LED Strobe Lights installed on 2015+ Silverado HD or 2014 + 1500

[Amiodynski]

Has anyone on here installed any sort of Strobes on their 2015 HD? I decided to pull the trigger on an LED kit I saw and read up on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAK8GRE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

 

The main question is where did you install the strobe, and run the wires etc..

 

It seems most kits are made by one or two companies that simply slap another "name" on them, but the controller, and flash box are all the same.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !!

 

 

[cat320]

I have both led and strobe warning lights in my 2015 2500hd. I might be a fool but always believe in getting the best why i got Whelen light bar and the vertex for the hide a ways. one vertex is between $75 and $110 depending on where you buy them pluse a switch box because they are all self contained. this time around i had them professionally installed. those lights you showed look like some kind of china stuff . and as the saying goes you get what you pay for.

As far a what my guy did it took him a good 14 hours to wire 1 light bar on a magnum head ache rack mount 2 vertex in each brake light lens and 2 back up lights under the truck run wire loom it tie it up then distribute it from under the hood to the control box which houses 10 switches.

[NitroDatsik]

I did it to mine, is not a 2500 but same concept.

 

 

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

[Kyle Soldani]

What're you looking to accomplish, if you don't mind me asking? Is it a POV for fire, construction? Guess what I'm getting at is have you considered options other than hide-a-ways? Surface mounted LEDs would provide better bang for the buck assuming they'd work in your application.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Amiodynski]

What're you looking to accomplish, if you don't mind me asking? Is it a POV for fire, construction? Guess what I'm getting at is have you considered options other than hide-a-ways? Surface mounted LEDs would provide better bang for the buck assuming they'd work in your application.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

It's simply to serve as warning lights while plowing. I thought about surface mount, but decided I don't want to mount anything on the surface.

[NitroDatsik]

It's simply to serve as warning lights while plowing. I thought about surface mount, but decided I don't want to mount anything on the surface.

This is the set I used on mine. Tucked under the head liner. Cheap and works great. XKTTSUEERCRR 54 LED Emergency Vehicle Strobe Lights Bars Warning Deck Dash Grille Amber/White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MN9DNNW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_5A2mwbXMR3K42

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

[Kyle Soldani]

It's simply to serve as warning lights while plowing. I thought about surface mount, but decided I don't want to mount anything on the surface.

 

If I made a suggestion it would be not to drill into the housings of any lenses. Hide-a-ways are pretty ineffective unless you really spend some money on them like cat320 talked about with Whelen. My experience has been the light output is pretty dismal in comparison to other alternatives and if you don't angle them just right you'll basically just see a flashing dot in the light assembly. I've yet to master a proper hide-a-way installation, in my book I steer clear of them as much as I can since they're such a pain and you really get what you pay for.

 

If you don't want to go with surface mounted lights, I'd recommend the following:

 

Windshield/Dash area (these are AWESOME lights for the money): http://www.amazon.com/Aurnoc-Intensity-Enforcement-Windshield-Amber-White/dp/B00JQ3QBVE/ref=pd_sbs_263_10?ie=UTF8&dpID=517gSThp%2BYL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0GSTDRVQTHRCPPNM7JYP

 

Rear window: http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Advisor-Emergency-Warning-Security/dp/B00MU9K324/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446212149&sr=1-4&keywords=amber+traffic+advisor&refinements=p_72%3A1248861011

 

I'd also recommend some license plate brackets if you'd consider those? It's quasi surface mount but you wouldn't be doing anything permanent and they're pretty low key.

 

http://www.amazon.com/LAMPHUS-SolarBlast-Lighthead-Mounting-Bracket/dp/B00QVVUUKW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1446212755&sr=8-4&keywords=horizontal+license+plate+bracket

 

http://www.amazon.com/LAMPHUS-SolarBlast-Emergency-Construction-Lighthead/dp/B00J495OY0/ref=lp_12675082011_1_10?srs=12675082011&ie=UTF8&qid=1446212785&sr=8-10

 

This is the set I used on mine. Tucked under the head liner. Cheap and works great. XKTTSUEERCRR 54 LED Emergency Vehicle Strobe Lights Bars Warning Deck Dash Grille Amber/White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MN9DNNW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_5A2mwbXMR3K42

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

 

Not trying to start an argument here but as a vehicle up-fitter, I would steer clear of these lights. I've seen TONS of these in fire POV's and they are very difficult to see during the day and the control box looks like a toy. At night they work great but they simply don't have the light output to be safe during the day. I've seen a few guys use these running emergent and that scares the crap out of me, to the public all they hear is a siren but the lights aren't obvious during daytime. Just my $.02.

[NitroDatsik]

You're probably right about light output during the day on those Amazon light kit but for the price they are worth it. The control box is literally a toy but it works, in my case I could discard it and use the other flasher kit I got installed which works better and wireless control. Overall for the price I paid to do all my stuff is well worth it over Whelen products which are over priced just like rigid lighting.

