Gee oh Dee

I've got a pair of Harbor Freight "offroad lights" that are 100W each. I'd like to replace the fogs on my 98 TJ with them.

Can I just cut the plug off the old fogs and rewire it to the new lights to keep the factory location and switch?

My concern is that the new fogs are much brighter and undoubtedly draw more juice. Can the factory wiring and switch handle the extra draw?

Link to lights:
http://www.harborfreight.com/off-roa...stem-3029.html

Gee oh Dee

No one knows at all?

The Rooster

what are the factory ones rated at? you should have no problems... my friend run higher watted ones on his Tj with no problems...

phillies4752

you shouldn't have any problem. They are very close in wattage

Gee oh Dee

Factory is 55w

You must not know anything about the TJs, eh?

Factory rating is 55w, the ones I'm swapping on are 100w. Near double.


In the end of the day I did some further research and found out that you cannot safely run anything much more than 55w on the factory wiring.

What I've decided my best course of action will be is to use the factory switch's wiring, but instead of running it to the fogs I'll be running it first to an aftermarket 30a relay, which will allow me to keep the factory switch while upgrade the wiring.

I guess thanks for the attempted help. Glad I didn't listen, though.

The Rooster

he has yet to have any problems... so as far as i new you were good to go..... Sorry about that i guess I should pass on the info...

phillies4752

why did you even post this thread if you could easily find the information yourself....

Gee oh Dee

Well...

At the time I couldn't easily find the information. I didn't have time to search, and hoped some users here that also have a TJ like I do may have the information I needed.

Now I have a question for you:

Why did you post the factory fogs are "very close to the same wattage" as the 100w ones I am replacing them with?


Now knowing they are only 55w from the factory I have to ask myself if you just pulled an answer from your *** and tossed it on the table, completely unaware if it was correct or not.

I mean, its a 50/50 chance if you were right or wrong, why not just take a stab without knowing? Its not like it could burn down my wife's daily driver or anything...

phillies4752

It was an honest mistake man. You don't have to blow up on me for screwing up gosh. I am running the same kind of lights but now that I think about it there might be an online fuse. I didnt install the lights.
Sorry for bursting your bubble guess I caught you one the wrong time of month...

Gee oh Dee

I can understand suggesting its OK if you know someone who's doing the same thing with no visable problems.

I can think of a few situations where things are done "the wrong way" and still work. Just because they work doesn't mean its right, but suggesting something that is clearly incorrect is what bothered me.

Saying the factory 55w fogs are anywhere near 100w is completely incorrect. I don't understand why someone would post that misinformation.

And hey, at least this thread may help someone with a similar Jeep question.

I mean, if your buddy gains some knowledge about his TJ's foglights then this thread has helped someone else other than me. Hell, with that relay, his fogs may get even brighter than they are now. I'm not even sure he's getting the full 100w his lights need!

95zj

You could use the factory relay and just up the wiring to 12ga or 10 ga. I did it with my ZJ and it looks factory. It is kinda a pain to do, but I liked how clean it looks.

Gee oh Dee

I'm ditching the factory relay, but keeping the factory switch. It will still look factory, and use the factory switch, but all the hardware will be upgraded, not just a few wires.

I don't think the factory TJ Wrangler relay supplies enough juice to the 100w aftermarket fogs.