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FYX193 Third LED Brake Light How To
Materials List:
• Acrylic Sheet (or 1/8” Thick smooth finish ABS Plastic Sheet is probably better)
• Cut & Stick Replacement Mirror Sheet (Purchased Through Walmart)
• 3M Spray Adhesive (I used the Duro-brand Adhesive, but I’d recommend 3M)
• Clear Third Brake Housing (I purchased mine through Modern Performance)
• Translucent Red (Krylon Brand Stained Glass) Spray Paint (Purchased through Michael’s Crafts Store)
• Red LED Third Brake Light Purchased through PTPerformance
• Tape (I used blue painters tape)
Tools:
• Drill
• If using the Acrylic Sheet, you need a 3/16” Glass/Tile Drill bit
• Standard 3/16” Drill bit (needed to drill through Mirror sheet)
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
• Sharp Scissors
• Box Cutter with a Sharp Blade
• Flat Head Screw Driver (Used to Separate the Clear Lens from the Housing)
• Marker, Pencil & Paper
• Needle-Nose Pliers (Used to help cut Acrylic Sheet)
• Dremel & cutting discs (Optional, used to cut ABS plastic sheet)
Here’s a few pictures of some of the materials needed:
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You will notice this is how I originally tried to achieve the results I wanted, but ended up going a slightly different route… Below is a picture of the housing next to a completed (clear) acrylic cover for the LED board. I painted the back of the acrylic cover with some Krylon Glass Mirror Paint, hoping to achieve the same mirror finish that the housing has, but as you see, the results were not as advertised.
![]()
In the next picture you can see two different acrylic sheets that I made, the top one has the Krylon Mirror Paint applied to it, and the bottom one has Dupli-Color Chrome paint applied it. Both did not achieve the mirror finish I was hoping for.
![]()
To cut out an acrylic LED board cover, just take a sheet of paper and cut it to size so that while the LED board is positioned as far back as possible in the housing the paper will lay level over top the LED board. Once you have a sheet of paper that is the correct size then measure its length and width. Cut out an acrylic cover measuring the same size of the paper. To do this you need to score the acrylic 3-5 times very carefully along the edge you want to cut with the Box Cutter (Only cut one side at a time). Next try to bend the acrylic along the scored line on the opposite side of the scored side. This will crack the acrylic and result in a quality cut along the scored line. If the acrylic is not cut completely along the scored line, then use the needle-nose pliers to crack the remaining pieces off the acrylic cover.
To drill the holes in the acrylic for the LED’s, to use a 3/16” glass/tile drill bit. This drill bit is designed to shave the hole out of the acrylic instead of cutting it out like a standard bit would do. This is necessary in order to not crack the acrylic cover, and you must drill the holes out VERY slowly because they are so close to each other. Two things can cause the acrylic to crack, excessive temperature from drilling too fast and too much pressure from pushing the bit through the acrylic. This is what took me the longest to accomplish, and with 49 holes to drill it can be frustrating. It took me 3 tries making the acrylic cover before I had a successful result. For this reason, I would recommend trying to use ABS plastic sheets instead of acrylic sheets. You will need a very stiff cover for the LED’s so the Mirror sheet will have something to adhere to without flexing. Before you start drilling, you will need to apply a simi-transparent tape (I used blue painters tape) over the side of the acrylic with the drill marks/dots. This will help stablize the bit when starting to drill the holes. It helps to have Black marks, so that you can see them through the tape. I drilled a starting point over every mark before starting the entire drilling process. I then drilled every hole out by holding the cover with one hand and drilling through it with the other hand. This will help prevent you from applying too much pressure to the acrylic, but be careful not to cut/drill your self... Remember to take it slow.
