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Aftermarket lights questions

2K views 22 replies 8 participants last post by  sandrat 
#1 ·
I want to add some lights in the front to act as both off road lights and fog lamps for driving on pavement. The lights will have removable amber covers so I can achieve both purposes. The Jeep came with Smittybilt tubular bumpers, and I plan on mounting the fog lights on the top tube, centered. My question is should they be spot or flood lights? I am also putting some lights just below the windshield hinge, and I plan on making them spot lights so I can see further down off road trails. Anybody have a different suggestion, and if so why would you put flood there instead of spot? And finally I plan on adding two more lights in the rear area of the Jeep (either on my roof rack, or on one of the roof rack vertical bars so that I can see better when backing up.) Anybody have any suggestions as to if the back up lights should be food or spot? Thanks.
 
#2 ·
I'm kind of in the same boat. I think I will be eventually putting spot lights on my front bumper to use as driving/fog lights and flood lights on my window hinges for the extra light angled off to the side just a bit for trail riding or when no one else is coming towards me. From what I've read, most spot lights have a 30 degree pattern and most flood lights have a 60 degree pattern. Floods would be kind of blinding to oncoming traffic. That is just what I've read, I'm actually intrerested to hear what others have to say as well.

As for the back up, I would go flood. You don't need to see way out behind you like you would with the spots. The floods will really light up everything behind you and out to the side a bit.
 
#3 ·
No matter what you install just be sure you power each set of them using relays and not directly into the vehicles wiring.
 
#4 ·
I'd do flood lights on your bumper, spot lights on the windshield hinge, and then flood lights in the rear. The flood lights will make everything in front of you brighter, think of them as driving lights, then the windshield mounted spot lights will be for making things even brighter. The flood lights in the back will be just like the one's on your bumper.

I ran my YJ like this and it worked very well. Just remember with all those lights your electrical system is gonna take a beating. You may want to look into a high output alternator or a dual battery system. I'd try to go with LEDs if you can, they're a little more expensive, but they will be more rugged, and will have a lower power draw.

With all those lights, your going to have a lot of switches in the cab, I'd make myself what's called an sPod, think of it as a brain system for all of your switches. I'm in the process of making one for my TJ right now actually. I can walk you through how to make one if you're interested. There is a great build up here on the forum too, I'll try to find it.

Hope I was of some assistance. Best of luck
 
#5 ·
Amber lens does not make a lamp a fog light. Fogs have a wide pattern, they could be called a flood. They go down low to try and light the road under the fog. They also illuminate the sides of the road.

Driving lights, spots, are mounter higher and reach our far down the road. It's a good idea to tie them into your high-beam circuit so they can be shutdown quickly for oncoming traffic.

Relays for everything. You don't need a dual battery and your stock alternator will be fine. You won't be running everything at the same time.
 
#6 ·
Lights




Thanks for the reply Sparky. Yes, I realized after I posted it that the OEM fog lamps on my TJ are not Amber. I just have to have covers on them (in CA at least) to prevent blinding someone in the event they are turn on while street or highway driving. I will only be using the spot lights when I am off road, and there may be times when I use both the spot and floods in front at the same time, but probably not very often. In your opinion will using both sets at the same time damage my electrical system? All of the lights will be LED. Thanks.
 
#12 ·
I'm looking to go pretty much the same route. The problem I'm having is finding actual LED fog lights.
Most of them are listed as fog driving work flood lights. Then they are listed as 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, or 70 degree pattern.
Fog lights have a wide, flat pattern. when shone on a wall, they look like a horizontal line. The LEDs don't seem to do that. The only ones I've found are by Pilot Navigator, and they don't have great reviews.
Unless I find a decent LED fog light, I'll probably go with halogen fog lights, a couple 30 degree, 70 watt round LEDs, and a LED bar. And a couple 60 degree, 18 watt LEDs as back up lights.
 
#13 ·
Thanks to all for the very useful information.

Are the OEM fog lights that come on the Wrangler TJ strictly for off road, or are they designed to be used on streets as well if pointed in a somewhat downward direction so as to not blind oncoming traffic? Thanks again.
 
#14 ·
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you plan to be using the fog lights onroad, PLEASE PLEASE get street legal fog lights. Look for DOT approved ones, they will meet SAE standards for beam patteren. I know both rigid and jw speaker make street legal led fogs (i have rigids). I am pretty sure at least one other company does, if not a couple. Once again, please keep it legal if you are driving on the road
 
#18 ·
Btw, make sure u don't mount fogs up high, keep them below the headlights. Also check you state regs, in MD fogs can be no higher than 30" off the ground. My jeep is lifted 4.5, and on my smittybilt they are actually like 30.75", so i'm just outside legal for inspection, but they are pointed slightly down as well.
 
#19 ·
They will be mounted on the bumper, well below the headlights. I may just go with the OE fog lights that came with the Jeep, and put foods in the back for backing up, and either spots of foods up by the windshield hinges. Not sure which would work better. I know spots shine out further but put out a narrower beam of light. And floods light up a lot more, but do not shine as far. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Reading this thread gave me an idea...
Fog lights should be mounted very low, but this is contradictory to having a vehicle that is purposed for going over obstacles. What if I mounted LED fog lamps with a rock guard over them on a metal plate that is hinged at the top? The lights could hang inches from the ground but upon hitting something would swing back and up on the hinges. What do ya think???

Keep in mind this would not work well for incandescent lights... they don't handle shock very well. Also, using LEDs pretty much eliminates the need for a relay, which is another part prone to failure. A pair of bright LED lights draws only a fraction of what a pair of incandescent lights do.
 
#21 ·
Reading this thread gave me an idea...
Fog lights should be mounted very low, but this is contradictory to having a vehicle that is purposed for going over obstacles. What if I mounted LED fog lamps with a rock guard over them on a metal plate that is hinged at the top? The lights could hang inches from the ground but upon hitting something would swing back and up on the hinges. What do ya think???
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Fog lights don't have to be mounted THAT low. I mounted them on the bumper of three previous Jeeps and they did their job well.
As for the hinge idea, I don't think that would work so well. All they would do is swing around.
 
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