Easy Ditch Light Install and Firewall Passthrough (1 Viewer)

[PharmerDan100]

Sharing my experience for others who want a simple solution for an OEM+ ditch light install.

Parts:
- 2x1 or 2x2 pod lights (I went with the Morimoto 2Banger HXB - Amber Combo Pattern + their relay harness)
- Ronin Metalworks Ditch Light Brackets
- CH4X4 Toyota OEM-like Switch
- Wire connectors
- M6-1.0 x 30mm flange bolt and around 8 M6 washers

Bracket install:
(forgot to take pics here)
1. Loosen the door panel enough to pop out the speaker cover in the corner, to give access to the 3 bolts holding the side view mirror. Door panel does not need to be completely removed, just loosened. Good vid here: door panel removal
2. Loosen the 3 bolts holding the side view mirror as far as they will go without coming off. The mirror does not need to be completely removed.
3. Slide/tuck in the bracket pushing it forward to line up with the leading edge of the door (Ronin’s install instructions)
4. Tighten down the 3 bolts of the side view mirror and this will clamp down the bracket securely.
5. Re-assemble the speaker cover and door panel.

Relay harness mounting:
1. Disconnect negative battery terminal.
2. Remove bolt holding the ground cable to the chassis.
3. Using the new longer 30mm flange bolt, feed the relay box mount first, then a stack of 8 or so washers, then the ground, and mount back on the chassis (see pic below)
4. Remove the two bolts (red arrows in pic below) to create space to drop the cluster of harness cables down underneath here. This will allow for a clean and clutter-free cable arrangement. Once the cables are neatly arranged (2 light cables to each corner, 1 to go through the firewall to the switch, and one (+) and one (-) battery terminal cable to the battery), the two bolts can be re-bolted.

Firewall passthrough:
1. Get down in the driver side foot well and give yourself some working space and better line of site to the boot by unplugging the big yellow cable (on the left above the fuse box), unplugging the big black cable (behind the yellow cable), and unmounting that little black box.
> The yellow cable can be unplugged by using a small screwdriver or metal rod to push the white button - should pop right out

> The black cable behind it can be undone by hand - just pinch the release button

> This little black box can be dropped from its mounted position by pinching up top on the pins holding it in place

 

[PharmerDan100]

2. With room to work now, use your hand to feel around behind the bundle of cables. You should be able to feel the boot. At the 12 o’clock position above the cables, use a small metal rod/screw driver/brass punch/or similar to punch a hole through the boot (you can see the handle end of my brass punch dangling in the photo below on the left, and view of it coming out the other side on the right).

3. I left this brass punch in place as a “marker”, then punched another hole right below it using a screwdriver, this time attacking it from the engine bay side. This was just to help widen the hole a bit more. After this, I removed both the screw driver and brass punch. The boot will close right up and the poke will not even be visible to the naked eye… but its there.

4. To give the “poke” a bit more stretch so the relay harness cable can fit through, I greased up the handle end of my breaker bar and shoved it through the hole from the footwell side. Any smooth and somewhat wider metal rod will work, but I feel the breaker bar handle end was perfect here. Just shove it in gently and use some lube because the hole is REALLY tight, and you don’t want to accidentally unseat the entire boot.

5. Once the hole was widened/loosened to my satisfaction, I used a pair of needle nose pliers and pushed them through the hole from the footwell side. Push through the hole far enough so that the jaws are sticking out in the engine bay side and the fulcrum/pivot point of the pliers are resting in the middle of the boot wall. Next, wrap the relay harness cable barrel connector in some electrical tape to protect the plastic. Stick the barrel connector in the plier jaws from the engine bay side. Go to the footwell side, clamp down the pliers GENTLY and pull the pliers along with the barrel connector/cable in. The pressure from the small hole will push the plier jaws down - try to keep them in a neutral width so as to not crush the barrel connector. Once the cable is through, the hardest part in my opinion is done.

6. From inside the truck, now attach one of the two switch pigtails to the relay harness. I used the Morimoto switch here first for simplicity and for testing. (I eventually swapped it out for the other pigtail that allows for connection to the aftermarket Toyota OEM-like switch).

7. Feed the pod light cables down the gap/opening in the fender wall in the back corners from inside the engine bay. The Ronin instructions call for loosening fender bolts, but I didn’t need to do this. The cables can just be dropped down, then if your fingers are skinny enough (or use a tool) to sort of “fish hook” the dangling cable end from the open door side. The cable going to the passenger side will need an extension cable attached since the distance it has to travel from where the relay box is mounted is further. Fortunately, the Morimoto harness comes with two extension cables.

8. Mount the pod lights on the ditch light brackets per the manufacturer’s instructions.

9. Connect the cables to the lights.

10. Connect the (+) then the (-) relay cable ends to their respective cable terminals

11. Connect your cables to your battery terminals, (+) first, then (-)

12. Go inside and press the push switch. If all done correctly, the lights should turn on! (no need to fire up the car)

Hope this helps someone.