I mounted the smaller 4" (or so) driving lights behind my grill. They are that blueish looking light and I like the way it kind of matches to the Ford emblem in the middle. I just bolted them into the plastic piece and didn't use any reinforcement as I didn't really think they were going to be under much stress in there. I suppose the wind is on them but it didn't occur to me that it would be so harsh as to need additional support. So far, so good. I also ran a switch to the inside so I can use them when I want. They really brighten up the sides of the road, but don't get out as far as my high beams. I like that because I drive a bunch of rural backroads and seeing deer is an important priority.

 

While I wouldn't pretend to have done a pole "here" by a wide margin "most people" I see on highways around "here" DO NOT "have factory fog lights" on their '97-'03 F150's. I have the invoice for the dealer installed "factory fog lights" on my '98 & believe the $270 discount price discouraged the vast majority.

In terms of performance as "fog lights" I'll continue to trust traditional thinking & Bosch recommendations for mounting "fog lights" as low as is practical & reject your conclusion fog "lights will help regardless of position. My comment was to "help" readers maximize the performance of "fog lights".

Compared to the new high tech compact lighting systems the halogen lights definitely "gobble power" regardless of whether you "notice" or not.

I suspect Calgary's "cooling" requirements are dramatically less than say CA, NV, NM, AZ, TX desert or south FL commuter requirements. Surely readers can see that placing 2large obstacles in the relatively small grille openings will disrupt, restrict & reduce air flow. Your defence of placing 2 large obstacles in the limited plenum space doesn't challenge my opinion, it defies the laws of fluid dynamics.

 

Club, I do agree with you on the lights blocking air for optimum efficiency.
That was one of my concerns BEFORE I installed the lights in my grille opening.
This is one reason I also did NOT re install the factory grille.

I also feel that blocking the lens of the driving lights will cut down the lights performance too, especially the large lights that I like the ones that I have.
The performance of my driving lights are excellent in their installation position.

Like I said, I prefer an unblocked light, and to each his own.
I know that the OP was asking about "HOW" to mount the lights too.

Yet Club, your information IS very important. I was also corrected about
my misinformation about HID/white headlights too, not long ago.
Lighting plays a very important safety role on our trucks.

 

The OP asked specifically about "fog lights". "The performance of (anyone's) driving lights" or Off Road lights are course a different Q's.

khadma, "I do agree with you on the....very important safety role". Unfortunately I've seen plenty of maladjusted high wattage auxillary lights misused on highways. Often no consideration is given to other drivers & blinding glare from lights meant for Off Road pose significant risks.

I also appreciate how OEM "fog lights" illuminate the shoulders & light up critters.

 

Okay this really doesn't need to be debated but there is no reason to scare someone putting fog lights in front of their grill either. I think basically we need to ask ourselves some questions first. First: Club Wagon is right about the placement of fog lights, lower is better. But also if you want real FOG lights then they should also be amber as well. However I think that most people refer to Fog light as a generic term for Auxiliary lighting. What XTR and I have on our vehicles are called "Driving Lamps," not meant to penetrate fog but to illuminate the road. So do you want "FOG lights" or "Driving Lamps"? Secondly Club Wagon is correct again: putting fog lights inf ront of the grill does not give the radiator "optimum ventilation," but think about it, do you really need it to be optimum? Are you racing the thing? or pulling loads close to the tow limit? If not then dont worry about it. It will not gobble power, thats obsurd, your engine temp might go up a bit, but nothing you will notice or see in the gauge, not even close. People put aftermarket grills there all the time that restrict air, and don't have problems, hell people put those billet grills infront of lightnings and Harley F-150's all the time and those ARE being raced. Just put the lights in there, you wont have any problems and you will really enjoy the added light at night. No pictures from my end yet because my camera doesn't want to let me put the pics on the computer. Will try again tonight.

 

I guess that I should clear it up and say that the lights I will be using are like what xtr has on his truck which like jdrahush said are driving lights. I must have misled some with the misuse of the term fog lights and for this I apologize. I dont tow/haul heavy loads for long distances and for this I have no worries about the air flow because I doubt it will distort it that much when a t highway speeds. Also, I live in Wyoming which has a relatively cool climate, especially in my town thus I dont worry about the overheating aspect. Finally, these are to be mostly used in the backcountry and for rural roads at night, which when other cars are around I am considerate enough to dim them so its not like they will be on all the time.

 

Wyoming I can't get my camera to work so no pics but mine looks very similar to xtr's set up. I think the way xtr has it set up is the best in regard to the spacing, because as far as I know the further the lights are apart the better. I think the only difference between us is mine have a single bolt attachment and so I just put it down the plastic bar with some washers in between for strength. This is what my lights look like.



I think my lights have a different mounting method than your though, so you'll just have to fab something up for your application. Good luck! And when your done show us some pics.

