Mounting 2 lights- Bumper? Roof?

[sandcruiser]

I mostly drive on gravel roads or vegetation-choked trails.

I finally added my roof rack to the truck again, so now I'm looking at where to add my driving lights.

the lights are the little Lightforce lights, don't recall the exact size. They are about as bright as normal hi-beams call 'em ~75 watts/ea. Maybe more, maybe less, but they look about like regular hi-beams in intensity.

They can be aimed for spread or pencil beam.

My primary need is to see cows and humans down the road a little ways when driving on gravel roads at night, but also handy for slower tight-trail driving.

I think that it might not be totally legal to have roof-mounted lights (like many parts of the USA) but that doesn't seem to matter to most people.

Wiring is a tad easier on the bumper.

So.... for those of you who have experience, in dusty conditions (maybe rainy conditions), at moderate speeds (under 45mph), will I like rack-mounted or bumper-mounted better?

If you can post pics with your reply, that is more fun.

 

[1tontoy]

Without a doubt, priority is lights on your bumper. You get better visibility driving than on a rack. Secondary is lights on a rack.

Plus, if you remove the rack, you'll still have your lights.

 

[tag3]

Lights farther up iluminate the holes more, lower lights can cast shadows over the holes and the depth cannot be seen. Opinion here.

 

[bogus one]

Lights farther up iluminate the holes more, lower lights can cast shadows over the holes and the depth cannot be seen. Opinion here.

x-2.....

 

[1tontoy]

Totally, respectfully disagree. Not sure how much you guys have actually driven with either setup...Lights above make it harder to see into the dark. You need the contrast of light to dark to get depth. Depth of hole is irrelevant, seeing the hole is the priority. You gonna drive into a hole you 'think' isn't deep based on lighting...NO. You are going to dodge it. Lower lights allow you to see further ahead.

Now if you are just creeping 15-20KM/H, then upper lights are good. But, my experience is driving faster with overhead lighting is difficult because it hinders depth perception; obstacles come up out of the dark 'quicker' instead of gradually . Then again, its prolly a personal preference. Some guys that run Baja 1000 prefer lowers, others prefer uppers. I run the big Hellas, so they are bright as hell and have a beam reaching over 2 miles.
My $.02.

 

[alkarich]

You mentioned dusty conditions. For that the roof rack lights seem to make sense.

 

[bogus one]

It's cool, 1Ton.

I actualy run both

 

[Mark W]

Lights on a roof rack or anything else that locates them just behind the front of the roof will glare on the windshield and hood unless you install some sort of shield to shadow these areas. They are more prone to damage from branches than bumper mounted lights.

Bumper mounted lights are more prone to gravel damage.

Lights up high will still provide illuminate during water fording.


I have run lights in both locations on a number of rigs over the years, running up and down the Alaska highway in the winter a few times along with long distance off road and daily road/highway use. I tie my grill located driving lights into the high beams and anytime the high beams are on the aux lights are too.


For mainly road use, and for driving lights, a location just below the top of the grill is ideal for illumination purposes.


For tight trails at low speed, flood lights (like the lights on a bobcat or similar small heavy equipment, but NOT the cheesy 35 watts "worklight" at the parts store) mounted on the roof rack are fantastic... but again, you will want some sort of glare shield to keep the light off the windshield and hood.


Mark...

 

[sandcruiser]

thanks for the info.

Eventually, I'd like to have work lights at all 4 corners of the rack, so maybe the driving lights on the bumper for starters.....

all opinions welcome

 

[96r50]

Lights on a roof rack or anything else that locates them just behind the front of the roof will glare on the windshield and hood unless you install some sort of shield to shadow these areas.

X2. My buddy has 4 Hella 500s on a roof bar on his Xterra. The glare on the hood is brutal (IMO) and really annoying. I have two 500s on my bumper and they work great for supplementing the high beams at night.

 

[sirenmoses]

Liked my Daylighters on the bumper enuf that I did it again on my second rig.

