Final Check - Only for '16+ w/ ARB Summit bumper and/or Aux Lighting (1 Viewer)

[Dan Higgins]

There may not be any of you out there (people with experience adding an ARB Summit bumper and/or Baja Designs lighting to a 2016+ Land Cruiser. But I am just about to pull the trigger on an ARB Summit bumper, Warn winch and additional lighting from Baja Designs including replacing the fog lights and adding a couple of driving lights that will be tied into the auto high beams. I would like to confirm a couple of final questions before placing the order.

• With the ARB bumper the forward facing camera is relocated to the front of the bumper. This will of course through the guidelines off a bit but I actually never use them. I do use the camera from time to time but I'm not overly concerned about the guidelines. Should I be?

As for lighting, we plan to replace the OEM fog lights with Baja Design Squadron Pros. We'll use a driving/combo with a lens that will provide a horizontal cutoff similar to the regular driving lights. Then we are going to add a pair of Baja Designs LP9 Sport driving/combo lights on top of the bumper. These will be tied in to the high beams with a separate switch to enable/disable them. So if they are enabled, they will go on when the high beams are active. If they are disabled then only the high beams will show.

• Should I be concerned about blowing fuses or otherwise overwhelming the lighting electrical system?
• Has anyone tied auxiliary lighting into the automatic high beams? Any issues?

Finally, we are planning to use the BD LP9 lights because supposedly they do not affect the PCS (radar) system. Anyone have an experience with this?

Thanks. I know these are a lot of questions but I really don't want to head down this road and find out I have compromised any of the existing systems on the 2016+ rigs.

 

[Sandroad]

If you are wiring in a separate switch for the LP9 Sports anyway, why not have a circuit separate from the high beams? It looks like those lights are over 6A each, so a pair will be over 12A. I do wonder if the high beam wiring can handle that much extra current?

 

[TonyP]

There may not be any of you out there (people with experience adding an ARB Summit bumper and/or Baja Designs lighting to a 2016+ Land Cruiser. But I am just about to pull the trigger on an ARB Summit bumper, Warn winch and additional lighting from Baja Designs including replacing the fog lights and adding a couple of driving lights that will be tied into the auto high beams. I would like to confirm a couple of final questions before placing the order.

• With the ARB bumper the forward facing camera is relocated to the front of the bumper. This will of course through the guidelines off a bit but I actually never use them. I do use the camera from time to time but I'm not overly concerned about the guidelines. Should I be?

As for lighting, we plan to replace the OEM fog lights with Baja Design Squadron Pros. We'll use a driving/combo with a lens that will provide a horizontal cutoff similar to the regular driving lights. Then we are going to add a pair of Baja Designs LP9 Sport driving/combo lights on top of the bumper. These will be tied in to the high beams with a separate switch to enable/disable them. So if they are enabled, they will go on when the high beams are active. If they are disabled then only the high beams will show.

• Should I be concerned about blowing fuses or otherwise overwhelming the lighting electrical system?
• Has anyone tied auxiliary lighting into the automatic high beams? Any issues?

Finally, we are planning to use the BD LP9 lights because supposedly they do not affect the PCS (radar) system. Anyone have an experience with this?

Thanks. I know these are a lot of questions but I really don't want to head down this road and find out I have compromised any of the existing systems on the 2016+ rigs.

Make sure when you order the LP9s that they come with the wiring harness. It'll include most everything you'll need including an inline fuze. The harness isn't cheap but it makes life much easier and it has their special BD plugs. It also has a 4 positiion switch (I believe) included.

You'll probably need to add in a high amperage relay if you plan having your high beams be the trigger. So triggering the headlights will trigger the relay which will trigger the LP9s (or whatever). They'll be powered from the battery however, this is where the relay is essential.

I can't remember how far apart my LP9s were but I didn't have any issue with PCS/Radar.

For addtional info; the LP9s technically have three seperate switch modes. There's an "all on" mode where... well... all the lights are on full blast. There's a driving mode with only 1/2 the lights and the 3rd is the parking light mode where the little "BD" logo lights yellow.

 

[Dan Higgins]

If you are wiring in a separate switch for the LP9 Sports anyway, why not have a circuit separate from the high beams? It looks like those lights are over 6A each, so a pair will be over 12A. I do wonder if the high beam wiring can handle that much extra current?

