Best offroad lights

[Brad]

I would make this a poll but want to hear about specific models everyone likes.
I am looking for a set of really good offroad lights.

Please do not give me a cheap option unless they are truly worth it. I do not mind spending
the money to get a really good set. Xenon, halogen, candle lit? Throw anything out there!

Thanks in advance for your opinions. :thumb:

[Patrolman]

I guess the BEST lights are the new LED light bars. I think a bar is about $1,000 though. I saw them in a recent mag. Supposed excellent lighting, low amp draw on the alternator, and very low profile. Also, the bulbs basically last forever. As with anything else, the price will drop.

[Patrolman]

Here is just one site that came up on Google with "Offroad LED Bar" is searched.

http://www.rigidindustries.com/Off-Road-LED-Light-Bars-s/64.htm

[Haku]

I have heard nothing but good things about about the Lightforce lights. They fall into the "not cheap" category and have a serveral different beam styles too I think.

I think its worth going with LED stuff though. If you want to go relatively high dollar (aka $1000 or more), the LED light bars are by far the coolest thing in my opinion. If you want to go a bit less, then the Vision X Solistic lights are pretty damn cool. A ton of light out of a little 2"x2" unit. Get 4 of those, and you are gonna have some serious lighting capabilities.

Vision X Solstice Light
http://www.visionxusa.com/oscthumb.php?src=lLzczdrZ3JKxmLOb5qWak5WCx7W_obyUl oOfy-DV0tGTvd_T&w=420&h=390&f=jpg&q=95&hash=f9aad5b71a18a960f29d73762949cdaf


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8H8aprsCk8

Rigid Light Bar (they come in 4" to 50" varieties, in spot, flood, or combination)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD9tkadJ9tU

For a cheaper option that I've still heard good things about.... Kragen/Checker/Rugged Ridge HID lights are hard to beat value wise.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41z1UkXN2eL._SS500_.jpg

[Mporter]

I agree with Josh on the Lightforce's.

Right now I just have some cheapo walmart special $20 driving beams....they do better than expected but not Hella/Lightforce/PIAA/etc quality for sure.

[wyota]

I have PIAA 510's for my out side edges and Lightforce 170 strikers for distance. Both are driving beams. i really like both! Can't go wrong with Lightforce! FWIW though out of all my lights i like my rock lights the best. Just because i get to actually use them. All the lighting in the world on the front of your rig only does you any good when your at front of the pack. It is also very hard to spot some one with 2 million candle light is your face. i say get some for the front and the bottom, then you always get to use you investment:thumb:

[Brody]

What Todd said. Driving lights are essentially worthless unless you are in front of everyone else with no one coming towards you. They are just a real irritation to everyone else otherwise. Not too bad if you are on the trail or road by yourself, but how often is that?

I have always thought them rather worthless in this state with all the low hanging tree branches, etc. Every night run we have ever been on, everyone usually shouts at the dude in back with the million candle power to turn his GD lights off. Trail runs at night, rock lights make a huge amount of sense as does just having some low hanging lights (like fogs) on the front to light up the area right in front of the tires, see the trail and not blind the **** out of the guy in front of you.

Hell, on night time trail runs, I don't even turn my main headlights on so I don't nail the guy(s) in front with a large blast of light. It isn't like you are doing 50 mph on the trail and need to see 1/2 mile ahead. You are doing 1-10mph and simple fogs on the front give you plenty of light.

Never saw the reasoning behind throwing hundreds of dollars at off road lights before getting something that would really be worthwhile in a bind like a winch, but a huge number of folks do it all the time. You see it on rigs everywhere you look, too. Give me a good winch over off road lights any day of the week...I'll let you know what gets used more:D

My two cents..

[JeffX]

Just buy whatever looks coolest. It's a cosmetic mod.

[Volcom]

For a cheaper option that I've still heard good things about.... Kragen/Checker/Rugged Ridge HID lights are hard to beat value wise.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41z1UkXN2eL._SS500_.jpg

Those lights put out a ton of light! Buddy of mine has 4 of them and they can be seen for miles.

[Hefty]

We sell both the Rigid Industries LED light bars as well as the entire Eagle Eye Lights brand. The Rigids are just flat out awesome......but they are pricey! The nice thing is that they give a very efficient light that is very consistent across the entire light field ( even light dispersement ) They also have a very low amp draw so they don't drain the battery or over work your alternator.

The Eagle Eye brand gives you a lot of options for Fog, Driving, Flood, and Spot in the standard halogen lights at a very affordable price. They also carry a full array of HIDs.

