led light install?

[oranges10]

i just bought avs's led lights and i wanted to know how do i install it? any tips or a step by step how to.

[AVS_KRIS]

LIGHT CUTOUTS
MOST OF THE STEPS BELOW REQUIRE THAT YOU WEAR SAFETY GLASSES FOR YOUR PROTECTION!!!

#1. Figure out where you want to mount your lights. Check for proper clearance behind the panel where you are wanting to mount them. Note: LED's have a sort of "spot light" projection. Basically, the higher up on your vehicle you mount them, the brighter they will appear.

#2. Now that you know where you want to make your cutouts, measure and mark a horizontal line across the back of your vehicle with tape, marker, or pencil, where the top edge of the LED cutout will be.

#3. Match up the line you just made with the top inside edge of the supplied sheet metal template, adjusting the template from left to right where you want it. You will want to tack weld one tack on each side of the template (make sure to remove any paint where you will be welding. Take care of the template as you will be reusing it for the other side.

#4. Drill a hole on each end of the long opening where the lens will go. To avoid dimpling the panel, start with small bits and work your way up with larger bits, or if you have a Unibit or step-bit that will work too. Drill the hole as big as you can without having the bit come in contact with the template.

#5. Using an air body saw, jig saw or cut off wheel, start to cut from the edge of one hole to the other staying as close to the inside of the template as possible, but again, without coming in contact with the template. Repeat your cut again so that the cutout completely falls through.

#6. To finish of the radiused corners, use a die grinder with a straight bit. Keep the die grinder as perpindicular to the template as possible (you don't want to end up with an angled edge). Gently remove the metal with the die grinder up to the edge of the template. Again, do not grind or cut into the template!!! You will be reusing it not to mention you do not want to go outside of the template and end up with a distorted cutout!

#7. Clean up any high spots with a small high speed angle sander with a 50 to 36 grit wheel and/or metal files.

#8. Once the inside of your cutout is flawless, grind off the tack welds from the template and remove. If you are installing your LED's in a tailgate you will need to cutout an access panel as your lenses and lights will mount in from behind the cutout. Now place the template on the inside of the body panel where your cutout is and line it up with the cutout. Mark the outer two holes on the template with a scribe or marking pen.

#9. Now that your marks have been made, take the supplied allen head screw and center it onto one of your marks with the head contacting the sheet metal. Tack weld into place (remove paint first). Repeat for the other side.

#10. Repeat steps 1-9 for the other side.

[AVS_KRIS]

LENS INSTALLATION
All of our lenses, including the ones that you have now, are flush mount lenses. They stick out so you can sand them down flush and to the contour of your vehicle. Here's what you need to do:

#1. Epoxy the lenses down to the sheet metal with an epoxy that will adhere to both metal and acrylic (you can purchase from us for $5)

#2. Let the epoxy set for a day. Fill in any gap around the edge of the lens with body filler.

#3. Next you want to DA them down with 180 grit paper. Do not take it down all the way!!!!

#4. Continue to sand them flush by changing up to 220 grit, then 360 grit until it is flush.

#5. Now finish them off by wet sanding them with 400 grit. (the lens will not be entirely clear, so don't worry. When you spray your clear or candy in the next steps it will clear up on it's own).

#6. Mask off the lens with masking paper, making sure to overlap the mask past the lens. Have someone step on the brake pedal so the LED's light up. The shape of the lens should glow through your making paper. Now take an exacto knife or razor and trim off the excess paper, leaving just the exact shape of the lens.

#7. Spray your base color. Before you spray your clear or candy top coat, unmask the lenses and GENTLY wet sand the edge of the paint left by the masking paper with 600 to 800 grit paper.

#8. Now spray your clear or candy top coat followed by clear.

NOTE: Candy paint is TRANSLUCENT (see through), not opaque like all other paints, so your lens with not be seen until your lights are on, making it appear like you do not have any tail lights. You don't have to candy the entire vehicle. You can lay down some candy graphics and hide the lights in the graphic.

[oranges10]

thanks kris thats helped alot.

[AVS_KRIS]

No problem

[FLGatorsRule]

Old thread, this is just what i was lookin for... I wasn't too clear on how the template aspect worked, but now i know. I'm stoked bout gettin these installed

[AVS_KRIS]

Can someone make this a STICKY please?

[layinlow88]

+1 on the stickey...i would like to have this for future reference...

