Hey guys. Wanted to give a quick / simple write-up on my experience with installing the KC HiLiTES 355 Cyclone 2-Light Under Hood Wiring Kit. I've also seen people use these lights in bumpers, as rock lights, or even in some interior set ups.
I'm going to be honest, I don't know how much of an advantage this kit has over a DIY build other than the lights seeming to be well built, water proof, and easy to remove and use other places if needed in the future. Like most things you can definitely go the DIY route and save yourself money (in this case by buying a light strip and wiring yourself.)
That said, this kit is basically plug and play, I didn't have to drill into the hood to mount the lights, and it's bright as hell. I'll definitely be able to comfortably work on my truck after dark now and I'm overall super satisfied. It was $83 and shipped in two days via Amazon Prime.
Materials:
1.
KC HiLiTES 355 Cyclone LED Universal 2-Light Under Hood Wiring Kit
2. Bolt (I used a spare 12mm bolt used to hold down the rear seats, part# 91511H0825)
3.
Trim / Clips - Specifically #90476 06017
4. Split wire loom tubing (1/2" or 3/8") or cable protector - The kit comes with some 1/4" which should do the trick for this. My set up is definitely unnecessary.
The kit.
1.
Mounting the lights: I started by figuring out that using these
clips , specifically #90476 06017, I could mount the lights under the hood without needing to drill into it. Drilling into the hood is easy and not a big deal and will likely be more secure so I'm not trying to talk anyone out of that but I just popped two of these trim pieces in since I had plenty extra and put on a small amount of 3M exterior trim adhesive and they aren't going anywhere.
2.
Mounting the switch: On the driver side of the engine bay there are plenty of spaces open to mount this. Often these are being used as grounding points so this is a matter of what you've got available. I ended up mounting above the charcoal canister (not where it's pictured above) as that worked out perfectly for mounting. The hole on the kit's mounting bracket needed to be drilled out to fit the bolt so I drilled it out (with a 5/16th bit) and it fit perfectly. I used an extra bolt I purchased that's normally used for mounting the rear seats.
3.Wiring: Totally dependent on your set up but I used the wire included in the kit which has a fuse. I mounted the fuse to the side of the OE fuse box. In the future when I have an aftermarket fuse box I'll likely get rid of this fuse and just run it as an accessory.
After attaching the wiring from the kit I wrapped the wire in split wire looming and zip tied it to the hood. Because I put on the OE hood insulator I didn't feel too worried about the wire loom plastic melting (the heat resistance is supposedly 250 degrees but you can't really trust stuff like that on Amazon). If I see this as a possible problem in the future I'll switch to a thinner, more heat resistant option. The hood insulation fit a bit tight, but still worked and didn't take away from the spill of the light.
I needed the light and this kit was super easy to install and the lights are great quality so I'm happy. I think DIY options are better if you have the time but I'm still happy with this.
__________________
99' SR5 "Highlander Edition" - 301k - 4WD, Factory rear locker, 2.5" Dobinsons IMS lift, SPC UCAs, CJV 9168 TR axles, 199mm TBU, Tom Wood's driveshaft, eimkeith PCK, Aluminum Koyorad, Ultragauge
97' Limited - 250k -
Stolen & Found (and Sold) - 4WD, 3" Billstein 5100 lift with OME 881, 890 springs, Diff drop, Camburg UCA's, 231mm TBU, Tom Wood's driveshaft, eimkeith PCK, Champion radiator, Ultraguage