Roll Bar

[Buckeye Ranger]

I just purchased a roll bar for my 95 Ranger 4cyl. Right now I am sanding the old paint off and getting ready to paint it flat black. My question is how do you guys that have a roll bar and lights on top wire up your lights. Do you run your wires to the car's battery or do yall set up a seperate battery to power the lights on the roll bar? I need some ideas here as im coming closer to mounting my roll bar onto my truck.

[Gabe8810]

i myself ran the lights off my silanoid under the hood not directly to the battery.

[Sunk]

Same here, with a fuse.

[metalmacguyver]

this doesnt really matter to what you are asking but, is it a roll bar or a light bar?

the difference is that a light bar follows the shape of the cab and then makes a bend to go inside the bed. it doesnt actually bolt to the frame either. the bend that it has makes it very weak and will not actually provide support in a rollover.

a true rollbar goes straight down to the bed. with out any unnessasary bends that would weaken it.

as far as wiring it, most people wire to the battery or some other point that then connects to the battery like the solenoid and use a fuse. i dont think anyone has a separate battery just for lights. make sure you used heavy enough wire for the lights your putting up there. good luck!

[Buckeye Ranger]

it is an actual roll bar. Can somebody that has their setup allready rigged maybe give me a picture or 2. Sounds like the whole solenoid way is the way I want to go since people do do this. It would be very helpfull if somebody could post a pic because Im a newb at some of this stuff and solenoid? dunno where or what it is. Pictures are great for me!!! Thanks guys

[samsonitesamsonite]

you need to use a solenoid. that is far too much juice to be running directly to a switch.

[metalmacguyver]

a solenoid is a heavy duty relay essentially. its an electromagnetic switch.

[Buckeye Ranger]

Pictures?