Mounting LED light bars on Rovers... Do they fit, or look wonky?

[Aegis]

Evening all,



Just a bit curious about the aesthetic of mounting LED light bars on Rovers. I've seen a handfull of shots of them on Defenders, but am curious as to how they are on Discos and some of the older models. From what I can tell, there hasn't been much use of them on the D1s/D2s... Is that more of a personal preference/aesthetic choice, or more based on some performance issues?


Just a talking point, nothing too crazy

 

[Howski]

Obviously LED light bars have awesome light output but I am not a fan of how they look on Rovers. ARB has some more traditional looking oval LED's that I'd choose to go with if I ever drop that kinda coin on aux lighting

 

[Aegis]

That's sort of my thought too. I'm sure if done properly and subtly they can look alright, but a strong part of me feels like the aesthetic is just off. Is that lame, lol?

 

[MedicalCowboy]

I've had light bars on my d1 and now on my rrc. I love them. As far as performance they can't be beat. I have a few pictures of them if you're interested.

 

[Aegis]

I've had light bars on my d1 and now on my rrc. I love them. As far as performance they can't be beat. I have a few pictures of them if you're interested.

I'd definitely love to see some shots, if you have them on-hand! What're your thoughts on the durability of them versus traditional lamps?

 

[LR Max]

Depends on how you mount them.

First off, the classic Camel Trophy Defender front end look, hard to beat. Sure Hella 550s aren't power houses, but they do look good. I've been running a pair of Hella F300s on the front of my truck for a while. They do look great.

Then I installed this:



Yes I cropped the photo. Yes the truck is strapped down to a trailer, don't judge (in this particular photo, the brakes committed suicide). As you can see, the LED light bar works really well with the ARB bumper. Its low profile and overall I think it looks great. I haven't tested it out yet but hopefully next week when brake parts show up, I can give it a go.

Southeast Overland has a number of LED options. They've got wee little LED light pods that are a bit lower profile. Overall, I think it looks good on my truck and should perform quite nicely.

 

[Aegis]

Then I installed this:

View attachment 183782

That... That actually looks pretty damn proper, lol. You're absolutely right about the aesthetic of a handfull of big 'ol lamps on the front and roofline of the rigs, but... That may actually have sold me on the use of the LED bars. I think you're right though about following the lines of the ARB. I'm not sure how they'd look on a more aggressive/rounded-out bumper.

 

[MedicalCowboy]

These are the only images I could find at the moment. As far as the durability they are amazing. I've broken and shattered countless Hellas and kc lights but never an led bar. Especially if you have the ones with the Lexan lens. If you're interested in LEDs I recommend doing some research before purchasing one. Make sure they have the Lexan lens and Cree LEDs. Trust me it makes a huge difference.

 

[Aegis]

I really like the look of them on the RRC -- I guess more of it comes down to the size of the LEDs/bar and where the placement is.

 

[ZG]

The light bars look great on Defenders because of their boxy appearance, they only look alright on the curvy models.

 

[Aegis]

The light bars look great on Defenders because of their boxy appearance, they only look alright on the curvy models.

That was sort of my feeling as well; however, I feel like if placed correctly on an ARB or similar boxy bumper, and without going too large, they could look okay on a Disco...

 

[LR Max]

True about the boxy.

That said, If I had a Disco and didn't have a brush/bull/bumper thingie on the front, I'd try to mount it in the grille. Something like that. Recess it so you only know its there when you are looking dead on.

 

[David Harris]

Depends on which one you have. . .

 

[EIGHTLUG]

I run a pair of Rigid Industries Dually LEDs on my Adventure bike. They are absolute "must haves," on the trails at night. That being said, I totally agree about the aesthetics on the boxier Rovers.

The vast emptiness of the American west will swallow up any OEM lighting has to offer. Even the Hi-Beams of our LR3 are marginal. There are a lot of mounting options available now for LED lighting. Flush mounting them into an ARB bumper would be a very clean look. The light bars on roof racks don't bother me at all.

 

[94Discovery]

Interesting thread i was thinking of making a braket that attach the the original roof rack