Driving (not fog) lights

[DickR]

Back in the day ;) there were a lot of aftermarket driving lights but you had to be careful to find ones that actually worked well.

Hella was one of the better brands at the time and it looks like they are still in business.

http://www.hella.com/offroad/en/Luminator-583.html

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[Nate B]

Back in the day ;) there were a lot of aftermarket driving lights but you had to be careful to find ones that actually worked well.

Hella was one of the better brands at the time and it looks like they are still in business.

http://www.hella.com/offroad/en/Luminator-583.html

Yep... Hella, Piaa, Cibié (if you want to spend ALL your money). Didn't know if there were official mounting kits for newer cars yet Or if they were still the type of affair where you just screw it into the front bumper or into the hood … Which I'm not necessarily wanting to do to the new kid. the idea of those mounts that fit in the factory fog holes has my interest at the moment.

 

[Double]

What's wrong with the high beams, they are made for those dark roads right ?

But replacing foglights with driving lights that actually lights up the road has a big issue, they are placed low towards the ground so for any use out of them they have to be angled up which means you can either see really far or really close, angle will be difficult to get a good all round lighting pattern. And it'll be especially blinding to any1 around you.

 

[Nate B]

What's wrong with the high beams, they are made for those dark roads right ?

But replacing foglights with driving lights that actually lights up the road has a big issue, they are placed low towards the ground so for any use out of them they have to be angled up which means you can either see really far or really close, angle will be difficult to get a good all round lighting pattern. And it'll be especially blinding to any1 around you.

If you are satisfied with your high beams, good! If you never exit the city limits, you probably barely ever use them anyway. They aren't bad but, personally, I think my 1994 Nissan has better high beams than a lot of modern cars, not just the Mustang. My '85 BMW has MASSIVE high beam abilities. Modern cars have a lot of better technology available, but they are also somewhat a slave to fashion... little squinty headlights look good but they don't provide the opportunity of a 5" or 7" reflector to throw so much light down the road.

Once again, these would not be meant for use with oncoming traffic. I am of the opinion that even fog lights are only for use when there's fog, not as extra bling for looks, though I've been known to cave in to the trend. They don't provide any extra forward light over the low beams, maybe a little bit of lighting to the sides of the road immediately in front of the car. They are MEANT to get under fog where the standard lights would reflect back and make it harder to see. I've only ever run into the true need for fog lights maybe once a year on average.

Ever see an Audi or Land Rover or Volvo or Mercedes that looks like they have one brake light stuck on? That's because they hit every button on the dash to turn every light possible on in perfectly clear weather because they think they're cool. Not only do I think it looks stupid, I don't believe they even know they have a rear fog light that makes it look like they have electrical problems.

 

[NoVaGT]

Illegal for the road? I thought there was a lumen restriction on lights for the road.

 

[Nate B]

Illegal for the road? I thought there was a lumen restriction on lights for the road.

There's a speed limit, too.

 

[BGEFan]

There's a speed limit, too.

Lies

 

[plc268]

This is probably what you want

https://www.rallyinnovations.com/products/2015-ford-mustang-light-conversion

Edit: never mind I was too late

 

[H@mmer]

What's wrong with the high beams, they are made for those dark roads right ?

But replacing foglights with driving lights that actually lights up the road has a big issue, they are placed low towards the ground so for any use out of them they have to be angled up which means you can either see really far or really close, angle will be difficult to get a good all round lighting pattern. And it'll be especially blinding to any1 around you.

Our headlights actually do a good job of throwing light forward, but they do virtually nothing for spreading that light laterally. I like to put light in the ditch so I can see eyes reflecting back at me.

Also, you're actually quite wrong about driving lights. It's actually good to mount them lower so you can angle them straight, not down. Sure, if you're cresting a hill, the hill will block them, but that's a momentary thing.
A well controlled beam, like Baja Designs I mentioned earlier, will transform what you thought about lights.

I feel as if I'm somewhat knowledgeable on the auxiliary light matter. I've every kind of light imaginable on my Raptor, in just about every configuration imaginable.
I've learned that you might as well just pony up and get the best from the get-go. Nothing else is satisfactory. And Baja Designs just happens to be the best in the business.

Also, you don't have to worry about blinding people if you wire them in with your brights. That way, they're on with the highs and off with the lows.

 

[FirstGT]

Also, you don't have to worry about blinding people if you wire them in with your brights. That way, they're on with the highs and off with the lows.

That's best option probably. Anyone know what's required or if possible? My 05 Silverado had 6 high mod done. I believe all it took was a couple diodes

 

[Norm Peterson]

Yep... Hella, Piaa, Cibié (if you want to spend ALL your money). Didn't know if there were official mounting kits for newer cars yet Or if they were still the type of affair where you just screw it into the front bumper or into the hood … Which I'm not necessarily wanting to do to the new kid. the idea of those mounts that fit in the factory fog holes has my interest at the moment.

I know what you're getting at, and I think the 2016 fog light location is going to be way too low for driving lights (whether you get driving beams, pencil beams, or one of each). Higher up, as in the S197 GT location in the grille is probably closer to what you want; you'll have the benefit of being able to fit larger units, and you won't be throwing quite as much of their light output up into the trees once you've got their aim set to adequately illuminate some sign at reasonable distances.

I will disagree a bit on whether fog lamps can cast useful light for non-fog driving, and that's because they can provide useful fill-in illumination where OE headlight patterns are sometimes not uniformly illuminated (and even staggering their patterns doesn't fully fix things). As long as the fogs (that you are now using as auxiliaries) have their cutoff slightly below the horizontal, there shouldn't be any problems - and sometimes this implies moving the fog aim up a little. Keep in mind that any pavement illumination closer-in than what you see over the hoodline has zero value while you're driving for anything except maybe blinding small animals just before they become roadkill.

