I am preparing to do an install on a 2004 Ford Expedition. I am getting ready to go purchase all of the lights and was wondering if anyone had any sugestions on better lights. I am trying to get the brightest lighting possbile so if you can tell em if any thing is brighter please let me know.
Kenwood TK-690
Kenwood TK-790
Tomar T-LED
Mirror Mounted Lights
Tomar 3x4 grill lights-do they have different patterens
Federal Signal 3-pod vector lightbar
911-EP TD28
Front and rear strobes
Vehicle Install
Moderator: Queue Moderator
Vehicle Install
ThE HoLe In OnE mAn
I've got a 2001 Expedition with quite a bit installed in it. You're off to a good start, but I'll offer a few suggestions. Bear in mind that my truck is the older body style, so might be different in a few areas.
Dash light - I'm using a gen-1 Whelen Slimlighter, which will fit above the mirror and below the tint. It's a perfect mount and gets some light up high. You might consider doing this with either a standard or TIR Slimlighter rather than the TLED.
Mirror lights - I've got red/red Mirror Beams right now... if I had it to do over again, I'd look into the Linear LED mirror beams from Whelen. That's what they installed on one department's chief car and they look really good.
Grille lights - I'm assuming you're talking about strobes? Flash pattern is determined by the strobe pack. I've got a pushbumper installed on my truck (Go Rhino - center section only, no wraparound) with 150-watt KC Daylighters, Sho-Me gen-1 slim LED lights, and two 4x7 (I think that's right... 3x7 maybe) red strobes. I'd look into something big, red, and LED... maybe even consider steady-burn.
Lightbar - I'll get a bunch of disagreement, but the Vector lightbars suck. The mini-bars look really wackerish, IMO. You really should look into a full-size bar... preferably LED.
Directional arrow - One of our departments has a 911EP arrow stick on one of their trucks. It looks OK, but the LEDs are fairly small and don't really seem to give punch at distance, especially mounted in the back window. Look into the Code 3 LED-X NarrowStik. They're available in an 8-head variety in only 39" of length. I hung one in the back (actually drilled through the drip rail, down through the plastic to support that much weight) and it really turned out great. Mine is 6 amber heads in the center with red/red flashers on the end. They aren't cheap... I paid about $550 for mine.
Hideaway strobes - always a good idea. I have tubes in the front turn signals, reverse lights, and two tubes in each brake light, fed by Whelen UPS690 strobe packs.
Other stuff-
Don't forget wigwags, if you're allowed to run them. They're a very cheap, very effective traffic mover. However, make *sure* that they can be turned off (separate switch) or that you wire in a park kill. It's hazardous to leave wigwags running to blind oncoming traffic.
Dash light - I'm using a gen-1 Whelen Slimlighter, which will fit above the mirror and below the tint. It's a perfect mount and gets some light up high. You might consider doing this with either a standard or TIR Slimlighter rather than the TLED.
Mirror lights - I've got red/red Mirror Beams right now... if I had it to do over again, I'd look into the Linear LED mirror beams from Whelen. That's what they installed on one department's chief car and they look really good.
Grille lights - I'm assuming you're talking about strobes? Flash pattern is determined by the strobe pack. I've got a pushbumper installed on my truck (Go Rhino - center section only, no wraparound) with 150-watt KC Daylighters, Sho-Me gen-1 slim LED lights, and two 4x7 (I think that's right... 3x7 maybe) red strobes. I'd look into something big, red, and LED... maybe even consider steady-burn.
Lightbar - I'll get a bunch of disagreement, but the Vector lightbars suck. The mini-bars look really wackerish, IMO. You really should look into a full-size bar... preferably LED.
Directional arrow - One of our departments has a 911EP arrow stick on one of their trucks. It looks OK, but the LEDs are fairly small and don't really seem to give punch at distance, especially mounted in the back window. Look into the Code 3 LED-X NarrowStik. They're available in an 8-head variety in only 39" of length. I hung one in the back (actually drilled through the drip rail, down through the plastic to support that much weight) and it really turned out great. Mine is 6 amber heads in the center with red/red flashers on the end. They aren't cheap... I paid about $550 for mine.
Hideaway strobes - always a good idea. I have tubes in the front turn signals, reverse lights, and two tubes in each brake light, fed by Whelen UPS690 strobe packs.
Other stuff-
Don't forget wigwags, if you're allowed to run them. They're a very cheap, very effective traffic mover. However, make *sure* that they can be turned off (separate switch) or that you wire in a park kill. It's hazardous to leave wigwags running to blind oncoming traffic.
Sheriff dept here doing 5 Expeditions. Led lightbars, strobes in backup lights and front corner lights. Put Wig wags in but strobes drown them. Only downfall is vehicle sits up high and closer you get the only lights you see are the rear strobes. Think they plan on getting Talons to go in back window, still have my doubts because of the window tint. Have many people complaining to me about their own vehicles rear window tint killing strobes and led lights. An excalibur lightbar might be good for you to use, hard to beat good halogen lights. I myself run slicktop in my truck, LEDs in front and rear with strobes in backup lights and front corner lights and behind front grille. Best to talk with others who have similar vehicles and get their solutions. Good luck.
M1225 UHF VHF, GP300VHF, P1225 UHF, MTS2000(800) with convertacom KI4QMI
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mstrfxit12
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