LED Tail Lights On A Chevy Blazer - Do-It-Yourself Custom Tails

10. Use the supplied applicator to spread the epoxy on the back of the acrylic lens and adhere it to the smooth side of the diffuser lens.

11. Next, using a generous amount of epoxy, spread it on the machined edge of the acrylic lens and body panel and set the lens in the cut-out. It's OK if you make a bit of a mess. The epoxy will dry crystal-clear and can be sanded off in the event that any gets on the front of the lens. You'll need to wait for the epoxy to fully cure before continuing.

12. Once the epoxy is fully cured and the lens is permanently attached to your truck, it's time to smooth it out. The best method for this is to use either an 80-grit wheel or a D/A sander and take the protruding portion of the lens down, nearly flush with the exterior panel. You don't want to bring it all the way down, as we still have some sanding to do.

13. Take a light coat of body filler and smooth the entire area. Bodywork the lens area down until the panel is completely smooth. Finish with some glazing compound to fill any minor imperfections in the filler, and smooth again. When you're done, the lens should be fully visible and there is no notable transition between the lens and the panel.

14. Prep the area by masking the visible portion of the lens, then spray it down with your favorite coat of primer.

15. With the lens install complete, we moved back to the inside of the tailgate and worked on the wiring. While every vehicle will be different, this should give you a good idea of what to look for. On our Blazer, the wiring for the taillights was pulled back through the body and into the cargo area so we could work with it. We used a shop manual to get the color codes for each wire and a test light to double-check.

16. The hot side of the tail/brake portion of the LED was crimped to the provided resistor pigtail and wired into the stock tail and brake lines. The pigtail takes the place of traditional TAC boxes, serving to send different voltages to the LEDs for brake and taillight capabilities. The turn-signal portion of the LED was run to the stock turn 12-volt line, and the whole unit was grounded.

17. After the final wiring and testing, you can mount your LED unit. Slip it over the mounting studs and tighten down the nuts and lock washers. Using an all-weather clear silicone, run a bead around the entire LED bucket. This will ensure that no moisture gets into your new lights.

18. There you have it. In an afternoon's time, you can easily install some sweet new tails. Of course, you'll need to take the rest of the day to shave the stock tails, so get to work.