aftermarket lighting in place of factory fog lights.

[Buddha.]

I just bought a base forester, no fog lights. Much of the wiring is in place to add factory fog lights. The factory fog lights however are not the best bang for your buck as far as automotive lighting goes. I would like to mount something else there and use the stock wiring.
I am interested in the technical aspects of mounting an aftermarket light in a modern vehicle, custom mounting etc. Most people would buy one of those overpriced $200 light mounts which is nothing but some tubing and have thier lights way out in front of thier bumper. That might look ok on a jeep or a bro truck but its not what I want to do.

Is there some kind of universal aftermarket light mount I could adapt to work in the the space where the stock lights fit?

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Several light manufacturers offer mounting kits for various vehicles to fit stock locations. Look at Hella, Ridgid, PIAA, etc. Best place for advice on Hellas is Susquehanna Motorsports. Don't get overly excited about LEDs for fog, because halogen is probably a better choice for fogs, less glare.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I did exactly that on my Suburban. replaced the crap factory fog lights with some nice LEDs from Amazon. My cost was around $25 and the new lights actually fit inside the "bucket" of the old ones:
.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...e-model-fog-light-upgrade?highlight=fog+light
.
The only thing I had to do was get a longer mounting bolt from the local hardware store. I ran the bolt for the light bracket through the hole that the factory wiring went through. Works like a charm and wiring up was easy: Cut the old wires, splice to the new lights, wrap securely with tape, put wire loom on the whole assembly to protect it and then zip-tie it up out of the way.

 

[Dmski]

I did it on my Xterra. I bought some el cheapo LED lights and tinted them amber/yellow to act as fogs. They are ridiculously bright but low to the ground and work very well in the fog. I try to not run them in the city but sometimes I'll forget and I can tell drivers will get pissed. Keep that in mind if you are trying to use them all the time.

 

[Buddha.]

I was thinking something like this (but cheaper).

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-009997021-Bi-Xenon-Headlamp-Module/dp/B0030Z66BE
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/bixenon-morimoto-mini-h1-stage-3.html

I know they're not fog lights but on low beam setting, with their sharp cut off, and mounted relatively low, they would probably provide better than the stock fogs. They would add a lot on high beam I think too.

 

[Stitebunny]

Are you wanting fog lights or auxiliary driving lights?
Aux lights would be better mounted up higher. But if you don't want a light bar mounted they would likely be better than nothing in that location.
Almost any aftermarket fog light is better than most factory options.
I ran some Hella ff200 fogs on my old Subaru and was pretty happy with them in the factory spot.

 

[Hilldweller]

Several light manufacturers offer mounting kits for various vehicles to fit stock locations. Look at Hella, Ridgid, PIAA, etc. Best place for advice on Hellas is Susquehanna Motorsports. Don't get overly excited about LEDs for fog, because halogen is probably a better choice for fogs, less glare.

Hella has a couple of good foglights that might fit in fairly easily. I like their 90mm H7 --- http://www.rallylights.com/hella-90mm-fog-lamp-h7-with-rubber-boot.html
There are others, of course. First step is to measure...

 

[Buddha.]

http://techinfo.subaru.com/proxy/70089/pdf/070089-H4510SG000H4510SG010H4510SG080.pdf

Here is the Subaru instructions for adding factory fogs.

I took off the plastic tray under the fog lamp area and found an empty cavity approximately 6x6x8". The problem is I dont see any way to mount a Hella fog light or the like in there. Maybe I could find some aluminum sheet/plate and bend it into a bracket to use the factory mounting points.

 

[rayra]

If you are (re-)using the factory wiring setup, make sure the wire gauge is up to any increased draw of aftermarket lights

 

[Buddha.]

If you are (re-)using the factory wiring setup, make sure the wire gauge is up to any increased draw of aftermarket lights

Yes, this is a good point. I've googled replacement light bulbs for the factory fog lights and saw 55w are used from the factory. That leaves me open to any of the aftermarket fog lights Ive seen so far.

 

[TJRICE3333]

I've got a 2014 Forester with no fog lights as well. I've been keeping an eye on my local junk yards for stock components; one I get those I plan just to use some cheap yellow halogen bulbs from Amazon.

 

[Trophycummins]

I was thinking something like this (but cheaper).

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-009997021-Bi-Xenon-Headlamp-Module/dp/B0030Z66BE
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/bixenon-morimoto-mini-h1-stage-3.html

I know they're not fog lights but on low beam setting, with their sharp cut off, and mounted relatively low, they would probably provide better than the stock fogs. They would add a lot on high beam I think too.

Google "blazer fog lights" it's a brand, not from a chevy blazer.

They're mini projector lights, couple them with a Morimoto hid kit and you've got excellent lighting for ~$200

If you want to go LED, the street legal rigid dually is an excellent option.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SilicaRich]

So say you were to reuse the old stock fog harness for a set HIDs that exceed the power draw of the factory fogs, would I need to buy a new the harness?

I suck with electrical and would like to bring my dead fog switch back to life with a new set of HIDs. Factory fogs were long gone when I bought my Jeep but I'm pretty sure my the harness is tied off somewhere in the engine bay.

 

[Hilldweller]

HIDs draw fewer amps than many foglights while the arc is burning but draw much more when the ignighter starts them. They're not for foglight use at all.
There are a few decent LED foglights but those are pricey.

 

[BlindingWhiteTaco]

I have some KC Pro Sport HID lights on my truck. I'm impressed with their polymer housing. The Apollo Pro line is available in a 55watt halogen fog light configuration and is something I would consider. I'm going to put a set of them on my truck in addition to the Pro Sports.

LED lights are difficult to properly focus into a fog pattern with a clear cut off line. If you're looking for an actual fog light I would steer clear. If you just want more light they may be a good option. KC has a their Gravity LED line, but I'm using Rigid Dually lights as ditch lights. Make sure anything you get is below 5000k on the temperature scale, above that will result in glare and eye fatigue. Also, there is no benefit to amber or yellow fogs.