If only one: Fog Lights or Driving Lights?

[RenoRacing]

I built a little "bull bar" for my bumper and I'm looking to add two lights to it. I'm leaning towards the Hella 500's for their price, and their general quality. I do understand the difference in patterns, but I'm still undecided. I'm kind of leaning towards a "fog light" pattern, figuring that it's more important to be able to see the stuff close to/around me. So, my question to you is... If you were to add only two lights to your rig, would you opt for "fog lights" or "driving lights"?

 

[UNI]

We are getting ready to add a couple of lights to the front of a Jeep. Because we were looking for a wide light pattern, we decided on Hella Rallye 4000 Halogen Cornering Beam Lamps. You might want to check this light pattern (Cornering Beam), if your looking for a wide beam of light. I believe this light pattern is available in different lamp designs.

Click Here: Hella-USA

 

[NothingClever]

Fog lights, IYAM.

If you want to drive fast, then go for the driving lights.

If you want to keep going in fog or snow when others are starting to doubt, get the fog lights.

 

[Hilldweller]

Foglights and a headlight upgrade.
Like you said, when the going gets tough, foreground lighting is what you need offroad.

 

[4xdog]

Easy choice for me. Fogs.

I use the fog lights on my Cherokee's bull bar almost all the time. I like the way the light fills in the front of the vehicle and illuminates both sides of the road a little more than the normal headlamps. I use Hella 500s.

Pencil beam driving lights would get used by me maybe a couple of times a year, and my normal H4 bulbs do just fine on high.

A common setup on vehicles like my Triumph TR3 when new were to have one of each! I haven't seen that on any car made in the last 50 years though.

Don

 

[AlexJet]

To answer your question more details may be needed. What kind of headlights do you have, 9005, 9006, H4,...? Are you happy with your headlights? Do you have factory fog lights? What kind of driving you do, high speed highway or low speed rural? Where do you drive mostly, city or countryside? All of those questions are unique to choosing the right light. If you can give a short answers, I'd be able to give you a right place advice.

For example:
- city driving --- usually in populated areas you have light-up roads with relatively low speed driving, this means that you may want "Fog" pattern to light up the sides of the road.
- Countryside driving -- usually means highway, rural roads or gravel roads with relatively high speed. In this conditions with low numbers of traffic on the road you want to have lighted up road in front of you in maximum distance to be able to locate the obstacles sooner, which leads you to "Driving" pattern.

See each question has a specific recommendation...

 

[R_Lefebvre]

It's very rare when I get fog (or rain or snow) so thick that I really wish I had good foglights. I've also just not really seen the need to see the ground 20 feet in front of the truck. The headlights do a fine job of that. Maybe I'm just biased because I've never had a set of *good* foglights, but that's because I've just never seen the need. My truck came with decent-for-OEM fogs and... I only turn them on to look cool. Seriously. (Hey, at least I can admit it.)

Conversely, I ALWAYS appreciate my driving lights at night. And I always hate driving any vehicle at night that doesn't have driving lights.

 

[4xdog]

Rob, maybe it's 'cause you've never had good foglights, or maybe it's 'cause you already have good regular headlights!

My recently-acquired 2001 Tacoma's headlights are awful -- hot spots and poor dispersion. I'm sure when I mount my the ARB bull bar this spring I'll want to upgrade with a set of Hella 500 foglights to improve uniformity in low-beam mode. For me, it's not so much to light up right in front of the vehicle as it is to make the regular lows more uniform.

I have factory fog lights on my Lexus RX350, and they're absolutely worthless. No improvement at all in any respect over the HID main lights. They don't even look cool.

The Hella lights on the ARB Bull bar on my 1988 Cherokee are vastly different from the OEMs on the Lexus. Much better pattern, and I think much more useful throw being mounted on top of the bumper. While technically they're called fog lights, for me they function as close-range driving lights.

A key point seems to be how much better one needs to make ones lights. If the headlamps are good, there's not much a fog light will add. If the main headlamps aren't that great, a good set of fogs may add a lot.

Don

PS: I've used higher-wattage H4 bulbs when I want to improve the range/intensity my lights, and for my driving situations, this probably works as well as pencil beam driving lights.

