Couldn’t you just pm him about that?
Upper Grille Lights???
- Thread starter Jrunr
- Start date
Couldn’t you just pm him about that?
honda250xtitan
New member
mynameistory
New member
Looks like Hefty Fab.
I am heading home on leave late next week (much, much needed) and I am looking forward and messing with this a bit! if I can figure it all out and how to tap into the factory high beam stalk to get the factory Halogens to work in the high beam capacity they were designed for, I think that itself will make a HUGE difference!
Adding a lightbar will definitely be icing on the cake - and will be hooked up independently for off road/ long, dark, empty stretches of highway.
Adding a lightbar will definitely be icing on the cake - and will be hooked up independently for off road/ long, dark, empty stretches of highway.
mrblah
Senior Member
i would just do a separate switch. If you got the s8's, you also get the running lights also. I tend to try not to hack into my factory wiring harness if i don't have to (sometimes you have to but something i avoid). Its not a bad idea to get a lighting trigger accessory (spot, trigger, etc) since they don't hack into your wiring harness, are fused, less wiring into cab, and can add additional accessories (winches, lights, rock lights, disco lights, etc).
anyways, post pics when done mang....thank you for your service!!!
arty:
mynameistory
New member
If you're lucky, you might be able to use the high-beam fuse in the engine bay as a relay trigger. With an add-a-fuse, it can be implemented with no wiring hacks. Then just add the 9005 (or upgraded 9011) bulbs on a +12V harness connected to the relay (which taps straight from the battery). You will lose the DRL function this way though, as it will no longer be a series connection (6V to each bulb when DRL activated) hooked up to factory wiring.
I did something similar with my driving light setup - if you're interested, a light bar could be Incorporated the same way so that you can have it on anytime, or on with the high beam toggle.
Using this dual-throw switch from anytimebackupcamera.com, I wired the relay trigger so that HIGH activates with the high beam toggle, and LOW turns on anytime the key is in. The high beam fuse tap (along with the trigger wire to relay) have to pass through the firewall. The accessory +12V is on a fuse tap on the interior fuse box (cigarette charger circuit).
This way I can turn on the driving lights anytime, like in an off road scenario, when I switch LOW. When I switch HIGH, the lights only turn on with the high beam toggle. This has the added benefit of being street legal (fogs automatically turn off like factory etc), as well as easy to activate without any new muscle memory. You simply dip the lights like normal when there's oncoming traffic, instead of fumbling around for the right switch and blinding them.
More discussion about various things like the dash illumination circuit etc are here: The SAE J581 Aux High Beam Thread | Page 24 | Tacoma World
I did something similar with my driving light setup - if you're interested, a light bar could be Incorporated the same way so that you can have it on anytime, or on with the high beam toggle.
Using this dual-throw switch from anytimebackupcamera.com, I wired the relay trigger so that HIGH activates with the high beam toggle, and LOW turns on anytime the key is in. The high beam fuse tap (along with the trigger wire to relay) have to pass through the firewall. The accessory +12V is on a fuse tap on the interior fuse box (cigarette charger circuit).
This way I can turn on the driving lights anytime, like in an off road scenario, when I switch LOW. When I switch HIGH, the lights only turn on with the high beam toggle. This has the added benefit of being street legal (fogs automatically turn off like factory etc), as well as easy to activate without any new muscle memory. You simply dip the lights like normal when there's oncoming traffic, instead of fumbling around for the right switch and blinding them.
More discussion about various things like the dash illumination circuit etc are here: The SAE J581 Aux High Beam Thread | Page 24 | Tacoma World
rageandlove
Member
[MENTION=7014]Jrunr[/MENTION]
This BD kit suggests it will mount one in the upper and lower grille. (onX6+)
Baja Designs- Toyota, 4Runner (14-18), 30" S8/OnX6 Grille Mount Kits
Give them a call and let us know!
Actually BD has the kit where you can mount 2 x 30" lights int the lower grille with a Rag mount. However, that doesn't work so well with the TSS enabled 4runners...
Also, The ONX6+ wont fit in the upper grille without some fabrication or modification to the grill mount to the upper radiator... meaning, it can happen, but it is going to take some work!
Also, The ONX6+ wont fit in the upper grille without some fabrication or modification to the grill mount to the upper radiator... meaning, it can happen, but it is going to take some work!
