As far as vehicular customization materials are concerned, the options have been somewhat limited until the last few years. Metal was the only thing available, unless you wanted to chance fiberglass. Today, carbon fiber is the customization material of choice. It's lightweight, incredibly strong and looks great on today's cars. That said, real carbon fiber is expensive. You can expect to shell out quite a bit for a carbon fiber wing or hood. That begs the question: is carbon fiber right for you?

You can find a number of options available in carbon fiber, from car dash components and other interior goodies to wing spoilers and even entire hoods. A carbon fiber hood weighs considerably less than a metal hood. That means your car is lighter, freeing up horsepower to provide you with additional speed and performance.

Why wouldn't carbon fiber be the right material for you? The high price can be one reason not to use this material. The number of fakes on the market can also be a deterrent, or at least sound a cautionary note. It seems that everyone is marketing accessories covered with fake carbon fiber as the real thing. If you decide that carbon fiber is the right thing for you, choose your source carefully. Remember, carbon fiber costs quite a bit; you're not likely to find real carbon fiber for sale at your local flea market.

Have you every been ripped off by any cheap knock offs?

Numerous ways exist to customize your ride; you can add neon lights, drop your car to just inches above the ground and add enormous rims and tires. However, adding custom dash gauges can give your car a unique look and enormous style. You'll find a wide array of colors and effects from which to choose, as well.

One of the most popular styles is a simple white background, with either red or white numbers/lettering. This allows you to see the gauge better, and it just looks good. How do you add custom gauge and dial covers to your ride? Well, the answer to that question will depend largely on what type of car you have.

Older vehicles simply have 4 or 5 screws holding the gauge cluster in. However, newer models have tons of trim that must be removed prior to actually removing the gauge cluster. Yes, you have to remove the gauge cluster to insert those new covers.

First, determine what trim must come off (a Haynes manual works well here). Remove the trim, and then locate the screws holding the assembly in. After removing these, the assembly should slide free of the dash. You'll still have to take the outer cover off, as well.

Now, simply place the new covers over your old gauges and dials. You'll need to remove the needles to do this for most cars. Be careful here; you must put the needles back in the right position, in order for them to be accurate.

Now is also a good time to add a new light to your dash to make the most of the new look. Check out our car light accessories for ideas on how to highlight your dash, and we also have neon lights for trucks available.

Customizing your ride can be done in a number of different ways. You can add a wings spoiler, a ground effects kit, huge rims and low profile tires. However, one of the best ways to customize your ride is to add an led underbody kit or neon undercar light kit. These are systems of neon or led tubes that attach to your underbody and provide a glow that can be seen on the road. You can find a number of different colors, from green to blue to red and many others, as well.

However, are these systems worth the cost? They are notoriously easy to damage. Simply having your oil changed or your tires rotated can be a detriment to your lights if the mechanic puts your ride on a lift without knowing that your lights are there. A quick "crunch" and that's the end of your lighting system. In addition, water can wreak havoc with your lighting system. If your wires are inadequately insulated (bare spots, worn spots) or are connected improperly, water can short out your system.

The benefits of these lighting systems can outweigh the detractions, though. There are few better ways to increase the customization of your car in such a visible and dramatic way. With a few simple precautions, you can virtually eliminate most causes of malfunction. However, things can still happen that will turn you lights off if you are not careful.

To sum up, customizing your car with underbody lighting can give you a great look, but you should make sure you take the necessary precautions to get the most life out of your system.

Come to Urban Neon Car Lights and check out the wide selection of automotive lighting accessories to make the street glow!

If you're adding enormous wheels and low profile tires to your ride, chances are you're doing it for looks. Adding new wheels, body kits, spoilers and more is a great way to change the way your ride looks. However, in order to maximize the benefits (and minimize the drawbacks), you may need to opt for larger brakes, as well. If you are not lightening the load as you go (removing weight from the vehicle), you'll find that you quickly add a large amount of weight to your car or truck.

All that added weight can add up to big problems for your braking system. Standard OEM braking systems are designed to withstand the inertial force of the vehicle's OEM weight. However, adding weight can dramatically reduce brake component and even brake system lifespan. By adding weight, you are increasing the strain on each component. At best, you will find that brake pad and rotor wear is accelerated. At worst, you can crack caliper pins.

