Big Blue's Transformation

[kramttocs]

I aim my fog lights low enough that I don't have to turn them off when meeting oncoming traffic. So I don't want them tied in with my high beams. (This would be different if they were "driving lights" that generally will blind oncoming traffic. But we're talking about "fog lights" here.)

You're absolutely right - if angled down and not blinding anyone then not an issue. I am mixing my light types.

Plus I wouldn't want the switch to be on the 'High On', you meet someone, dim your headlights and now on low beams you don't have fog. Vice versa.

I like Bob's plan for the double throw implementation.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I aim my fog lights low enough that I don't have to turn them off when meeting oncoming traffic. So I don't want them tied in with my high beams. (This would be different if they were "driving lights" that generally will blind oncoming traffic. But we're talking about "fog lights" here.)

You're absolutely right - if angled down and not blinding anyone then not an issue. I am mixing my light types.

Plus I wouldn't want the switch to be on the 'High On', you meet someone, dim your headlights and now on low beams you don't have fog. Vice versa.

I like Bob's plan for the double throw implementation.

Thanks guys, good thoughts. But I'm with Scott - I like Bob's plan for using the double-throw switch.

And, speaking of Scott, I got a CARE package from him today - a Bricknose horn pad with speed control switches; a power windows tap for the fuse box; and a Ford power stud. Thanks, Scott!!

And the horn pad reminds me, the Bricknose steering wheel does make reading those gauges much easier, and I like it. Janey isn't sold on the look, but says if I like the ability to see the gauges better, she's happy. And apparently part of the problem was the vast expanse of BLACK on the horn pad, so she thinks the speed control switches help quite a bit by breaking up the black.

Also, we did 240 miles today in our trip. Mostly back roads, some of which were such rough gravel that I had to shift into low range to give me a wide range of gear ratios. But part of that problem was that I'd put 40 psi in the tires for the trip as opposed to the 30 psi I had in them last week. Seriously hurt the ride on gravel/rock roads, but helped the steering somewhat on major highways. (The steering isn't quite what I'd hoped and I'm exploring tire pressures to see that will help.)

Anyway, we ran the rear tank completely out so now I can calibrate the Meter Match to give the correct reading for empty. And we ran the front tank down to showing 1/8 and filled it up, taking ~12 gallons in a 16 gallon tank, but that showed that we got 11 MPG, so things are getting a bit better.

Bottom Line: We had a great day and the truck did quite well. In fact, the worst problem we had was things shifted in the tool box and started rattling. Guess I'll have to use the marine carpet I have to line it. Or, bed-line it?

[grumpin]

Thanks guys, good thoughts. But I'm with Scott - I like Bob's plan for using the double-throw switch.

And, speaking of Scott, I got a CARE package from him today - a Bricknose horn pad with speed control switches; a power windows tap for the fuse box; and a Ford power stud. Thanks, Scott!!

And the horn pad reminds me, the Bricknose steering wheel does make reading those gauges much easier, and I like it. Janey isn't sold on the look, but says if I like the ability to see the gauges better, she's happy. And apparently part of the problem was the vast expanse of BLACK on the horn pad, so she thinks the speed control switches help quite a bit by breaking up the black.

Also, we did 240 miles today in our trip. Mostly back roads, some of which were such rough gravel that I had to shift into low range to give me a wide range of gear ratios. But part of that problem was that I'd put 40 psi in the tires for the trip as opposed to the 30 psi I had in them last week. Seriously hurt the ride on gravel/rock roads, but helped the steering somewhat on major highways. (The steering isn't quite what I'd hoped and I'm exploring tire pressures to see that will help.)

Anyway, we ran the rear tank completely out so now I can calibrate the Meter Match to give the correct reading for empty. And we ran the front tank down to showing 1/8 and filled it up, taking ~12 gallons in a 16 gallon tank, but that showed that we got 11 MPG, so things are getting a bit better.

Bottom Line: We had a great day and the truck did quite well. In fact, the worst problem we had was things shifted in the tool box and started rattling. Guess I'll have to use the marine carpet I have to line it. Or, bed-line it?

I have one of these in front of my toolbox in the garage. Had a moving blanket in my truck toolbox and things slid around a lot.

Bought another mat and cut it to fit, I like it so far.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-anti-fatigue-foam-mat-set-94635.html

 

[Gary Lewis]

I have one of these in front of my toolbox in the garage. Had a moving blanket in my truck toolbox and things slid around a lot.

Bought another mat and cut it to fit, I like it so far.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-anti-fatigue-foam-mat-set-94635.html

Interesting idea, Dane. I have some of them in the shop, like in front of the lathe and the blast cabinet where I stand quite a bit. Wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Interesting idea, Dane. I have some of them in the shop, like in front of the lathe and the blast cabinet where I stand quite a bit. Wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks!

There's no room in either of my boxes for things to slide around but I did some curbside shopping and grabbed a stack of toddlers interlocking play mat for the bottom of my power tools box so I don't have to hear them bounce over bumps.

I'm sure it is completely destroyed now, but years later it is still doing its job.

And it was FREE.

[Rusty_S85]

I think I said before that I have my fog lights wired to be on if both the running lights and the fog light switch are on. I really like this setup and plan to stick with it, even if / as I add fog lights to other vehicles.

My rationale: (And again, I don't have fog lights for fog. I have them to light up the areas to the sides that the headlights don't get.)

