Let's talk lights. How much lighting needed? I need suggestions.

[agentdarnell]

My bronco is gradually coming together. That being said, I am thinking of adding more lights to my setup. I currently have Rough country 20" light bar in my winch setup and the rough country fog lights kit with drl. They produce a lot of light but curious if i need more?

I am thinking of adding some more in the top portion of my brush guard hanging down and possibly some on the pillars to get a wider spread. Budget friendly but good quality and reliable would be best.

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[MilesTeg]

The question to ask about any mod is: "What problem am I experiencing that this mod will solve".

 

[agentdarnell]

The question to ask about any mod is: "What problem am I experiencing that this mod will solve".

Well this mod would add more light, especially to the sides if set up correctly. I live in mountains with tight trails and big drop offs on the side. I have yet to go out at night because I didn't have proper lights. Now I have some, but not sure how well it works.

 

[CalvinT]

Well this mod would add more light, especially to the sides if set up correctly. I live in mountains with tight trails and big drop offs on the side. I have yet to go out at night because I didn't have proper lights. Now I have some, but not sure how well it works.

It also depends on how fast you plan on driving. It took me over two years to decide I needed a light bar. I bought one that will give me the light I need and I didn't have to worry about Ford's wiring being large enough. It won't light up the next county, but I don't need one that bright.

https://www.myhellalights.com/products/black-magic-led-lightbar-40-slim

I have ditch lights, (BajaDesigns S2 Sport). I bought them specifically for dark mountain roads. Not super bright nor very showy, but I don't plan on driving that fast. and I bought them to see, not to look at.

I used this mount,
https://blumak3d.com/products/blumak3d-ditch-lights-for-ford-bronco

I'll be adding scene lights to the rack. I bought the clear/red since they come with clip on amber filters and I sometimes want to preserve night vision.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/stage...0xSweI0Rs0D5UccFtTFxYN2smNFMwMhvxJDTrqYzoHm2t

 

[agentdarnell]

It also depends on how fast you plan on driving. It took me over two years to decide I needed a light bar. I bought one that will give me the light I need and I didn't have to worry about Ford's wiring being large enough. It won't light up the next county, but I don't need one that bright.

https://www.myhellalights.com/products/black-magic-led-lightbar-40-slim

I have ditch lights, (BajaDesigns S2 Sport). I bought them specifically for dark mountain roads. Not super bright nor very showy, but I don't plan on driving that fast. and I bought them to see, not to look at.

I used this mount,
https://blumak3d.com/products/blumak3d-ditch-lights-for-ford-bronco

I'll be adding scene lights to the rack. I bought the clear/red since they come with clip on amber filters and I sometimes want to preserve night vision.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/stage...0xSweI0Rs0D5UccFtTFxYN2smNFMwMhvxJDTrqYzoHm2t

So far I don't drive fast sections, mostly rick crawling and narrow mountain trails.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Well this mod would add more light, especially to the sides if set up correctly. I live in mountains with tight trails and big drop offs on the side. I have yet to go out at night because I didn't have proper lights. Now I have some, but not sure how well it works.

Go out at night and find out! Maybe you’ve solved your problem already.

Or … related question: why do you have to go out at night? I tend to stick to daylight for the plunge-to-your-death trails. ;-)

 

[agentdarnell]

Go out at night and find out! Maybe you’ve solved your problem already.

Or … related question: why do you have to go out at night? I tend to stick to daylight for the plunge-to-your-death trails. ;-)

Some trails are longer than I expected and I have started getting caught out trying to beat the sun from going down.

Also some people locally say the best place to watch fireworks are st the top of some of these trails, so that might be needed in future, but yes I need to get out and see at night.

 

[HighVelocity]

Turn off the lights and learn to use curb feelers.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Some trails are longer than I expected and I have started getting caught out trying to beat the sun from going down.

Also some people locally say the best place to watch fireworks are st the top of some of these trails, so that might be needed in future, but yes I need to get out and see at night.

Well, a couple more common sense notes … Sure, it’s cool to look like one of the gangster pickup trucks in No Country For Old Men, but remember going out at night comes with obvious added risks. In the hills where I am the #1 night problem (beside the plunge to your death) is animals (deer and sheep). Lights help, but those damn critters like to hit the trails at night too. Second consideration is any mechanical problem gets a lot more complicated in the dark, and your odds of getting help from another driver (or a buddy you can call) are drastically lower. Call me unadventurous, but I do what I can to avoid the trails at night. I like the views too much to not be able to see them!

