Automotive Driving Light Recommendations?

LVC2 · #1 03-31-2005, 02:32 AM

I did a few searches on the subject and came up dry but surely this has been covered here before. I'm considering adding a pair of aftermarket driving lights to my car & am interested to hear what lamps CPFers have had experience with. Some of the PIAA lamps are interesting just because there are so tiny but I wonder how the output compares to the more traditional rectangular or round lamps from PIAA or Hella. The extremelly small lamps would blend into the looks of the car more easily but I'd rather have function over form. Thoughts????

Wits' End · #2 03-31-2005, 02:34 AM

By driving lights you mean the type that stay on all the time the car is running?

LVC2 · #3 03-31-2005, 04:22 AM

No, not Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) but auxillary driving lamps or long range driving lamps. On my truck I have one set of auxillary "driving" lamps & one set of "pencil beam" lamps. Both of these lights are rather large and aren't easily used on a passenger car. A number of lights produced by Hella, PIAA, KC and others come in either "Fog" or "Driving" configurations. Just like fog lamps suppliment your parking or low beams during episodes of reduced visibility driving lamps are intended to suppliment your high beams during high speed and/or off road driving. Hope that explains it. If I haven't explained it adequately check out this page on Hella's webiste. A couple of pictures can explain a lot. http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell.../Model_500.jsp. Thanks!

chmsam · #4 04-04-2005, 10:10 AM

You might try lurking at SpecialStage.com. That's a car rally (amateur and professional) forum. I'm sure you'll find information on lighting and comparisons. You'll also find information on using relays (you'll need to use one) and the right switches and wiring.

One big plea for anyone installing driving lights...

please, please, please, please, please...

either don't use 'em while in traffic or otherwise please be sure to very carefully aim them. I might see one out of a hundred cars on the road with properly aimed auxillary lights, and even those can be annoying. One of my pet peaves.

Enjoy.

Minjin · #5 04-04-2005, 09:41 PM

Try these:

http://www.lightforceusa.com/

Definitely don't get any junk PIAAs. The rally grade ones are decent, but all the ricer ones are a complete waste of money. The only small ones that I've heard good things about are these:

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/Micro_DE.asp

Oh, and Hella is normally very high quality, but their Optilux line does not apply.

If you're looking at more widely used lights, you can't go wrong with the Rally 4000s.

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/4000.asp

Mark

chmsam · #6 04-05-2005, 08:11 AM

Rant mode--ON

One really, really big thing to remember -- many of these lights are definitely not legal to use "on road," not that this stops many people (and every moron) from driving with them on all the time. Most rally quality lights are too bright and are not DOT legal. The high end PIAA and Hella lights are definitely in this category.

How bright? Well, before the buttholes (imho) at SCCA tried to kill stage rallying in the US (long story and off topic. Sorry), it was possible to see competition rallying up close and personal, running day and night. Things are not quite the same now, but seeing cars go past at 100+ mph (and sometimes waaayyy over 100 mph -- I've seen Killer B cars run, but I digress) on forrest roads at night gives you a real appreciation of just how much light you can push past the bumper of a car. These lights are obscenely bright and white. Trust me. Been there, done that, got 2 full boxes of T-shirts and buttons to prove it. Being on the receiving end of these lights is, well, actually painful. Just to be absolutely clear, we are talking about lights with as much as 155 watts.

Plain and simple, the real lights made for rallying ain't made for the street. Don't even begin to think that they are. There is absolutely no excuse or reason for driving on public roads with these lights turned on. They are too bright and, no maybes about it, will blind on coming drivers. Anyone who says differently is only trying to look cool and is being very inconsiderate. This isn't like the kid with the 3000 watt sub woofer at 5 a.m. Sunday morning. This is rude and dangerous.

Rant Mode--OFF

Most of the people here are very cool about everything, so let's please consider this simply a plea for the drivers of the world not to be complete morons all of the time.