Finally pleased to finish my 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (JK). Lots of research,
helpful folks here, and a huge THANK YOU to @whatevah for his detailed and helpful advice...and my many 1am PMs.
Front: Feniex Fusion 800 dual color stick (B/W)
Front fender flares: 2 Feniex Fusion Surface Mount (B/W) w/ Feniex's Recessed Mount Brackets
Rear Window: Feniex Fusion 800 dual color stick (RB/A)
Rear Bumper: 2 Feniex Fusion Surface Mount (B/W) w/ Feniex's Recessed Mount Brackets
Controller: Feniex 4200DL
Install notes:
Hope this writeup helps other guys/girls with Jeeps! For such a heavily modified offroad vehicle, I expected to find some Jeep-specific lighting mounts..and did not. Thankfully, fabricating your own (or modifying the generic ones) actually is do-able with some cutting/grinding/wire-wheeling and careful measuring...it actually looks clean!
-Matt
View from cockpit
CB Mount & the 4200DL
Generic 800 bracket cut and mounted to footman's loop using factory screws
Recessed Mount Fusions
Fusions triggered by reverse lights
helpful folks here, and a huge THANK YOU to @whatevah for his detailed and helpful advice...and my many 1am PMs.
Front: Feniex Fusion 800 dual color stick (B/W)
Front fender flares: 2 Feniex Fusion Surface Mount (B/W) w/ Feniex's Recessed Mount Brackets
Rear Window: Feniex Fusion 800 dual color stick (RB/A)
Rear Bumper: 2 Feniex Fusion Surface Mount (B/W) w/ Feniex's Recessed Mount Brackets
Controller: Feniex 4200DL
Install notes:
- The "generic" Feniex brackets mount the 800 stick in the front windshield. I shortened the bracket and wire-wheeled the edges to get rid of rough spots, then drilled holes matching the Jeep's roof clip (aka "footman's loop").
- Flashback on the front 800 is fairly bad at night. Black duct tape has fixed that, though I don't love the look from the exterior. May look at rubber door seal, or weather stripping, or foam board.
- The controller is a Feniex 4200DL. It's mounted to a SUNPIE Jeep JK Overhead CB Mount ($18.99 here), which I bent down and cut off the extra metal, again wire-wheeling it to remove rough spots.
- I drilled the 4200's U-shape mounting bracket to attach on the CB mount. The bracket firmly holds the controller, but the metal bends BADLY when you're working with it. I'd love to see Feniex improve this. I saw another member suggested a FedSig bracket...might try in the future. The 15ft cat5 cable was perfect length to reach the rear seat area where I have the brain and a fuse box.
- My existing offroad lights (Rigid lightbar + cubes) would have required multiple outputs on the 4200 to spread the amperage load, so I used this $32 Blue Sea fuse box. The 4200 still controls the lights.
- The recessed mount brackets came out nicely. I wish there was a cutting template. They are plastic vs the metal the fusion's ship with.
- The rear 800 stick is mounted using screws 1/4" longer than supplied, and I drilled through the plastic cap and the metal bracket on the rear window. There's space above the glass but below the hinge. Notched the roof and ran wiring through the roof and out where the window heater/washer fluid exits, then below the carpet. It looks clean, the wire doesn't rub, and I don't have any leaks.
- All the wiring terminates to either the Blue Sea fuse box and/or 4200 "brain" behind the rear seat. The 800 stick's 10ft wiring reached with maybe 2inches to spare. The front stick (following the window trim) stopped near the driver's seat. I extended this.
- The rear FSM's are synced. Finding master/slave was harder than I thought as all or none LEDs turned on (I thought it was 6 vs 12?). But once set, connecting sync wires was easy.
- The rear FSM's override to white when I trigger my reverse lights. Given the lackluster OEM reverse lights, it's a nice feature.
Hope this writeup helps other guys/girls with Jeeps! For such a heavily modified offroad vehicle, I expected to find some Jeep-specific lighting mounts..and did not. Thankfully, fabricating your own (or modifying the generic ones) actually is do-able with some cutting/grinding/wire-wheeling and careful measuring...it actually looks clean!
-Matt
View from cockpit
CB Mount & the 4200DL
Generic 800 bracket cut and mounted to footman's loop using factory screws
Recessed Mount Fusions
Fusions triggered by reverse lights