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illuminator
09-05-2013, 04:26 PM
I decided to make a set of steel tail light boxes for my xj. I had an old washing machine made of 16ga. steel that needed to be scrapped so that suppied the metal for free.

I used my hf cut off saw for cutting, a hf grinder and a dremel for smoothing (thanks xjwheeler) and my hobart 125ez welder for burning it together. To cut the holes for the 4" led lights that will be going in I used a 4" hole saw on a hf 1/2" drill with cutting oil for lube. I'm also adding a pair of small reverse lights to fill in for the stockers and 3/4" led lights for the sides.http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/C120627F-8B5B-4DEB-88C9-CCE940EE4FE0-3131-00000B6BE6EC408C_zpsae0a7165.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/E12E84C9-F168-486A-90F4-6CED4CB60CE9-3131-00000B6BBFE81CFF_zps9c05f7b4.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/84DB52F6-0013-47B9-8157-3831A219481A-3131-00000B6BD40CB412_zpse2ce63ab.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/1565D500-44FB-4538-9FBE-66E181390D4F-3131-00000B6BABDE0B42_zps30af8996.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/B25B5F9E-88A5-433D-A3BA-EDC97106D345-3131-00000B6B91D6DA65_zpsa42beafd.jpg

BlueXJ
09-05-2013, 06:00 PM
A finished pair and some prices may help to sell them if you are interested. Keep in mind there are two different versions, pre and post 96s.

Brasscatz
09-05-2013, 07:51 PM
Looks good so far, Chris! This is what you were telling me about at the junkyard, right? I'm excited to see these finished! May have you make me a set for mine ;)

nickyg
09-05-2013, 07:57 PM
was that washing machine yellow?

illuminator
09-05-2013, 10:47 PM
A finished pair and some prices may help to sell them if you are interested. Keep in mind there are two different versions, pre and post 96s.

I probably won't be making these to sell they're too time consuming to build, but thanks for the idea.

illuminator
09-05-2013, 10:52 PM
Looks good so far, Chris! This is what you were telling me about at the junkyard, right? I'm excited to see these finished! May have you make me a set for mine ;)

That's them, thanks, I don't think the washer has the material left for more sorry.

illuminator
09-06-2013, 12:24 AM
Here's some teaser shots of the lights. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/4BAE697E-E304-42A6-B285-6281C2104B56-3131-00000BAF2664A88E_zps0f8670ed.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/8AF29EDF-9773-4CB3-8A0F-EF8011859318-3131-00000BAF6B08D284_zps35e4514b.jpg

Dredwolf
09-06-2013, 10:35 AM
Okay, got to provide details :-)

Wanting to do LED lights on mine for awhile, and I was looking closely at the JCR boxes

illuminator
09-06-2013, 11:33 AM
was that washing machine yellow?

I don't know what color it started out as but I think it turned this color. I'm planning to paint them gloss black.

07Negative
09-08-2013, 02:10 PM
Thumbs up for repurposing materials and killer work. Those fit nice & tight. The LED's are wicked bright too.

illuminator
09-09-2013, 01:27 AM
Okay, got to provide details :-)

Wanting to do LED lights on mine for awhile, and I was looking closely at the JCR boxes

I'm using (2) 4" round lights, the jcr boxes use 1 2x6 oval and a 2.5" round light per box (for the back). You'll need to decide whether you want the bottom light to be a turn signal or not. If it's a turn signal it should be easy to wire up if you decide it should be a back up light then you'll need to convert the wiring to allow the brake light to function as the blinker as well. I'm trying out a very small set of back up lights on mine so I'll have separate brake lights and turn signals while still having a backup light, I'll post up how they work once I get some testing in. I'm using optronics stl42rb (red) stl42ab (amber), so far I'm really impressed with the bright setting on these they're very eye catching. I've had a 2x6 set on two different trucks and they lasted about 400,000 miles before they started getting dead spots. The 2x6 optronics lights would be stL78, jcr boxes require flange mount lights. If you have any other questions I can try to help you out.

illuminator
09-09-2013, 01:35 AM
I got the holes drilled, I used a 4" hole saw and a step drill bit. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/1E5699B7-43E5-44A5-828C-E51C593C72FB-4411-00000F5D50045987_zps1bc0fcc6.jpg

illuminator
09-10-2013, 03:39 PM
Thumbs up for repurposing materials and killer work. Those fit nice & tight. The LED's are wicked bright too.

