- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2021
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- 261
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- Location
- N. California
- Vehicle(s)
- Jeep Ultimate Wrangler and two other normal cars
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
I wasn't going to post my experience installing this kit https://www.diodedynamics.com/stage-series-fog-pocket-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco-w-steel-bumper.html but thought I should as it might help someone, even one person is worth posting it.
I purchased the kit back in December. Got it in Feb or March, can't remember, and wanted to have a good day set aside to tackle the project. Glad I did. I am sorry that I didn't really take any pics of the install but wanted to share my experiences.
1. Quality of the product is excellent.
2. Quality of the install instructions not so much. However, I do understand this is a brand new product by DD and they are definitely trying to improve on that. Regardless, still felt like I was a beta tester.
3. The harness that came with the unit, a very nice harness with nice connectors, was designed more for a Bronco that doesn't have uplifters. It had a relay for the all lights and a separate switch. You don't use the switch when you have uplifters but you also don't really need a relay too. This is where I was a bit stumped because I was so confused that there was this relay when I didn't need it. I did modify the system to my liking though. What I had initially envisioned was the amber backlights (basically the fixtures internal glow 'just for looks' lights) would turn on when my headlights/parking lights were on. Then I would use two uplifter switches, one for fogs and one for driving lights. In order to do this I had to modify the harness because the harness was designed to be all lights on/off and the backlights could be wired to an uplifter or tap into some other circuit. Took me a bit and some more wire but I modified the harness to work the way I envisioned and deleted the relay. The Deutsch connectors were easy to take apart once you knew how. I ran a 3rd power wire down to each harness and took advantage of the unused 4th pin in the connectors. I then modified the small harness that attached to the fixtures so I had 3 circuits (instead of the two it came wired as). One for the fogs and the other for the drivers. The backlights were already wired. It appears that the new harness shown on their website now requires you to run two wiring harness to each side of the vehicle. I could be wrong but the small harnesses shown on the website that have two connectors on one side and three on the other are for the fixtures. I don't know why they would do it this way as it is easily done with one main harness and a bit of rewiring on the fixture harness. I'm sure they have their reasoning. I have pointed out to them and, since they package the harness separate from the lights, there should be an uplifter version and a non-uplifter version. Why make it more complicated for those that have uplifters? Plus, in my opinion, the harness for uplifter Bronco's would be cheaper for them too.
4. Take off the end caps of the mod bumper. Makes life so much easier.
5. Put the fixtures on the brackets before installing the bracket to the bumper.
6. Make sure yokes are nice and tight before installing to the bracket. The fog lights have captured nuts so you can get the yoke nice and tight. The smaller driving lights do not and it was a pain getting the yoke tight because the small nut is so close to the body of the fixture I didn't have a tool that fit well around it. Eventually just used a flat head screwdriver in-between fixture body and nut to hold it. My sockets were all too thick to fit between body and nut and I didn't have an open ended wrench the right size.
7. I really wish the brackets would have just been fixed holes or markings that say "mount here" for the fixtures because there isn't really too many ways you can mount these fixtures if the bumper end caps are on. It takes time positioning, then putting end cap on to see fit (you don't have to bolt end cap on for test fits), reposition, rinse and repeat. I also took off the front crash bars for more room to work. Once positioned you can tighten the nuts that attach the fixtures to the bracket. Then put end caps back on and your crash bars.
8. I ran my passenger side wire harness below the radiator on the inside where there was already a wire harness mounted. You probably could run the harness on top too under the cover that, when removed, exposes nuts to take the grill off. Getting my arms down there to use zip ties was a bit tricky.
9. I tied my backlights into the parking wire by removing the drivers side headlight. Which is surprising easy. There are videos on YouTube and there is a post here that shows which wire is for the parking lights.
10. If you are planning on tying into the parking lights I would suggest to just take off the grill and lower body trim under the grill before you start running your wire harnesses. I remember thinking that it would have been a lot easier when I did it just to access the parking light wire. Of course, that was after I had everything installed already.