To determine where to put the holes so they line up properly with the LED’s, use two acrylic covers (Same Size) and tape the back of the LED board to one acrylic cover so that the board’s edges or perimeter is in the Exact center of the cover (Tape the corners and edges of the board). Then Tape the other acrylic cover to the top of the front of the LED board so that the board’s edges or perimeter is in the Exact center of the cover. Tape only the corners and edges of the acrylic cover. Using a Permanent Marker/pen, mark a small (Pin Point dot) over the center of every LED on the acrylic cover. Make sure you are looking at EVERY LED directly over the LED while you mark it. Since the acrylic is clear, it makes this process easier than if you used a sheet of ABS plastic. To mark the ABS plastic you would have to use a clear “Transparency” sheet found at any Office Supply store. The Transparency sheet would then have to be mounted/taped to a clear sheet of acrylic/plastic or glass so that it is stiff. The Transparency would have to have a traced outline of the ABS plastic cover, so that you would know how to align it up to the LED’s before you mark them on the Transparency. The transparency is needed as a template for the ABS because you will be drilling through it vs. a sheet of acrylic, which cracks easily…
Here’s my solution to the Paint issues with the acrylic covers… Replacement Mirror sheets found in the automotive department at Walmart.
![]()
The next picture shows the Replacement Mirror sheet and the Spray Adhesive I used; however, I’d recommend the 3M brand Spray Adhesive because this Duro brand doesn’t adhere as well as the 3M. After a while of applying pressure this Duro brand finally made an acceptable bond.
![]()
The next picture shows the Glass/Tile Drill bit I am using, I purchased it at Lowes.
![]()
Now to start the main part of the project…
Take a sheet of paper and cut it to the approximate size of the housing face. Then tape it to the housing as pictured. Take you pencil and lightly sketch lines back and forth across the edge of the inner housing where the Mirror Sheet will eventually rest.
![]()
Here is a template I came up with after cutting along the line that showed up from the sketch marks.
![]()
Put the acrylic LED board Cover into the housing and lay the paper template on top of the acrylic cover. You will notice that the paper doesn’t quite fit perfectly over the acrylic cover without bending the right and left edges up along the inner housing. To make it flush with the inner housing trim away small sections of the paper at all of the corners until you get a flush fit. The picture below shows my results after trimming the corners of the paper.
Next tape the template over the Mirror sheet as pictured.
![]()
Take the marker and sketch or trace the template onto the Mirror sheet. Then start to cut along the traced line with sharp scissors.
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FYX193 Third LED Brake Light How To
Materials List:
• Acrylic Sheet (or 1/8” Thick smooth finish ABS Plastic Sheet is probably better)
• Cut & Stick Replacement Mirror Sheet (Purchased Through Walmart)
• 3M Spray Adhesive (I used the Duro-brand Adhesive, but I’d recommend 3M)
• Clear Third Brake Housing (I purchased mine through Modern Performance)
• Translucent Red (Krylon Brand Stained Glass) Spray Paint (Purchased through Michael’s Crafts Store)
• Red LED Third Brake Light Purchased through PTPerformance
• Tape (I used blue painters tape)
Tools:
• Drill
• If using the Acrylic Sheet, you need a 3/16” Glass/Tile Drill bit
• Standard 3/16” Drill bit (needed to drill through Mirror sheet)
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
• Sharp Scissors
• Box Cutter with a Sharp Blade
• Flat Head Screw Driver (Used to Separate the Clear Lens from the Housing)
• Marker, Pencil & Paper
• Needle-Nose Pliers (Used to help cut Acrylic Sheet)
• Dremel & cutting discs (Optional, used to cut ABS plastic sheet)
Here’s a few pictures of some of the materials needed:
You will notice this is how I originally tried to achieve the results I wanted, but ended up going a slightly different route… Below is a picture of the housing next to a completed (clear) acrylic cover for the LED board. I painted the back of the acrylic cover with some Krylon Glass Mirror Paint, hoping to achieve the same mirror finish that the housing has, but as you see, the results were not as advertised.
In the next picture you can see two different acrylic sheets that I made, the top one has the Krylon Mirror Paint applied to it, and the bottom one has Dupli-Color Chrome paint applied it. Both did not achieve the mirror finish I was hoping for.
