Wiring Question - Front Harness Locations?

[Crimson Nape]

I am installing a Painless harness in my 66 and would like to keep the engine compartment as clean as possible; has anyone routed the (2) main front harnesses outside the engine compartment in the fender wells? My body is still at the paint shop, so I cant really check, but I cannot think of any reason why it couldn't be done. I assume I will need to go thru the inner fenders near the front to get to lights & power, but it seems very doable to me.

 

[DirtDonk]

We were just talking about that a week or two ago in fact. Should be pretty easy to do as long as you’re careful about how it passes through the metal panels. Just like you should be anytime it passes through metal.
But no reason I can think of not to run it out the kick panels, under the fenders, then back into the engine compartment through the fender skirt over by the battery.
Same thing on the Driver side and come in wherever you feel like it. You could even run the headlight harness is in front of the core support rather than behind it like normal.

Some fabricated metal or plastic shielding to deflect rocks and things thrown up by the tires would be the recommended method I think.
Or along the same lines, you could create some aluminum or metal panels to mount to the inside of the fenders and run the wire harness under those. The wires would be invisible and how good it looks would depend on how nicely you make the panels look.

 

[jmhend]

I am installing a Painless harness in my 66 and would like to keep the engine compartment as clean as possible; has anyone routed the (2) main front harnesses outside the engine compartment in the fender wells? My body is still at the paint shop, so I cant really check, but I cannot think of any reason why it couldn't be done. I assume I will need to go thru the inner fenders near the front to get to lights & power, but it seems very doable to me.

I am in the process of mapping this exact process out as well. As Paul mentioned the concern is the wire rubbing on the metal (in this case you will have a few 90 degree bends). I was thinking something like an electrical conduit bend (something like this : https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-1...0-Compression-Connector-Elbow-02910/100197073)

Then I was thinking of building a channel to hide the cables that would also bolt together and be sandwiched between the fender and the apron. Now talking through this does not even sound good if you ever think you may want to ever examine or look at the wiring. You would have to remove the fender (what a pain) and the channel. But I’m still thinking about this as an option for me

 

[DirtDonk]

Instead of a hard 90 (even if protected by an elbow) you could find an oval shaped gasket/grommet and just cut a larger hole to allow a more gradual bend from outside to inside.
Kind of makes panelizing the under hood area more compelling. Just creating some flat panels to create blind chases for the wires and hoses and cables and such to run behind, leaving just a flat panel on the sides to look at. And even the firewall, if you're going to get really ambitious.

paul

 

[jmhend]

Instead of a hard 90 (even if protected by an elbow) you could find an oval shaped gasket/grommet and just cut a larger hole to allow a more gradual bend from outside to inside.
Kind of makes panelizing the under hood area more compelling. Just creating some flat panels to create blind chases for the wires and hoses and cables and such to run behind, leaving just a flat panel on the sides to look at. And even the firewall, if you're going to get really ambitious.

paul

Paul yes the gradual bend is what I’m looking for. I also thought about welding all thread (maybe 1/4, 5/16 etc) for the blind chase to bolt too for additional support.

 

[DirtDonk]

We also sell a front fender mudguard. I’ll post a link to them when I get back home to the computer.
And I’ll have to look at the parts again to see if they would also act as rock guards for wires tucked up in there.

They are meant to keep mud and snow from building up inside the wheel wells and fenders, primarily in the trailing area around the A-pillar. But hey, who knows!

 

[Rustytruck]

I have seen where people have made metal shields bolted to the fender bolts on the engine side of the inner fenders gives a good clean look. specially painted the same color as the inner fenders.

 

[DirtDonk]

Sorry, forgot to post the link to our guards before. Here ya go: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Stainless-Steel-Fender-Bodyguards/newproducts-EB
The 4-piece kit should cover just about everywhere you might want to run wires (other than side-marker lights) and so offer some good protection with some stout metal. If it's made from the same stuff as our Tool Tray / Air Dam product, it's not messing around and will protect your wires accordingly.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Here's an interesting pic member dnsenne posted in another thread just today. Not just wires, but components under the fender as well. But it certainly gives you an idea of how much room you have to work with.

 

[jamesroney]

Sorry, forgot to post the link to our guards before. Here ya go: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Stainless-Steel-Fender-Bodyguards/newproducts-EB
The 4-piece kit should cover just about everywhere you might want to run wires (other than side-marker lights) and so offer some good protection with some stout metal. If it's made from the same stuff as our Tool Tray / Air Dam product, it's not messing around and will protect your wires accordingly.

Paul

Paul.

You got me. I am going to order the bodyguards. It's a must have for me. But I need help. I can't find anything on the Wild H website for the "cool stuff that you need that we have" category. Is there a sticky or something in the Vendor's section that keeps this stuff in front of me?

It drives me crazy that I need to go to a thread called "wiring question" to get to bodyguards. Anyways, thanks for the tip. You just paid for my annual subscription.

 

[DirtDonk]

haha! Sorry James, but had to do it. I'd be remiss if I forgot to highlight something WH now and then.
And yes, I already got my set somewhere here in the garage!

I often forget to go to the "new products" pages on our site, so even I miss out on things now and then if I miss the memos that do not always arrive before the parts do.
I'll mention your suggestion to Jim to add a "cool stuff that you need that we have" category in the search menu.

Paul

 

[ba123]

Sorry, forgot to post the link to our guards before. Here ya go: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Stainless-Steel-Fender-Bodyguards/newproducts-EB
The 4-piece kit should cover just about everywhere you might want to run wires (other than side-marker lights) and so offer some good protection with some stout metal. If it's made from the same stuff as our Tool Tray / Air Dam product, it's not messing around and will protect your wires accordingly.

Paul

Paul, do you or anyone else have better pics of the WH fender guards?

Need to see just how much it covers on the cab end up front. There is only the one pic and the instructions link is bad.

Thanks!

 

[DirtDonk]

I’ll see if I can get some. I have a set here but they’re not installed.
I’ll check to see if any of the guys has has on their Broncos installed and also try to get that link fixed.

Thanks for mentioning it because that’s what we need to know.
Happens now and then.

 

[ba123]

I’ll see if I can get some. I have a set here but they’re not installed.
I’ll check to see if any of the guys has has on their Broncos installed and also try to get that link fixed.

Thanks for mentioning it because that’s what we need to know.
Happens now and then.

I ended up just ordering them. I’m sure they’re good and if I have to add a piece to cover where I want, it shouldn’t be a big deal.

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks!
Sorry for the lack of pictures. Haven’t even been in the garage in the past couple of days.
Much less digging into the pile!