TX GX460
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- #281
I installed the Stedi replacement LED fog lamps on my ARB Summit bar today. They are definitely a step up from the stock halogen. They aren't as bright as the baja designs squadron pros we put on the LC 200, but they function more like traditional fogs.
FYI, although the units I purchase are for the Summit Bar, they make replacement LED units for ARB classic, Iron Man Premium and other specific bumpers. Because of size and shape differences, each design is different as well.
The photo below is looking at the light from the bottom. So the LED emitter for th fog portion is downward facing, and then it hits a curved reflector that directs the light forward. One thing this means is that the light stays low and does not direct upward. Instead there is a pretty clean cut-off vertically for better fog visibility and less reflection back at the driver. Unfortunately these are white, rather than yellow, which isn't as good for fog visibility. I may tint the lens shield yellow in the future.
Installation was pretty simple. First step is to remove the protective lens shield. Good time to clean it too. One screw on the outside and it pops right out.
Remove the bash plates from each side of the bumper to access the rear of the lights. Unplug the original ARB fog from the wiring harness. The next step can be a little confusing. The lights have an adjustment screw that allows it to pivot for manual height adjustment. To remove the light, the adjustment screw must be free of the plastic retention pin it sits in (the one with a hole in the bottom for accessing the adjustment screw head). That means you have to tighten (clockwise) the screw to push it up and free it from the retention pin it sits in.
Once you have screwed it in far enough for the light to tilt down and be free of the retention pin, you can pop out the light forward. Pop out the plastic retainer pin as well. Replace it with the plastic retainer pin provided in the Stedi kit.
This is a good time to clean the plastic fog surround. I also treated it with a marine protectant.
Now install the Stedi light. Like the ARB halogen bulb, the Stedi light has an adjustment bolt that works in the same way. All necessary hardware is in the box. One thing that surprised me was that the adjustment bolt supplied (M5) was smaller than the hole in the housing it was supposed to go into, such that it could slide in and out freely. But the threads in the hole did not match an M6. I figured out that, because the light pivots and the head of the adjustment bolt stays in the retainer location, it must be allowed some pivot movement in the housing. The angular force of the bolt against the side of the hole keeps it in place.
To install, you are supposed to have the adjustment bolt in place, screwed in far enough to clear the retainer pin. It feeds through a spring and would not necessarily stay in place without me holding it for the reasons mentioned above regarding hole size. So I added an M5 nut on the bolt to hold it in place during the install. I went ahead and kept it on afterwards, because it provides additional security against slippage of the adjustment bolt that could cause misalignment issues.
Now, feed the wires in through the hole and install the light, making sure that it slides into both pivot locations with the back tilted up so the head of the adjustment bolt clears the retainer pin. Then use your small Phillips driver to unscrew the adjustment bolt until it is seated in the retainer location and the light is aimed where you want it to be.
Now the only thing left to do is wire it up. The harness plugs directly into the ARB harness for the fogs. The light has a DRL function with a separate yellow wire. I attached it to the wire on my ARB marker/indicator lights in the bumper that serves the same purpose (sorry, not the best photo).
FYI, although the units I purchase are for the Summit Bar, they make replacement LED units for ARB classic, Iron Man Premium and other specific bumpers. Because of size and shape differences, each design is different as well.
The photo below is looking at the light from the bottom. So the LED emitter for th fog portion is downward facing, and then it hits a curved reflector that directs the light forward. One thing this means is that the light stays low and does not direct upward. Instead there is a pretty clean cut-off vertically for better fog visibility and less reflection back at the driver. Unfortunately these are white, rather than yellow, which isn't as good for fog visibility. I may tint the lens shield yellow in the future.
Installation was pretty simple. First step is to remove the protective lens shield. Good time to clean it too. One screw on the outside and it pops right out.
Remove the bash plates from each side of the bumper to access the rear of the lights. Unplug the original ARB fog from the wiring harness. The next step can be a little confusing. The lights have an adjustment screw that allows it to pivot for manual height adjustment. To remove the light, the adjustment screw must be free of the plastic retention pin it sits in (the one with a hole in the bottom for accessing the adjustment screw head). That means you have to tighten (clockwise) the screw to push it up and free it from the retention pin it sits in.
Once you have screwed it in far enough for the light to tilt down and be free of the retention pin, you can pop out the light forward. Pop out the plastic retainer pin as well. Replace it with the plastic retainer pin provided in the Stedi kit.
This is a good time to clean the plastic fog surround. I also treated it with a marine protectant.
Now install the Stedi light. Like the ARB halogen bulb, the Stedi light has an adjustment bolt that works in the same way. All necessary hardware is in the box. One thing that surprised me was that the adjustment bolt supplied (M5) was smaller than the hole in the housing it was supposed to go into, such that it could slide in and out freely. But the threads in the hole did not match an M6. I figured out that, because the light pivots and the head of the adjustment bolt stays in the retainer location, it must be allowed some pivot movement in the housing. The angular force of the bolt against the side of the hole keeps it in place.
To install, you are supposed to have the adjustment bolt in place, screwed in far enough to clear the retainer pin. It feeds through a spring and would not necessarily stay in place without me holding it for the reasons mentioned above regarding hole size. So I added an M5 nut on the bolt to hold it in place during the install. I went ahead and kept it on afterwards, because it provides additional security against slippage of the adjustment bolt that could cause misalignment issues.
Now, feed the wires in through the hole and install the light, making sure that it slides into both pivot locations with the back tilted up so the head of the adjustment bolt clears the retainer pin. Then use your small Phillips driver to unscrew the adjustment bolt until it is seated in the retainer location and the light is aimed where you want it to be.
Now the only thing left to do is wire it up. The harness plugs directly into the ARB harness for the fogs. The light has a DRL function with a separate yellow wire. I attached it to the wire on my ARB marker/indicator lights in the bumper that serves the same purpose (sorry, not the best photo).