I remember most of the better names in auxiliary lighting from the 1970's (PiAA being kind of the new kid on the block). Used most of them at one time or another including for sealed-beam headlamp replacement.


Norm

 

[ronemca]

I'd like to weigh in here - mainly because I have some witty & amusing opinions to share. (And I'm pretty humble, too)

The OP uses words & phrases exactly like I have in the past. During my long-ago searches, I used to say I wanted to be able to cook a chipmunk on a branch 500 yards away. (But rest assured that I never knowingly accomplished this)

Anyway - I agree completely. But it's not a statement about the inadequacy of the OE lights; it's more about a desire to introduce supplemental/substitute lighting when you want it. And when you accept that it is wanting to add something -- and couple it with a personal preference -- then it is no different than swapping the CBE or buying fancier wheels. The eye of the beholder and all that.

* * I agree that such things should take the rest of humanity into account; a crazy noisy exhaust might sound fantastic to its owner, but if it wakes the neighbors at 6 AM...not cool. The aux lighting is the same. And Nate stated that he was cognizant of that, so it's all good.

Pencil Beams! That's the name of this game! Nate said he wants DISTANCE - not FLOODS. So DISTANCE he shall get if he sticks to the concept of pencil beams.

You should have seen my 4x4 Ranger! I changed the OE fogs to amber, and I had a single integrated-ballast H.I.D. 6" round pencil beam on the brush guard (that was my squirrel burner) flanked by a pair of integrated-ballast 4" square H.I.D.'s (which were serious long-distance lights, but not of the caliber of the center one) AND a 36" combination pencil/flood LED lightbar! It was amazing. And I had them connected with wireless remotes that could be activated discretely from all the other lighting, because that's the way I wanted it. But I absolutely NEVER had them on when there were any other vehicles in front of me. (And yeah - that was pretty rare - but every so often I was mighty glad they were up there)

Anyway - I agree that the fog location is - unfortunately - too low. You just can't get the distance, because the road is too uneven and the beams will keep hitting the asphalt. So the grille is the only option (assuming you're not keen to mount on the roof)

I'd say PIAA is your best bet. But yeah - it ain't cheap. Otoh, cheap will equal serious disappointment, so...well...the old story as usual.

Keep us posted, Nate!

 

[H@mmer]

People that keep suggesting Hella or PIAA are living in the past. Neither company leads the industry anymore.
Your top companies are Rigid, VisionX, KC, and Baja Designs when it comes to offroad/auxiliary lighting. And BD is far and away the top performer in the category.
I wouldn't really trust the opinions of people the rednecked up some shit 40 years ago, I trust my money to the SCORE guys doing 100+mph in Baja. And they all use the aforementioned brands.
Also, it just so happens that we have mounting brackets and lights that perfectly fit on our cars.

 

[Norm Peterson]

↑↑↑ For meeting my needs/wants (and I suspect, OP's), I'd have a lot more faith in the lighting products from mfrs that supplied the European headlamp market 45 years ago than in any of the newer brands that specifically pitch their wares to the wanna-be-a-bad-boy-in-a-badass-truck crowd (aka today's image-oriented suburban rednecks).

A lighting pattern that you'd choose for bouncing all around out in the Baja isn't quite what OP is looking for here. Think more in terms of traditional sports car/TSD rallying and sports racing lighting where the driving stays on the pavement.


Norm

 

[H@mmer]

↑↑↑ For meeting my needs/wants (and I suspect, OP's), I'd have a lot more faith in the lighting products from mfrs that supplied the European headlamp market 45 years ago than in any of the newer brands that specifically pitch their wares to the wanna-be-a-bad-boy-in-a-badass-truck crowd (aka today's image-oriented suburban rednecks).

A lighting pattern that you'd choose for bouncing all around out in the Baja isn't quite what OP is looking for here. Think more in terms of traditional sports car/TSD rallying and sports racing lighting where the driving stays on the pavement.


Norm

Then it's just a matter of what you've experienced.
You're also confusing top-quality auxiliary lighting with Chinese ebay specials that all the inbred idiots have on top of their windshield. It has very little to do with the number or power of the LED chips. A good quality light has everything to do with the optics.

The BD Racer Editions are basically laser beams. They have virtually no spread, but by god they'll throw light farther than your eyes can pick them up.

Conversely, they have their wide cornering lens that is a flat, wide throw; perfect for a fog as it does not throw vertically and will not blind anyone.
And, as one would expect, they have combo lenses that have both spot and fog qualities should you have an application for that.

I have since simplified my lighting setup on my Raptor for what suits my needs, but I did have an array of BD Squadrons across the front with wide cornering on the outside, combos one set inboard of that, spots inboard of that, and their racer edition in the center. I was no less comfortable doing triple digits up a mountain at night as I was in the day. I could see everything. Also, I would run just the outboard lights when on the road. They were a nice, flat beam that I had aimed as to not even blind a low-rider.

And one time, late at night on a perfectly straight back road, I turned JUST the center hyper-spots on and my fiance got in her car and drove while we were on the phone. She drove until I couldn't see her taillights anymore. She got out and stood behind her car and sure enough, my truck lights (which she could clearly still see haha) were casting the faintest shadow of her on the back of her car.
I'm not sure what else you could ask for out of a light.

TL;DR
Considering the stock light mounting locations on our S550, and if you don't want some hacked-up solution in the grille, the BD lights/mounts for our factory fog location is in fact a wonderful solution.

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