11. I also used locktite on my screws that attached the bracket to the bumper.
Hope this write up can help someone.
I purchased the kit back in December. Got it in Feb or March, can't remember, and wanted to have a good day set aside to tackle the project. Glad I did. I am sorry that I didn't really take any pics of the install but wanted to share my experiences.
1. Quality of the product is excellent.
2. Quality of the install instructions not so much. However, I do understand this is a brand new product by DD and they are definitely trying to improve on that. Regardless, still felt like I was a beta tester.
3. The harness that came with the unit, a very nice harness with nice connectors, was designed more for a Bronco that doesn't have uplifters. It had a relay for the all lights and a separate switch. You don't use the switch when you have uplifters but you also don't really need a relay too. This is where I was a bit stumped because I was so confused that there was this relay when I didn't need it. I did modify the system to my liking though. What I had initially envisioned was the amber backlights (basically the fixtures internal glow 'just for looks' lights) would turn on when my headlights/parking lights were on. Then I would use two uplifter switches, one for fogs and one for driving lights. In order to do this I had to modify the harness because the harness was designed to be all lights on/off and the backlights could be wired to an uplifter or tap into some other circuit. Took me a bit and some more wire but I modified the harness to work the way I envisioned and deleted the relay. The Deutsch connectors were easy to take apart once you knew how. I ran a 3rd power wire down to each harness and took advantage of the unused 4th pin in the connectors. I then modified the small harness that attached to the fixtures so I had 3 circuits (instead of the two it came wired as). One for the fogs and the other for the drivers. The backlights were already wired. It appears that the new harness shown on their website now requires you to run two wiring harness to each side of the vehicle. I could be wrong but the small harnesses shown on the website that have two connectors on one side and three on the other are for the fixtures. I don't know why they would do it this way as it is easily done with one main harness and a bit of rewiring on the fixture harness. I'm sure they have their reasoning. I have pointed out to them and, since they package the harness separate from the lights, there should be an uplifter version and a non-uplifter version. Why make it more complicated for those that have uplifters? Plus, in my opinion, the harness for uplifter Bronco's would be cheaper for them too.
4. Take off the end caps of the mod bumper. Makes life so much easier.
5. Put the fixtures on the brackets before installing the bracket to the bumper.
6. Make sure yokes are nice and tight before installing to the bracket. The fog lights have captured nuts so you can get the yoke nice and tight. The smaller driving lights do not and it was a pain getting the yoke tight because the small nut is so close to the body of the fixture I didn't have a tool that fit well around it. Eventually just used a flat head screwdriver in-between fixture body and nut to hold it. My sockets were all too thick to fit between body and nut and I didn't have an open ended wrench the right size.
7. I really wish the brackets would have just been fixed holes or markings that say "mount here" for the fixtures because there isn't really too many ways you can mount these fixtures if the bumper end caps are on. It takes time positioning, then putting end cap on to see fit (you don't have to bolt end cap on for test fits), reposition, rinse and repeat. I also took off the front crash bars for more room to work. Once positioned you can tighten the nuts that attach the fixtures to the bracket. Then put end caps back on and your crash bars.
8. I ran my passenger side wire harness below the radiator on the inside where there was already a wire harness mounted. You probably could run the harness on top too under the cover that, when removed, exposes nuts to take the grill off. Getting my arms down there to use zip ties was a bit tricky.
9. I tied my backlights into the parking wire by removing the drivers side headlight. Which is surprising easy. There are videos on YouTube and there is a post here that shows which wire is for the parking lights.
10. If you are planning on tying into the parking lights I would suggest to just take off the grill and lower body trim under the grill before you start running your wire harnesses. I remember thinking that it would have been a lot easier when I did it just to access the parking light wire. Of course, that was after I had everything installed already.
11. I also used locktite on my screws that attached the bracket to the bumper.
Hope this write up can help someone.
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But man do those bolts come out CLEAN 2 years later 
