The Lethal First Edition Bronco has finally gotten lit.
We installed the Rigid Industries Roof Line SR Series light bar kit and their 360-Series A-pillar kit, and we are very much looking forward to playing with these at night. They are extremely bright in broad daylight, so after dark they should be more than enough coverage.
What's in the Kits
Roof Line SR Series Kit
- Rigid's SR Series 40 inch light bar, spot/flood combo
- Two custom fit mounts with isolation bases, made specifically for the 2021+ Bronco's factory accessory mounts
- All necessary install hardware
- A wiring harness
- Light covers for when they are not in use
Stainless steel construction with a UV and abrasion-resistant powder coating, rated to operate from -40°F to +145°F. The harness and vehicle-specific mounts take all the guesswork out of what is normally the fiddliest part of fitting a light bar.
360-Series A-Pillar Kit
- A set of both 360 Spot and 360 Drive lights
- Four solid black covers and four yellow covers
- A wiring harness
- Custom brackets that attach to the Bronco's OEM accessory mounts
Same stainless construction and black UV and abrasion-resistant powder coating, with an estimated light lifespan of over 50,000 hours. Between Rigid's supplied brackets and the factory's pre-installed mounts and wiring, this is quick work.
40" SR Series bar, mounts, harness, covers
Stainless, -40°F to +145°F
Bolts to the OEM accessory mounts
Call us to match the exact spot/drive pairing we ran
Installing the A-Pillar Pods
We started here. Rigid has you assemble the 360 lights to the universal mounts supplied in the kit, then install those assemblies onto the Bronco-specific brackets.
Once the lights are complete assemblies with the vehicle-specific brackets attached, you are ready to mount them. But do the wiring first.
We ran the harness under the windshield washer cowling. It was the closest route to the lights, the most hidden, and the safest path overall. That cowling pops off with a firm but supported lift, and you will hear the clips start to give before it comes away.
After running the harness and wiring the lights in with the supplied butt connectors, we fed the harness into the engine bay through a small hole under the cowling. The join point is roughly one to two feet after the two sides of the harness Y together.
The Aux Switch Wiring, Explained
This is where the Bronco is genuinely great and also genuinely confusing. Ford runs sets of wires to popular accessory locations around the truck, all tied back to the auxiliary switches in the cabin. There are several valid ways to wire this. Here is what we chose and why.
The Rigid harness gives you three wires:
| Harness wire | Function | Wired to | Ends up on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Power for the main lights | Green/Brown | Aux Switch 2 |
| White | Power for the amber back lights | Violet/Green | Aux Switch 3 |
| Black | Ground | Body ground post next to the firewall | n/a |
| Light bar harness | Roof line SR bar | Aux 1 circuit | Aux Switch 1, fused and relayed to 30A |
Your owner's manual has the full aux switch wiring reference. Check it against your own model year and trim before you cut anything.
Ground goes to the body ground post right next to the firewall. We used the same point for both harnesses.
Wire it, then test the lights before you go any further. Much easier to find a problem now than after everything is tucked away.
Installing the Roof Line Light Bar
- Remove the OEM trim piece covering the two 10mm nuts on each side.
- Remove those nuts and install the Rigid brackets, starting with the isolating pads.
- Fit the bracket covers, tighten, then pop in the stud covers.
- Mount the SR Series bar to the brackets using the supplied hardware.
Routing the light bar wiring
This was the fiddliest part of the whole job, so here is the route that worked:
- Go over the initial gasket for the removable top.
- Then run the wiring under that gasket, which has a small hole at the end that opens neatly to the side of the truck.
- From the side, find the small gap in the roof support and sneak the wiring through.
- Route it down a trim piece on the A-pillar.
From there we ran the harness into the engine bay alongside an OEM harness to reach the exposed aux panel wiring, wired it to Aux 1, and grounded it at the same post as the pods.
Everything is hooked up, grounded and waterproofed, thanks to the heat-shrink butt connectors Rigid supplies with these kits. Use them properly. A crimp that is not sealed on an exterior lighting circuit will find water eventually.
Aiming Them
To settle on final light positions you have to wait for the sun to go down. There is no way around it, and no point guessing in daylight.
The good news is they adjust on the vehicle with a wrench, so wherever you happen to be when night falls, you can aim them. Then fit the covers or lenses if you want them.