I kinda agree with Brody. A good set of fogs and rock lights are much more effective on Colorado Trails than driving or spot lights. I do run a pair of driving lights on the front of my truck but they are for the road at night (I drive through the forest to get home every night and deer light to jump out) I have them wired into my brights so that I don't forget and blind oncoming traffic. I won't use them on the trail unless I'm in front.

[JeffX]

I am dead serious. Buy whatever matches the snorkel you'll never use.....

If you must, buy these:http://www.offroadwarehouse.com/products/sfID1/8/sfID2/514/sfID3/518/productID/37740

[Andrew]

I just got the Hella 500FF's at Walmart. They light up the road great - tested in Moab last year by driving in the dark to my campsite.

No sense spending tons of money on them IMO.

[scout man]

I just got the Hella 500FF's at Walmart. They light up the road great - tested in Moab last year by driving in the dark to my campsite.
mind if I ask how much they cost you?

[Speedwagon]

Though they don't get a whole lot of use, my Hella Micro FFs are kickass. I like shopping rallylights.com, and that is where I got these Hellas from. I have the long range driving lights. If you want a demo to see what they are like, you are welcome to come by some night(you can see the lights in my avatar pic). I've had these lights for at least 6 years now, and they have migrated from my Legacy to the Brat.

[Brody]

I am dead serious. Buy whatever matches the snorkel you'll never use.....

:lmao::lmao: You are worse than I am, but you are right....

OK...so what are you gonna say when I maybe stick a totally worthless snorkel on my heap?

Hefty-That was the only reason I stuck some driving lights on my pig the last time...the deer at night. I was driving back and forth to Jefferson for work and leaving Denver really early on Mondays to get there on time, usually in the dark. Had them wired to my high beams, too.

Before that, I had some cheapos wired up cause we were coming back from climbing trips so late. We would climb until dark, rap off in the dark, hike down to the car and then drive back...but once again, it was only for deer...

That said, the best lights out there are going to be Hella, Piaa, or Light Force, pretty much all over $100 per light. Your dime, of course, but if it were me, I wouldn't waste my money, because as Jeff said, 'these are mostly cosmetic'..Personally, I think the handiest "off road" light would be either a pillar or roof mount spotlight. At least that is useful enough to be able to locate and light up a camp site in the dark. Most off road lights, especially in this state, are about as practical as chrome shocks.

[Hefty]

Whats wrong with chrome shocks???:lmao:

[Speedwagon]

That is kind of true. I don't use my Hellas hardly at all now in Colorado. I used them quite a lot on the twisty, woody roads of Maryland where I bought the lights though. Deer were a bit more plentiful, and harder to spot out there though. Of course, I had to be quick with the switch for oncoming traffic.

[Brad]

I guess I should have qualified my statement. I have been told too many times that some part I wanted was great only to stick in on my vehicle and have it be a total piece of crap.
I am looking for the mod for a couple simple reasons.
1. I intend to buy land in the mountains and build a house on it. Driving into the forest every night on my commute home.
2. When I went camping last July we arrived at night and setting up camp in the dark sucked. I already have a set of hella's for the rear of my roof rack to light up the area right behind my rig where the cargo area is.
3. If and when I do wheel at night and end up leading it would be nice to have them. Well that and if some jack hole decided his xenon headlights need to be left on bright when he is approaching me on the highway I want to let him know they are ON! :D

Great suggestions, of course I am not planning on spending $1k on a LED light bar. Was looking closer to the $100 to $300 range. Pair of 6" to fit on the bull bar.
Have been looking at some led rock lights as well. They are small and might be easier to protect.

[Roostercruiser]

my KC daylighters worked well before the fire., i had 3 150 watts and 2 50 watts. but the littlr utility lights for $10 works well also for backing up in the dark

[Brody]

In that case, look to the Hellas. They are good lights, don't break the bank (Light Force and Piaas, as well as most of the HID lights are pretty expensive), and have a lot of different lights to chose from. For your rear light, some fogs or floods are probably going to do you more good back there than anything else. A driving style is going to be better on the front, for sure, but you may also want to consider adding some lower mounted fog style lights for night runs while you are at it. Even some of the Pep Boy/Auto Zone/Advanced Auto style cheapo 'driving/off road' lights will work and produce a lot of candle power, most lighting up the road about 1/2 mile ahead of you.

Do some research into the police style pillar or roof mount spotlights as these are going to do the most good at night looking for firewood or lighting up specific ares, but expect to pay $200 for new if you can't find them used from a police car. Matt posted up a thread recently on the police style spots and I posted some links as to where to find them.

