LED Light Bars: Completed (including night shots)

"CAR_IS_MI" (car-is-mi)
09/08/2014 at 11:43 • Filed to: Jeep, LED, Lighting

For those that recall, I got some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for the Jeep for cheap off Amazon a few weeks back, and then !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but then shortly thereafter ran into some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (It's okay if you don't remember ever minor detail about my fascinating life, I included links to remind you).

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Well I finally got around to fixing and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! my lighting project over the weekend, and figured I would share these pictures with you since many of you were interested in knowing how these turned out.

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Switches with the dimmer on:

Switches on (GPS and Compressor switched off in pic):

Exterior with windshield lights on:

Exterior with Bumper bar on:

Here are the interior shots (please beware, these were taken with my iPhone that has been dropped about 100x and takes bad photos in good lighting conditions, on the most dimly lit street in my neighborhood. The pics don't really do the lights justice. They are by far not the greatest lights you could possibly get, but, IMO, at least from the initial use, worth the $ I spent on them)

Headlights only (low beam):

Bumper bar only

Windshield lights only (this one really does no justice, too much ambient light and bad camera)

All on (Low beams, bumper, and windshield)

For a bit of a comparison I bounced this off a building at about 100 ft away.

(low beams only)

(low beams and bumper bar)

DISCUSSION (27)

phenotyp > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 11:50

Cool!

JGrabowMSt > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 11:56

Lookin' good on there. Any pics of the hi beams and bumper bar?

Do-Rif-To > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 11:59

Do you notice any "harshness" in the light from the LEDs in comparison to halogen or incandescent bulbs? I'm thinking of dropping my Hella 500s on the Legacy in favor of a stealth mounted LED light bar on the WRX when it gets here. As much as I love the look of classic circular rally lights, I hate having the light holding bar hanging out there just waiting to get backed into. Maybe I've only seen cheap LEDs running but the color tone always seems really harsh and blue.

CAR_IS_MI > JGrabowMSt
09/08/2014 at 12:01

Nah. My high beams are weird, they never worked right (they disperse light in a very awkward pattern) so I never touch them.

CAR_IS_MI > Do-Rif-To
09/08/2014 at 12:05

These weren't bad. The spots (windshield) are not harsh at all, the flood (bumper) was a little but only down low where the light gathers on the road, everything else was clean, or at least appeared to be to me ( I am a bit color blind so take that for what its worth).

JGrabowMSt > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 12:09

Weird. I don't think I've ever seen a Jeep with the highs on actually. It's a two stage bulb, right?

My highs are bright as all hell, both the 600 and the Wagon. The 600 is a lot like a spotlight, and very convenient when someone is pointing them at me, because the offending driver gets the message quick. My only issue is that I'd like to see a little more of the shoulders lit up, because (as i said before) bears. Damn things come out of nowhere, and especially at night, there's little warning. At night they do avoid well lit areas, so when I leave my girlfriends house, I need to keep things pretty bright. There's a stretch of about 7 miles through the woods, no houses or side roads, just a two lane road with some guardrail one one side, and an uphill soft shoulder on the other.

Not really sure what happened in one spot, but a section of guardrail looks like a pretzel somewhere around halfway down the stretch of road.

CAR_IS_MI > JGrabowMSt
09/08/2014 at 12:15

Yea they are a dual bulb, someone (who's some sort of lighting engineer) on one of the Jeep forms figured out part of the problem (or maybe all of it) was something with the housing design, but the easiest fix is to jet spend the $500 on a set of LED headlamps from Trucklight or (if you have deep pockets) JW Spreaker.

Anywho, the light bar does decent at throwing the light wide, enough so that you should be able to see a bear on the side of the road before it goes all Yogi on you and steals your pick-a-nick basket.

505Turbeaux > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 14:45

how cheap is cheap? I am thinking I can do bumper lights on my project

Kinja'd!!!

though I will still want roundies for the roof light bar

CAR_IS_MI > 505Turbeaux
09/08/2014 at 15:15

The 14" was just over $60.

505Turbeaux > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 15:18

that is doable. awesome, thanks. God damn they are bright

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 16:38

I've loved following the jeep upgrades, looks great.

do you have pics of those interior switches in normal light? I want to see how they were mounted and where.