Baja Designs does have a lighting kit for the upper grill, but it is 2 x 10” S8 light bars and it really expensive for what it is! (I think it’s around $800 for the kit!!!����
Does anyone happen to know what lightbar is in the upper grill of this 4Runner? It looks bigger than a 20” and seems to fill the space very nicely! I think it would be an awesome Aux high beam!
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mynameistory
New member
It's a 4 segment bar, so it's roughly 24-26" length assuming that the optics are about one inch in diameter each. Couldn't tell you more than that.
rageandlove
Member
I'm thinking of adding a 30" l bar to the lower grill area to supplement the 20" l bar I have in the top area.
When I aimed the 20" I just centered it where the high beams are aimed. That works well, because it is at the same height as the headlights.
Anyone have any thoughts on aiming 2 light bars?
When I aimed the 20" I just centered it where the high beams are aimed. That works well, because it is at the same height as the headlights.
Anyone have any thoughts on aiming 2 light bars?
mrblah
Senior Member
I aimed my upper and lower grill light bars at the same point in the far distance.
Upper is the same height as the high beams, so I have a well defined spotlight between my headlights in the distance, and then I aimed t the 30 inch light bar up to or just below the 20 inch light bar in the upper grill.
After finding the thread about clearing the blank plate below the TSS, I will also be adding a 30” bar in my lower grill.
I really like how you decided to aim your two light bars, so I will probably follow that as well and see how that turns out. I’m also hoping that the 30” bar has a bit more light distribution to fill in the sides as well… I don’t want to ONLY have a hot spot in the middle. I want to have a wide wall of light in front of me if I have 2 light bars going…
honda250xtitan
New member
you probably want to have different optics to get a nice gradual fill of light near field and longer throw. either one bar of all spot and the other all driving or mix and match. if you buy both as spots and then try to just angle them you'll end up with 2 hot spots that will be distracting and mess with your night vision.
I was either going to do spot beams in the upper grill and combo in the lower, or combo in both locations. Thoughts?
mrblah
Senior Member
cant go wrong with either choices. I think a combo light has better resale value if u decide to get rid of it one day.
Alot of the bling brands' combo or driving lights is heavily skewed towards spot light performance, so you'll be okay since you seem to be planning on getting some bling bling lights.
so the lights im running is a combo on both upper and lower, but it's really 80 percent spot, 20 percent spread.... You can definitely see the spot light cut off in the upper grill, and not alot of light scatter due to the grill and bumper cutting off the light... Whereas, the lower grill area, you get better light dispersion (30 inch in low profile/hybrid bumper). However, there is enough light scatter that there is literally a wall of light in front of me and far off in the distance. Both light bars are aimed close to the same focal point.
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rageandlove
Member
OK I'll ask. What's a bling brand? Is that the expensive stuff (BD, DD) or the more moderately-priced Amazon stuff?
I have a BD S8 20" driving combo currently. It is 12 spot and 4 wide lenses, so 25% wide.
Good point about resale.
I am actually torn between two brands: Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics.
I know this makes it sound more like a fog-light shootout, but this is for an 18-20” upper grill light and a 30” lower grill light.
Diode Dynamics 18” light bar: upper grill
Stage Series 18 inch White Light Bar
Diode Dynamics 30” light bar: lower grill
Stage Series 30 inch White Light Bar
Stealth Lightbar Kit for 2014-2019 Toyota 4Runner
Baja Designs ONX6+ 20” light bar: upper grill
Baja Designs - OnX6, LED Light Bars
Baja Designs ONX6+ 30” light bar: lower grill
Baja Designs - OnX6, LED Light Bars
https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Toyota-4Runner-14-18-30-S8-OnX6-Grille-Mount-Kits.asp
On paper, the Baja Designs claim WAY more light output with super high (lumens) numbers. However I haven’t heard a single bad thing about the Diode Dynamics light output - even though their published numbers are significantly lower than most of their competitors. The ONLY thing I don’t like about the DD lights is that that don’t seem to have a truth combo lense, but you have to put a flood lense on the entire 6” portion of the light…. If not, it’s all just one big spot beam.
As for the Baja Designs, if I go that route, I’m looking at the ONX6+ lights. The are physically larger, but only slightly more expensive than the S8 bars - yet that have literally twice the output!!
What are your thoughts/recommendations?
