How to Install an LED Light Strip
If you’re looking to add affordable, eye-catching customization to your truck or SUV, it’s essential to know how to install an LED light strip. The flexible, waterproof, versatile lighting component is available in virtually endless options, including different colors and lengths to suit your specific tastes and needs. To install an LED light strip, you just need a few minor hand tools that are probably already on shelves in your garage and a few minutes of time. Most configurations are plug-and-play, so you can get your new lights up and running in no time at all.
At RECON, we offer premier aftermarket lighting parts and accessories for trucks and SUVs, making us countless drivers’ retailer of choice for flexible LED light strips and more. Whether your ride is new or old, fitted for LEDs, or requires conversion, and whether you’re looking for a major installation like headlights or the final details such as a custom antenna attachment, we have it all. You’ll find more than twenty different options when it comes to LED light strips, all suitable for interior or exterior use on your vehicle.
Keep reading to learn more about what LED strips are, the many different uses you can get out of them, what you’ll need to complete the installation process, and a complete “How To” guide for set-up. If you’re in the market for the best LED light strips in the game, shop RECON today and GET LIT!
What Are LED Light Strips?
LED light strips are essentially flexible circuit boards, complete with many individual LED lightbulbs that offer powerful illumination in a vast variety of colors and styles. At RECON, you’ll notice that on our light strips, every three bulbs is a complete circuit, meaning you can easily cut the strips down to the size you want for your particular arrangement. This allows you to freely design your aftermarket set-up, customizing the appearance of your truck’s lighting components.
Since the LED light strips are flexible, you can bend them up to 90-degrees. This makes LED light strips ideal for hard-to-reach places and areas on your truck or SUV that may be traditionally difficult to attach lighting to, such as the wheel wells or the underbody of your vehicle. As the light strips are very thin, typically just a few millimeters in-depth, they’re the ideal solution for tight spaces where you may not have a lot of room otherwise.
At RECON, all of our LED light strips are impact-resistant, waterproof, and have a universal fit, meaning they are suitable for virtually any make, model, and manufacturing year vehicle. They’re perfect for use on either the outside or inside of your truck and they hold up to vigorous activity such as off-roading, poor weather, and more. LED lights are known to last for many years, meaning you won’t have to worry about costly and inconvenient replacements any time soon. This gives many drivers significant peace of mind when making a purchase and completing the installation process.
However, since LED lights are so easy to install, if you want to switch up your look down the line, it’s never a hassle or headache. The ability to easily change up the look of the vehicle is another major bonus for many drivers.
What Do LED Light Strips Do?
The answer is simple, LED light strips make your truck or SUV look awesome in a way that’s entirely unique to you. Additionally, they can add an extra element of safety on the road as they increase your visibility to other drivers and pedestrians.
You can use flexible LED light strips to highlight an area of your truck that you want to draw attention to, such as the back tailgate, the silhouette, and more. By choosing custom colors, you create a look that’s unlike any other out there.
You’ll also be improving your roadway safety, as LED lights are quite powerful and cut through even the darkest of nights. When you’re all lit up, other drivers, cyclists, and people on the road will be able to see you from a considerable distance, decreasing your chance of accidents and making everyone aware and alert of where you’re going next.
What You’ll Need to Install an LED Light Strip
Learning how to install an LED light strip is simple and straightforward, and all you’ll need is a few minor hand tools and products to get started. First, take note of how your LED light strips are designed to attach to your vehicle. Some manufacturers produce items that have a sticky back, where you can use the adhesive to attach to a surface. At RECON, we find that this is not the most secure way to get your lights affixed to your truck.
Instead, our flexible LED light strips require brackets or zip ties. In our experience, this provides the best results for drivers, ensuring that the light strips remain attached to the vehicle at all times no matter what conditions you may drive through.
To install LED light strips, you’ll need the following items:
- Your LED light strips of choice
- Zip ties (one for every foot of light strip you’re installing, to space out every twelve inches along the strip)
- A damp rag or washcloth
- Another person to help hold the strips in place while you attach them with the zip ties, or tape to temporarily affix the pieces where you need them
- A jack, should you wish to lift your vehicle to complete the installation process (if you’re attaching lights to the underbody, many drivers find this to be the easiest way)
- A mechanic’s creeper, if you prefer to use one
Once you have these items, you’ll need some space to work. It’s always best to complete the installation process on a dry, flat surface such as in your garage or driveway. You’ll want to have plenty of room around the vehicle so that you can move around as needed as well as good lighting, either natural or with the help of overhead lighting.
How to Install an LED Light Strip: A 9-Step Guide
Now that you have all the supplies and equipment you’ll need to get started, it’s time to install the LED light strips. The process takes just a few minutes and doesn’t generally require any major work on your vehicle as these strips are strictly a cosmetic upgrade. If you get stuck at any point or have questions along the way, feel free to call RECON’s dedicated technical support line. Our friendly and knowledgeable reps are here to provide you with tips, tricks, guidance, and advice on all technical matters relating to our aftermarket lighting components. Call (561) 771-1183 any time Monday through Friday, from 9 am until 5 pm Eastern Standard Time.
To install LED light strips, follow these easy steps:
- Set up your workspace with all necessary equipment and tools easily within reach. Make sure the area is dry and well lit, that you have plenty of space, and that your truck is turned off and cooled down.
- If you’re putting your truck on the jack, lift it up.
- If you’re shortening your LED light strips, cut them to the proper size.
- Using a damp washcloth or rag, wipe down the area to which you will attach the lights. Mud, dirt, and debris can negatively impact the quality of installation and can dull the appearance of the LED lights–it’s always best to start with a clean surface.
- Secure the LED strips to the desired area using one zip tie per every twelve inches. Look for brackets, bolts, or other small openings in the area that you can affix the lights to. Either grab a friend to help you hold the strips in place while you secure the ties, or use an adhesive tape to temporarily fix the lights to your truck while you do so. Remove the tape after the zip tie is secured.
- Run the LED light strip wires up to your truck or SUV’s module box–you may need extension wires if those included cannot reach.
- Properly attach the red (positive) and black (negative) wires to the appropriate spot on the vehicle battery–or ground the black (negative) wire.
- Place the module box in close proximity to your vehicle’s battery but away from the engine so as to not overheat or damage the box. The module box also needs to remain dry at all times to avoid disfunction.
- Power on your vehicle’s electricity and test the LED light strips to ensure they work as envisioned.
Shop RECON & GET LIT Today
For the very best LED light strips for trucks and SUVs, shop RECON today and GET LIT! All of our aftermarket truck lighting components come backed by a limited warranty, so you can shop with total confidence every time. Additionally, when you join the RECON family, you’ll gain access to various exclusive perks and benefits, such as our free technical support, customer service, and our handy online installation guides.
When learning how to install an LED light strip on your vehicle, we’re here for you every step of the way with superior products, countless options, and a dedicated team. Get your LED light strips from RECON and never be left in the dark again!