Well while back people around here might remember the Aux. Lighting thread I started. This is loosely based off that but this here is more of a generic question based on looks vs the technical aspect.


Currently I have dual 4 1/2" LED flood lights mounted on a license plate mount. They are 42W rated and they are about the proper size for this mount. Problem is though they just don't throw light far enough for my tastes. So to start off below is a picture of my current set up.





Now I originally thought of getting 9" spot lights for the roll bar I will get down the road and keep theses but I found some 7" spot lights that has a mask that turns six of the chips into flood lights so its a combo flood/spot beam. Thing is though I just think 7" is going to be way too big for my mount and look out of place.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/351448477590?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

So my two questions is as follows.


1. What do you think of the above light? Too big for the mount?


2. Has anyone seen this style of light with the flood/spot combo in a 4 1/2" to 5" round light?

 

As nice as LED lights are I don’t think they, as you found out, throw the light out far enough to be of any use. They are good for tail/side/turn lights but that’s all I would use them for at this time. Yes I know they make LED head lights, 7” round but the last I saw theywere $600 for a pr.!


You may want to look into projection lighting like the new cars & trucks head lights are. They do make them small to use like you want and throw light out pretty far.
UW3675 | Warning / Fog / Driving | Products | Blazer-International

I have a set on my 02 Durango replacing the stock (useless) fog lights and was pleased on the light output from them.
I bought them for my 70 Javelin to install in the bumper where the turn signals are as the head lights will have LED turn signals in them – custom touch.
Dave ----


edit: I just looked over the link and I did not see anything about HID. The set I have on the Durango are that style light but HID with transformers that is what you want.
I found mine used on ebay years ago w/transformers.

 

I do agree that LED's do not project far enough to use them as fog/road/driving lights but projector style lights tend to literally blind on-coming motorists unless they are properly adjusted for height.

 

Hijack
Where do I get a rollbar ?

 

If you have a local speed shop or 4x4 shop check with them if not try Summit Racing or Jeggs.
Dave ----

 

What i have now is flood lights they are vreat but just too short distance for me. What i found above might be better being a spot/flood combo but i just dont know if they would look too big on my mount vs what i have now that i think is just right.

I hate to spend $140 and they look too big and out of place. I will take a chance on if the small flood pattern would provide a flood pattern like i have now. If not i can keep my floods and mount theses up on the roll bar without the flood/spot cover and use them as spot lights.

I will link the roll bar in a follow up post i am still at work and dont have the link with me.

 

Should know with lights mounted on a roll bar you may get glare from them off the hood back at you and make it hard to see.
That is why hoods are painted FLAT black to keep the glare down.
Just something to think about.
Dave ----

 

14 volt aircraft landing lights. Very bright, for a long distance.


Sealed Beam Landing, Taxi and Spot Lamps - Chief Aircraft Inc.

 

Ford F150 Bed Bars at Andy's Auto Sport


That is where I will be buying mine. The company that makes them is "Go Rhino" they are the only company that makes them atleast that I have been able to find that will fit a '82 flareside truck. I am personally leaning towards the chrome tubes but not the dual tubes I am looking at just getting the single B bar with the kicker bars. I personally will have to look at them in person because I want to ensure that they would mount in just the wood I don't want to have to cut my bed rails to fit this. I also could have sworn they had a stainless steel one available as well.


Thanks for the info. I didn't think 15* spotlights would throw light down on the hood with them angled for down the road illumination.


Thanks for the link I didn't know about theses. Something to keep in mind.






