HID lights or Slimline bumper Light Bar...Bang for Buck

[GogDog]

So...looking into switching out my stock headlights. It looks like the consensus is that HID for the lo beams is preferred over LED. Cost is around...$170 or so. I haven't researched hi beams or fog lights yet though.

However, I'm also planning on getting a slimline bumper. Before I order, I need to decide whether or not to get a light bar.

Now...for the bumper light bar...is that only for Off road only? You wouldn't ever turn those on in the city. Or....are they kind of like a hi beam replacement that could be turned on?

Basically....what is the exact utility of the bumper light bar? Off road extra light, or kind of like a hi beam/fog light replacement, or ? I ask because they are quite expensive compared to headlight replacements.

 

[mcarey86]

The utility is off-road lighting.

You won't be able to run a lightbar while in the city unless there is 100% nobody around, or you want to be that guy and blind everybody.

 

[cutty01]

For 95% of us, it’s cause they look cool and are a requirement for a mall crawler.

 

[mrblah]

HID all day every day, like literally you will be using them all day every day.

In my area, having a lightbar in the grill is legal because they are considered fog/driving lights. However, the minute you turn them on, you will attract every metro cop like flies on poop. Basically, even though you can mount them and depending on where you live, it might be legal to use, its probably not a good idea to use on a public road due to the unwanted attention lightbars create.

My behind the grill lightbar serves as my Fk you lights, so they stay uncovered but rarely used. The rest of my lightbars (roof mounted and ditch pods) are covered up due to the laws in my area, and to keep me from going full retard on someone who cuts me off.

IN all seriousness though, HID upgrade is more practical and useful both on and off road. Lightbars are more useful offroad and only under some extreme circumstances useful on road (as in rarely for most people).

 

[97BlackAckCL]

HID's you will use every day and improve your visibility at night. The LED bar you won't be able to use frequently and will blind oncoming traffic, so you can't use it in the city, you can only use it on dark roads that people aren't coming toward you. I have both, but I barely use my LED bar unless it's dark and I'm on a backroad, I use my HID's every night

 

[GogDog]

OK...so definitely HID for lo beams. Was there a consensus on what type of light for Hi beams? (HID or LED?). And...I also see a lot of people going for yellow/amber fogs...why is that?

So with the bumper light bar...I have to decide whether extra lighting off road and the extra "look" is worth the $500-$600 price. Basically....whether I would need MORE lighting than my hi beams and fog lights can produce off road. Hmm...

 

[Nightglow]

So...looking into switching out my stock headlights. It looks like the consensus is that HID for the lo beams is preferred over LED. Cost is around...$170 or so. I haven't researched hi beams or fog lights yet though.

However, I'm also planning on getting a slimline bumper. Before I order, I need to decide whether or not to get a light bar.

Now...for the bumper light bar...is that only for Off road only? You wouldn't ever turn those on in the city. Or....are they kind of like a hi beam replacement that could be turned on?

Basically....what is the exact utility of the bumper light bar? Off road extra light, or kind of like a hi beam/fog light replacement, or ? I ask because they are quite expensive compared to headlight replacements.

Ok- so I have this SSO bumper with a 30 inch light bar and HID low and LED fogs. The HID lows were the best initial upgrade to my T4R as the stock lows were terrible. The LED fogs were a quick 10-minute upgrade that also added a lot of bang for the buck as very useful in rain and snow in Colorado. Again the stock fogs did not do much. As for the light bar, you can only use it off-road (legally) and therefore it is like insurance, you don't use it often but glad you have it when you do need it. It is an item that needs to be decided when you order the bumper if you want it integrated, like in the picture, unless to attach it to the top of the bumper. As for cost, Rigid and Baja light bars are the best but I put in the lower cost bar by Heise (something better then nothing and still get the look if that is important to you) and it was in the low $200 range which was very reasonable. The Heise bar works fine though I cannot compare it to the others. It does it light up the night well make off-road travel safer and compliments the low HIDs very well as it spots the trail further down than your lows or highs. I also added amber LED Rigids so I can use them in the snow with the fogs and no other lights on which gives me the best of both worlds.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

OK...so definitely HID for lo beams. Was there a consensus on what type of light for Hi beams? (HID or LED?). And...I also see a lot of people going for yellow/amber fogs...why is that?

So with the bumper light bar...I have to decide whether extra lighting off road and the extra "look" is worth the $500-$600 price. Basically....whether I would need MORE lighting than my hi beams and fog lights can produce off road. Hmm...

I don't see the point in HID's in the high beams honestly, I just run a set of Silverstar Ultras in the high beams. I actually have a brand new 9005 HID set sitting on my workbench that I never installed on my last truck because I had a projector retrofit and didn't see the need for more high beams lol. As for the yellow/amber, part of it is looks, but also for twilight the yellow/orange gives better visibility supposedly, but some do it just for looks.

As for the $500-600 price tag, you can get good quality LED bars for WAY less than that. Check out Opt7 LED bars on Amazon, I've had 2 and they're great quality for around $200

 

[mcarey86]

I don't see the point in HID's in the high beams honestly

Some people just enjoy blinding the shit out of people.

Reality is though, they are bad not only because of the reflector housing, but also because they need to warm up, so when you flick your high beams for whatever reason they aren't going to be that great.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Some people just enjoy blinding the shit out of people.

Reality is though, they are bad not only because of the reflector housing, but also because they need to warm up, so when you flick your high beams for whatever reason they aren't going to be that great.

Agree with both points lol

 

[mrblah]

I wouldn't recommend HID's for hibeams or fog lights.

 

[Darrow]

Ok- so I have this SSO bumper with a 30 inch light bar and HID low and LED fogs.

Sorry to go off-topic, but your trim job on the factory bumper with the weather stripping is super clean.

 

[Nightglow]

Sorry to go off-topic, but your trim job on the factory bumper with the weather stripping is super clean.

I used a Dremel to cut the factory plastic bumper about 1/2 less than the instructions said and used the supplied "liner" to fit it tight against the new SSO Slimline bumper. Since the plastic bumper has some flex and I knew I could always trim more but not less, this seemed the smart way to install this new front bumper. I was and still am very happy with this setup.

 

[Run4TheWoods!]

SSO Slim-Line Bumper

Well finished my install of Aluminum SSO Slimline bumper, Warn Platinum 10K w/synthitic line and 30" Ridig SR2 combo light bar. Remote for winch is AWSOME!!! Have light hooked up through winch remote. Very nice option, still one more outlet on winch. Down the road will hook up ARP underhood air compressor to it.

The powder coat from SSO is top notch!!!

Total net weight gain of 113LBS....May have droped front end 3/4" with stock TEP shocks....Very HAPPY with the whole set-up.

Cut plastic bumper with a razor knife, worked extremely well. Also cut rather close to new bumper and don't seem to have any issues yet. :dancin::dancin: