Roof Rack Lights: need some help!

[Hilldweller]

I've always run Sylvania Sylstar headlamp bulbs, they really do give significantly more light than a stock bulb...

Recently swapped in some HID conversion bulbs (5000's, white light, not blue) into the headlights, not convinced I really like them yet, but haven't really had much chance to use them either. I've been working on aiming them to get them to my liking and not blind oncoming traffic...

Sylvania Silverstars actually put out fewer lumens than quality replacement bulbs and they're at a wavelength that's harder for the human eye to use. Not your fault; they trick you into thinking they work better by virtue of their increased glare. You perceive it as brighter.
Although the Silverstars are legal, here's why they don't work well.

And here's why your HID conversion is both unsafe and illegal. You'll never get it aimed in a way that doesn't cause glare to other drivers and should just put in quality halogen bulbs.

 

[bob91yj]

Interesting reading.

I'm not usually sucked in by the latest gimmicks, I swear that the SylStar bulbs were brighter when compared side by side with a stock truck. I noticed the copyright on the article was '05, any chance the later SylStars are actually the same as the Osram Silver Stars that the author does recommend? I'd heard people say they got poor life out of their bulbs, but that was never an issue for me, even swapped the same bulbs from one truck to another when I bought my '06, mine did not appear blue either. I'm almost beginning to think that I bought the Osram version of the bulb.

I'm still on the fence with the HID conversion. I know of several desert racing teams that have done conversions on their chase trucks with "percieved" favorable results.

For what it's worth I work the BFG Baja pits with a LEO. The law is so fuzzy in CA on HID lights that he said you have to have the really blue/purple ones before they usually give you any trouble...on the flip side it can be used as probable cause if they just want to give you a look over up close. BTW, he had the HID conversion on his truck. Of course, that info may only be helpful on his beat, and it's obviously not worth anything outside of CA. Should I get pulled over I'm exceptionally brilliant at being perceived as the idiot gringo from California when need be!:sombrero: Talked my way out of a ticket in Ensenada at the 500...the light REALLY was green, my passenger saw it too...another story for another day.

I went with the 5000k bulbs which appear as white light, no blue at all. I may never get the light pattern I'm looking for after reading that article, with the whole vertical/horizontal issue. The blue lights drive me crazy too.

 

[Hilldweller]

Set up some markers and try the Silverstars back to back with a set of Phillips Xtreme Power bulbs; you'll see the difference that more lumens provide.
Depending on what bulb you have there might even be better too.

I did a headlight shootout and compared many types of lights for Jeeps. It crosses over to any vehicle though.

 

[Schattenjager]

X5 anti roof mount

It's not the hood that is the reflection problem - it is the thin film in between the glass of the windshield. It reflects and refracts light back in your face. Had this happen on a Disco II, Jeep, and FJ-60 before I learned my lesson. I had the hood black out kit too - no real help.

Get some tough LightForce for the front of the rig. They are nearly indestructible. I know of a set that survived a truck going off a mountain in Colorado and being relocated on a Cruiser that rolled outside of Vegas. Still alive and well! A stone chip is of no concern. They have replaceable lens as well - yellow, focused, etc.

In Alaska, there is more dark driving with fear of moose strike in one year than I have encountered in all my previous years of driving. No way I'll ever go back to roof mounted lights.

If you are worried about 100MPH night visibility, make sure your sponsor buys the appropriate windshield suited for high lights.

 

[stevo]

Roof rack lights

Thought I would put in my 2 cents...after having been "off-roading" sinct the late 70's I have finally found what works for me. On my street veh. I run one Cibie 180 oscar clear fog and one Cibie 180 driving lense about one foot apart, mid-line of the veh. about bumper height and wired so that they can come on when the high beams are on. I use these only when crossing the desert highways real late at night/early morning.They give me the depth and width I like for night driving. For off-roading I have the same set up with replacement headlamps as well; I also utilize two 6" flood lights mounted at the leading corners of my roof facing out at approx 45 degrees from centerline and facing downward approx. 45 degrees as well for close illumination. I must add though, I drive a Pinzgauer off-road and therefore speed is not an issue nor is "hood reflection"
Cheers, Stevo

 

[Hilldweller]

Thought I would put in my 2 cents...after having been "off-roading" sinct the late 70's I have finally found what works for me. On my street veh. I run one Cibie 180 oscar clear fog and one Cibie 180 driving lense about one foot apart, mid-line of the veh. about bumper height and wired so that they can come on when the high beams are on. I use these only when crossing the desert highways real late at night/early morning.They give me the depth and width I like for night driving. For off-roading I have the same set up with replacement headlamps as well; I also utilize two 6" flood lights mounted at the leading corners of my roof facing out at approx 45 degrees from centerline and facing downward approx. 45 degrees as well for close illumination. I must add though, I drive a Pinzgauer off-road and therefore speed is not an issue nor is "hood reflection"
Cheers, Stevo

You've got great taste, Stevo, and I hope I can see your set-up some day.

 

[Buliwyf]

X5 anti roof mount

It's not the hood that is the reflection problem - it is the thin film in between the glass of the windshield. It reflects and refracts light back in your face. Had this happen on a Disco II, Jeep, and FJ-60 before I learned my lesson. I had the hood black out kit too - no real help.

.

This is exactly what I have noticed with some windshields.

I'd rather have my highbeams on my bumper so that I could legally use them when I have the road to myself. The lights on my rack are floods and only point down, one on each side of the rack except for the rear, where I like to put two. To light the trail, campsite etc. when I'm crawling.

 

[JamesDowning]

Stock headlights have also really improved since the 90s. My old 94 had terrible headlights with no visible difference between low and high beams. Alternatively, my 05's high beams comparatively stream light directly from the heavens. I've supplemented them with 4000s (cornering beams) for side to side visibility, but the stock high beams hold their own. I guess that doesn't really help the OP though...

Maybe this will help... I actually just sold my roof lights. The roof lights are nice sometimes, but I realized I was getting much more useful light from my bumper lights. Roof lights do have a certain expedition-esque bling factor though! My advice - get the best lights you can afford and don't cheap out. In my experience, you will definitely get what you pay for. Instead of needing 4 cheap lights to fill the dark, you may only need 2!