I just picked up an n-fab light bar with multi-mount for my '14 F350SD & would like some input on what configuration of lights to use.

1) Center will be either a 28' or 30" led light bar
2) Cability to add up to (3) 4-light combos on each side of light bar

3) Not a hard core off-roader, but would like to see as much as possible during the times when I"m up on logging/forest service roads at night with my 30' 5er

Any suggestion (and the reasoning behind such suggestion) on what pattern to get for the lights if I were to go with the maximum possible number of 7? spot for center & 3 sets of flood for the "outboard" lights? spot center, 1 set of spot outboards & 2 sets of floods? alternating spot & flood?

thanks in advance for any suggestions

"Jeffro"

 

Here is a great comparison on lights, high dollar but worth a read.

http://roosystems.com.au/wp-content/...Comparison.pdf

 

nice information to know regarding quality of lights, but what I"m looking for is spot vs. flood; or rather which location to put what light type

 

Personally I don't really care for either spot or flood patterns. Spots are for if you need to see farther than your headlights illuminate, and for my use the stock headlights are usually fine. But if you drive fast off road you may well have different needs than me and might find spots helpful.

I do have floods on the back of my trucks, and I could see mounting them where they'd light up the bed, or off to the sides. But I don't think they are very useful pointing forward.

What I like pointing forward is a fog light pattern. It's as wide (or wider) than a flood side-to-side, but it is very tight up-and-down. They light up to the sides where headlights miss, but don't shine up high enough to blind other drivers.

To work best fog lights should be mounted low. I put them on top of the bumper. On the other hand spots and floods tend to work best mounted higher.

 

I prefer having the spot lights in the middle and the floods on the outside. That way the floods help light up the sides of the roads like fog lights.

 

Either floods or fogs ought to mounted to the outside. Both will light up the sides of the road which is great when turning, or to hopefully see deer before they jump out (or freeze them in the ditch so they don't jump out). Floods and fogs do essentially the same thing when pointing forward. The difference is that you can't use floods in traffic and you can use fogs in traffic. To me it doesn't make sense to mount lights that would be nice to use except that you can't, especially when there's an option you can use.

 

I was looking at N-Fab's new multi mount light bar too. I ended up running their standard light bar and removing the centre tabs before having it Line-X'd. The 30" Rigid bar bolts on no problem. I am running the E2 Series Combo - Hyperspot with driving lights. When I was going to run the multi mount bar, I was going to use the same center 30" spot with 2 10" floods mounted on the outside.

I think a centre spot with floods mounted on the outside would fully encompass the front view out your windshield for off road use. Especially with the angled mount on the outside of N-Fabs bar.



The 20" is a Rigid E Series flood.

 

I went chinese - eyourlife 23" 144W LED bar. So far, and for $90 complete with wiring harness/relay/switch, I love it.

Installed:



Comparison vs 2 85w Hella bulbs in glass/metal 'fog/flood pattern housings'



Those hella's AND the Chinese bar