Morimoto 4Banger LED Pods for the Jeep JT Gladiator

We are already halfway through winter, but with Spring around the corner, it is never too early to be shopping for lighting accessories for your vehicle. What is on our minds are these brand-new LED light pods from Morimoto. They have outdone themselves with their first foyer into the off-road lighting market with their 4Banger LED pod lights.

Today we will be giving an overview of the Morimoto 4Banger lineup and taking a look at how the vehicle-specific mounts make the 4Banager LED pod light line-up one of the most versatile on the market today. Not to mention, we will also be going over how to install these pod lights on a Jeep Gladiator JT, and Jeep JL models.

What is a 4Banger?

Available in two different trim levels, the Morimoto 4Banger LED Pod lights bring a mixture of design, output, and versatility to the LED pod light market. With the entry-level 4Banger NCS model, you get a Nichia LED chip spec for its output source. For the premium HXB model, an Osram HX Boost LED chip packs its punch behind the TIR optics, which can be found on both models.

Beam Patterns

The NCS and HXB models both come in three different beam patterns: combo (driving), wide, and spot. The most popular among the three will likely be the wide beam pattern. This can ideally be used in a fog light application and is legal for road use when aimed at -3°.

The combo, also known as driving pattern, is useful when it comes to off-roading and will likely be a favorite of off-road-minded buyers.

The same can be said about the spotlight beam pattern which is almost exclusively meant for an off-road application.

Color Options and Optics

Additionally, each of those beam patterns for both the NCS and HXB models can be purchased with a white or yellow beam pattern.

If you choose to go with the yellow NCS model, you will be using a Nichia true-yellow LED chip with a yellow-filtered lens. This is in contrast to the HXB model that uses a white Osram chip with a yellow-filtered lens. To compare the output between the HXB white and yellow options, you will lose roughly 30% of your brightness when you switch from the premium white HXB 4Banger to the premium yellow HXB.

This also produces a slightly different shade of yellow between the two lights that you can see below.

Speaking of the lenses, the TIR optics we mentioned before, stands for Total Internal Reflector. Essentially, rather than having the LED chip within the 4Banger Pod light create the beam pattern, the lens optic creates the beam patterns.

Which 4Banger is for Me?

If you are looking to outfit your off-road rig with the best possible pod-lights money can buy, the HXB premium Morimoto 4Bangers are the way to go. Particularly the combo light option provides a good mix of that wide beam with greater distance than the wide beam.

Many people will choose to go with both a fog and a combo light beam pattern for their vehicle. The good news is, no matter what you choose, Morimoto has provided the 4Bangers with huge levels of versatility with their vehicle-specific mounts for the A-pillars, internal mounts, and universal mounts to be put anywhere on your vehicle.

Lastly, if you are looking to rip through the wilderness and give rally drivers a run for their money, we recommend the 4Banger spot beam pattern. This will give you a huge level of visibility at far distances.

THE GLADIATOR

To show how easy to install the 4Bangers are, Morimoto has created an install guide using their A-Pillar and internal fog light mounts for the 2019+ Jeep JT Gladiator. If you are looking to order your own set of 4Bangers for this model Gladiator, click here! If you are looking for a 4Banger for another vehicle, check out Morimoto’s complete line of 4Bangers here.

Tools Needed for the Job:
T30 Torx Bit
T40 Torx Bit
10mm Socket
Impact/Ratchet Wrench
17mm Wrench
Electrical Tape (Optional)
Zip ties (Optional)

Begin by removing the four bolts on the side cowl. This will allow you to remove the panel between your hood and the A-Pillar.

 

Repeat for both sides.

Pop the hood and you will begin running the wire harness.

Grab the relay harness and mount it in a way that the wires are facing downwards. This will prevent water and other substances from pooling inside the housing. We mounted ours on the ground position next to the battery.

Next, locate the auxiliary wires and unravel the tape around the harness to reveal four wires. For this installation, we will be tapping into auxiliary four. You can refer to your owner’s manual to learn more about your auxiliary wiring and its functions.

Use a set of wire strippers to strip the edge of the number four auxiliary wire (blue). Then take the factory butt connector and slide the blue wire into one end.

Then, take the Morimoto harness and slide it into the opposite side of the butt connector. Clamp both sides down.

Rewrap the tape around the wires and tuck it back in with the butt connector still exposed.

The 4Bangers come equipped with a Morimoto switch. However, since we are using the auxiliary wires you can disconnect the switch from the barrel connector and plug the harness into the aux connector.

Next, take the “Light Number 2” harness and route it under the rubber weather sealing closest to the front windshield on the passenger side of the truck.

Take the “Light Number 1” end of the harness and connect the extension that comes with the 4Bangers to this connector. Route the now extended harness to the other side of the car.

We recommend using either zip ties or tucking the wires under the cowl to clean up your engine bay Morimoto 4Banger wiring.

Once you have the harness at the driver’s side of the car, run it under the weather sealing.

Before mounting the 4Banger bracket, we will attach the 4Banger LED Pods to the bracketry.

Take the bolt that comes with the U-Bracket and place it on the tall end of the A-Pillar mount. Make sure the U-Bracket is facing like a ‘C’-shape. Take the washer and 17mm nut and tighten it under the bolt with your hands.

Grab one of the 4Banger LED Pods and put them in the U-Bracket. Use the screws that are provided with the kit and tighten them down with a T30 Torx bit. These screws will help you adjust the vertical angle of your 4Banger.

 

You can then plug the 4Banger into the Morimoto harness.

Reapply your side cowl but DO NOT put the screws in.

To mount the 4Banger A-Pillar bracket, take the spacers that are provided with the 4Bangers and place them under the bracket in place of the two screws on the upwards facing side of the cowl.

Then take the long screws that come with the 4Banger set to tighten them into the cowl with a T40 Torx bit. On the side of the cowl, use your OEM bolts to tighten that down as well.

Repeat for both sides.

Lastly, you will need to connect the lights to the battery.

Loosen the battery and ground 10mm bolts and apply the 4Banger terminals over their respective bolts. Tighten the bolts once applied.

Ground	Battery

Turning on your 4Bangers

If you have the option to use the auxiliary wires, you will be able to control how your 4Bangers turn on. To do so, go to Settings > Aux Switches > Aux (Number you chose) in your infotainment system. From there you can select the Type and Power Source for that auxiliary cable. We kept ours on battery.

Once you have them on and ensure they are working correctly, aim them to your liking using the the screws on either side of the 4Banger and beneath it. Then, tighten the screws into place and you will be on your way to your next off-road adventure!

Conclusion

Now that you have your Morimoto 4Banger LED light pods installed, you can experience the full potential of Morimoto’s first entry into the off-road lighting category. The 4Bangers blew us away in respect to their quality, design, and performance. This leaves us wondering what else Morimoto could have in store for this market segment in the future.

Until then, keep an eye out on this space for any future Morimoto product releases and more! If you have any questions about the 4Banger, drop us a comment below or contact Morimoto’s customer support through their contact form at the bottom of their home page.