Oppoinions and input needed - Rally/Driving lights

"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley) 02/24/2018 at 14:48 • Filed to: None

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I’ve decided that in addition to my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I am going to buy a fabricated lighting mount and some driving/flood lights. What I want from Oppo is an opinion on this (stupid or good idea?) and suggestions on lights to use.

What I want an opinion on is the type (LED or Halogen), the brand (PIAA, Hella, Baja Designs or Rigid Industries), the design that I should pick for the lighting (round, box or bar) and what layout I should put them in (see below).

Any input on setup, power draws or other suggestions/input, that’d be great. Do you think airflow to the radiator might be a concern with certain layouts?

Possible layouts/design ideas:

Or if I win the lottery in the next month:

Thanks in advance, I will post this summer when I get them installed!

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 14:59

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I like the first example, the 4 round lights setup in such a way always look right to me! (Alternatively you could just do the upper two lights, but with similar sized round lights)

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 15:03

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first example is best example. the tiny led boxes just dont do it for me

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 02/24/2018 at 15:06

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Yeah, I agree, but I can’t find what brand those lights are.

The LED boxes are the more durable and cheaper though. I am frightened that if I get halogen lights they may get broken by a rock or something.

SmugAardvark > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 15:14

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LED is going to draw far less power and give off less heat. But if those two things don’t matter, I love a nice Hella lightbar setup.

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 15:16

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LEDs 100% if your aim is purely functional. You can get LEDs in round enclosures so they don’t look like the nasty block lights too, but a light strip will be the best bang for your buck.

From my experience driving on dark mountains and doing nighttime snow adventures, drifting in the middle of nowhere, etc... Having cornering lights is crucial. All the lumens in the world won’t help you if they’re aimed incorrectly. Drive with your brights, and install cornering lights for the biggest visibility gain. After that the next step would be throwing more light straight ahead. Having lights at different heights on your vehicle will help illuminate high-contrast shadowed areas when you’re not on perfectly flat ground. Rear facing lights (or even just brighter LED backup lights) can also be surprisingly helpful.

Tareim - V8 powered > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 15:26

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The name is in the pic, Baja Designs.

You’re not going to like the cost though https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/XL-R-Pro-LED-Light.asp

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Tareim - V8 powered 02/24/2018 at 15:28

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Yeah, I found them. Cost is high, but quality/design is bang on for what I want.

I am buying those come summer. 2 spots and 2 cornering.

Dusty Ventures > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:02

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Definitely not halogen if you’re going for maximum brightness. These days it’s between HID and LED. My personal opinion is that HID has a bit more range and coverage, but it also draws a lot more power

Captain of the Enterprise > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:13

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I think the old school ones look cool. I don’t think you can legally use any of them on the road though.

Milky > Tareim - V8 powered 02/24/2018 at 16:26

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Jeez thats expensive. I want LED rally lights that look good, but not those clearly.

LOREM IPSUM > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:29

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In HID or LED flavor.*

(Just for the covers. I have no actual experience here, lol)

Milky > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:29

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This is right up my alley. Keep posting rally lights to oppo.

Svend > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:52

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Well if you win the lottery and come over to the U.K. to collect the last one, let me know and I’ll meet you for a few pints across the way from Dovenby Hall at The Ship Inn.

My bird IS the word > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 16:58

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That legal in your area?

Floodlights are illegal to put on a car in PA.

vicali > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 17:07

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O- oo-oo I’m a light guy too!

On the rally car I had 4hella 500ff on a homemade light bar. They were like having two more sets of highbeams.. 55w each and if they were all on you could see the dash lights and hear the EJ22 struggle - 55w/12v=4.5amp each so with them all running it was around 18A.

They went on the Tacoma when we traded in the project.

The Forester has two 700FF on it, enough to fill in highways at night and look the rally part.

I added a set of Squadron Sports to the Tacoma as ditch lights and it was a mistake.. those two little pods put out twice the light as the four Hellas on the light bar.

Now the new truck is getting a pair of Squadron Pros for the driving lights and the Sports will be supporting ditch lights.

Also to note- they always need to be covered on the road here in BC. Only one set of dot approved auxiliary driving lights are allowed and they have to be aimed properly. All other lights are Off-Road lights and have to be covered. So all those bros running around with open light bars are on borrowed time.

Spend some time reading Div 4 of the motor vehicle act;

http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/26_58_01#division_d2e2471

Levitas > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 17:13

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Saw you are planning a new radiator, but airflow could still be a concern for hot and aggressive driving. Mounting toward the side should be okay, and a higher power rad fan would certainly help keep things cooler.

And certainly can’t go wrong with LEDs from rigid or Baja.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Levitas 02/24/2018 at 17:18

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I have the new radiator installed, half the grille is actually plastic backed and non functional because of a cross member that runs across the grille on the USDM cars. So I don’t think airflow will be to limited if I go for the first photo style.

I think the Baja design lights are my choice

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > vicali 02/24/2018 at 17:19

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This is fantastic, thanks! I will read up!

victor > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 17:21

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Hehe.. My wife used to work with the rallyways guy. We’re friends with him and his family

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 17:24

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After dancing with kangaroos last night, it’s probably time to rethink the supplementary lighting on the old Forester. The halogen Narva spotties need a bit of infill support cause they aren’t getting it from the main lights!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > My bird IS the word 02/24/2018 at 17:27

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See vicali’s answer for legality. I’m mostly going to be running these far, far away from populated areas and/or cops

vicali > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2018 at 17:30

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Hellas are around $100 a pair, Squadron Sports are $299, Squadron Pros are going to be closer to $450...

Also contact Rocket Rally- they can get the legit rally hid crazy lights and sometimes have take offs available.. otherwise 4wheelparts is good, I hear they are having a big March sale..

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > vicali 02/24/2018 at 18:01

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This is perfect! Thanks for the info! Hopefully you can make it down here some day!

boxrocket > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/25/2018 at 13:43

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LED is the way to go. The round ones look rally-inspired and less douche-y. I’d just go for a pair in the very side corners of the grille, that way airflow to the radiator isn’t inhibited, and they’re less intrusive. Plus then the ST badge isn’t covered.

Levitas > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/25/2018 at 16:52

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Those plastic backing bits are known as “grille blanks” in the car business, usually for aerodynamics. Cutting those out will also increase the airflow to the radiator, even though there is the cross beam. Certainly cheaper then a new rad fan, in retrospect.