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

[Amiodynski]

I was looking thru your build thread, and saw these. If I was to mount these, how do I select the patterns?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Abrams-Eclipse-Emergency-Vehicle-Warning/dp/B00JQWEBNK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_263_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41iVd9nkv0L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1W3F39BG15MPTYKM6ZHC

 

 

 

Also, I saw you used a Solid State headlight flasher to power your Off road LED. I want to make mine come on via the high beam switch like you did, is there another way to do it without the wig wag switch?

[Amiodynski]

 

If I made a suggestion it would be not to drill into the housings of any lenses. Hide-a-ways are pretty ineffective unless you really spend some money on them like cat320 talked about with Whelen. My experience has been the light output is pretty dismal in comparison to other alternatives and if you don't angle them just right you'll basically just see a flashing dot in the light assembly. I've yet to master a proper hide-a-way installation, in my book I steer clear of them as much as I can since they're such a pain and you really get what you pay for.

 

If you don't want to go with surface mounted lights, I'd recommend the following:

 

Windshield/Dash area (these are AWESOME lights for the money): http://www.amazon.com/Aurnoc-Intensity-Enforcement-Windshield-Amber-White/dp/B00JQ3QBVE/ref=pd_sbs_263_10?ie=UTF8&dpID=517gSThp%2BYL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0GSTDRVQTHRCPPNM7JYP

 

Rear window: http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Advisor-Emergency-Warning-Security/dp/B00MU9K324/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446212149&sr=1-4&keywords=amber+traffic+advisor&refinements=p_72%3A1248861011

 

I'd also recommend some license plate brackets if you'd consider those? It's quasi surface mount but you wouldn't be doing anything permanent and they're pretty low key.

 

http://www.amazon.com/LAMPHUS-SolarBlast-Lighthead-Mounting-Bracket/dp/B00QVVUUKW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1446212755&sr=8-4&keywords=horizontal+license+plate+bracket

 

http://www.amazon.com/LAMPHUS-SolarBlast-Emergency-Construction-Lighthead/dp/B00J495OY0/ref=lp_12675082011_1_10?srs=12675082011&ie=UTF8&qid=1446212785&sr=8-10

 

 

Not trying to start an argument here but as a vehicle up-fitter, I would steer clear of these lights. I've seen TONS of these in fire POV's and they are very difficult to see during the day and the control box looks like a toy. At night they work great but they simply don't have the light output to be safe during the day. I've seen a few guys use these running emergent and that scares the crap out of me, to the public all they hear is a siren but the lights aren't obvious during daytime. Just my $.02.

I was looking thru your build thread, and saw these. If I was to mount these, how do I select the patterns?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Abrams-Eclipse-Emergency-Vehicle-Warning/dp/B00JQWEBNK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_263_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41iVd9nkv0L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1W3F39BG15MPTYKM6ZHC

 

 

 

Also, I saw you used a Solid State headlight flasher to power your Off road LED. I want to make mine come on via the high beam switch like you did, is there another way to do it without the wig wag switch?

[Kyle Soldani]

You're probably right about light output during the day on those Amazon light kit but for the price they are worth it. The control box is literally a toy but it works, in my case I could discard it and use the other flasher kit I got installed which works better and wireless control. Overall for the price I paid to do all my stuff is well worth it over Whelen products which are over priced just like rigid lighting.

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

 

Oh I'm with ya there. I really like the availability of stuff on Amazon. Those lights I linked to above I ordered in red/blue for my Durango and they rival Whelen/Federal Signal in brightness but they only cost $20. I'm not doggin' on ya, I just wanted to let folks know my experience with those lights. They definitely are useful and are a good value but they only work for some applications, seeing people try to respond emergent with those scares me a bit. I know you're not so my opinion in that regard doesn't really matter anyway.

 

I was looking thru your build thread, and saw these. If I was to mount these, how do I select the patterns?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Abrams-Eclipse-Emergency-Vehicle-Warning/dp/B00JQWEBNK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_263_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41iVd9nkv0L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1W3F39BG15MPTYKM6ZHC

 

 

 

Also, I saw you used a Solid State headlight flasher to power your Off road LED. I want to make mine come on via the high beam switch like you did, is there another way to do it without the wig wag switch?

 

Well the question becomes - do you want to change the pattern from inside your truck or set and install? These lights generally come with 4 or 5 wires; power, ground, flash pattern, synchronization and some have a low power mode. To change the pattern all you do is tap the mode wire to power or ground, that varies model to model but the directions will detail that process. If you wanted to change the pattern from inside the truck you could just run a third wire for your flash mode to a momentary switch and then tie the other side to power/ground, again varies between models.

 

For the wiring I would use multi-conductor wire. I generally use 4 conductor wire because I can run my power, sync wires and still have an extra later if I want. The other thing to consider when purchasing wiring is how much amperage you expect to draw versus how long you need the wire to be. This wire is merely a suggestion, the attached chart should be consulted when you pick a gauge of wiring so you don't burn the wire and/or your truck up.

