Off Road Lighting Guide

When outfitting your Jeep or truck with off road lighting, there are various options to chose from depending on your budget and lifestyle. While many add aftermarket lighting to explore off road at night or to improve visibility in bad weather, it can also illuminate an outdoor party or campsite.  Whether you want to go off roading or just want better illumination capability, adding lighting to your truck or Jeep can enhance not only its function but transform its look as well.

With many options to chose from such as bulb types, light patterns and mounting positions, it is important that you consult with one of our Accessory Specialists to make sure that you get the best lights for your lifestyle.

Call 440.946.2178 to speak with an accessory specialist today about which off road light options will work best for you.

In the meantime, we’ll give you the basic run down off your off road light options to get you started.

BULB TYPE

Halogen off road lights are the ideal choice for those that do not off road often or are on a budget. While replacements are affordable and easy to find, halogen bulbs do not emit as much light as LED or HIG so they do not give optimal visibility. They are also the least efficient with energy and do not have as crisp of a light beam. That being said, they should not be used for flood lights where the goal is to have very focused lighting. KC HiLite offers many halogen lights that will suit a wide range of applications.

LED off road lights are the newest bulb type and are very popular. They use 1/10th of the amount of energy halogen bulbs use, are compact, more durable and longer lasting than any other bulb. In addition, off road LED lights are stylish, as they can be made in different colors and shapes. It is important to get LED lights professionally installed, as systems often burn out prematurely due to improper installation. These lights are great for light bars and the frequent off roader. Rigid Industries is a top brand for LED lights.

HID off road lights have the best illuminating capabilities. In fact, they generally shine twice as far as LED lights. Therefore, if brightness is your main concern, these lights are for you. HID lights are especially useful for those who travel high speeds at night.

LIGHT PATTERN

There are four different types of light beam patterns: Spot, Driving, Fog and Flood.

Spot Lights produce a more focused beam of light that can travel a far distance ahead of the vehicile. These types of lights are extremely bright but illuminate a smaller area, as the light beam is not a spread out as other types of lighting. These lights are typically used for commercial, agricultural and racing applications and should not be used on the highway.

Driving lights are designed to supplement your high beams by illuminating an area further and wider than your headlights are capable of. These lights are great for off road trail riding as well as night driving on the roads for greater visibility.

Fog lights are mounted below the headlights to project a beam that lights up the pathway ahead without catching the fog, rain, dust or other particles in the air that make it difficult to see in adverse weather. These are to be used  with your primary headlights for optimal illumination.

Flood lights illuminate a large wide area within short distance. They are typically used as work lights or in back up lights to see the broader area nearby.

MOUNTING POSITION

The ideal mounting position of your new off road lights will depend on what type of light you are adding to your Jeep or truck.

Light bars are generally mounted on your roof, bumper or grill because they are designed to shine light far out in front of your vehicle while also flooding light outward on edges.

Flood and fog lights, on the other hand are almost always installed low on the front bumper to help you see the area immediately in front of you.

Spot Lights are often mounted on top of your vehicle, as the shine a lot further ahead. They, however are not very useful when driving at high speeds.

Driving Lights are generally mounted on your grill to supplement your headlights.

Interested in Getting Off Road Lights Installed on Your Vehicle?

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