The easiest way to avoid the problem is to install oversized brakes and rotors. Slotted or cross-drilled rotors and larger calipers can be added to any car, easily. By doing this, you not only combat component fatigue and early brake wear, but you provide your car with additional stopping power. In fact, oversized brakes and cross-drilled rotors can be a great addition to any ride, no matter how modified it may be.

You'll find a wide array of brands available, though you should find a set that matches your OEM mounting location; the brake mount location is not something that you really want to tinker with.

If your looking to upgrade your braking system give us a call at 1-800-613-1496, or check out our selection of led wheel lights, and at Urban Neon Car Lights.

So, you've got a powerhouse of a truck, with killer 4-wheel drive and all the trimmings. Now you just can't wait to take that baby off road. Your first stop, of course, is to put a lift kit on that baby. After all, it needs to ride high, right?

Well, sort of; while a lift kit is a basic necessity, many off roaders overlook one important part of their off road setup. The lift kit does not affect your axle height. You can modify your suspension until your truck chassis sits 10 feet high in the air, but your axles will still be stock height. In addition, the higher you go, the steeper the angle your driveshaft must fall at to meet with the differential.

How do you overcome this? Simply put, you must go bigger. With your wheels, that is. Adding larger diameter rims and some nice chunky off road tires will help raise those axles off the ground. You can take your truck off road and still clear those rocks, now. How big can you go? Well, you can take it as tall as you want. Just remember, you'll need to match your lug pattern. Also, the higher the wheel and tire, the greater the stress put on your hub when traveling over unlevel surfaces. Shearing through a hub is not something you want to experience.

A set of 44 in. mudders should do your truck fine, though you can find a number of other options on the market, today. Shop around and find the rims and tires that work best on your truck and never add only a lift kit if you intend to actually use your truck off road.

Come to Urban Neon Car Lights to browse our collection of led truck lighting or if your looking for a lift kit for your truck feel free to give us a ring toll free at 1-800-613-1496!

Changing your tail lights is one of the simplest tasks in the world, once you know how to go about it. Why change your tail lights? Perhaps one of your bulbs is burned out, or perhaps you have elected to install led bulbs in an attempt to add a slightly more custom look to your ride. Regardless of the reason, you'll find that changing them can be simplicity yourself.

You will need a few tools and, of course, the replacement tail light bulbs. Obviously, the exact removal and installation procedure will vary by vehicle, as well as by year model, but the variances are not very great. You can easily determine which type you have, simply by looking at your vehicle.

There are two main types of replacement tail lights; those that you can access externally and those that you have to access from inside the trunk. The majority of modern vehicles fall into the latter class. However, if you need to, many lighting assemblies can be removed from the exterior, simply by removing the mounting screws.

Exterior Accessed

Tools Required:

• Flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers. If your vehicle uses hex head bolts or another kind of mounting bolt, you'll need appropriate tools. Phillips head screws are the most common, though metric head bolts, hex head bolts and others are used on some models.
• Electrical tape or a soft cloth
• Replacement bulbs

Steps:

1. Remove the mounting bolts and place them somewhere out of the way. Do not lose these; you'll need them again!
2. Wrap the head of your flathead screwdriver with a small piece of tape or the end of the cloth. This will help avoid scratching either the light or the paint on your car.
3. Gently pry around the assembly until it begins to come loose.
4. Pull straight back on the tail light assembly until it comes free of the car. Note: Some vehicles (notably Honda's) employ a tight fit to ensure that the tail light stays firmly in place. You will need to use moderate force to remove them. Use your screwdriver for additional leverage. Avoid using too much pressure, as you can crack the light housing or even dent your vehicle.
5. Locate the blown bulb and twist the connector to remove it from the assembly. Most connectors move counterclockwise. Pull the bulb loose from the connector and replace with the new bulb.
6. Repeat steps in reverse order. Note: You may need to use moderate effort to force the assembly back into the proper mounting location. Make sure that the mounting guides are correctly located prior to forcing the assembly in.
7. Note: Some exterior accessed bulbs must be removed from the interior. If this is the case, you will need an appropriately sizes socket (generally 10mm), an extension and a ratchet. Simply remove the nuts from the mounting bolts and set them aside. Then push outward on the assembly. You will need to use moderate force in order to move the assembly.

