I want to add fog lights to my 2000 XJ using the factory cutouts so it looks stock. What brands do you recommend? I do not mind paying a bit more for quality lights that are reliable and last. Thank you.

 

What kind of light are you looking for LED or Halogen ?

 

Halogen, I appreciate LEDs but want to keep a classic look.

 

Does the XJ already have factory fogs?
My understanding is that they come with a 55 watt halogen bulb.
I like how the factory ones on the Jeep look but frankly they are pretty useless IMO.
I have read about upgrading to a 100 watt bulb but there also seems to be some concerns about the factory wiring handling it.
I could not say one way or the other but maybe something you might want to check into?

 

No, the XJ does not have them currently. One option may be to buy some fog lamps that fit the factory cutouts and swap the bulbs for brighter ones. Also considering using yellow bulbs. Thoughts?

 

Don't know exactly what you are shooting for here but to a certain extent this might help.
Little write up I did about putting aftermarket OEM fogs in my '00.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/fac...e-them-220836/

 

2x100 watts will have about 16 amps of current (200w / 12.5V= 16 A). For this 10 gage wire is about right, figuring no more than fifteen feet of wire needed....
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvis...e-And-Ampacity

But when possible sometimes I like to uprate wires so Id use an 8 gage in this case, this will allow for later upgrades in current, say if in I add more lights to the circuit, or up the bulb wattages.

sure thinner wire can handle 16 amps, but.... thinner wire will cause more voltage loss at high current draw. The longer the wire, the more the voltage loss too, so long runs need fatter wires inorder to give full voltage under high loads. this is explained well in the link above. also note that wire size must increase if the wire is part of a wire bundle, as wires in a bundle will run hotter than if an isolated wire in free air is used. this is a limitation based mainly on the heat resistance of the insulation. Telfon insulation does better with heat than PVC insulation, but Teflon costs more and can be more susiptable to mechanical damage than PVC. Glass fiber insulation is used in very hot conditions, and resist open flame. Cheapo rubber insulation is not good in cars as it is not very resistant to heat, chemicals, nor age. Teflon is very chemical resistant. Cloth wrapped wires are great looking on classic cars, These are often rubber with outer cloth wrap for insulation, the cloth protecting the rubber. Modern reproduction "classic look" cloth wires may have PVC as the inner layer rather than rubber, much better.
PVC is a good choice for most automotive applications, Teflon for areas of extreme heat.
Some modern cars have used "green" non petroleum based insulation, sourced from I believe soy beans. They got it too work evidently, although I dont know how good its performance is. Mice evidently love it. Importer storage lots, and dealer lots where cars may sit for weeks became a prime place for hungry rodents to eat the insulation, resulting in many cars needing repairs, the insulation actually attracted mice to it as food. The wire makers now are adding a bitterment flavor to the insulation to make the wire less appealing to the tastes of mice.

 

I used these, worked great for many years:

https://www.harborfreight.com/clear-...hts-37349.html

I bent a couple 1/8" thick, 1" wide pieces of aluminum to mount them and put them in the factory cutout spots. They looked factory and they actually put out more light than the stock headlights. The wiring was easy too. I got a fog light switch from a junkyard and wired it from a nearby power wire that came on when the dash lights come on. That signal went to the switch, then to a relay. 8ga wire from there (fused) to the lights.

 

oh man those little lights kick some ***! i had those on my cherokee mounted to the bumper and they lit up all the reflectors on the road like a mile away lol

 

10-gauge is more than plenty if you're going a short distance from a relay under the hood, 8-guage is serious overkill. Personally, I'd skip the fog/driving lights since they're only good at annoying oncoming traffic. Off-road maybe, but definitely not on-road. Put your money towards some better e-code headlights that will put the light where you need it instead.

 

I use my fog lights quite a bit on the road. They're aimed down, as they should be. The idea is to see the road, not blind oncoming traffic. I have roof lights for off the road, and they're the exact same light as the fogs.