Thanks, the best metal is free.

illuminator
09-10-2013, 04:29 PM
Got them finished and installed. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/DC29277C-D100-4E14-8C94-6729521CE66D-4765-0000116498547C3E_zps5488b6aa.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/F27EF9AA-6550-4E68-95AE-1DA18ABD6948-4765-00001164B823220E_zps86b76a3c.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/D8772442-C451-409B-9A97-6F13B3234004-4765-00001164CDF59677_zps6a661dc9.jpg

Brasscatz
09-10-2013, 07:07 PM
Those look sharp! Nicely done!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 because my microwave couldn't do it

illuminator
09-10-2013, 09:28 PM
Some more pics. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/DC29277C-D100-4E14-8C94-6729521CE66D-4765-0000116498547C3E_zps5488b6aa.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/F27EF9AA-6550-4E68-95AE-1DA18ABD6948-4765-00001164B823220E_zps86b76a3c.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/D8772442-C451-409B-9A97-6F13B3234004-4765-00001164CDF59677_zps6a661dc9.jpgreverse lights. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/7463041A-7D7B-4842-92B2-953506FAEFCE-4765-0000116A7A322FB1_zps77b8ff38.jpg
Side markerhttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/B6DE9C63-022C-4738-813C-EAC5CE7C6C5B-4765-0000116A4BDD7530_zps102b580e.jpg
Tail lightshttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/C6B8B963-8FF8-41B8-A81D-D7785EE051F2-4765-0000116A99617B47_zps9079208f.jpg
Brake lights http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/68837DBC-37A7-4404-9638-06EDBC0180F3-4765-0000116AB4221018_zpsb14ad0c4.jpg

jschmidt250
09-11-2013, 09:33 AM
Looks nice. This could be a future project for me.

nickyg
09-11-2013, 10:57 AM
Looks great. I love that it's from an old washing machine. How do you keep it from going into the spin cycle?

EricT93
09-11-2013, 11:51 AM
Awesome job man! Question, where are you located in texas?

illuminator
09-11-2013, 07:04 PM
Looks great. I love that it's from an old washing machine. How do you keep it from going into the spin cycle?

Thanks, lots of little welds.

illuminator
09-12-2013, 01:25 AM
I was having an issue with the turn signals not flashing, the hazard lights would work fine but no turn signals. So I swap the turn signal flasher with the hazard light flasher and it all works good now.

OneArmArrowSlinger
01-30-2014, 10:45 AM
Very nice!

OneArmArrowSlinger
01-30-2014, 10:46 AM
Looks great!

JDeanMurray
01-31-2014, 08:01 PM
Hell yeah. Very nice job. Used re-purposed steel too!

jimmixj
02-01-2014, 03:20 AM
I like those! Wonder if the wife would miss our washin machine? I've never figured out how to use it for washing anything except seat covers!:smiley-laughing021:

illuminator
02-03-2014, 01:57 PM
Thanks guys, its been one of my favorite projects, i love having the led lights. I added some orfab armor to the sides and the taillights fit good with them. http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z348/4jeep/1844C55D-13F4-4F47-AE2A-B1337487CBAB-412-000000BC2B492ACB_zpsc5919ab7.jpg

riotcontrol
12-08-2014, 08:36 PM
Oh this is awesome!! Looks like I have a new project!!!

radio_flyer_xj
05-21-2015, 05:48 PM
Nice makes me want to get up off my a$$ and finish mine lol

illuminator
05-22-2015, 02:53 PM
Nice makes me want to get up off my a$$ and finish mine lol

Thanks, this is still one of my favorite things I've done to my xj.