The Rest of the Rigid Bronco Range
Rigid builds a fuller Bronco-specific lineup than most people realise, and all of it uses the same factory accessory mounts and aux switch approach covered above.
Mounts also sold separately
Mount only
Working out what you actually want before you buy? Start with our Ford Bronco Lighting Guide, which covers spot versus flood versus combo and where each type earns its keep.
The Morimoto Alternative: 4Banger
Rigid is not the only game on this truck. Morimoto makes 4Banger A-pillar mounts and triple fog mounts for the 2021+ Bronco, and they take a different approach: the brackets are sold to fit a wide range of pods rather than only Morimoto's own.
Their mounts accept Morimoto 4Banger NCS and HXB pods, and also Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport and SS3 Max, Baja Designs Squadron Series, and KC HiLites Flex Era, C-Series and Gravity Pro6. Those are the combinations Morimoto has tested to fit without modification.
NCS vs HXB, in actual numbers
Both series come with yellow or white lenses. Yellow cuts through dust and fog better, white throws further. Here is what they actually measure, in candela and lux at 10 metres.
| Pod | Yellow | White |
|---|---|---|
| NCS Wide | 8,680 Cd (86.8 lux) | 14,400 Cd (144 lux) |
| NCS Combo | 38,850 Cd (384 lux) | 55,500 Cd (555 lux) |
| NCS Spot | 73,500 Cd (735 lux) | 105,000 Cd (1,005 lux) |
| HXB Wide | 14,700 Cd (147 lux) | 22,400 Cd (224 lux) |
| HXB Combo | 54,600 Cd (546 lux) | 78,000 Cd (780 lux) |
| HXB Spot | 119,000 Cd (1,190 lux) | 170,000 Cd (1,700 lux) |
Also worth noting: white always out-measures yellow on paper, but paper is not dust. In genuinely dirty air the yellow lens usually gives you a more usable picture despite the lower number.
Brightest combo option
42w, 3.2A each
Yellow cuts dust and fog
Our pick for real trail use
Half the current draw of HXB
NCS Yellow also available
Stainless hardware and cable clips
Fits Diode Dynamics, Baja, KC too
Stainless hardware supplied
Takes any 4Banger series pod
Morimoto's answer to the Rigid SR mount
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the full Rigid wiring harness on a Bronco?
No. The Bronco already has fused, relayed wiring run through the firewall to factory aux switches. We used only the start of the harness to link the two lights, plus about a foot to reach the aux panel wiring in the engine bay.
Which aux switch should the light bar go on?
We used Aux 1, because it is fused and relayed up to 30 amps and the roof line bar is the largest load. Match circuits to amperage draw rather than convenience.
Which wires did you tap for the A-pillar pods?
Green/Brown for the main lights, which runs back to Aux Switch 2, and Violet/Green for the amber back lights, which runs to Aux Switch 3. The pods draw more, so they got the heavier circuit. Ground went to the body post next to the firewall.
What is the best route for the light bar wiring?
Over the removable top's initial gasket, then under that gasket to the small hole at its end, out to the side of the truck, through the gap in the roof support, then down an A-pillar trim piece.
Why does the light bar wire run out partway down the A-pillar?
That is normal. The light's own lead is not long enough to reach the engine bay, which is what the supplied Rigid harness is for. Splice there and keep going.
How do I get the windshield washer cowling off?
A firm but supported lift. You will hear the clips pop before it lifts away from the truck.
Can I aim the lights during the day?
Not usefully. You need darkness to set final positions. They adjust on the vehicle with a wrench, so you can do it wherever you are when night falls.
Do these kits fit a First Edition Bronco?
The roof line and A-pillar kits do, and ours is a First Edition. Be careful with fog lights specifically, as Rigid's 360-Series PRO SAE fog kit excludes First Edition trucks.
How long do the lights last?
Rigid estimates over 50,000 hours for the 360-Series. Both kits are stainless with UV and abrasion-resistant powder coating and are rated from -40°F to +145°F.
Keep Reading
Stuck on wiring, or not sure which kit fits your trim? Call 877-2-LETHAL or email us.
Light Up Your Bronco
Bronco-specific brackets, factory accessory mounts, factory aux switches. Rigid makes this a driveway job.
