Zapp Brannigan
Lifetime VIP Donor
So here we go.
I have had this idea and plan for a long time, just now finally getting around to doing it (years later).
Wanted to replace all tail lights, in stock housing, with Cannon 360's. Got a new set of housings, all the Cannons, and other equipment to make this work (that is a discussion for another day). They will do all functions, running, S/T/T, and warning.
This post is to ask some advice/input on HOW to actually mount the lights to the housings. Have an old pair of housings I was cutting up to mock-fit, and see what problems I ran into. Do not have pictures of those at the moment, but can get some later, I will do my best to describe the issue(s) at hand without those pictures.
I have a 2005 Trailblazer. The stock bulbs are all held in place on one board that screws into the back of the housing.
To get proper light focusing for the halogen bulbs in the reflector, there is a raised area in back.
To get the Cannon 360's to sit far enough into the reflectors, I had to trim down those raised areas, and the top one had a side cutout which allowed the light to be seen from the extreme side of the vehicle. When that top one trimmed down, it is not simply a circular hole anymore, but has that odd shape (which makes it odd/hard for sealing up).
Once that raised area is trimmed down to be flush with the back of the reflector housing, the hole is larger than the Cannon reflector, but smaller than the heat-sink/base of the Cannon. The problem this now creates is that the holes for the mounting screws do not sit on top of any material on any of the 3 reflectors, and can be seen from the front of the housing.
So what I am seeking is the best advice/method to secure the lights directly to the housing, that will keep it weathertight, secure, and be able to deal with the heat produced from prolonged use (as one mode of the lights will be as running/marker lights).
I would assume some silicone would work well enough, I just want to make sure this is the best method, since I will be unable to actually screw down the Cannons.
Thank you all in advance!
I have had this idea and plan for a long time, just now finally getting around to doing it (years later).
Wanted to replace all tail lights, in stock housing, with Cannon 360's. Got a new set of housings, all the Cannons, and other equipment to make this work (that is a discussion for another day). They will do all functions, running, S/T/T, and warning.
This post is to ask some advice/input on HOW to actually mount the lights to the housings. Have an old pair of housings I was cutting up to mock-fit, and see what problems I ran into. Do not have pictures of those at the moment, but can get some later, I will do my best to describe the issue(s) at hand without those pictures.
I have a 2005 Trailblazer. The stock bulbs are all held in place on one board that screws into the back of the housing.
To get proper light focusing for the halogen bulbs in the reflector, there is a raised area in back.
To get the Cannon 360's to sit far enough into the reflectors, I had to trim down those raised areas, and the top one had a side cutout which allowed the light to be seen from the extreme side of the vehicle. When that top one trimmed down, it is not simply a circular hole anymore, but has that odd shape (which makes it odd/hard for sealing up).
Once that raised area is trimmed down to be flush with the back of the reflector housing, the hole is larger than the Cannon reflector, but smaller than the heat-sink/base of the Cannon. The problem this now creates is that the holes for the mounting screws do not sit on top of any material on any of the 3 reflectors, and can be seen from the front of the housing.
So what I am seeking is the best advice/method to secure the lights directly to the housing, that will keep it weathertight, secure, and be able to deal with the heat produced from prolonged use (as one mode of the lights will be as running/marker lights).
I would assume some silicone would work well enough, I just want to make sure this is the best method, since I will be unable to actually screw down the Cannons.
Thank you all in advance!