its nothing new. They look great, and they put sealer on them and everything. More importantly, they have a template provided to the service department for this very thing, gets the lights EXACTLY right, like a factory install. PLus, they are warranted. Its a good deal to me.

 

I do lots of installation work myself and pride myself on "factory looking" work. In fact, the best compliment somebody can give me is saying that "It looks like it came from the factory that way."

That brings me back to the cab light install. There's one thing us "later on" guys can't match. The factory installed lights have the holes punched BEFORE primer and paint. That means the edges of the holes have some corrosion resistance. Yes, some of this protection is broken when one screws in the lights, but not all of it. I've never had a factory installed light rust around the holes (And we're still plowing with a 1986 F-250 in the fleet with factory lights). However, even with my best sealer on add on lights, I've seen some evidence of corrosion.

 

No square hole. Use a 7/8" Greenlee punch.

As far as getting up there, I kind of leaned over on it but didn'thave to get all the way up. It really wasnt that bad. Pulling the headliners down enough without messing it up is a PITA. But that was the worst part.

 

Familyride any more info on a greenlee punch?I know greenlee is the brand but is it a regular punch or some kind of center punch

 

I put the clear lens with the orange blulb in them.it looks so much better in the day time.it is clear but at night it lights up orange an looks normal.look at my photo albuum under nascar17 and you will see what i am talking about.stylin concepsts sells them in there catolg.1 800 478 9546

 

I just did this install. I used motoman's websight posting for the templet locations. I found out the GREENLEE punch for a 7/8" hole is actually a 1/2"condut punch and it will be labeled the same 1/2" but will puch the right hole $25.00 at the local home store. Like all the postes say measure, measure and remeasure then just punch that first hole in the roof and you are on your way. I chose to use stainless nuts/washers and lots of RTV 100% Silicone.