Idk why I'm making this more difficult than necessary... probably cause if there's something I'm forgetting or not considering I don't wanna have to go back through and re-do it.

18 led rock lights ( pods) = 1.53 amp draw total.

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

Yes.... i do relays for piece of mind... sure your switch can handle those amps but why test it

Yup I would add the relays you can them at the auto parts store pretty cheap

Yea... I've got relays. I usually don't run accessories without them but this time with such low amp draw I'm thinking it would be safe to just skip it... as long as there's not some other benefit that I'm not considering.

I'm a big proponent of relays. But let's face it, 1.53 amps isn't going to burn out a switch any time soon, and you won't be saving much on wire size or anything. While it gives a fuzzy feeling inside, I don't think you are gaining anything with a relay in this case.

As long as everything is properly wired and fused, I really don't see a relay being a benefit for this.

Yea... I've already got my harnesses made and wired in nice and clean.. very professional/ factory looking. I'd rather not go back in and splice a relay into the wiring if I can avoid it.

Thanks TB and to the other replies also.

No relay needed. You'll be barely using 25 watts worth of power.

Thank you, sir. I agree.

More than anything, I was just wondering if there was any other benefit in regards to voltage spike or uneven light distribution ( throughout the daisy chain) that a relay might regulate/ control .

No such benefit from a simple relay. They are literally just a switch inside. The only difference being that a small electromagnet flips it on instead of your finger.

Some relays have a clamping diode built in to protect against voltage spikes, but that is on the relay control circuit (meaning, the circuit your switch is on) and is actually meant to protect your switch from the relay itself. As the magnetic field of the electromagnet collapses it can induce a voltage spike back through the switch circuit and cause a slight arc in the switch, a clamping diode shorts this spike to ground, increasing the lifespan of the switch that controls the relay. A even with a clamping diode a relay offers no protection to the load circuit.

Yep... didn't think so but you just confirmed what I thought to be true. I really appreciate the input... Thanks a ton. I think I'm going to just run this one as is and skip the relay this time.