The new LoD bumper allows the tire to swing away from tailgate. Awesome except that my license plate is relocated to the spare tire. The JKS kit used to do so recommends just using more wire if tire carrier can swing away from gate. I didn't find that solution acceptable though, so when I first put it all together a few weeks ago, I put in some disconnects like this:
The problem is that these are pretty difficult to get apart and I wanted something that looked better. If you forget to undo them, then you can see the wire would stretch out like this:
So I came up with a new plan: reuse old parts, notably the harness off a side marker light I cut off with my fenders.
Step 1: find your useless side marker lights and female harness cut from Jeep
Step 2: remove the bulb and fitting from the back
Step 3: pop put the bulb
Use a knife to push the little tabs in and remove bulb
Step 4: discard bulb, keep metal contacts
At this point, if you were to put the metal contacts back in, you'd have a nice male/female pair like this
Step 5: spray paint female end
That grey is just nasty and red will remind me to disconnect before opening
Step 6: solder wire to metal contacts
Step 7: insert contacts back into male housing
Step 8: solder female harness wires onto license plate light wires
Step 9: wrap in protective tube
That's it! Now I have an easily disconnected connection between tailgate and license plate light on spare tire that looks good.