But to rehash from the previous topic I made last year I think it was, the Hella headlight upgrade I did along with the relay upgrade I am happy with what I have now. The short coming is the headlights being they are ECE style bulbs and not DOT approved they don't exactly throw much light out to the sides which is where the flood lights come in at. They throw light up down and to the sides of my truck. They work great on unlit streets to light up the sidewalks to ensure no people are there or going to come out infront of me. This will also serve a second purpose as once I move I will be out of city limits and deer and wild game is a bigger risk. That was the reason for the push bar if I can eventually locate one as it would take a lot of the hit off the truck itself if I did end up finding one in my path. But the Flood lights would light up the side of the road just fine in this case. Now the short coming is my highbeam. Last time I used just my high beam on a dark unlit road I honestly saw better and more of the road with my low beams. When I put my highbeams on it was like all the light was up in the trees and nothing on the actual road. I already went over my headlight adjustment twice and it is with in specifications. So this is where my original concept of using roll bar mounted spot lights. They would provide me with long distance illumination especially on theses middle of no where highways I will be driving on.


As of now the only thing I am focusing on right now is upgrading the 4 1/2" 42W flood lights I currently have. I just cant decide on the 7" Flood/Spot combo I found as I am not sure how it would look mounted on my license plate mount I have. I am afraid of it looking too big and too out of place for the mount and the lights actually being too close together for the width of the truck. If I knew for sure a roll bar would mount in my truck and be able to actually mount it in the wood itself as it is mainly for looks and for mounting theses extra lights then I would go ahead and buy a pair and see if not I can always mount them on the roll bar and buy two more to complete the set of four.

 

Well I have decided that when I get some spare cash I will be buying the new spotlights I found linked in my original post. If they don't look right or if the flood pattern off to the sides are not as good as the floods I have currently then I can always remove the combo mask and use it as a straight spotlight.


Just wished this wasn't a slow time of the year and I could justify spending almost $200 on a pair.






I also been rethinking my Aux. fuse box plans, the one I got for $10 out of a '09 Ford Escape is just way too big for what I need. I like the mega fuse hook up but with all the wiring and fuses and relays gutted out of it the box still feels way too heavy. Ive been looking at Painless wiring and found a 7 circuit 2 relay fuse box pre wired which I would have to gut and redo but I think that is small enough of a box I could easily mount it behind the dash somewhere.

 

Have you check on K C Lights https://www.kchilites.com/
Some good information on there on lighting from the looks of it.


They make some pretty good lights. I had driving & fog lights on a 86 K5 Blazer, look like the 35 series lights, and loved them.
The fog had plastic leans that melted a little but worked great.
I like to keep square acc. lights with square head lights.........OCD thing
Dave ----

 

Check out Blue Sea Marine for a fuse block.

 

I will do some reading there. I was going to go with the Daylighters so I could have the daylighter covers but when I started thinking on it, the lights I wanted to mount would consume a large amount of electricity amperage wise. I figured I could go with LED and go with a lower wattage bulb and get more light from it than going with six halogen Aux lights total.


Im the different way, I just think square aux lights look out of place I think the round lights looks right for older vehicles.



Thanks for the link I will check them out. I found theses just the other day and I am thinking I will go with this but I will still check out what they have.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/131549702410?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Has more fuses than I really need but I can always grind off the locating nipple on the diode that I have from the factory box I bought and plug it in for my On/Off/On switch.

 

^ That's pretty slick, especially with the relays already mounted on it. It'd be nice if the relays were wired through the fuses.

This little one was underneath yours in the ebay ad
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Way-Mini-ATM-Blade-Fuse-Block-Holder-With-Cover-Side-Terminal-Bussed-Power/141709830298?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3De8b40ce5357544ddab332f58694b2651%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D131554345334

 

well the one I linked above is not wired I have to wire it what I planned on doing is using two buss terminals to provide power to all the fuses and just cut one off and leave one for use for the diode.


I did a quick crude drawing of the wiring with that one I would have a 20A fused circuit branching off providing fused battery power to the relays for Low beam and High beam. Then I would have another two 20A fuses for powering the other two relays which would be for my two sets of Aux. lights.


I saw that one below, I also saw one that had 8 mini relays as well as one that was even smaller that had three mini relays with three fuses. Down side is the relays were the 4 terminal relays with the tiny spades.