I may have missed that post though lol.

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/08/2014 at 16:51

Of course. It's kind of a close up but the switches are on the A-pillar.

Link to photo becasue kinja is being kinja.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/08/2014 at 16:55

That looks really kick ass, I was just wondering where they were placed in the cab.

Love this set up.

I want to see how some of your design techniques on this would carry over to our White Commander.

Could be cool.

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/08/2014 at 16:57

Easy access fits nice and has factory finish.

Thanks.

I am always down for theoretical physics (or theoretical mod planning...)

michael bleggi > 505Turbeaux
09/08/2014 at 18:22

wait 505 is this really yours? ....

505Turbeaux > michael bleggi
09/08/2014 at 19:03

I own the car and am figuring out the lift kit now. The rest should be easy. Currently smoke silver but will be plastidipping black, lifted suspension and oversized tires, lights. This is just a render. You like?

michael bleggi > 505Turbeaux
09/08/2014 at 21:22

i had a w210.... please tell me it's a diesel? actually looks like a fun offroading project, something about sitting in side a w210 estate while offroading seems terribly fun.

505Turbeaux > michael bleggi
09/08/2014 at 22:05

Stage 2 is converting it to an om606 diesel. The 4matic wagons in the states were all e320 gassers, but the tranny bolts right up. Next year on that unless it needs an e430 motor for the grunt

michael bleggi > 505Turbeaux
09/08/2014 at 22:09

i'm very familiar with the om606, and a 4wd om606 sounds super amazing. i only drove an e420 once, and it certainly was not slow at all, it really surprised me!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/09/2014 at 09:24

It looks fantastic and possibly better than factory, that's some seriously good work!

Hahaha. Well what I'm thinking for her Commander since you're down for that kind of thing...

2" Lift (kits available)

Black out the chrome grille (it doesn't match the other flat black trim anyhow, thanks Jeep)

Black out the JEEP badges

grille guard with light upgrade

This is an 07 and has roof cross bars, but it looks almost identical to our 08.

Kinja'd!!!

All the trim is that flat molded plastic black, but you come around front and get this shinny grille/emblem. Same emblem on the back.

A set up like this would be sweet, but it might be a bit over the top for her:

Kinja'd!!!

A set up like this would be sweet too:

Kinja'd!!!

without the Canoe this is a lot more likely though:

Kinja'd!!!

This one might not even have a lift on it, but I'm a lot more likely to add a full grille guard than swap the bumper. Despite the coolness of the above bumper swaps. People really do forget how cool these trucks can be!

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/09/2014 at 13:11

Been trying to figure out who makes this one but I think it might be a custom job. Looks like a modified front bumper with bull bar and recessed winch.

Kinja'd!!!

Throw a light bar across the bull bar and a 50" across the roof...

As per your grill, plastidip. $ 7 - 8 at Ace for a can of black, you can grab a can of "gloss" if you want it to have a more satin finish. holds up very well. My grill is just plastidip, I did the dip about 2 months after buying it. I got a good 3 - 4 rock chips in the first few months of driving, after plastidip, no chips (it has held up to gravel, dirt, pressure washers, heat, direct sun, etc. for 10-ish months now).

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/09/2014 at 13:26

That's awesome and reaffirms my plan for plastidip to black out the sections I want to turn black.

I've been looking everywhere for fender flares like those, it would be so much awesome with those flares.

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/09/2014 at 13:31

They look like Bushwackers but I checked their site and they have nothing for the Commander. so they were either custom fit or they are another make that looks like the Bushwackers.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/09/2014 at 13:37

it's possible they are out of production too, just like the Commander.

I love these things built out, I don't know if we'll ever do a full build on it though, it's a V6 AWD model, not even a true 4x4 so it wouldn't be great off road like some can be. It'll go great down a 2 track trail though, and it does a great job in the snow.

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/09/2014 at 13:42

Yea could be. It almost looks like the XJ flares would fit with minor modifications, but I cant say for sure.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
09/09/2014 at 13:46

they might, would need to measure some stuff. I've always thought the Commander looked like an overgrown/modern XJ lol

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/09/2014 at 13:50

it does