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What I did to my TJ today

4M views 43K replies 4K participants last post by  LowCountryLJ 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Please feel free to add your own vehicle wrenching / adventure stories to this Thread.
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#27,081 ·
Best way to install a dome light switch.. ever...

I'm sure some of you have ran into the problem where your dome lights stay on when you take the doors off. Sure, you can buy those little clips that hold the door-jam buttons down. You can also just take the fuse out. But what about when you want to actually use the dome light? I've scoured the internets and found many solutions but they seemed kind of tacky with wires coming out of the fuse box with an inline fuse going to a switch.

My way is 1000 times better. Without further ado...
Photos provided below
What materials you will need:

A switch of you choice(I used a rocker switch)
2 wire butt connectors 16/22gauge(heat shrink if you want)
2 connectors 16/22gauge(will connect to switch prongs)
2 feet of stranded copper wire 16/18gauge(preferably different colors)
Note: the length of the wire is 100% dependent on where you want to mount the switch
Wire Cutters
Wire crimpers(needle noes pliers will do)
Electrical tape


What now?
1. Go ahead and disconnect the battery of your jeep or pull the fuse(behind the glove compartment, #4 fuse). We won't get shocked now...:atomic:
2. While we're on that side(passenger-side) lets go ahead and disconnect the door jam button. All we have to do here is wiggle that button and pull it and it will pop free. Now take the connector clip off. Tuck or tape the remaining wire away. That's all you do to that side. You could connect another switch to it if you want. Just replicate the switch installation instructions.
3. Back to the driver side. Pull that door jam button out just like the other side, wiggle wiggle wiggle. Cut those wires and splice about a foot of wire for each wire(should be 2 wires). Use the two butt connector splicers and the wires I mentioned in the materials needed above.
4. At this point you can feed the wire into the hole and fish them out and feed them to the desired location and cut the length to your liking. Go ahead and take a drink of that beer too.
5. Crimp the connectors on the end of the wire leads that will slide onto your switch.
6. Plug those connectors onto the switch and WHAMM. You're good to go! Plug that fuse back in and connect that battery. Flip that switch and watch the party light up. :bop:


To mount the switch(optional)
Drill
Smallllllll saw
File

I personally wanted my switch mounted into the plastic cover that goes beneath the steering wheel. So I took a piece of paper and cut out a square to prototype the size of my switch. Once I had that right penciled it in to where I wanted it and drilled out a bunch of holes into the spot sawed it a little bit and filed it down to make it perfect.
 

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#27,082 ·
I'm sure some of you have ran into the problem where your dome lights stay on when you take the doors off. Sure, you can buy those little clips that hold the door-jam buttons down. You can also just take the fuse out. But what about when you want to actually use the dome light? I've scoured the internets and found many solutions but they seemed kind of tacky with wires coming out of the fuse box with an inline fuse going to a switch. My way is 1000 times better. Without further ado... Photos provided below What materials you will need: A switch of you choice(I used a rocker switch) 2 wire butt connectors 16/22gauge(heat shrink if you want) 2 connectors 16/22gauge(will connect to switch prongs) 2 feet of stranded copper wire 16/18gauge(preferably different colors) Note: the length of the wire is 100% dependent on where you want to mount the switch Wire Cutters Wire crimpers(needle noes pliers will do) Electrical tape What now? 1. Go ahead and disconnect the battery of your jeep or pull the fuse(behind the glove compartment, #4 fuse). We won't get shocked now...:atomic: 2. While we're on that side(passenger-side) lets go ahead and disconnect the door jam button. All we have to do here is wiggle that button and pull it and it will pop free. Now take the connector clip off. Tuck or tape the remaining wire away. That's all you do to that side. You could connect another switch to it if you want. Just replicate the switch installation instructions. 3. Back to the driver side. Pull that door jam button out just like the other side, wiggle wiggle wiggle. Cut those wires and splice about a foot of wire for each wire(should be 2 wires). Use the two butt connector splicers and the wires I mentioned in the materials needed above. 4. At this point you can feed the wire into the hole and fish them out and feed them to the desired location and cut the length to your liking. Go ahead and take a drink of that beer too. 5. Crimp the connectors on the end of the wire leads that will slide onto your switch. 6. Plug those connectors onto the switch and WHAMM. You're good to go! Plug that fuse back in and connect that battery. Flip that switch and watch the party light up. :bop: To mount the switch(optional) Drill Smallllllll saw File I personally wanted my switch mounted into the plastic cover that goes beneath the steering wheel. So I took a piece of paper and cut out a square to prototype the size of my switch. Once I had that right penciled it in to where I wanted it and drilled out a bunch of holes into the spot sawed it a little bit and filed it down to make it perfect.
I tapped mine into the fuse box on fuse 4? I think and put an inline fuse on it
 
#27,088 ·
I took the headlight covers off and spray can bed lined em...


Blue Circle Wire Fashion accessory Ring


Then decided to remove the front bumper and do the same...

Wood Table Floor Furniture Tile


Then I got really ambitious and aggressive and decided to bed line the dash and console...
Headed to Wal-Mart to buy more liner in a can.


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Steering wheel Off-road vehicle


If I have time I may do the wheels too !!!
Not sure what can of worms I've opened up yet.
 
#27,090 ·
I took the headlight covers off and spray can bed lined em...


View attachment 1500873

Then decided to remove the front bumper and do the same...

View attachment 1500881

Then I got really ambitious and aggressive and decided to bed line the dash and console...
Headed to Wal-Mart to buy more liner in a can.


View attachment 1500897

If I have time I may do the wheels too !!!
Not sure what can of worms I've opened up yet.
been debating on bedlineing the dash.. post pics when done
 
#27,094 · (Edited)
Scrub brush instead of towels?
I bedlined my bumpers, rock rails and grille.

The only way to clean the Rust-Oleum spray can stuff is with a very soapy stiff brush and running water.

Because of this I decided to only use it on exterior parts of the body, and not underneath or inside the TJ.
__________

To the OP:

I would stick to Krylon Fusion for Plastics spray paint for any interior plastics based on years of poring over this site.

Underneath I use either Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer spray primer (or their Self-Etching stuff if it is new, bare metal) with one of several different products for top coats.

If you end up disliking the bedlining it *can* be sanded smooth, but it will not look right. Perhaps sanding progressively up to 2000 grit and then the Fusion or maybe DupliColor?

I have never painted over bedliner, sanded smooth or otherwise, so who knows?
 
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