I aim my fog lights low enough that I don't have to turn them off when meeting oncoming traffic. So I don't want them tied in with my high beams. (This would be different if they were "driving lights" that generally will blind oncoming traffic. But we're talking about "fog lights" here.)

I don't want them to go off when I do use my high beams. If I'm on a dark deserted country 2-lane and I can use my high beams, I definitely want the fog lights lighting up the ditches so I can see any deer that might be contemplating suicide by truck (plus the "deer in the headlights" effect can actually freeze them in the ditch). So I don't want them tied in with my low beams.

However I do want them to turn off when I turn my headlights off, just so I don't have to turn two switches off. So I could either use diodes and wire them so they would be on if either low or high are on, but off if both are off. Or, simpler than that, I can wire them so the come on and off with the running lights. This way they will be on if either low or high beams are on, and they will go off when I shut the lights off with the headlight switch.

So I don't see a need for a double-throw switch for fog lights. Since you're getting one I might suggest having one position be hot all the time and the other hot with the running lights. Because even though they are incandescent you still might want them on in camp at times. And BECAUSE they are incandescent you definitely won't want your headlights to also be drawing power while you have them on in camp (unless you really do want all the lights on, but there's nothing stopping you from doing that either).

Thats why I am really wanting to get a roll bar for my truck to mount some extra lights on and have the relays for them on a toggle to break the trigger circuit this way when I am like you stated on a dark country road with no houses I can flip the switch and bring the auxiliary lights which would be aimed as you stated off to the sides more so than down the road and bring them into the dimmer switch trigger. If there are houses which some times the dark country roads I go on do have houses on the sides of the road I can flip the toggle and take my roll bar lights out of the equation to not shine into their homes as I go by but can still use my highbeam and driving lights. I have the Hella Composite ECE headlights which do put more light out to the sides than traditional DOT patterns and my KC Apollo 6" 100w driving lights do put more light out to the sides than a dedicated spot light would but puts more light down the road than a traditional flood light.

My only problem I am faced with is now going with holley EFI, I dont have enough circuits for future expansion for extra lights like roll bar lights so now I am trying to find a new dust/water proof fuse/relay block. I did find a nice one but its hardly dust/water proof as the lid has vents cut into it and the bottom of it has no actual bottom so my only option there would be to seal the back sides of the terminals with silicone which will make disassembly troublesome in the future.

For yours if you are wanting to reduce switches you can always tie them all into one switch be it headlight switch or dimmer switch and then have the ones you want to manually isolate broken on the trigger side with a switch. Thats my idea, all my lights will use relays and will be triggered by the highbeam trigger for my highbeam relay. From there the roll bar mounted lights would have a switch to isolate the trigger so when flipped off I can use high beams and driving lights without roll bar lights illuminating. If I wanted to get real fancy I could use a three position switch, on-off-on for example, have one on for high beam trigger, have the off to kill the trigger, and have the other on as a manual bypass to switch them on independently for off road use. But I still have to decide for mine though cause the whole point of moving all my circuits to a fuse/relay block under the hood was to cut wiring from coming inside and going back out like my cut out switch for my driving lights which I feel is pointless as I never had a need to kill my high beam trigger to my driving lights.

[kramttocs]

My only problem I am faced with is now going with holley EFI, I dont have enough circuits for future expansion for extra lights like roll bar lights so now I am trying to find a new dust/water proof fuse/relay block.

Just one option but no secret I am a huge fan of these. Actually spoke to the designer again today asking if an 'outside the box' idea was possible. Great guy.

 

[Rusty_S85]

My only problem I am faced with is now going with holley EFI, I dont have enough circuits for future expansion for extra lights like roll bar lights so now I am trying to find a new dust/water proof fuse/relay block.

Just one option but no secret I am a huge fan of these. Actually spoke to the designer again today asking if an 'outside the box' idea was possible. Great guy.

Those are the ones with the weather lock connectors that plug in right? I saw those and passed over them as I wasnt sure about the whole plug idea. I was looking for something I could have my wrapped wires go into the box and make their connections directly to the fuses and relays.

Plus what ever I do end up going with it has to be more than 6 fuses and more than 6 relays as thats what I currently have and with my EFI now I wont have any relays left over to add more auxiliary lighting or adding any auxiliary circuits down the road.

[kramttocs]

Those are the ones with the weather lock connectors that plug in right? I saw those and passed over them as I wasnt sure about the whole plug idea. I was looking for something I could have my wrapped wires go into the box and make their connections directly to the fuses and relays.

Plus what ever I do end up going with it has to be more than 6 fuses and more than 6 relays as thats what I currently have and with my EFI now I wont have any relays left over to add more auxiliary lighting or adding any auxiliary circuits down the road.

OK if I move your post to that thread and we all can discuss these and other boxes that might work for you?

Edit: actually, no need to move it - I'll just quote you over there

[kramttocs]

Those are the ones with the weather lock connectors that plug in right? I saw those and passed over them as I wasnt sure about the whole plug idea. I was looking for something I could have my wrapped wires go into the box and make their connections directly to the fuses and relays.

Plus what ever I do end up going with it has to be more than 6 fuses and more than 6 relays as thats what I currently have and with my EFI now I wont have any relays left over to add more auxiliary lighting or adding any auxiliary circuits down the road.

Replied to you over there. Been looking at boxes for another project so looking forward to the discussion.