 

[alexrex20]

RenoRacing,
everyone's vehicle is different, so take our advice with a grain of salt, and try to compare scenarios before putting any weight behind our suggestions.

this has worked out extremely well for my nissan: i replaced my headlamp bulbs with the Sylvania XtraVision bulbs. they're what i find to be the best compromise among price ($24/pr) and light output and longevity. i spent a lot of time aiming my headlights vertically and horizontally so that the top of the light beam is bouncing at about the horizon, or just past where i normally look down the highway. i basically aim them just under where they would be getting in all the cars' eyes.

i spent plenty of time fine tuning, and came out with a great spread of light. it's so great that most of the time i don't need to use my high-beams, and never have i wanted for any close proximity fog lights.

my auxiliary lights, then, are GE Q4509 airplane landing lights in a standard PAR36 housing, mounted in the recesses for my fog lamps. as they are airplane landing lights, they will light up the road for literally miles, if you have them aimed appropriately.

so, upgrade your headlamps, aim them vertically and horizontally, and then save your money and get some GE Q4509 lamps. (for a pair of lamps and housings, i spent <$60.) you will have great light output for driving around town and on the backroads, and you'll still have plenty of light in "reserve" for when you want to really light up the road, or want to get your point across to that other vehicle that you don't appreciate them driving with their brights on.


EDIT: I have tried both the Hella 500 and the 500FF and they are a waste of money. they don't offer much light spread, despite what they tell you. for the same price, i've gotten equal or better performance from my GE Q4509 lamps. they're also smaller (4.5in diameter) and less conspicuous, though that may be a bad thing if you're going for looks.

i used to have two pairs of Hella 500FF on the roof, and a pair of Hella 500 on the bumper, but have since seen the light, and realize that the airplane landing lights are more than sufficient. even bombing the beach at 60mph, i can't outrun them.

 

[bitoy]

"airplane landing lights" ? Wow, I wish we have those here. :Wow1:

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Rob, maybe it's 'cause you've never had good foglights, or maybe it's 'cause you already have good regular headlights!

That may be the case. I'm not tollerant of bad main lights, and will upgrade or just not buy a car because of it.

My two older VW's recieved E-code sealed-beam replacement lamps that were great. My 89 Mustang sucked, but I never did anything about those. Then, all my Focuses had good headlights from the factory, as does my truck. European designed vehicles tend to have better headlights. My wife's Montana were ok on pattern, but dim with H11 bulbs. I upgraded to H9 bulbs for 65% more lumens for only $10/bulb. Now it's actually really good in close range, and pretty good on the highs. Only needs some driving lights for a bit more range, but I can live as-is now.

The airplane landing lights are interesting... but I wonder about the legality. I also might expect the light up the trees and everything above the roadway, which actually isn't conductive to seeing what you need to see.

 

[alexrex20]

the airplane landing lights are more of a spot beam, though if you play with their reach and spread, you can avoid lighting up the trees. just aim them dead at the horizon and it's perfect. but when do we get the most use out of our lights? on the trails on the Baja Peninsula, or on the highway in the backcountry? down here in Texas, we have a big problem with whitetail/mule deer, pronghorn, freerange cattle, etc. and in the hill country, a little bit of vertical spread is actually favorable.

as far as legality... are any auxiliary lights legal? no. you drive around with any amount of them turned on and you will be sure to get pulled over. there is no difference between my airplane landing lights and the 4 roof lights so many of these ExPo'ers use. if my lights are not turned on, then what's the problem?

obviously, i only use them on the open highway when no other motorists are around.

 

[AlexJet]

I have tried both the Hella 500 and the 500FF and they are a waste of money. they don't offer much light spread, despite what they tell you.

You probably had Mexican build Hella 500. You need German build Hellas. I have them and they perfect, much better then was another set (Mexican).

 

[AlexJet]

as far as legality... are any auxiliary lights legal? no. you drive around with any amount of them turned on and you will be sure to get pulled over. there is no difference between my airplane landing lights and the 4 roof lights so many of these ExPo'ers use. if my lights are not turned on, then what's the problem?

obviously, i only use them on the open highway when no other motorists are around.

Yes, auxiliarry lights are legal if you follow the rules of location, aiming and covering.

 

[Hilldweller]

"airplane landing lights" ? Wow, I wish we have those here. :Wow1:

The airplane landing lights are interesting... but I wonder about the legality. I also might expect the light up the trees and everything above the roadway, which actually isn't conductive to seeing what you need to see.

Good landing lights thread on CPF:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=251961


Good foglight thread on CPF:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=260292