 

[EasternSierra]

Well, a couple more common sense notes … Sure, it’s cool to look like one of the gangster pickup trucks in No Country For Old Men, but remember going out at night comes with obvious added risks. In the hills where I am the #1 night problem (beside the plunge to your death) is animals (deer and sheep). Lights help, but those damn critters like to hit the trails at night too. Second consideration is any mechanical problem gets a lot more complicated in the dark, and your odds of getting help from another driver (or a buddy you can call) are drastically lower. Call me unadventurous, but I do what I can to avoid the trails at night. I like the views too much to not be able to see them!

Over the decades I've generally preferred camping on public lands away from other people and designated campgrounds. I get more privacy and it costs less. Out west this is very practical in many areas.

Back in my working days (with public lands suitable for wheeling and unimproved camping at least a few hours away) it was common for me to be out there on dirt roads on Friday evening, scouting a place to camp in the boonies. I'd take off the next morning and travel some more, so the campsite was merely a place to sleep undisturbed before the next day's adventures.

In these situations, I found the lack of side lighting at night to sometimes be a real problem on narrow dirt roads. When I first came here and found out about ditch lights, I immediately saw that as a very useful and needed upgrade to my Bronco when I finally got it.

Beyond that, on long summer road trips that were mostly on the highway, I'd often strike out after dinner in town and put in another hour or two of driving, at a time of day when the landscape is often quite beautiful thanks to the low sun angle. That sometimes meant running low on daylight (I was usually doing this in country new to me) and then getting an overnight campsite in the dusk.

Not everyone does things the same way, my old habits are not the majority way, and the situation in much of the U.S. (and other countries) may make the above impractical. Still, people can have good reasons for doing things differently sometimes.

 

[Smocaine]

You should already have more than enough if you've been judicious in selecting patterns and outputs.
Too much near splash will blow out your night vision and reduce your overall visibility.
Roof-mounted and A-pillar lights will move that splash to your hood, which I personally cannot stand.
I'm getting by with a similar setup to your current one sans center lightbar - I use a set of white Fog and white Driving pattern lights where either is street legal, but as a pair they give lots of forward throw and side illumination. The flat, wide beam of the foglights is also good for recovery work after dark, as you can illuminate the area without blinding yourself.
The third pair is lower-power selective yellow fogs for actual fog or other inclement weather.

 

[Anvilair1973]

My set up is admittedly not the prettiest. But it is functional. I have a 12 mile section of my commute that it is little more than a fire road and riddled with critters and the occasional axel swallowing crater in the washed out road. After a ton of trial and error I arrived at what worked for me…. It’s a combo of flood and spots all aimed strategically. Point is do what works for you and don’t worry what it looks like

 

[dejones64]

Lights were not a priority, until I hit a deer after 1 month of ownership. They went right to the top of my list. Two pair of Rough Country wide angle ditch lights, A-pillar and top corners of the bumper. Diode Dynamics lights in the bumper, yellow SAE fogs, white SAE fogs, and spots. Added a brush guard that attaches to the frame where the tow hooks are, with a 30" Diode Dynamics light bar, by far the brightest light I have. I see a lot of deer in advance, giving me a chance to slow down...

 

[Brian_B]

I would say if you need more light than a 22" light bar can solve

a) is the light bar legal to run on-road where you live? If not, then it isn't doing you a whole lot of good most of the time. Either upgrading the headlights themselves, or adding DOT approve fog/highway lamps that you can legally run full time can make a ~huge~ difference, all the time. And you can probably find solutions that are more light than a Rough Country light bar (but they are not cheap)

b) maybe see an optometrist, you may have cataracts

 

[agentdarnell]

I would say if you need more light than a 22" light bar can solve

a) is the light bar legal to run on-road where you live? If not, then it isn't doing you a whole lot of good most of the time. Either upgrading the headlights themselves, or adding DOT approve fog/highway lamps that you can legally run full time can make a ~huge~ difference, all the time. And you can probably find solutions that are more light than a Rough Country light bar (but they are not cheap)

b) maybe see an optometrist, you may have cataracts

The light are for off road and not on road. I have plenty of light for the roads.

I see an optometrist every 3-6 months. It's not a vision problem, it's a wanting enough light for narrow switchback mountain trails.

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