Question about diesels or gassers and grille front light bars/light mounts

[Wilbah]

So I am in the planning stage for my next vehicle and am going pickup- 3/4 to 1 ton SRW and will be a Chevy/GMC version. One thing I will be installing are some driving lights (prob Daylighters bc I like the throwback to the first pair I put on my pickup in 1981- nope....I'm not a millennial ha!) But being in New England I have had...."issues" with low hanging branches so am leaning toward a grille mount of the lights (plus it gets past any hood glare issues which I had with past versions) but I am curious if any of the guys who mount their light bars in front of the grille have seen any issues with cooling? I know diesels generally don't have problems with that but I am still torn on the diesel v gas route at the moment. And the reason I am going 3/4 to 1 ton (most likely 1 ton) is I will be gearing it out fairly heavy, so its not like it will be empty running around so the cooling will be necessary.

Any thoughts or experiences people have had with them mounted there are appreciated!

 

[IdaSHO]

Today's trucks are massively overbuilt in the cooling department.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you are obstructing a good portion of the grill.

 

[Buliwyf]

Two in front of the grill, on the bumper is fine. Don't put a dozen lights there.

Lights flush mounted IN the grill, is a bad idea. You'll see this often with new Ford owners.

I prefer a set of Rigid, little ditch flood lights mounted on the hood hinge, aimed out almost sideways. Popular with Jeeps, Toyota's, and some Ford guys. And a set of Fyrlyt's on the front bumper tabs.

 

[Bayou Boy]

Most guys go way overload on the lights and have no business driving as fast in the dark as their lights are capable of. Figure our a way to mount a couple of sets of BD Squadrons in/on the bumper with a set each of the wide cornering and spot variety. If you need more, mount a set of XL driving lights on the A-pillars as ditch lights as Buliwyf mentions above. Really all the vast majority of people need.

 

[rayra]

If your vehicle has electric fans it's really a non-issue

 

[Explorerinil]

I’ve had no cooling issues, I have a 30 ridged E series on my AEV bumper along with a whinch and a low hanging removable front license plate, all which block the radiator far more than the stock bumper. I recently went up to northern Ontario pulling a Boston whaler, a ton of gear and 4 people. I ran 70 mph the entire time pretty much and the trans ran typical 165 degrees even while doing this in 90 degree weather. I’ve pulled 10k around plenty of times and have never had a cooling problem.

 

[lugueto]

I've had two 8" lights mounted in multiple vehicles now in the past decade and have never seen temps rise driving at any speed, even on really hot days. Traffic, highway, offroad, low range. Not a problem yet.

As for the amount of lights, their placement or the speeds one drives at night in what roads, I can't say anything that would be objective. YMMV..

 

[nickw]

I was always surprised seeing the rigs with the front mounted spares (mostly older ones back in the 80's), but they never seemed to have any problems:

 

[Wilbah]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback. I am not going to go overboard nor am I the type to out drive my lights, just too much risk in that for my liking. But I like the idea of them in fron of the grille so was curious. I appreciate all the comments! Seems like I was likely overthinking it. Thanks!

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Mine is a Dodge Hemi 5.7. Light bar carries four big Hella halogens and an LED bar that spans the full width between the tow hooks. And I have a 12cfm compressor mounted on a cradle in front of the radiator, behind the grill. Truck cruises all day in AZ summers at 75mph, coolant at 206F, air temps above 115F. Crawls down dirt roads in same conditions, never goes above 210F. Trans temp usually 130-140F. I have an aux electric fan, never need to use it. Don't worry about it.

 

[smlobx]

Two in front of the grill, on the bumper is fine. Don't put a dozen lights there.

Lights flush mounted IN the grill, is a bad idea. You'll see this often with new Ford owners......

I’ll have to disagree...
If done in moderation like I did with the BD led lights you should not have any problem. I’ve been in 4 low at elevations over 12,000 feet in 90 degree weather without any signs of the engine getting warm.

The newer trucks, particularly diesels, have a tremendous amount of cooling.