Lighting Setup

[ttora4runner]

Need a little bit of guidance here. I'm currently looking at the future lighting setup for my 4runner and researching lights (Hella, IPF and Lightforce) but I need a little bit of guidance on a few things.

On my last 4runner I ran a set of Hella 500 driving lights and after a long duration on a night run or 2 they ended up draining my battery.

The current setup I'm looking at will be to run a set of fog lights in the bumper and a set of driving lights mounted on top (Shrockworks bumper) which I'm sure would kill my battery in no time. Now this is were I have a few questions:

1. The stock wiring for the factory fog lights will they be sufficent to run a set of aftermarket fog lights? From what I've read its seems to be kind of up in the air as to if they are sufficent.

2. Should I upgrade the alternator or battery or both?

3. Should I run them off an auxliary fuse block? The fse block would have a latter use for any possible upgrades.

4. Wiring?? Upgrade to heavy grade?

I already have a set of Hella driving lights but I'm going to selling them and get a different set and we be using the stock fog light switches for the lights.

Hopefully, this makes, the research continues.

 

[bmh]

1. I don't see why the stock wiring couldn't support an aftermarket set of fog lights.

2. I would upgrade the alternator at a minimum. A second battery with an isolator wouldn't hurt.

3. This kind of depends. If you have a plan of adding even more lights, accessories, whatever, then yes, I'd add an aux. fuse block.

4. I think standard gauge wiring will be sufficient. I used 16 gauge wire for my aux lights. Wired in a fuse and it works great.

5. Do yourself a favor and make everything nice and clean from the start. I did 'ghetto' wiring at first and now I have to go back and re-wire everything because it looks like poo...

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

1. I don't see why the stock wiring couldn't support an aftermarket set of fog lights.

2. I would upgrade the alternator at a minimum. A second battery with an isolator wouldn't hurt.

3. This kind of depends. If you have a plan of adding even more lights, accessories, whatever, then yes, I'd add an aux. fuse block.

4. I think standard gauge wiring will be sufficient. I used 16 gauge wire for my aux lights. Wired in a fuse and it works great.

5. Do yourself a favor and make everything nice and clean from the start. I did 'ghetto' wiring at first and now I have to go back and re-wire everything because it looks like poo...

^^^Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, AND.......

Forget the PIAAS, and all the other letters...do yourself a favor...go to Checker and buy these: http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=CSM&MfrPartNumber=99000CSK&CategoryCode=3157D

You simply cannot beat them for the price....$99 HIDs. We have had two on the FJ for almost a year now and just bought two more. I plan on putting these on the 4Runner as well. Its like having the sun on the front of your truck at a fraction of the cost. The quality is actually quite impressive as well. Our PIAA fog lights...cracked and broken...these? Not a chance. The only downside is they don't come with a switch but obviously Checker has an AMAZING selection of buttons and switches for your choosing.

 

[toy_tek]

Those 7" HID's that Heidi linked to are the same ones Tim is using. They do light up like daylight. I like them better than my IPF 968, which throw a yellower light. But you need 2, so you're looking at $200 vs $96 for the IPF's. They also make those HID's in a 4" model now, and the output rating is the same.

HID's draw significantly less than incandescent bulbs (like my IPF's), so you don't really need to upgrade anything (batt/alt). You'll see that link shows the 9" HID draws 35 watts each, where I've got 100w bulbs in each of my IPF's. So you've got "more" lighting with 70 watts HID vs 200 watts with IPF's.

It would be wise to use a relay & heavier gauge wiring to switch them on though.

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

LightForce Lights

Check out Lightforce Striker 170 at their USA (http://www.lightforceusa.com/) or OZ (http://www.lightforce.net.au/driving.html) websites and then get them from http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=66&gclid=CN3lxPPo1JgCFQazsgodfVIS1Q (tell Wil I sent you). The can have any coloured filter you need on them, water and bullet proof (check out various write-ups on this forum under gear reviews, the are adjustable from wide to pencil and have been known to be so bright they blister paint off the rig in front of you. I have them and there are superb!

These lights were tested against the top 19 other lights around the world (yes all the big high-end brand names and some of the cheaper ones too) and came on on top. Even a video of the tests, shotgun at 15m, hammering the filter lens on concrete, etc. So bright, you can read a newspaper/book at close to a kilometer away!

 

[01tundra]

I just removed my 55W PIAA's and replaced them with Lightforce 170 Strikers - not even a comparison.....they make my PIAA's look light a match in a strong wind.........:sombrero:!

 

[CYi5]

I would buy your lights and convert them to HID's. 35w each compared to 55w or 100w each. Plus the light output is simply amazing. I have Hella 4000's I converted to 6000K HID for around $250 in the end. Night and day difference.

 

[crawler#976]

Here's another vote for the Checker HID's - relatively inexpensive, great light output, and...

At 35W each, two draw less amps than one 100W Hella or equivalent light.

I may add a third to my truck, but it's not really neccesary. I have mine angled slightly to each side and the center overlap coverage is excellent.

Mark

 

[Cackalak Han]

Anybody have a pic of what the Checker HID's light pattern looks like?

 

[ttora4runner]

Anybody have a pic of what the Checker HID's light pattern looks like?

x2 on this.

Just for kicks and grins tonight I went to Checkers here in town tonight to see if they had the lights but no dice, same for Autozone and Pep Boys (they have slightly more a section, Checkers had no offroad lights of any sorts).

I like the Lightforce lights because you can change the lense's to fit your needs (foggy, dusty or snowy conditions) but $$ is also an issue.

Any other advise on running them a aux. fuse box or upgrading the wiring?

 

[LexusAllTerrain]

I am here in the same page, I have PIAA 520 ION's IPF 968's and the Hella 500's and I am planninh to make the move to the HID's lights, I am presently considering the new Genesis Lightforce and this Checker brand, I am planning on just having the hid's in the ARB Bumper and be done, plus I get alot of wind noise in my roof with all the lights in there!:ylsmoke:


Do I need to replace my light harness that I installed for my PIAA's which are rated at 85 watts?

 

[mr.trd]

Would the factory wiring handle the checker HID's. Say just cut the factory plug off and wired the HID's to the factory wiring? I like the lightforce 170 stryker but I know I would have to get the wiring harness with it and it makes it quite a bit more money that way.

 

[Rattler]

I got a pair of Lightforce 140s and a couple different filters. They are great lights. I went with the Lightforce harness for cleanliness of installation but used a factory Toyota switch mounted in a blank spot in the center section of the dashboard. I just simply carved some of the plastic bumper filler out of the way and mounted them to the top of the bumper until I upgrade that. The install came out great and the lights don't shake like a lot of other offorad lights do.

Another nice option are the newer VisionX LED lights but they are not cheap.

 

[toy_tek]

Checker has the HID's on sale right now, bunch on the shelf at Ellsworth & Guadalupe in Mesa.

4" - $95 ea
7" - $99 ea

 

[sami]

Anybody have a pic of what the Checker HID's light pattern looks like?

Look at this thread ---> http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10341&highlight=checker+hid