cpbeasley

Sorry if this has been mentioned, mods feel free to delete or merge, but when installing my friends and my wife's DDM kits, we used adhesive backed velcro strips to attach the ballasts to the car; used the subframe on both sides. VERY secure, very OEM looking, very clean, and NO silly zip ties.
will get pics asap.

jcnash

I wouldn't rely on the Velcro strips to hold the ballasts. When the engine bay gets hot, over time the adhesive on te Velcro strips is bound to fail and one day you're going to hear the unmistakable clunk of the ballasts falling into the engine bay as you drive along.

Needless to say this can cause significant damage if it hits a moving engine part.

Nothing wrong with adding muliple zip ties for extra insurance and peace of mind IMHO!

cpbeasley

that being why we triple checked the areas we stuck the velcro before we did it.

to each his own, obviously will be checking them regularly for a while, but i have faith it will work, and look so much cleaner.

also purchased the heavy duty velcro that was indicated for outdoor applications

pcy

cpbeasley, pictures would help ...

I understand what jcnash is saying about glue deteriorating over time (especially when exposed to cold weather and hot temperatures in the engine compartment). It makes a big difference if the glue on the velcro strips has to carry the weight of the ballast or the glue is there just to keep the ballast in place (if you put the velcro stip on the bottom of the ballast and let it rest on the subframe... essentially the velcro is just keeping the ballast stay put). On the other hand, if the weight of the ballast is on the shoulders of the glue behind the velcro, then over time it will come off .

cpbeasley

pictures to come.

worst case scenario they come loose:

the ballasts then immediately catch due to short length of the wires connected to it, and they come to rest in a nook surrounding the headlight, maybe occasionally shifting back and forth as the wires allow. the suggestion is ridiculous that they would hit a moving part. This would indicate they come unconnected and somehow move at least a foot towards the center of the engine, defying gravity and the short reach of the wires in the process

i get your concerns, but im going to take my chances with the "industrial" (lol i know that means nothing) strength velcro. in the meantime it looks a hell of a lot better...

and yes, the velcro is mostly holding them in place. they aren't hanging upside down like spiderman.

OneOfaKindTrini

I put my right ballast on the frame rails and wrapped them around in zip ties. Not moving. If I falls it's not falling near the engine

nrg_mike

I use heavy 3m double sided tape to mount both of my ballasts. On the driver's side, it is mounted on the frame vertically and has held fine. The passenger side is mounted flat on it's back and that is surely not going to have any issues.

jcnash

cpbeasley,
I wasn't trying to be a doomsayer. Just watching out for a fellow mbworlder.
Obviously if you've taken the necessary precautions and are sure the ballast won't cause further damage even if it did come loose, you should be ok.
Enjoy!

cpbeasley

Finally some faith in a little adhesive! And Im sure your setup looks very clean my friend, no?

haha, I understand benz brother , I also am not totally naive to the harsh conditions under the hood, and after feeling how secure these suckers felt, just wanted people to realise it was a viable second option!

ND2020

Just to clear it up a bit more, the cables got some zip ties to hold them back, out of sight. So if they were to come loose, they aren't going far like cpbeasley stated.

cpbeasley

yes, what he said^^^, the friend mentioned in the story finally decide to show up . we're both reasonable guys, i dont think we both wouldve let a stupid idea get by us. but yes did back the velcro up a short distance away down the attached wiring harness

well, well, about time you showed up! i like the handle, i think i own the rights to that tho, prolly shoulda cleared it with me first i didnt think id ever post so went with the email login! wonder if i can change it to bon3d