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters%C2%AE-Oxygen-Free-Bi-Wire-Speaker/dp/B00BWSBTWM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231789&sr=8-3&keywords=4+conductor+wire

 

As for that momentary switch, tons exist so this is just a quick Amazon search.

http://www.amazon.com/Joyluxy%C2%AE-Momentary-Industrial-Suitable-Mounting/dp/B00KDDAR66/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231814&sr=8-7&keywords=12v+momentary+switch

 

Now for your off-road LED's, you can absolutely do this without a solid state flasher. A pretty typical item in vehicle electronics is a standard 40 amp relay. These generally have 5 contacts; load power source, always on to load, switched load, trigger switch and a ground. Consider the LED off-road lights as your load. The trigger contact is generally a 12V positive and is low amperage draw, meaning you can supply those LED lights which may draw 10+ amps by technically only using a fraction of an amp from a trigger circuit - in you and my cases that trigger is the high-beam wire to the headlights. So an overview:

 

Relay Contact Wiring for switched off-road lights

1. Load Power Source - Fused power from battery
2. Load Always On - No connection, not needed
3. Load Switched - Power to LED off-road lights
4. Load/Relay Trigger - High-Beam power from headlights
5. Ground - to chassis ground

Because I do so much with 12 volts I buy these 5 packs, they're stupid cheap but work great.

http://www.amazon.com/Relay-Harness-Bosch-Style-40AMP-HRNS/dp/B005HFYE1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231971&sr=8-1&keywords=40+amp+automotive+relay

[Amiodynski]

 

Oh I'm with ya there. I really like the availability of stuff on Amazon. Those lights I linked to above I ordered in red/blue for my Durango and they rival Whelen/Federal Signal in brightness but they only cost $20. I'm not doggin' on ya, I just wanted to let folks know my experience with those lights. They definitely are useful and are a good value but they only work for some applications, seeing people try to respond emergent with those scares me a bit. I know you're not so my opinion in that regard doesn't really matter anyway.

 

 

Well the question becomes - do you want to change the pattern from inside your truck or set and install? These lights generally come with 4 or 5 wires; power, ground, flash pattern, synchronization and some have a low power mode. To change the pattern all you do is tap the mode wire to power or ground, that varies model to model but the directions will detail that process. If you wanted to change the pattern from inside the truck you could just run a third wire for your flash mode to a momentary switch and then tie the other side to power/ground, again varies between models.

 

For the wiring I would use multi-conductor wire. I generally use 4 conductor wire because I can run my power, sync wires and still have an extra later if I want. The other thing to consider when purchasing wiring is how much amperage you expect to draw versus how long you need the wire to be. This wire is merely a suggestion, the attached chart should be consulted when you pick a gauge of wiring so you don't burn the wire and/or your truck up.

voltage-drop-and-wire-gauge-size-calculation-for-12v-led-strip-light.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters%C2%AE-Oxygen-Free-Bi-Wire-Speaker/dp/B00BWSBTWM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231789&sr=8-3&keywords=4+conductor+wire

 

As for that momentary switch, tons exist so this is just a quick Amazon search.

http://www.amazon.com/Joyluxy%C2%AE-Momentary-Industrial-Suitable-Mounting/dp/B00KDDAR66/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231814&sr=8-7&keywords=12v+momentary+switch

 

Now for your off-road LED's, you can absolutely do this without a solid state flasher. A pretty typical item in vehicle electronics is a standard 40 amp relay. These generally have 5 contacts; load power source, always on to load, switched load, trigger switch and a ground. Consider the LED off-road lights as your load. The trigger contact is generally a 12V positive and is low amperage draw, meaning you can supply those LED lights which may draw 10+ amps by technically only using a fraction of an amp from a trigger circuit - in you and my cases that trigger is the high-beam wire to the headlights. So an overview:

 

Relay Contact Wiring for switched off-road lights

1. Load Power Source - Fused power from battery
2. Load Always On - No connection, not needed
3. Load Switched - Power to LED off-road lights
4. Load/Relay Trigger - High-Beam power from headlights
5. Ground - to chassis ground

Because I do so much with 12 volts I buy these 5 packs, they're stupid cheap but work great.

http://www.amazon.com/Relay-Harness-Bosch-Style-40AMP-HRNS/dp/B005HFYE1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446231971&sr=8-1&keywords=40+amp+automotive+relay

 

Awesome, Thanks !!

[Kyle Soldani]

 

Awesome, Thanks !!

Sure thing. If you end up going that route just let me know and I'll help if you need or want.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Amiodynski]

Sure thing. If you end up going that route just let me know and I'll help if you need or want.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

I will reach out to you for sure ! The strobe kit is on it's way already, I can return it, but I'm interested to see the brightness. Might do a combination of both

[Kyle Soldani]

 

I will reach out to you for sure ! The strobe kit is on it's way already, I can return it, but I'm interested to see the brightness. Might do a combination of both

Hey doesn't hurt to see how bright they are, may end up working really well. Worth a shot! When you install just make sure to take some time figuring out the light spread and how the lenses can help disperse the light. Best of luck! I'm eager to see some pictures. [emoji3]

 

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