Which brand of griving lights

[RThompson]

Which brand of driving lights

Need some lights for driving rural roads late at night. There is little or no traffic but lots of deer, so want to illuminate down the road and off to the sides for quite a ways. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[bighammer]

I went cheap. Two rubber utility lights and two aircraft landing light sealed beams to replace the standard floods that came in them. A simple relay and some wire, and I have a pretty bright setup for under 50 bucks.



Just my 2 cents...

 

[Blakers]

I second bighammer.



I've been running them for over 20 years and the results are better than any driving lights I've ever seen. The sheriffs department around here uses them mounted up on their light bars - they light up the whole inside of a car they stop while they're writing up tickets.



I don't have them on my Ram yet, but will soon.



Good luck,



Blake

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Okay Bighammer, where do I get 'em?

 

[bighammer]

I got mine at my small town NAPA (Blissfield, MI)



Might start there. I forgot the numbers on the bulbs, but they should be able to help you out. Get some large wire and the relay setup. They draw some juice. (melted my wires the first time around )

 

[gitchesum]

GE-4522, that's the ones I had

250 watts each. BRIGHT. I wired them through a 30 amp realy with some pretty thick wire. It seemed to handle them. I them wired to come on with the high beams. You really don't want them on when there is oncoming traffic. I flashed them at my Bro-in-law on night on the road and got an earful when he caught up with me later.

 

[Blakers]

Mine were only the 100W ones, but really bright. I wired mine so they could be used with the headlights off - just the parking lights - as they were such a drain on my old system. The regular high beams were hardly noticeable anyway.



Be very careful to dim them when there's even the slightest suggestion of oncoming traffic or they may have to pull over to let their eyes adjust. Or... if they're wearing a badge... .



Don't abuse them or you'll be hated.



Blake

 

[illflem]

In some states it's the law that lights over 100 watts must be covered when on public roadways. Be careful.

 

[Bigsaint]

I started out with KC daylighters, 165 w each. Beyond overkill and god forbid you don't get them off before you apporach on coming traffic. Good chance you'll burn out their retnas . I recently added a set of Hella 220's 55 w each which is more than enough. I have the same concern about deer/black bear encounters, this work well and cost about $50. 00 each. Got mine from here...



http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/hella/fog.htm#220



Scott W.

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by illflem

In some states it's the law that lights over 100 watts must be covered when on public roadways. Be careful.

I agree. But, if used prudently, I doubt you would have any trouble with the law. Heck, there are so many new and crazy lights out there that I doubt most lawmen can keep up. If used only on wide-open rural roads with no traffic, you can always tell the officer that you only use them to enhance safety on their deer-infested highways and that you are always careful to avoid blinding fellow motorists.



Blake

 

[illflem]

Blake I agree 100%. It's just that some cops use any excuse they can find to pull you over even though they have no intention of citing you for it, they're looking to bust you for something else. Just another headache I'd rather avoid.

 

[dezrat]

GE 4522

If you want to use 4522s,Grote makes some nice housings for them. I may do that myself when the open range gets populated again. I am using sport headlamps with four 55/100 watt bulbs. That is not enough out here with all these cows.

The 4522s are Par 46 size or 5. 75 inches. Also they are rated at 13v/250w/290,000cp. They also draw 19amps each. I'd use a 40amp relay.

Aircraft Spruce sells them for $27. 95 each.

You can get Par 36 [4. 50inch] lights rated at 13v/250watts also if you want a smaller size.

 

[bighammer]

It's just that some cops use any excuse they can find to pull you over even though they have no intention of citing you for it, they're looking to bust you for something else. Just another headache I'd rather avoid.

Illflem, that is why I put a muffler back on. Straight -piped I felt like I would be a target (if not a magnet) for a cop with an attitude.

 

[RThompson]

Thanks guys!

 

[Got Smoke?]

Originally posted by bighammer





Straight -piped I felt like I would be a target (if not a magnet) for a cop with an attitude.

My cop buddies just :-laf at me and give me a #ad




P. S. I realize that this isn't the case everywhere

 

[lgibson]

I have a pair of PIAA 80xt and is wired to my high beams and a switch. With the switch on, the lights will come on and go off with my high beams. I can turn the switch off and use just my high beams. It makes it easy to turn off when a car is approching, just dim the lights.

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by illflem

Blake I agree 100%. It's just that some cops use any excuse they can find to pull you over even though they have no intention of citing you for it, they're looking to bust you for something else.

All cops should have this statement prominantly displayed on their cars, their uniforms, and on all their paperwork:



"How is my behavior? Did I earn my pay helping and protecting you, my employer, today? Call 1-800-xxx-xxxx"



Over all the years I've used the landing lights I have never had a cop problem, but I've been careful with them.



Blake

 

[Justbeamn]

I have CATZ MSC's. They look like stock and fit into the original fog light holes. I bought them from a GD on the TDR.

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by Justbeamn

I have CATZ MSC's. They look like stock and fit into the original fog light holes. I bought them from a GD on the TDR.

How do they work? How many miles out do they reach?



Blake

 

[Justbeamn]

Blakers. They work great! They throw out a very wide beam. My truck didn't come with fog lights so I bought the dash kit for the factory look. All trucks still have the wiring from the dash to the radiator regardless if the have the lights or not. All I had to do was drill a 4" hole in the surrounds, get 2 factory brackets (they mount right up) and splice into the original wiring behind the radiator. The only other thing you need is two relays for the panel under the hood.



Try this http://fet-usa.com/products/msc.html