Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[TripLeader]

A few days ago when it was snowing I had the JK out for some errands. As expected, some snow built up on the headlight lenses - the LEDs don't' generate enough heat to keep the snow off. Over the next few months as it snows more I'll be testing some of the "home remedies" found on the internet - things like spraying the lenses with WD-40, Rain-X, non-stick cooking spray, etc. I may also experiment with headlight washers.

I picked up some windshield washer nozzles that could be mounted on the grille below the lights and aimed at the lenses. I checked the adjustment of this one and it adjusts enough so that it could put two streams on the lens.

I've got a bunch of extra JL-style grilles left over from that project and I don't mind drilling them to install nozzles to test this idea. I think the nozzle could go below and to the outside of the lights and they wouldn't be too obvious:

The question is what to spray through them. I could put an extra pump in the windshield washer bottle and spray with washer fluid, but it might be more effective to spray with de-icer fluid. But the JK engine compartment is so cramped it will be hard to find a place to install a bottle. I've got all winter to experiment though. I'll post any results I come up with as it snows and I can test more.

Does anyone here have the LED option on a JL? Does the owners manual make any mention of snow accumulation on the lights?

This is a great project. I'm excited to see the results, or the results with the warmed version.

What are your thoughts on washer fluid vs. some sort of heating ring to melt snow away, or even a optional secondary conventional bulb for heat? Would that even be an option? Or too risky? Too cumbersome?

I'm not an engineer and I'm not handy, so maybe my thoughts aren't realistic.

 

[jscherb]

This is a great project. I'm excited to see the results, or the results with the warmed version.

What are your thoughts on washer fluid vs. some sort of heating ring to melt snow away, or even a optional secondary conventional bulb for heat? Would that even be an option? Or too risky? Too cumbersome?

I'm not an engineer and I'm not handy, so maybe my thoughts aren't realistic.

Assuming none of the "cheap and easy" ideas found on the internet work, such as spraying the headlights with PAM or some other anti-stick cooking spray, I believe the best DIY option will end up being a heated sprayer system.

Adding heating elements to the lens like those on rear window defrosters is possible, but the options available in the aftermarket (kits for rear windows, for example), I believe would be difficult to implement on the curved surface of the headlight lens. I do have an idea that would use thin nichrome resistance wire rather than the type of heating elements used in aftermarket stick-on rear window defrosters and I may do some experiments with that. I designed a foam cutter using nichrome wire many years ago so I'm familiar with what's possible with it.

A secondary bulb to warm the lens is probably difficult to do without causing annoyance to oncoming drivers. Any bulb large enough to generate enough heat to do the job may alter the light output in undesirable ways.

About the sprayer option - it looks like it might be difficult to mount a third pump on the factory reservoir in the JK because area around it is pretty tight, but a simple bulkhead fitting like the one pictured below mounted in the side of the reservoir feeding a remote pump should be practical and easy to implement. There is room near the reservoir for a washer heating unit, and adding the nozzles to the grille and a switch inside the cockpit are pretty straightforward.

I'm working on sourcing the components necessary (bulkhead fitting, pump, washer heating system) to do a test but there hasn't been enough snow so far this year to bring the project to the top of my priority list, at the moment I've got at least 3 other projects competing to be at the top of that list, not to mention upcoming trips to Florida and India that will have me away from the snow for a while.

 

[Dan Grec]

Why not just buy heated LED headlights?
I've had mine on the JK since before Africa (about 2016) and they work flawlessly, even down at -32C / -25F they were great.

I have these ones

Truck-Lite Heated LED Headlight Kit for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK

Truck-Lite's most advanced headlamp upgrade now also features a Heated lens which heats automatically under 10°C/50°F, preventing ice and snow build-up on the lens.

www.quadratec.com

(OK, WOW, they are a LOT more expensive than when I bought them...)

-Dan

 

[TripLeader]

Why not just buy heated LED headlights?
I've had mine on the JK since before Africa (about 2016) and they work flawlessly, even down at -32C / -25F they were great.

I have these ones

Truck-Lite Heated LED Headlight Kit for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK

Truck-Lite's most advanced headlamp upgrade now also features a Heated lens which heats automatically under 10°C/50°F, preventing ice and snow build-up on the lens.

www.quadratec.com

(OK, WOW, they are a LOT more expensive than when I bought them...)

-Dan

Iike this idea a lot . But these must be made out of gold at this price ?. I've driven vehicles that cost less ?.

 

[jscherb]

Why not just buy heated LED headlights?
I've had mine on the JK since before Africa (about 2016) and they work flawlessly, even down at -32C / -25F they were great.

I have these ones

Truck-Lite Heated LED Headlight Kit for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK

Truck-Lite's most advanced headlamp upgrade now also features a Heated lens which heats automatically under 10°C/50°F, preventing ice and snow build-up on the lens.

www.quadratec.com

(OK, WOW, they are a LOT more expensive than when I bought them...)

