lights on bumper or on roof?

[lovetoski]

Hi,

I'm wondering what difference it makes to put driving lights on the roof rack vesus on the bumper? Assuming all else (lens, wattage, aiming, etc.) is the same, does height from the ground help or hurt?

Just in case it matters how I'm going to use them, my purpose is to use them for a mix of on and off-road. I plan to have a mix of "euro-beam" and a pencil. If I put all of them on top, then I might add cornering beams (which would be for off-road only).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Best Regards,

 

[Landpimp]

bumper is the place, if on the roof the refection off the hood will blind you. and on the roof you can't legaly use the lights, some cops might even hasle you if they don't have covers.

a pair of Euro beam 4000s on the front will do the trick

 

[jungleboy]

Lights are used on a rack when there is a probability that the lights on bumper won't be usable. For example if mud is splashed on your light and you turn them on a mud "crust" is going to prevent any light coming through. If you're going to wheel in high (real high) snow the lights won't work either.
If you decide you have a need for roof lights you can paint the middle of your hood with rhino liner or any black non glossy paint. It'll prevent the blinbing effect.

 

[Landpimp]

yep thats what I did on my fj80........also the dog on the hood keeps the glare down

Lights are used on a rack when there is a probability that the lights on bumper won't be usable. For example if mud is splashed on your light and you turn them on a mud "crust" is going to prevent any light coming through. If you're going to wheel in high (real high) snow the lights won't work either.
If you decide you have a need for roof lights you can paint the middle of your hood with rhino liner or any black non glossy paint. It'll prevent the blinbing effect.

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

Nice set up you have there Pimp daddy.


TB

 

[OswaldtheBold]

Lights on the roof help illuminate down into deep holes, where bumper mounted lights just cast shadows. This can be useful if you drive in places with lots of potholes, or if the trail spends a lot of time going into and out of creek beds (like the old Salt Creek trail in Canyonlands). You cannot use roof mounted lights on the highway without getting into trouble, and in some states you can get hassled just for having them.
Roof mounted lights can cause a blinding glare off your hood, but you can make light shields that keep the light off the hood.
I use a bumper mounted pencil beam on divided highways and frontage roads to light up my lane without blinding oncoming drivers. Works great, but it is a special application to fit my needs.
I also run E-code 7" headlights with 100W high beams, Hella fogs, and another set of lights on the sides that light up hairpin switchbacks.

 

[Exiled]

There are pros and cons to each.

Front mounted lights:

1. More vulnerable to flying gravel or submersion.
3. Easier to aim and control pattern of illumination
3. Better to illuminate details
4. Easier to wire
5. More permanent installation (roof racks come on and off)
6. Are for the most part legal in most states (with limitations)

Roof Rack mounted lights:

1. More vulnerable to low-hanging branches
2. Throw out a wider pattern
3. Provide long-distance illumination
4. Harder to steal quickly

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

Both.



TB

 

[lovetoski]

Thanks all. Like most things, it sounds like there are pro's and con's. For what I need (short term) it sounds like front mount is best (no glare, no cops, easy). If/when I get more ambitous, then rack mount might be a good step.

 

[Cruza]

Man i'de love to drive through snow....Whats it like compared to mud and slops ???

N

 

[lovetoski]

Clean-up is really easy!

 

[Cruza]

IS it similar to driving on sand ???

 

[hj60]

There are different kinds of snow. ANd they all do different things to your rig.
Be thankful you don't get snow. Then you'd have salt. And your Cruisers would only last a few decades before rusting from the bottom up.

 

[archtimb]

I agree on the "both" approach. Not that I have any experience with it, but that's what I'm planning. Mine eyes don't for work so good no more! The more light, the better! I expect to make sheilds for the rack lights to keep the beam off the hood.

In a somewhat related question, what is the preferred method to run the rack wiring? How do you handle wanting to sometimes taking the rack off?

Thanks,
Mitch

 

[Exiled]

Using a trailer plug on the roof rack's wire harness makes the installation clean, and allows you to quickly take the the rack off. Some people run it between the body and the liftgate, although in my experience this distorts the top seal and leads to leaks.

I've seen some pretty clean installs where the owners ran the wire harness parallel to the snorkel and into the vents on the cowl right below the windshield. Another FJ60 I saw a while back had a trailer socket drilled and mounted into the top of the fender (same one where the snorkel hole was already cut into).

When I wired my roofrack, I kept all the relays inside the engine compartment and ran the wire harness up to the rack inside a rubber fuel hose. Clean install, all the wires are contained and protected, and the wire harness itself quick disconnects.

Four Hella floods in the front behind the grille, one rubber tractor flood on each side of the rack, and two more tractor floods on the back of the rack to illuminate the campsite. I only did two switches, one for the front, one for the sides and back, and a bank of four relays, one for each pair of lights. Seems to be holding up pretty well so far.

I'll try to dig up some pics, I took a bunch of them when I finished the project, but then took the roofrack off to control the fuel consumption and it's been off for the better part of a year.

 

[archtimb]

Thanks! I was thinking about some sort of a trailer connection. I am into a total rebuild, so the world is my oyster. The pillars are open, also the headliner. Maybe I'll go searching for a spiffy connector that would last here in the land of salt and rust. Maybe a mounted trailer socket. Not in a big hurry to put a hole in somewhere after all the work I put in to close the old holes off! Oh yeah, no snorkle and no plans for one in the foreseeable future. I agree on the liftgate thing. Just repaired a nice rust pocket in an upper corner where the ws failed.

Mitch

 

[dogboy2]

....also the dog on the hood keeps the glare down

Pimp, that is one fine looking hood ornament you've got there. Probably helps keep the bug count down on the windscreen as well. That takes the "seeing eye dog" thing to a whole new level, especially since his eyes are closed -- man! that is some kind of dog!!

-dogboy- '87 FJ60