[FLGatorsRule]

its a reference right now for me

[kingkaspr]

in the above pic i would move them out 2" and make the match the top line of the handle. jmo

[FLGatorsRule]

I can move em up but not out... There was a dent that i had to get out in that swirly spot and so if i put em out any farther, i'll have body filler next to the lenses, and i don't want that

[eclpsmtsbsh]

shave the handle and it will look just fine

[FLGatorsRule]

the handle is def gettin shaved. I remember why i wasn't gonna move em up too.... the tailgate handle rods travel right through where the LEDs would be.... BUT, i am gonna move em up like you said and i can put em a lil farther out because i'm gonna move the handle to the inside... obviously, but i'm gonna put it down lower on the tailgate. Directly inside of where "Mazda" is. If anything, i'll jus have to put a lil bit of extension on the tailgate rods

[tscustoms]

how do these things get wired up? i thought there was suppose to be a box to get them hooked up to. i got two sets of wires, both sets have yellow, brown and black, and on the other end just the red and black, and the 4 wires that comes out the lights, what goes where

[AVS_KRIS]

Quote: Originally Posted by tscustoms

how do these things get wired up? i thought there was suppose to be a box to get them hooked up to. i got two sets of wires, both sets have yellow, brown and black, and on the other end just the red and black, and the 4 wires that comes out the lights, what goes where

the white wire coming off the LED light goes to the reverse light wire on your stock harness then the rest just follow the diagram on the module.

[vio0633]

Quote: Originally Posted by tscustoms

how do these things get wired up? i thought there was suppose to be a box to get them hooked up to. i got two sets of wires, both sets have yellow, brown and black, and on the other end just the red and black, and the 4 wires that comes out the lights, what goes where

If you have the tail light module 3 wire bundle Link>>> http://www.avsontheweb.com/product.p...cat=113&page=1

The Red is going to get hooked up to the red wire going to the LED bar. This should be your +12v. The Black is your ground wire. Hook the Black wire straight to the black wire of the harness. They both should match in color.

Jeff or Kris can chime in on this as I dont have the LED's in front of me. I think the yellow is going to be spliced into where your tailights 12V source is. Brown wire is for tail lights, black is ground, dark green is right turn and yellow is left turn, the turn signal wires are also the brake light wires. Hope this helps man!

[FLGatorsRule]

I'm movin right along with mine.... now that I have time to work on it... I jus have the holes cut... lenses aren't glued in yet, and the bolts aren't tacked in either to bolt the LEDs in.... jus a lil progress pic of where I ended up placing them....

[AVS_KRIS]

looks good!

[FLGatorsRule]

Thanks I'm goin to Silver Star Customs today to see how much the bodywork on the gate will be, because i'm NOT doin it, i HATE bodywork

[OneLowSdime]

kris.......we could do a how to on this also?

[orangesonoma]

Quote: Originally Posted by AVS_KRIS

Can someone make this a STICKY please?

you should be able to do that.. i did it for you...but if you click thread options you should have the option to do stuff like..close...move stick...

[dagreenmonster]

nice how to. im going to use this when i do mine

[AVS_KRIS]

Quote: Originally Posted by orangesonoma

you should be able to do that.. i did it for you...but if you click thread options you should have the option to do stuff like..close...move stick...

No can do...John is suppose to fix it for me.

[Air Leak]

Any one used the amber 4.5 leds from avs? buying those here really soon and putting them in my front bumper for my blinkers and driving lights.


Air leak...

[Mystic_Knight]

I used some epoxy on my flush tails (not AVS) and noticed small hairline cracks in the plastic after everything cured. I was told the epoxy may have set too quick and I should use "90 minute epoxy". I haven't been able to find any epoxy that sets that slow at the local hardware store. I just wanted to get some details on the AVS glue before I order it. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Doug

[FLGatorsRule]

I used the " plastic weld" that you can get from AutoZone. . My lenses are fine. . .

-Josh

[Mystic_Knight]

Thanks. My only concern is that the lenses on my tails are slightly curved because they're mounted vertically. When I replace the lenses, I may heat them a bit to give the lenses a permanent bend.

[AVS_DANIEL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mystic_Knight

Thanks. My only concern is that the lenses on my tails are slightly curved because they're mounted vertically. When I replace the lenses, I may heat them a bit to give the lenses a permanent bend.

Make sure you heat it slow and cool it slow.