Good questions. This is what I am wondering as well though to be honest I understand nothing about these electronics. I will be having Slee do the install. I certainly trust their expertise more than my own. On the other hand, I don’t know if they have done this specific setup with a 2016+ which has the auto high beams.

I do like the auto high beams and thought it would be convenient to have the LP9 Sports go on at the same time when I allow it. That way if I am on a trail and someone comes around a corner, I don’t need to hit 2 switches - to turn down the intense beams. Not only can I do it easily with one switch but it will work automatically.

But if the internal wiring will not handle it then obviously it won’t work.

 

[Dan Higgins]

Make sure when you order the LP9s that they come with the wiring harness. It'll include most everything you'll need including an inline fuze. The harness isn't cheap but it makes life much easier and it has their special BD plugs. It also has a 4 positiion switch (I believe) included.

You'll probably need to add in a high amperage relay if you plan having your high beams be the trigger. So triggering the headlights will trigger the relay which will trigger the LP9s (or whatever). They'll be powered from the battery however, this is where the relay is essential.

I can't remember how far apart my LP9s were but I didn't have any issue with PCS/Radar.

For addtional info; the LP9s technically have three seperate switch modes. There's an "all on" mode where... well... all the lights are on full blast. There's a driving mode with only 1/2 the lights and the 3rd is the parking light mode where the little "BD" logo lights yellow.

Thanks for this, Tony! I will check with Slee on the wiring harness and high amp relay. They will do the ordering and installation. As for 3 switch modes, I’ll bet this is not the case with the LP9 Sport as it is with the Race and Pro models according to what I read on their website last night. The Sport model doesn’t have all those options. Just on and off.

 

[TonyP]

Yup, you're right. I was thinking of the LP9 Pros that I had.

"Note: The LP9 Sport is simple on/off (no hi/lo) and does not include the amber backlit feature. These features are available on the LP9 Pro and Racer Editions."

That should make wiring even easier.

If Slee is doing the install you should be set. They know what they're doing. Just tell them what you're looking for.

I see they have an LP6 now too which is a little smaller. That might be something to consider. The LP9s are massive.

 

[weaselox]

Just my personal experience, the LP9s and the Baja products have been subpar at best. I’m nine months in and I’m on my second, about to be third, S8 lightbar from Baja (water keeps building up in the housing). On the LP9 front, the ground wire was improperly installed inside the housing causing one of my lights to fail. Second issue, they provided the wrong wiring harnesses twice. If you decide to stick with them, good luck and have Baja’s customer service # in your phone.

 

[TonyP]

Never had any issues with my four BD items .

 

[weaselox]

Glad your experience has been positive. Mine on the other hand, not great.

Never had any issues with my four BD items .

 

[Dan Higgins]

Just my personal experience, the LP9s and the Baja products have been subpar at best. I’m nine months in and I’m on my second, about to be third, S8 lightbar from Baja (water keeps building up in the housing). On the LP9 front, the ground wire was improperly installed inside the housing causing one of my lights to fail. Second issue, they provided the wrong wiring harnesses twice. If you decide to stick with them, good luck and have Baja’s customer service # in your phone.

I always appreciate hearing about people's personal experience. The reviews I've seen on BD have been very good. I have heard of issues with Rigid. Maybe "nobody is perfect?"

 

[weaselox]

@Dan Higgins, completely understand. I had Rigids on my Wrangler and loved them, never had an issue. I went the BD route as I was sold on their superiority from discussions with my peers. All that being said, I just got bit with a couple QC issues that have driven me nuts. Good luck with them, I hope they work out for you.

 

[Dan Higgins]

So I talked to a different person at Slee today. Apparently the Baja Design Squadron Pros do not fit with the new ARB Summit bumper for the 2016+ models. (Nor the TJM.) Evidently Toyota changed up the way the fog lights mount. I understand that Rigid has the same issue. I was very much counting on being able to replace the fog lights with something more powerful to use as a wide/curve light. So that is out. And to be honest, with the cost of the bumper, lighting and winch totalling near $8K I am going to put this off for a while to make sure that I am able to achieve everything I need from the setup.

 

[weaselox]

The factory fogs are plug and play, they give a fine spread from the summit

 

[residualboulders]

Anyone ever put these LP9s on your ARB bumper? Do they fit without drilling new holes? Trying to decide how to wire some spots up on my bumper and use the switchpro, seems like most of these deluxe lights these days have their own multi-level switch which is cool, but we are very limited on dash space in the 200.