[Brad]

Good info Pete. I have thought about a spotlight. Not sure where I would want it given I want to do a internal roll cage.

[RockyMtnHigh]

I have got the Hella 500s from Walmart on the roof rack of my FJ, they work pretty good, but just the two IPF 800XS on the bumper drown those 4 out big time.

http://www.quadratec.com/Assets/Images/18075/18075-lg.jpg

I got a damn good deal on them otherwise I wouldn't have bought them. I have also heard really good things about the Kragen/Checker HID's.

[Patrolman]

I have to admit, there are few times when I use my offroad lights, but when we go camping in the desert in Utah out in the middle of nowhere, they can be priceless. I have a simple pair on the roofrack. They get light over a hill before the headlights will since they are mounted higher. There were times in pitch dark where even at lower speeds, this was important when driving along a cliff. They also light up further than the regular headlights for moving throught he desert at a higher speed. Are they necessary, absolutely not. Would I go back to being without them, no way. As most have stated, useless for the 2nd rig in line (usually I lead) and not near as helpful on mountain trails.

[GaryG]

Most likely overkill, but I have 4 Lightforce 170's on the roof rack. They have interchangeable lenses so you can switch between spot/fog/flood/combo patterns as well a switching colors. And they're bulletproof, literally, watch the video. Mostly used for deer spotting while driving at night, but we did get waylaid on a trail last fall and it was dark (Very, new moon) by the time we got looking for and setting up camp. These made it daylight in front of the Jeep.

http://ikvjfg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pWUZkmTfE5H8wK9a0UMlR58-sz45cDb3LFyguVk8fA1qZtYn4AcejMqz0nt1bptEHBDIvdqbF6 IxEa3LF7j_sGtmbcDJldVaJ/030.jpg?psid=1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrRv-WcFeNA

[Andrew]

mind if I ask how much they cost you?

Well I have 6 of them :P

You can get a pair of them for $40-50.

[Brad]

I think I am going to go with the 500FF's and take any extra I was going to spend and buy some led rock lights.
There is a kit on Amazon:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CyYNlFcJL._SS400_.jpg


http://www.amazon.com/Vision-HIL-STW-Superwhite-Strobe-Light/dp/B000ES867C/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1296600263&sr=8-12

Not that expensive and looks fairly easy to mount them up.

[scout man]

thats what I am going to do too, found those the other night

[foxtrot]

Tantrum consists of 8, 3 watt LED pods making it the brightest LED strobe light system on the market. No more unreliable ballasts or bulbs to burn out. Weatherproof housings allows these Tantrum pods to be mounted anywhere - in headlights, undercar, wheel wells, under dash or even in a speaker box. Each kit comes with a master controller, a wireless remote and a Built in microphone. When dependability and performance are factors in your field, Tantrum is the product you want on your vehicle.

what exactly is the built in microphone for? lol that kind of caught me off guard

[scout man]

that caught me off guard too. My guess is it "listens" to the music in the car and makes the lights flash accordingly.

[Hefty]

that caught me off guard too. My guess is it "listens" to the music in the car and makes the lights flash accordingly.

Exactly.....Its great for getting pulled over, drunken ghetto parties, or just pissing off your fellow wheelers...Price is right though!!!

[scout man]

yea, i would rather not have any of that crap, but it is actually cheaper to buy them with the control unit than to just by the lights seperately. The remote could be nice though. Although I will probably lose it.

[wyota]

The vision x rock light are not very bright, Buy these

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Blazer-Radiant-Effects-Rectangular-Driving-Light-Kit-Clear/15111233

and put these in them :smokin:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Fspecs%2FDRL_H3-WHP.htm

don't forget to silicone the hell out of what ever you decide to put on the bottom :thumb:

[scout man]

I am leaning towards the vision x just because they seem a lot more durable then your average aftermarket lights. And they will be in a very accident-prone location. I think they will be bright enough when you are out in the dark in the mountains!! LED is nice too!

[Brad]

I might put the microphone on them just to make it challenging to see the rocks! :eek:

[Volcom]

I also have the Hella 500ff's. I haven't wired them up yet so I can't comment on their output. They should work out OK from what everyone has said about them. But in the true fashion of dinking around with stuff, I plan on converting mine to HID's. I know they won't be as good of output as a true HID designed light but for an extra $30 and some time, it might be worth the effort over the stock 55w bulbs.
http://www.yotatech.com/f131/hids-hella-500s-write-up-lots-pictures-202736/

DDM tuning has cheap HID kits
http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/Apexcone-Raptor-HID-Kit