adjustable off road light theory, i need ideas!

shootmymime

shootmymime

New member
ADJUSTABLE OFF ROAD LIGHT THEORY, I NEED IDEAS

i have been thinking if its posable to make my 2 off road light adjustable. what if i use the motor from a side motor to move my lights? and control them from inside my cab?

i have been keeping my eyes out for parts, what i need:

2 side mirrors
1 R/L four way adjustable mirror
18 ga. wire

so today at work i found a mirror we were throwing out so i snatched it, and told my idea with a bunch of guys from work and one of them gave me a R/L switch for inside the cab....


after many minutes of thinking and looking at wire diagrams of how mirrors work, and looking at pictures of my off road lights, i am 50/50 it can work....

also keep in mind i am a teenager out of high school working full time, so money is a bit tight even with full time job.

here are some pictures of what i have so far. all the parts are from a 99 honda accord

1232497953.jpg~original

1232497975.jpg
1232498021.jpg~original

DSCF4080.jpg~original

PROBLEM 1. i believe i have to mount the motor part directly to the bulb so it will only pivot the bulb and not the housing, the housing is too small for the bulb and the motor so something has to change.

PROBLEM 2. i need to find a pigtail for the 4 way switch so i can splice wires and send them where they need to go.

PROBLEM 3. i do not have the 4runner with me so i dont know where to mount the switch, i need pictures of the dash or arm rest so i can start planing on where to put this damn thing!

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK
 
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I have seen audiophiles do this for tweeters so they can get perfect imaging. I have thought about doing it, but never did take it that far. You may try searching around some of those sites for info on how they are doing the retrofit.

as far as the lights themselves. You are going to have to move the whole housing to get much effect. Other thing i might think about is getting the whole system out of one vehicle so you can just wiring it like factory rather than trying to mix and match components from various makes/models.
 
this is a pretty cool idea but I see a buncha hurdles, woulda made an awesome senior design project, to bad i graduated last month
 
You should probably try to get a wiring diagram for the accord you took the parts from. Then you can figure out what wires are what on the switch. In my mind, I would only use one channel on that switch, that way the lights move together and you wouldn't have to try to get them to line up all the time. Although, if you are driving two stepper motors instead of just one, you may need a different relay. I'm really not sure on that. But if the parts were free/cheap, then just go at it and see if you can make the motors move together from the switch. If I were you I would look for a 12V power adapter so you can work on this inside.

I agree with whoever else said you will need to mount the whole housing on the motor. But I also think mounting is part 2, and you would need to get all the electrical stuff working first.
 
ya all this random wires it killing my brain! i am going to look at the junk subaru out back and see what it has to offer, i am just hoping it has power mirrors!!! then i will be good to go!!!
 
You may want to ensure the motor or mounting is solid...one issue I think you'd encounter is vibration.

We see this even with lights that have strong mounting, so a motorized mount might compound the issue.

Aloha!
 
106.jpg

Golight_stryker3049.jpg

... or you can get one of these and also control your lights outside of the car. Don't waste your time making a home made one. I have one and they work GREAT.
 
... or you can get one of these and also control your lights outside of the car. Don't waste your time making a home made one. I have one and they work GREAT.
Click to expand...

Oh sure...take all the fun out of it... :D

It just goes to show that no matter what it is...someone has already thought of it...
 
i know there are already motion lights, but i want to make my own, plus im cheep! but do all the good work myself!

and it takes all the fun out of it like CSL said
 
shootmymime said:
i know there are already motion lights, but i want to make my own, plus im cheep! but do all the good work myself!

and it takes all the fun out of it like CSL said
Click to expand...

I had the same idea, but couldn't work out the fine details. I wanted to make a mount small enough to mount under the lights base so the entire housing moved with the switch. Then it wouldnt matter who made the light as long as it had a base. The only problem is the money involved. Good luck.
 
well if you know how mirrors work that cant be done,

i moves 2 pins up and down, and how they set determines how the light moves,

it is too hard to explain but i have to mount the motors inside the light bulb housing,

and i really dont think it will be that hard, but keeping the light from bouncing around might be hard
 
No way could you engineer your own that would be as nice as this... seriously. It would be a waste of time.
 
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CSL said:
Damn Gumballf355...that IS pretty cool...

I love toys.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the fact that it is portable makes it a huge plus too. I never knew there was such a thing, but when I saw one, I had to have it. Mine comes with a suction cup base and a magnetic base and a remote. VERY useful.
 
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