I've been through a few trucks and in 2013 I was looking for one again. The choices for a new offroader are very few right now and I was never a fan of Jeeps. However, my last offroader was a Toyota and the aftermarket support is slim to none. I spent more time in the shop having parts made than I did offroading. So I picked up a brand new 2 door Wrangler. I like the shorter wheelbase much better for offroading than the 4 door and it's a dedicated offroader so I'm not worried about being practical. There is one drawback that I'll cover later when mounting Maglites though.
So, here's what you need to get started. These are available on Amazon and most hardware stores for $7 or so. The package includes 2 D cell clips and 4 Phillips head screws.
I mounted mine on the side of the front seat cover. The finished product is shown in the pic below. From what I've heard the 2011 and older Wranglers have different interior panels and I don't think they look exactly the same.
To start out there is one T30 torx bolt at the front of the side seat cover. After removing it, there is one clip, circled in yellow below, that needs to pop out and then the rear end has a small sleeve, circled in red, that needs to slide off. Be careful when popping out the clip so that the sleeve doesn't tear off.
Next I clip the Maglite into the clips and trace the edges of the clips in pencil. This is to ensure that the clips will line up correctly when the screws are installed. If you skip this step the light may not clip in correctly because the clips are not aligned.
Lastly, I'll place the clips around the pencil traced edge and using a screwdriver I'll screw the screws into the plastic. I don't like to use a screw gun because they will sometimes over torque the screw and strip out the plastic. The plastic is not that thick in these areas so it will strip out pretty easily. The screws provided are plenty strong and with a little effort will thread into the plastic. I've also thought about drilling the holes and using a bolt and nut but I haven't had any strength issues so far.
Shown below is how the back looks after the screws are installed. This provides a good rough guide as to placement so that the screws and clips don't interfere with the remounting of the cover to the seat.
To wrap everything back up slide the sleeve over the rear end of the cover first. Then pop the clip back into place and lastly insert the T30 torx bolt back in the front and tighten it. If you did everything correctly you should be ready to roll!
If you have a 2 door Jeep this mod works best with 2 or 3 cell lights. If you move the seat forward to let passengers in and out of the back of the Jeep a longer light gets in the way and creates a tripping hazard. Even a 3 cell is a little tight.
The lights are interesting too. I have an identical one on the passenger side as well and the instructions are the same for installing one there. They are Maglites but have been cerakoted orange. As you can see this has covered up the laser etching on the bezel. I also run a Malkoff drop-in, KAI Domain aluminum orange peel reflector, upgraded lens, and NiMH batteries. This setup is identical to the one I detailed in my earlier post about the best upgrades for vintage lights and links to most of these upgrades can be found in the Parts and Upgrades section on the right hand toolbar. This is a new, 1992+, Panther head logo Maglite. The orange cerakote is a much more durable finish than the stock anodizing and makes them very easy to find in the dark or if dropped in the mud or sand. They also look pretty neat too when I'm cruising around with the doors off.
Anyway, I know this is a bit different from my usual posts but I thought it might be an interesting topic for those who have Jeeps and are also interested in Maglites.
As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.
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