96swampdog

First off i have done a ton of research using search. I found these http://www.discountjeepparts.com/pro...ducts_id/41039 and I really like them, i just wanted to get yalls opinion to see if you thought they would be good and bright. I Want somethin thats bright but not like KC Daylighters. Thanks

Gee oh Dee

I've heard of Rugged Ridge before, just never used any of their products.

1996XJSport

I've had a project in mind for a while and I think it would be pretty cool if you're looking for something REALLY bright on a budget.

Harbor Freight sells 6 inch Round chrome off road lights for around $13 a piece.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...tem-95811.html


The lights come with a 55 watt H3 halogen bulb that's pretty dim and doesn't do a whole lot when it comes to lighting up the trails at night. Here's where my idea comes in.

For $36.99 you can get an H3 Slim-Ballast HID kit off ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Slim-...Q5fAccessories

I've used xentec kits before and they're actually pretty reliable. If you order the kit, make sure you specify that you want either 3000k or 4300k bulbs. 3000k if you plan on using the lights as fog lights, and 4300k if you want them to be driving lights.

Replace the 55w halogen bulbs with the xenon bulbs from the HID kit. Run all the wires necessary to make connections to the ballasts and bulbs. After you're done wiring everything up, find a place to mount the ballasts, they're 100% submersible so you don't have to worry about water. Then, you're done!

Basically for around $64, you get super bright HID off road lights that compare to those that cost $250+.


Here's a pic of what the HID color temps are in case you want to see what 4300k and 3000k look like.

1FSTREX

1996XJsport, thats an awesome idea! I seriously might try that. I am looking for some lights for my roof and this might just be worth giving a shot.

I am also interested in hearing how those rugged ridge lights are.

1996XJSport

Thanks! Let me know if you do it, I'd love to see my idea come to life lol.

1FSTREX

I have also thought about buying lights like this and running LED bulbs in them to help with the power draw so you can run them without your car on without fear of your battery dying.

96swampdog

What about the 6000 and 8000 to bright i am only really goin use them on the trail, but if at all possible it would be nice to have them for trail and road without bliding the fellow roaders. Is that possible? and do you have any idea bout how powerfull those Rugged Ridge ones might be? Oh and anything i am getting i am gettin for my birthday so price isnt necessarily a factor.

jmm0122

I have 4 of these mounted on my roof rack. I painted them black because the fake chrome will rust very quickly. They also bought some 5000k h3 bulbs to match my 5000k headlights. They are super bright and come with everything you need to wire them up, including relays, and fuses. I am very happy with them. They seem to put out about the same amount of light as my buddy who runs KC daylighters, and are about a quarter of the price. Overall I am very happy with how they turned out.

On a side note they are 100w so they are for off road use only.

Gee oh Dee

Harbor Freight has some nice options for off road lighting.

I got my wife a pair for xmas to replace the factory fogs on her 98 TJ Wrangler.

excess650

Those say FOG lights, so I would avoid them. Fog lights normally have a 70*+ beam pattern vs a 15* pattern of driving lights. Fog lights are supposed to light the road just in front of your vehicle in addition to the sides, but not project OUT. Driving lights and pencil beams are supposed to project OUT so that you can see way ahead. If you put fog lights on your roof rack, they're gonna illuminate your hood.....if the company selling them doesn't know the difference, don't buy from them!

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/Beams.aspx

Take a look at Hella 4000 Eurobeams or PIAA 510 or 520 ATPs.

http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/520atp.html

http://www.myhellalights.com/index.p...halogen-lamps/

They have beams that are wider than driving lights or pencil beams, but project much further than fog lights. I'm running a pair of PIAA 520ATPs(40*) as auxiliary lows. I took out the 85W bulbs, substituted 55W and they still overpower my lows and provide awesome fill lighting for my highs. A pair of Hella 4000 Eurobeams with harness will cost similar $, or a bit more.

If you don't want to spend the $ for the Hella 4000s or PIAAs, look at Hella 700FFs or 500FFs. The local Pep Boys had the 700FFs (kit) for ~$90. If I hadn't already mounted the PIAAs I would have bought those. They take H3 bulbs, so lower and higher wattage bulbs are available.

IPF makes some lights worth looking at.

http://www.quadratec.com/showcases/i..._lenses_bulbs/

96swampdog

Awesome man!!! Greatly Appreciated i think i am goin to go with these. Are they hard to moutn and wire and ground? or is the process failrly simple, oh and i alreapy have 2 Fire Dept light to front mini fog lights and a huge sound system hooked to the battery, and suggestion about that?

tornprince

how did you get yours not to blind yourself? i got only one and the thing lights the trees, tried em out one night and i couldnt see, blinded myself. reflection off the hood was bad. any tips would help.

jmm0122

Well I think the main thing is how my roof rack being a 99 is set up compared to yours 90. The factory roof rails on 99's are set further back than those on the 90's. The main reason you get a lot of glare is because the only place for the light to go on yours is the hood. Mine has most of the light being reflected off the roof instead of the hood, because it is set further back. I know that getting rid of the reflection is a very common issue on this forum and a few people have made blockers that go on the bottom of the fog light that keep the light from reflecting off the hood. I'm not sure about other ways but I'm sure there are answers. Just do a search and see what comes up.

1996XJSport

I don't know if LED bulbs will put out a useable beam lol

1996XJSport

Well if you want to use these lights on the road, you'll need to mount them on the bumper and retrofit projectors to keep the glare down. It would be really unnecessary. My idea should only be used for off road applications as glare is not an issue. 6000k and 8000k aren't as bright as 4300k. They're just more blue, and will make you look like a ricer IMO.


The HID offroad light idea I had will probably be one of the brightest off road light applications out there. Money can't really buy you a brighter light.