Interior Accessed

Tools Needed:

• Flathead screwdriver and Phillips head screwdriver
• Replacement bulbs

Steps:

1. Locate the access panel inside the trunk to access your light assembly. Remove the cover. Most covers have a simple twist lock, though some use a tension lock. Twist the lock counterclockwise or pull back on the tension lock. The access panel will swing open and you can then remove it.
2. Locate the blown bulb and twist the connector counterclockwise.
3. Remove the bulb from the connector and insert the new bulb.
4. Repeat steps in reverse order to reinstall.

Notes about Bulbs:

Most consumers today have no idea what type of tail light bulb they require. It is important that you get the right kind, though. Different types of bulbs have different connectors, even though they may look similar. The first place to look for bulb designation is in your owner's manual. If you no longer have your owner's manual, or it doesn't list it, the only way to find out is to remove the old bulb or check this bulb guide.

The bulb designation will be marked on the metal or plastic cap at the base of the bulb. It will be a series of letter and numbers, usually stamped in ink. This denotes exactly what kind of bulb you have, as well as the connector type required. You can write down the numbers, but the best bet is to check the guide above and find out the exact size you need.

While hybrids are still the new kids on the block, they have gained great notoriety in the automotive and the consumer world. These not-so-sexy vehicles promise incredible savings on fuel consumption over traditional types of vehicles. Some automakers (notably Honda and Chevy) are breaking with the Prius-esque picture of the hybrid and have put out stylish vehicles with this technology.

However, can a hybrid vehicle be a street machine? Can you tune it as you would a traditional car? Many hotrodders are taking notice of these cars and these are only a couple of the questions they have. So, what can you do with a hybrid? The answer is somewhat convoluted.

Yes, you can tune a hybrid. However, it's not something that you're going to want to tackle in your driveway. Hybrids contain very different power routing and power supplies than traditional cars. Tinkering with those systems can be deadly. If you intend to modify the electronic system in your vehicle, you'll need to find a qualified mechanic.

However, you can modify the exterior with relative ease. Few body kits are available for hybrids, as yet, but the intrepid turner can find some on the market. A note of caution in wheel modification and changes: changing your wheels and tires can lead to warning lights. Most hybrids are equipped with TPMS systems (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). The sensors for these systems are mounted inside the wheel and provide information to the car's computer. Replacing your wheels with larger ones will set off the warning light, as the sensor will no longer provide information for the computer.

In short, modifying a hybrid should be left up to the professionals and those with the wallets to afford to tune them correctly.

I hope this has been interesting. You should check out our car accessory lights and led strobe lights pages for a great selection of aftermarket lighting.

A set of oversized drilled or slotted rotors can add a dramatic look, set behind your custom rims. However, do they offer more than simple cosmetic benefits? You bet! Drilled/slotted rotors offer you numerous benefits, including improved stopping power, cooler brake temperatures and longer brake life.

Drilled rotors are simply that; brake rotors that have holes drilled through them. Usually, these holes are in curved patterns, resembling curved arms radiating out from the center hole. What do these holes do? They allow your brakes to remain cooler during usage by allowing more air to pass through the rotor, whisking away the heat buildup.

In addition, those wondrous little holes also provide a means for gas dispersion. When you apply your brakes, and the pads meet the rotors, gas, dust and debris builds up. This is trapped between the rotor and the pad, reducing the amount of braking power. Imagine trying to the positive poles of two magnets together; it can be done, but not easily. The gas buildup between your pads and rotors acts in much the same way.

Drilled rotors allow that gas to escape through the holes, giving you much more braking power. A set of drilled rotors is a must for any performance ride, or can be added simply to increase the stopping power and sex appeal of a street machine. If you cannot afford to add an oversized brake set to your car, you can drill your own rotors with only a few simple tools. If you are unsure about patterning, the drill bits required or anything else, consider asking for help from someone with more experience.

I hope this was helpful. Come to Urban Neon Car Lights and browse our wide selection of led underbody kits.