1999 Ford F150

FireEMSPolice

Member
May 21, 2010
3,429
Ohio
I am getting to the point where I am ready to upfit this truck. Lights and stuff are mostly what I have laying around. Not looking to get to crazy with it. I have never worked on a pick-up truck before.

Anyone ever worked on the 10th generation (97-03) F-150's?
Do you have pics of where you drill the corners and taillights for strobes?
How can I route the cables from the rear taillights to the power supply in the cab?
How did you run the wiring through the firewall?


Thanks in advance!!
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,580
Shelbyville, TN
Check under neath the seats towards the back of the cab look for black grommets
 

Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
best bet will be to pull up the carpet to find the grommets. they are there.
 

StEaLtH2

Member
Mar 3, 2011
2,159
New England
Make your own hole in the cab. You must disassemble and pull back the flooring but use a nice sharp pilot drill, then a step bit, keep them cool/oiled. Inspect from underneath prior to drilling but plans to allow a drop loop a bit, and the first tie wrap location under the bed should factor into location. Make sure to file/deburr both sides of the hole, I usually have loom over them and then silicone the hole, allow to cure and reassemble.
Generally I follow the frame rail/factory harnesses when running to the rear, are the strobe cable ends uninstalled? That affects running them into the cab greatly..
 

StEaLtH2

Member
Mar 3, 2011
2,159
New England
Just remembered I wanted to ask for pics of the corners and tail lights to provide insight on best location. Also grommet mount or screw in matters as well because it's possible the strobe is too "deep" into the housing and touches from inside. You are planning in the brake light portion of the tails?
 

FireEMSPolice

Member
May 21, 2010
3,429
Ohio
Finally moving forward with this upfit, slowly but surely. I got my strobes. Where is the best place to drill on the front corners and rear tails? Again, I have never done a truck.


On the front corner marker and taillights, should I drill in the flat part alongside the bulb? I am just afraid of hitting the factory bulb. Thought about the curved part below the factory bulb but I dont think that would fly.
 

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StEaLtH2

Member
Mar 3, 2011
2,159
New England
Sorry I missed your post Wednesday, in my past experience mounting in the flat area will interfere with reinstalling as they hit the body.
I've always put strobes on the curved area below the incandescent bulb making sure to allow for clearance from the bulb and as not to be squashed against the body (interference) when installing back on truck. Do you have grommet strobes or screw in type? Pic of strobe heads?
Mounting under the bulb allows the strobe to sit in the "coolest" area of the housing which should help with the life expectancy of said strobe tube. I'll poke around to see if I have any pics I took of installs on my computer which would have been saved from old phones as I can't remember the last time I installed strobes vs led haws..
 

FireEMSPolice

Member
May 21, 2010
3,429
Ohio
Here is a pic of the Code 3 strobe tube. There is no flange to go over top of it as I had when I did this years ago. It looks like I drill a 1" hole and they just pop in, correct?
 

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StEaLtH2

Member
Mar 3, 2011
2,159
New England
Yup, they pop in the hole.
Try to hold the strobe against the housing from the side to verify the strobe won't hit the bulb or lens from inside once drilled and installed.
Also try to verify the "bottom" of the strobe and wires will be clear from hitting the body of truck once reinstalled, should be plenty of room but remember the old wise man say,

Measure twice, "drill" once. Lol
 

FireEMSPolice

Member
May 21, 2010
3,429
Ohio
Here is the corner lamp
IMG_3873.JPG

Here is the taillight
IMG_3874.JPG

I added silicone around them to seal them. They didnt want to stay very well.
 

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