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  #1  
Old 06-20-2017, 07:27 PM
smokinAMD smokinAMD is offline
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Default How-To: Hella Supertone install

This was done on a 2001 XLT 4.0 auto with a tranny cooler that has been body lifted, so your mileage may vary if this will work for you. But it should for most applications.

First step, remove the grille and the air damn behind it. Not hard, a few screws, some plastic retainers, and then some metal clips. Great opportunity to paint your grille insert if it's faded like mine was. I did. Remove the factory horns. Throw them in the trash where they belong.

Next, make some brackets.

I bought some aluminum stock from Home Depot for cheap.


It was 36 inches long (you'll only need 20), 1 inch wide, and 1/8th inch thick. You could buy steel, which is stronger, but it's also heavier, and will rust if your paint flakes off.

Cut 2 pieces 10 inches long. And drill 2 holes in the center of each, both holes 1 inch from the edge. One 5/16ths (where the horn goes), the other 3/16ths (where the bracket will be bolted to the core support).



Paint said bracket. I used some duplicolor spray on bedliner, because I had a few cans laying around, also the same stuff I painted my grill with.

I also took the time to remove the grills from the horns to paint them ford blue (my truck is blue, and I figured it would match better than the stock red grills). Make sure you only remove the phillips screw and not the big nut on the back that holds the bracket on, otherwise the horn probably won't ever work right ever again.



Mount the horn to the core support using the bracket you made. There's an 8mm bolt right at the top of the headlight bucket. Take bolt out, put bracket over hole, reinstall bolt. Use some 5/16ths bolts, washers and nuts to secure the horn to the bracket.



Wiring. The kit comes with a relay, you can use it if you want. I didn't. My stock horns died, I was replacing them, the factory horn relay is the same amperage as the one the kit comes with. I also gave 2 shits less about the factory horn connector, I chopped it off since my stock horns were dead.

You'll need to make 2 identical wiring harnesses like this using female spade connectors. Basically, we are wiring the horns together in series, just like the factory horns were. So you'll have 2 wires going into one spade connector. I didn't measure this out. Sorry, but it's easy to figure out.



Connect the 2 harnesses you made to the factory horn wires. The blue is positive, the black is ground. Does it matter which part of the horn you hook up to? No, it doesn't. I hooked the blue wires up to the top connector on both horns, and the black to the bottom wire. Just match them, and even if you don't, it won't matter. I used heat shrink butt connectors to make my connection. Ideally I would have soldered and heat shrinked it, but I was getting a bit drunk at this point, and couldn't find the right size heat shrink in my garage. Whatever, they both work fine.



Zip tie up any loose wires, you slob.



You should look like this now.


Reinstall your grille.

LOOK!!!! TITTIES!!!



And enjoy.

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  #2  
Old 06-21-2017, 03:32 AM
RoberticusMaximus RoberticusMaximus is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Yesyesyes thank you!!! This is long overdue for me!
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  #3  
Old 06-21-2017, 03:41 AM
EaOutlaw1969 EaOutlaw1969 is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Nice write up, but why did you place them in a position that blocks air flow to the radiator and condenser?
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Old 06-21-2017, 05:53 AM
smokinAMD smokinAMD is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Quote:
Originally Posted by EaOutlaw1969 View Post
Nice write up, but why did you place them in a position that blocks air flow to the radiator and condenser?
They don't. They set far enough in front of it that it won't matter. In order to block air flow thru the radiator, you basically need to be touching it. I'm a few inches in front of it. The air will curve back around.
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  #5  
Old 06-21-2017, 07:15 AM
guell guell is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EaOutlaw1969 View Post
Nice write up, but why did you place them in a position that blocks air flow to the radiator and condenser?
While not blocking fluid flow, it will obviously affect the flow. It's one reason I never put lights in my rangers grill.
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  #6  
Old 06-21-2017, 07:34 AM
RoberticusMaximus RoberticusMaximus is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

hell maybe it's a good idea on mine then. yesterday it was 95F and the ranger was sitting at a stop light at 180F. always dips & comes back to 192 though. little piece of shit has been doing that a lot lately!
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  #7  
Old 06-21-2017, 05:59 PM
smokinAMD smokinAMD is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

They really don't block airflow. You'd basically have to have the entire radiator and condenser blocked to notice any rise in engine temp or lack of air conditioning performance. Videos uploading now to prove this.

