Builds, Product Highlight
BACKYARD LIGHTING
By Christian Sturtz, [email protected]
Photos by Christian Sturtz
With the addition of aftermarket body protection and modifications, it is easy to lose your third brake light. Another problem is not having a good place to mount your license plate. MetalCloak has a universal plate holder that includes an LED plate light and third brake light. Its universal design makes it a good, clean-looking solution for any vehicle with a rear body or bumper mounted spare. This kit is all-inclusive; it has everything you will need to complete the install. (Figure 1)
We started by removing the center cap and marking the center of the wheel for mounting the holder. We found a hole saw that fit almost perfectly, which made this very easy. We removed the wheel and checked the hole position. It looked like it would be too close to the inside of a bracket so, we moved our mark down a ½” and drilled the ½” hole. Next, we installed the base for the holder with a special pass-through bolt. *Tip: make sure to slip the plate holder into position and check its fit for correct indexing before tightening completely. Finally, the LED lights were pressed into position, and the license plate was bolted into place. (Figure 2)
The wiring is relatively easy and straightforward. You must find an easy way to get to the hot brake light wire and a hot running light wire. We started by crimping the ends on the supplied wire and lights. Then we fed the supplied wire into the special pass-through bolt, and the wire was run down the tire plate. We stopped two wires by the tailgate for the third brake light. Then continued down through a small hole we drilled in the body for a running light hot wire. Next, we made all the electrical connections. (Figure 3) Finally, we reinstalled the wheel and tested it with the running and brake lights on. This universal mounting plate kit really provides great backyard lighting! (Figure 4)
Parts Used:
MetalCloak:
Rear License Plate and Third Brake Light Kit (3960)
Sources:
MetalCloak
2484 Mercantile Dr.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95742
1-916-631-8071
GEARWRENCH
APEX Tool Group
910 Ridgebrook Rd. (Suite 200)
Sparks, MD 21152
1-800-688-8949