Lighting!!! for newbies

[93BLAZER]

3 watts sounds wayyy too low...I thought it was more like 35-40 watts?

HIDs tend to be 35W as a rule. There are some 55W HID's, but I'm pretty sure the O'reilly/Checker/Kragen/HIDx lights you're speaking of are 35W.

Are they really that good? Or "good enough?" I've seen on some of the Toyota forums that they break with serious use.

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not into this "electrical" stuff...

I thought since these were HID's drew less vs. Halogen lights, Hella 500 or KC Dayligters for example.

Side by side when I put these on, The HID's gave off way better light hands down. I have been pretty rough on theses and cranked them down pretty hard. They still are doing great.

 

[Rexsname]

I've had the Checker HIDs on my Tacoma for two or three years. It is wired so that I can only turn it on while the Hi-beam switch is in the on position. I use the HID on the road with the Hi-beams. I can dim them both with the same switch. ONE good light is worth more to me than a pair (or more) of semi OK lights. I have a KC HiLights Fog light on the bumper as well. It lasted about 13 months before it took a dump. I wish I had bought a better quality fog light.....



REX

 

[angusdevil]

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not into this "electrical" stuff...

I thought since these were HID's drew less vs. Halogen lights, Hella 500 or KC Dayligters for example.

Side by side when I put these on, The HID's gave off way better light hands down. I have been pretty rough on theses and cranked them down pretty hard. They still are doing great.

Checker HID's are indeed 35w. For HID's, you can also get 55w and 70w. I had 4 55w Hella 4k's on the truck and they were great for mobing out in the desert but they SUCKED for tight quarters and in the woods. Luckily, with that much power, everything lit up even without direct light on it

 

[Silverado]

do yourself a favor and toss that LMC truck catalog in the trash can....everything in there is overpriced and usually the same garbage you can buy in a JC Whitney catalog

 

[coreys88burban]

yes i do NEED the lights, I go to the mountians a lot a night drive quite a bit and all my lighting is new but i need better output., I also get heavy fog here in mornings and at night so fogs are needed also. i am thinking about getting a HID kit to convert my factory lights first and tossing the roof light idea, and mounting a pair of nice Fogs on the bumper. than later on getting some "rock lights" I do have the power for them I have a auxillary battery with an isolator and im will check my alt. also and if need will get a lil bigger one.

thanks all!

 

[93BLAZER]

I've had the Checker HIDs on my Tacoma for two or three years. It is wired so that I can only turn it on while the Hi-beam switch is in the on position. I use the HID on the road with the Hi-beams. I can dim them both with the same switch. ONE good light is worth more to me than a pair (or more) of semi OK lights. I have a KC HiLights Fog light on the bumper as well. It lasted about 13 months before it took a dump. I wish I had bought a better quality fog light.....



REX

Wish I had the brains to wire it like you did Rex.

 

[bdbecker]

I threw a few lights on my front bumper, they're the Snappy kind that BlackWidow posted earlier. They were definately a "want" install, but I've been very happy with them - not too expensive and thus far, pretty durable.

After playing around with them a little, I've turned the two outside lights towards the ditch so when I'm running down deserted backroads at night (basically 90% of SD roads), I can fire them up and keep an eye out for deer. The two center lights have been turned to fill in the holes of my headlight pattern as much as possible. When you look at them during the day, it looks like I did a crappy job of installing my lights because they are all misaligned, but at night, I now have a much wider field of view which is actually pretty handy around here.

 

[xcmountain80]

Why not just skip the roof bar and go with some Light Force lights mounted on the front. I'm not sure if you specified whether or not you plan on using these often or are just going for more of a look.

A

 

[Rexsname]

Wish I had the brains to wire it like you did Rex.

If you knew me you would see just how funny that statement is!!:wings: The wiring was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago from my Father-in-law.

I know what I know.I know what I don't know....I know I don't know wiring!

REX

 

[unreng]

No budget - LED light bars.

Budget - Lightforce. Various sizes and interchangeable filters. White light isn't the optimum color for all situations.

Check what Alaskans and Canadians run on their rigs (e.g. harsh climes).

 

[bdbecker]

If you knew me you would see just how funny that statement is!!:wings: The wiring was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago from my Father-in-law.

I know what I know.I know what I don't know....I know I don't know wiring!

REX

I'm pretty sure I know how he wired it, it's actually simpler than you would expect - I'll try to post up a diagram for you. To make sure I'm clear - you can only turn your aux. lights on/off when the headlight switch is in the hi position, and if the aux. light switch is left in the on position, your switching the headlights to the low postion turns them off, correct?

 

[Rexsname]

That is correct. I can turn the switch to the on position anytime, but the only time the HID comes on is when the headlight dimmer switch is in the 'bright' position. That way if there is oncoming traffic I can just dim my brights and the HID also goes off.

REX

 

[bdbecker]

Here's one way he could have wired it - as I was drawing this up last night I thought of a few other ways it could be done, but this one seemed to be easier than the others to do.

If anyone sees any mistakes, let me know - I was a little distracted when I was drawing this last night.

EDIT: I knew I was missing something, and I just realized it. The headlight switch is all wrong. The three position switch should be Off, Park, On, and you need to tap into the separate High/Low beam switch. So just pretend the 3 position switch is really the High/Low switch while I draw a new diagram up.

 

[coreys88burban]

the lightforce seem to be popular here but i dont like the way the are more of a spot beam than real flood beam. i have been looking a some for more $$$ and really like the hella rallye 4000 Cornering Beam's. I was thinking 2 of them mounted on the upper secion of a CUCCV K5 Grille Guard as well as some Hella rallye 4000 Fog beams on the lower part.

thinking of having them all facing just slightly outwards for a very broad output to the sides and in front.

as for useage i want the fogs on a single switch for manual use just like normal AND i want the cornering beam (driving lamps) wired like most people say as in they only come on with high beams BUT on a relay so that i can use my stock headlights as normal and still use my high beams without the lamps. so if the driving lamp switch is off they wont work at all and if i turn the switch on they still dont work Unless i turn of my high beams..

Now am i getting it??

and i have a lund widshield visor also (nonlighted one) with some LMC truck five-peice LED marker/clearance lights for the roof...basicaly for looks but they will be wired to a manual switch or to the park lights so they come on all the time.

 

[chp-sk8]

led lights

I drop the coin on the 42in VisionX day lighter....superb quality and exellent beam and light temp. @ $1900 :Wow1nly one is needed. Take a Look at the Grote LED's. I agree the hella 500's are filler and nothing else, surf CL and pirate4x4, also racedezert forums too you will find what you need for a fraction of the price.