-Dan

Dan,
Two main reasons:

1. I don't like the look of most LED headlights - I want to retain the stock look. I've got 25,000 lumen/pair H13 LED bulbs in my factory headlight housings and they look completely stock but greatly increase visibility.

2. The two pairs of H13 LED bulbs I've got were given to me by Auxbeam, so to the cost question, so far my cost for the greatly upgraded visibility I have is zero. And since I have s second pair (and two more Jeeps), I can install them in one of the '06's for nothing since I've got some spare JK headlight housings that accept them and fit just fine in the '06 grilles.

And a third reason is that if I can devise a good DIY solution I can help a lot of people with their non-heated LEDs.

Speaking of non-heated LEDs, I've got two pairs of Auxbeam LED headlights I'm done with (I wrote the reviews they asked me to write and I don't plan to use them in my Jeeps). One pair is has white/yellow halos (yellow for turn signals) and the other pair has white/RGB halos under Bluetooth control.

The halo lights: https://auxbeam.com/products/spu00208

The Bluetooth headlights: https://auxbeam.com/products/qp000081

I didn't post the reviews of these here because I didn't think halo lights like these would appeal to folks here but it anyone wants these we can talk.

 

[jscherb]

Update on my "ugh" post from yesterday...

Failed driveshaft CV joint: The replacement Quadratec sent for free is out for delivery and I've already dropped the Jeep off at the dealer so hopefully that will be resolved today. The failed one will go back to Quadratec, they sent me a prepaid return shipping label.

Windshield leak: The owner of the auto glass shop came out yesterday morning and removed/replaced the windshield himself and the leak is fixed. I helped him do the job and he's a real craftsman, a pleasure to watch at work and I enjoyed helping him and learned some things in the process. BTW this is the same glass shop that cut/tempered the custom windows for my JKU hardtop, they're great people and the only place I'll ever go for glass work, in spite of the one bad leak experience.

Radio failure due to the leak: I found the correct replacement radio on the LKQ web site for about $350. Discussed it with the glass company owner when he was here and he handed me his company AMEX platinum card and told me to order the radio, which I did.

Hopefully all will be back to normal shortly .

 

[ITTOG]

Always nice to see people stand behind their service/mistakes. As you indicate, definitely sounds like a person/company to continue doing business with.

 

[1000arms]

Have you considered using a power resistor mounted to a heatsink (with thermal compound to ensure thermal transfer) in each headlamp? Perhaps make your own heatsinks to fit inside the headlamp assembly?

For an example of a power resistor, see:

8 OHM 50 WATT METAL RESISTOR

Aluminum-jacket, Dale-type power resistor. 2" x 0.6" x 0.6" body with cooling fins. Two mounting holes. Solder lugs. Must be mounted to heat-sink for maximum power usage.

www.allelectronics.com

 

[1000arms]

Always nice to see people stand behind their service/mistakes. ...

It is!

 

[jscherb]

Have you considered using a power resistor mounted to a heatsink (with thermal compound to ensure thermal transfer) in each headlamp? Perhaps make your own heatsinks to fit inside the headlamp assembly?

For an example of a power resistor, see:

8 OHM 50 WATT METAL RESISTOR

Aluminum-jacket, Dale-type power resistor. 2" x 0.6" x 0.6" body with cooling fins. Two mounting holes. Solder lugs. Must be mounted to heat-sink for maximum power usage.

www.allelectronics.com

Putting anything inside the housing would probably interfere with the beam pattern.

 

[1000arms]

Putting anything inside the housing would probably interfere with the beam pattern.

Is there room to make an external box mounted under the housing, where a hole in the housing would allow heat to rise? ... Is the housing plastic (likely) or possibly aluminum?

 

[1000arms]

... About the sprayer option - it looks like it might be difficult to mount a third pump on the factory reservoir in the JK because area around it is pretty tight, but a simple bulkhead fitting like the one pictured below mounted in the side of the reservoir feeding a remote pump should be practical and easy to implement. ...

Bah. ... Just make a heavy-duty brushguard, mount the sprayers to it, and use the brushguard as the reservoir! ... Heck, you could even bolt headlight-wipers to the brushguard! ...

 

[jscherb]

Is there room to make an external box mounted under the housing, where a hole in the housing would allow heat to rise? ... Is the housing plastic (likely) or possibly aluminum?

The housing is plastic. Cutting a hole in the housing would also remove some of the interior reflective surface, which would affect the light beam.

 

[1000arms]

The housing is plastic. Cutting a hole in the housing would also remove some of the interior reflective surface, which would affect the light beam.

Would a hole near the housing "lens" have minimal effect, perhaps even no noticeable effect?

 

[jscherb]

Would a hole near the housing "lens" have minimal effect, perhaps even no noticeable effect?

I don't know, that would have to be prototyped and tested.