DIY LED Pod Fog Mod

TW,
This is my first post on here so bare with me. Anyways, listed below is a write-up on how I mounted 3 inch LED pod lights where the OEM Fog lights once were. I first came up with the idea of this mod when I noticed my passenger side fog light taking on water so it was going to need to be replaced. IMO LED pods look better in place of the OEM fogs but the issue was that the current brackets to mount these pods on the market were insanely priced! ($70)...So I thought to myself that I could achieve the same look, functionality, and quality (for the most part) as the $70 dollar mount but for substantially less money. That's enough background info so lets dive in!:

First off, Remove the factory fogs and the shroud. There are two screws holding the fog housing in and the shroud has a couple tabs but all very straight forward.

Next, you will want to remove the glass. There are several ways to do this; such as baking them but since you won't be retaining the glass in the end product there really isn't a need to be diligent. I simply broke the glass over a trash can with a swift blow and then picked the splinters out that remained in the seal. The front of the housing won't be visible in the end product either so don't worry about cleaning it up and making it look pretty unless just really want to.

Next, trace out the rough shape of the LED pod. Be fairly accurate but it does not have to be super precise.

Next, cut along the lines that you marked. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel but you can use whatever you prefer. Again clean up the edges if you prefer but is not necessary for performance.

Next, remove these tabs so that your LED pod mount can sit flush. You will also need to remove the adjustment dial so that you can feed your wires through.
Next, check fitment and trim where needed to achieve best fit.

Next, layout the mounting hardware. The pods came with the bolts, nuts, and lock washers. I picked up two additional washers from the hardware store and can get you more info on size if requested.

Next, check fitment of mounting hardware in the fog housing.



Next, mount up onto the front bumper and see how she looks.
(Ignore the wire protruding out the front.)



Next, you will want cut along the oval shaped rim that previously set flush with the OEM fogs so that you have a flat surface to mount the shroud that you will fab up in a bit.
(I forgot to take a pic of before and after this step but it is pretty straight forward)

Next, Mount the shroud up on the the truck and make a cardboard template that sits flush to the LED pod.

(I know the pods are mounted sideways but this was the way they best fit so I went with it)

Next, transfer this template to plastic and bond the two components together. I used an old cutting board that was tucked away in my mom's kitchen. There are many adhesives that you could use to bond these two components together, just pick a good plastic adhesive. I used locktite plastic bonder and can give the exact product number if requested.


Next, double check fitment again and then do your final sanding and prep work before paint. I used plasti-dip but of course you can used whatever paint you desire.

Finally, mount them and wire them up! I will probably end up going back and sanding some more and repainting to hide the imperfections later but its hard to tell the shroud is made of two components when it is mounted and tucked up in the bumper because of the overlaying shadow.
(Yes, I know my truck needs a bath...)




Overall, I am pleased with how they turned out. This was the first "prototype" and I wasn't even sure if I could pull it off so of course there are some imperfections (ex: the shroud lining up with the contour of the pods) so no doubt a second time around I could make a much cleaner looking end product but honestly unless I told you I made them and you got up close, you wouldn't even notice that they were DIY. They are actually really sturdy and I have faith that they will hold up, even in off-road applications. All-in-All I spent under $10 on this project (Plasti-dip and the two washers) so I'm pretty damn pleased. Obviously your overall cost will vary depending on what you have lying around the house, such as tools/equipment, materials, and paint. I think the only thing left to do is to wire them so that they can run independent of of main beams so that I can run them as daytime running lights.

Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks.

 

Innovative!

Looks like a good budget option compared to $100+ adapters from Cali raised or Bajadesigns.

 

Nice job man. Turned out pretty damn clean. Wouldn’t have thought of doing it like that.

 

Thank you! I initially had a completely different idea of how I was going to do it but whenever I removed the fog light I realized that there was a good chance that the LED pod would fit inside so I went for it!