To cut out an acrylic LED board cover, just take a sheet of paper and cut it to size so that while the LED board is positioned as far back as possible in the housing the paper will lay level over top the LED board. Once you have a sheet of paper that is the correct size then measure its length and width. Cut out an acrylic cover measuring the same size of the paper. To do this you need to score the acrylic 3-5 times very carefully along the edge you want to cut with the Box Cutter (Only cut one side at a time). Next try to bend the acrylic along the scored line on the opposite side of the scored side. This will crack the acrylic and result in a quality cut along the scored line. If the acrylic is not cut completely along the scored line, then use the needle-nose pliers to crack the remaining pieces off the acrylic cover.
To drill the holes in the acrylic for the LED’s, to use a 3/16” glass/tile drill bit. This drill bit is designed to shave the hole out of the acrylic instead of cutting it out like a standard bit would do. This is necessary in order to not crack the acrylic cover, and you must drill the holes out VERY slowly because they are so close to each other. Two things can cause the acrylic to crack, excessive temperature from drilling too fast and too much pressure from pushing the bit through the acrylic. This is what took me the longest to accomplish, and with 49 holes to drill it can be frustrating. It took me 3 tries making the acrylic cover before I had a successful result. For this reason, I would recommend trying to use ABS plastic sheets instead of acrylic sheets. You will need a very stiff cover for the LED’s so the Mirror sheet will have something to adhere to without flexing. Before you start drilling, you will need to apply a simi-transparent tape (I used blue painters tape) over the side of the acrylic with the drill marks/dots. This will help stablize the bit when starting to drill the holes. It helps to have Black marks, so that you can see them through the tape. I drilled a starting point over every mark before starting the entire drilling process. I then drilled every hole out by holding the cover with one hand and drilling through it with the other hand. This will help prevent you from applying too much pressure to the acrylic, but be careful not to cut/drill your self... Remember to take it slow.
To determine where to put the holes so they line up properly with the LED’s, use two acrylic covers (Same Size) and tape the back of the LED board to one acrylic cover so that the board’s edges or perimeter is in the Exact center of the cover (Tape the corners and edges of the board). Then Tape the other acrylic cover to the top of the front of the LED board so that the board’s edges or perimeter is in the Exact center of the cover. Tape only the corners and edges of the acrylic cover. Using a Permanent Marker/pen, mark a small (Pin Point dot) over the center of every LED on the acrylic cover. Make sure you are looking at EVERY LED directly over the LED while you mark it. Since the acrylic is clear, it makes this process easier than if you used a sheet of ABS plastic. To mark the ABS plastic you would have to use a clear “Transparency” sheet found at any Office Supply store. The Transparency sheet would then have to be mounted/taped to a clear sheet of acrylic/plastic or glass so that it is stiff. The Transparency would have to have a traced outline of the ABS plastic cover, so that you would know how to align it up to the LED’s before you mark them on the Transparency. The transparency is needed as a template for the ABS because you will be drilling through it vs. a sheet of acrylic, which cracks easily…
Here’s my solution to the Paint issues with the acrylic covers… Replacement Mirror sheets found in the automotive department at Walmart.
The next picture shows the Replacement Mirror sheet and the Spray Adhesive I used; however, I’d recommend the 3M brand Spray Adhesive because this Duro brand doesn’t adhere as well as the 3M. After a while of applying pressure this Duro brand finally made an acceptable bond.
The next picture shows the Glass/Tile Drill bit I am using, I purchased it at Lowes.
Now to start the main part of the project…
Take a sheet of paper and cut it to the approximate size of the housing face. Then tape it to the housing as pictured. Take you pencil and lightly sketch lines back and forth across the edge of the inner housing where the Mirror Sheet will eventually rest.
Here is a template I came up with after cutting along the line that showed up from the sketch marks.
Put the acrylic LED board Cover into the housing and lay the paper template on top of the acrylic cover. You will notice that the paper doesn’t quite fit perfectly over the acrylic cover without bending the right and left edges up along the inner housing. To make it flush with the inner housing trim away small sections of the paper at all of the corners until you get a flush fit. The picture below shows my results after trimming the corners of the paper.
Next tape the template over the Mirror sheet as pictured.
Take the marker and sketch or trace the template onto the Mirror sheet. Then start to cut along the traced line with sharp scissors.