Oh and one more thing I almost forgot. Don't worry about the heat from the lights destroying your grill, mine 100W and placed less than an inch from the grill and they don't even really make it warm.

 

I can't believe I am actually doing this, but on the cooling issue, isn't the fan a "sucking" fan and doesn't it turn when the engine is running? Therefore, it is always pulling air in through the grill regardless of whether you are running down the road or not. Unless you are actually blocking off the radiator, literally AT the radiator - like putting a piece of sheet metal in front right on the fin surface - I would find it hard to believe that the circulation within that space would be so significantly compromised that it would effect cooling enough to notice. There is a fair amount of space between where the lights are mounted and the actually radiator surface (I didn't measure but I think it is 6+ inches) and air acts similarly to water (in my mind), in that is will occupy any space it is provided especially when large amounts of it are flooding into a small area. So when you are running down the road at normal speeds, I would think you have more air than space and it will fill up behind th lights and in front of the radiator and then be sucked through by the fan - even if it isn't being forced through by the pressure.

Club has a good background in science, so my assumptions may be wrong, but that is how my mind thinks about the cooling issue raised here.

 

Essentially, you do not need a fan operating at speeds anywhere above 40km/hr or roughly 25mph....there is sufficient airflow going through the rad for cooling. This is a good example how an efan can really shine be reducing parasitic drag on the motor. A fan within a proper shroud will "pull" air from across the whole rad....and with space gallor from the front of the grill to the rad, a set of lights will have a very minimal impacton air flow. If you really take a good look in front of our trucks, the lower valance openings will pull plenty of air as well to help with cooling the rad, tranny cooler, and AC condensor all together.

 

Take a breath everyone.

If it works, fine and great. If it doesn't, then people learn from their mistakes and move on. It's fine to state your opinion (and that is what everybody's post has been) but there is no need to beat a dead horse.

As Brian said, "..there is more than one way to skin a cat,.." So skin the cat, not each other.

 

I was used European H4 halogen headlights back in the early 70's when sealed beam tungsten bulbs were still the law. They were better in several important ways & I never wanted to go back to the old technology. Several years ago I ditched Maglite's halogen & krypton technology for the tremendous advantages of Luxeon high density LEDs & never wanted to go back. IMO the HID lighting represent a similar quantum leap forward in lighting technology. Having introduced this alternative here anybody can research the technology & learn what there is to know for themselves.

When it comes to auto lighting HID's might be the best reasonably priced choice IMO.

 

Okay now that we've pretty much got Wyomings questions answered, I've got a few questions. Club Wagon do you mean that halogens eat power because of the drain they put on the alt as opposed to LEDs? If so than Im in agreement with you. I thought we were only talking about the rad issues. But are LED's really three times brighter than Halogens? I actually never looked into LEDs, I love my Halogens, but perhaps I should have...

 

Unfortunately b/c of Off Topic attacks against my suggestions much useful information has been unneccessarily deleted. I had referred to the dramatic efficiencies offered by compact HID lights. Why anyone would find such discussion offensive I can't guess. I'm hesitant to repeat this generally available information to A your Q & offer my apologies in advance. HID's are sold by a number of makers, some 'kits' under $100, I suggest you do a search. For comparisons search HID vs. halogen.

LED headlights are an entirely different technology, 1st introduced on Audi R8, they're still rather expensive & exotic.

No, I wasn't "only talking about the rad issues" but my detractors also took exception to the idea halogens "gobble power" compared to HIDs & trashed this topic. Deleted were my comments about compact HID fog & driving lights that are "less than 3" H&W" & consume only 35W. When compared to 6" & 7" 55W H1 halogens, they put out over 3 times as many lumens while consuming less than 2/3 the power.

Let me repeat that again. 35W HIDs can provide over 3 times the light output while consuming less than 2/3 of the power compared to 55W halogens. A pair of these HIDs means "the drain they put on the alt" is 70W vs. 110W for H1 halogens. Compact HIDs tiny size essentially eliminates many mounting issues.

HIDs accomplish this feat b/c they have no filament to heat up, thus run much cooler. Light is produced by energizing xenon gas in a capsule (bulb) via a remotely mounted ballast. This also means they're immune to filament failure from vibration & last 10X longer. That fact alone may mean they're actually less expensive over the long run.

Apparently some did not like my claim that HIDs were a "win, win, win" alternative to the big old fashioned halogens & will no doubt consider this replay more beating a dead horse.

 

i mounted my piaas behind my grill, i did the whole thing with the grill on the truck, the grill kills alot of the light so i eventually moved them out onto my bull bar when i put that on.

 

Alright so if anyone is still reading this one, got some pictures put on my profile of my truck with the new lights installed. They still dont work, but I really like the looks of em. Thanks everyone for the help.