Use 'em for night dusty driving on 2 tracks and most anytime after-dark on 2 lanes w/no on-coming traffic. Seen deer, turkey, bear and elk: ain't hit a one yet.

They don't work so well in driving snow-storms, but that's about the only time; yes, I need fog lamps for that....

 

[hereorthere]

sandcruiser, what sort of lights are you getting/have? i've been looking for some, but there's a lot to choose from, any recommendations?

 

[Mark W]

Sand Cruiser said he is using Lightforce. 170s it sounds like to me.


Personally, I buy whatever knock off brand of KC daylighter copy is at the local walmart. I might run these reflectors and 100 watt H1 bulbs until they burn out, or I might s***can them right off. Buy a set of 6 inch aircraft landing lights (yep, that is what they are and what they are sold as) Napa or similar parts house. They are a sealed beam, 100 watt, tightly would filament and quality reflector. And not over priced like most "Offroad" lights". Install these to replace the bulb and reflector assembly in your KC knockoff.

High quality and high power light, affordable price, available replacements bulbs practically anywhere in NA, and sealed (waterproof).



Mark...

 

[sandcruiser]

I have Lightforce lamps as a hold-over from a previous build. They worked well before, I anticipate that they will work well again. Very sturdy, lightweight. They are smaller than a 60's front headlamps... so... 5"?

*Not* totally waterproof, and that's what killed the larger Lightforce lights that I had (about 6" or 7" on the old ones).

If I were buying new lights, I'd try to go with Mark's suggestion. Sounds wise. Another option that I'd like to try out someday would be to get fab/buy some housings for standard, sealed beam headlamps and build them into the bumper. They work well enough for headlamps.... should add good light and have a cut-off (in theory).

If I had been more on-the-ball I might have done that with the cibie lenses that were on my 60 when I sold it. Those were great reflectors and take an h4 bulb (easy to find).

But for now.... the lightforce will work just fine. I may put 1 or 2 inexpensive tractor lights up front as well, as I've got them sitting on the shelf, and they would work decent for slow-moving action and/or winching at night, I reckon.

Thanks for the opinions! Lights will be going on the bumper with a dash switch to a relay so I can run them w/ the hibeams, or by themselves, or turn them off.

 

[Dave 2000]

I would go for the bumper fitting, I had roof lights on my present car and the glare is nasty from the bonnet (hood?) and the wind noise is also present so they were taken off. They were good at picking out terrain at a slow speed but did nothing for the highway at speed unless they were tilted down towards the road and then the bonnet glare was back. You can matt black the bonnet which apparently helps?

regards

Dave

 

[B.C. Hoshall]

A little off topic, but running your most used aux lights (Bumper or Rack) through a relay to a toe switch is super handy. Much easier than reaching for the dash, pillar or console. IMHO.

 

[sandcruiser]

I like the concept of a toe switch, but with the dirt/water/sand on my floor I think that switching from up higher is a better solution (for me).

last time around I was really happy with a a 3 position switch in which "up" was ON, middle was OFF, and down was "on with high beams"

it seemed to work.

 

[Mark W]

That is how I always run my driving lights. The only way to go IMHO.


Mark...

 

[Rattler]

I am running 2 Lightforce 140s in the front bumper to fill in when running brights. Love them. I would like to step up to the 240s for more offroad illumination in the near future though.

 

[Mark W]

Looking back at my comment above about using the aircraft landing lights... these are available in 4 inch version too. And that one fits in the rubber housing that the 35 watt tractor or "work" lights use. These provide more area illumination than the tractor lights just due to side scatter. and they reach out down the road pretty comparable to the 6 inch driving lights. And they are, again... water proof and cheap. Their smaller size lets then fit places that the larger ones will not. For a rig traveling at "cruiser speeds", these reach much further down the road than you will ever need. I used to use them on my Saab 9000 turbo which I drove like a sports car and I never felt like I needed more light.


Mark...