----------


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  #8  
Old 06-21-2017, 08:01 PM
guell guell is offline
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Care to point out where I said they block air flow?
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  #9  
Old 06-21-2017, 08:08 PM
smokinAMD smokinAMD is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Quote:
Originally Posted by guell View Post
Care to point out where I said they block air flow?
Not you, the other guy.
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  #10  
Old 06-21-2017, 08:14 PM
guell guell is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smokinAMD View Post

Not you, the other guy.
Word
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  #11  
Old 06-22-2017, 03:16 AM
EaOutlaw1969 EaOutlaw1969 is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Quote:
Originally Posted by guell View Post
Word

It sure seems like you have taken what I asked as a insult. I meant no disrespect.

I only meant to ask why did you decided to mount them in the position that you did ? Is it because you want to see them?

Or is it because you want the horns to sound louder?

It appears to me that the horns could have been mounted just a little further apart and not block the core support baffle at all regardless if it may or may not effect the performance of the cooling or AC system where you live.

I asked this question, Not to be confrontational.

I asked this because I need a new horn and like your Hella Supertones, yet I do not want to purchase them if there is no room to mount them anywhere else.

Again no disrespect meant to you or your truck.
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  #12  
Old 06-22-2017, 10:19 AM
smokinAMD smokinAMD is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

You can probably mount them under the hood somewhere. I doubt the factory location would work, they are a bit larger. Where they are in the grille is probably the best spot. They are louder this way and give a nice look.
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  #13  
Old 06-22-2017, 08:25 PM
NewShockerGuy NewShockerGuy is offline
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Arrow Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

I installed an extra set that I thought was bad from my Subie a while back. Turns out it was just a bad relay and the horns were fine.

Mounted them in the same spots but used a center piece to attach it to that plastic/metal beam that is in the front with a bolt through the center.

There is no negative affect with mounting them here and or blocking air to the rad... People are over thinking this by a lot.

Go to Ecomodders and look at the ranger owners who block 85% of the entire grill to gain MPG.. they leave a sliver of space on the grill compared to what these are actually blocking. They monitor their temps and have reported no problems.

I've been running these for a year now with no negative affects on cooling what so ever. There are people that mount 4 of them behind the grill of a subie and I can assure you that's blocking more airflow than our rangers... Again, no problems. I've had my supertones in front of my subie's rad for 12 years now and the car is fine. If it's not hurting a protuned turbo charged 300+hp car it's not going to hurt a ranger...







Pics of Subies:

The standard subie look:


4 of them



-Nigel
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2001 Ranger XLT 2.3L Auto: Bunch of misc mods.
Little lift: 4" Spindle Lift w/ 2" shackles and 2" oem blocks.OEM Ranger Sport Wheels: Tires=245x75x16

~NSG~
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  #14  
Old 06-23-2017, 07:33 AM
LargeR LargeR is offline
Arizona 2wd Ranger
 
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

Airflow characteristics over the condenser was my concern when I saw this. It has been 120*+ here in the shade this week and the AC has to work hard enough. I try to keep it clear in the front (it's bad enough I have a bumper/grille/etc up there). I'm sure its easy enough to mount these just about anywhere but you're right it won't affect a healthy cooling system especially if you live/drive where temps rarely top 100.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
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Mesa AZ
'99 Ex-Ranger 2wd XLT 5.0, Explorer V8 and auto transmission swap, floor shifter from Nissan Altima Parts, aluminum radiator & electric fan, OBX headers, 3" custom exhaust, explorer roof rack, 2006 mirrors, cut front 60/40 seat to buckets, 4 in lift spindles up front and shackles in back
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  #15  
Old 06-23-2017, 07:53 PM
NewShockerGuy NewShockerGuy is offline
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Default Re: How-To: Hella Supertone install

^
Just saw your in AZ. I can't even imagine 120* temps. Here in VA when it gets 90 the humidity is normally 100% and it's f'ing unbearable to the point that when you walk outside you want to punch a baby...lol

-Nigel
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2001 Ranger XLT 2.3L Auto: Bunch of misc mods.
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