How to Install an LED Light Bar on A Truck Roll Bar or Roof Rack

The contemporary LED light bar, as we know it, was invented by Vision X. They have established a standard for long-distance projection with their XPR LED Light Bar. The XPR can easily illuminate your way through the night with its 29,133 Raw Lumens.

This post is for you if you enjoy off-road lighting and light bars, regardless of whether you drive a Jeep, Ram, GMC, or Ford! To prepare you for your upcoming excursion, we will guide you through the installation of the Vision X XPR light bar and all the intricate cabling.

ABOUT

The most recent version of the Vision X XPR offers a smooth back-lit halo feature that complies with SAE J3098. The light bar is available in multiple sizes, ranging from 6 to 51 inches.

Two mounting options are available: end-cap mounting and Vision X's proprietary mounting feet.

Additionally, the XPR has Vision X's Prime Drive Technology. This regulates essential features like your LED light bar's temperature and dimming. To reduce the bar's total temperature and extend its longevity, PDT will enable the LEDs to turn on and off.

INSTALLATION

Before beginning, it is important to remember that each light bar installation will be unique. Since everyone's cars are different, different roll bars from different manufacturers are needed. Additionally, the location of the bar's mounting will affect how much wire is required.

The Vision X kit comes with a few brackets, providing a variety of mounting choices that should work in most situations.

They feature rubber vibration isolators to lessen the tremor the bar produces in the wind and on the road. The positioning of the vibration insulators allows for complete adjustment.

If you choose to use the black brackets, both ends of the light bar will have them installed. They allow you to move your light bar up and down and can be mounted with two bolts.

Mounting to Bracket

We utilized a mounting bracket that met GMC specifications for our purpose. To make the bar shine over the top of the vehicle, we also purchased some spacers from the nearby hardware store. We first installed the spacers before attaching the GMC bracket to the bottom of the bar.

We installed the light bars, including washers and a 10mm nut underneath the bracket to secure the light bar and bracket together. Please wait until your light is in the proper position before tightening them all the way.

When attached to the mounting bracket, turn the screws on either side of the bar with an Allen key to change the light. We advise mounting the entire arrangement on your truck and then modifying it to your preferred aesthetic.

Mounting To Vehicle

Each car is unique, but because ours had a somewhat elevated roofline, we used an additional set of spacers to attach our light bar bracket to the roll bar.

WIRING

Depending on where your XPR is attached, there might not be enough wiring to reach your car's battery. However, you can get the battery if your light is situated above the windscreen, on the front bumper, or the hood.

We need to stretch the wire because our XPR is positioned on the rear roll bar. First, we disconnected the XPR's cable system's battery wire connector. Keep the connector in place.

Then, if you have heat shrink, use it to twist and solder the exposed wires together. Next, use electrical tape to cover the wires.

Remember to repurpose the sheathing that surrounds the wiring. It's preferable to have more.

We advise beginning at the battery and soldering before reattaching the connector to the wire. That way, you'll be able to determine how much wire you'll need.

Proceed to your battery so that we may attach it after you have determined where to run your wires.

Since we don't want to install the positive terminal just yet, we will place the negative wire on the battery's outward-facing side. Don't forget to leave your positive wire alone for the moment.

Regardless of where you mount it, be sure your relay is facing up when you grab it. With the wire end facing up, you expose it to water retention, which could cause the connection to be short.

You can use this to run your bar switch into the cabin. In a moment, we will begin installing the switch. However, for our project, we decided against sending the light bar inside the cabin and instead connected it to our high beams.

Wiring to Light Bar from Battery

First, remove the plastic cladding within the engine compartment before routing your wire to the light bar. For the plastic clamps, a pry tool will be required.

If you keep your wiring organized, your engine bay will look clean, and future projects will be easier. By routing the wire gently, you can avoid running it over any moving parts.

Routing the wire beneath the truck comes next. We advise running the wire along the subframe. Once the wire is attached to the light bar, you can securely fasten it with a zip tie or as you proceed.

After you have sketched the route of your wire, take hold of the connection you cut off at the start of our wiring project. You can now solder that connection back together and connect it to the light bar.

You prevent your wiring from looking unkempt and from catching on any debris when off-roading; be sure you neaten it up with zip ties.

By now, you may have seen a white wire coming out of the XPR. This will power the bar's backlight.

After routing the white wire to the rock light connector, we joined it with the power wire of our rock light. This is so that the backlight of the XPR will turn on when we turn on the rock lights.

Switch Installation

We decided to use our high beams as the light bar's toggle instead of the switch that was included with the bar. Fortunately, there is no need to cut wires at this stage because Vision X's switch may be removed from the button at the connector.

The white plastic connector must be severed from the main cable, though. Use a voltmeter to test the wires before soldering anything to ensure you aren't splicing unnecessary wires. In our situation, we just used the red wire. The remaining XPR lines are tied shut with electrical tape, and the red wire is attached to our high beam wiring.

Keep in mind that each installation is unique. If you are unclear about the proper wiring, get advice from an expert in the field.

After soldering your wires and zip-tying them where necessary, you can now attach the positive wire from earlier to the proper battery terminal.

ADJUSTING YOUR XPR

Your beam should be slightly above your car's high beam. Since the truck is parked indoors during our test, the beam's position is not precisely how it will appear in real life.

We recommend turning on your high beams and light bar and finding a dark, open area. Next, use the mounting tabs or the Allen screw to adjust the light bar.

Make sure the beams are being used efficiently and adjust them to your comfort level.

Please be aware that not all states permit the use of light bars while driving, even when in backlit mode. For guidance, consult your local laws and drive sensibly.