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DITCH LIGHT BRACKETS... Which Ones?

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by mightyowl, Jun 9, 2020.

  1. Jun 9, 2020 at 11:32 AM
    #1
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    Hello group,

    In the market for some ditch light brackets. Like to hear some personal experiences.

    Option 1: Victory 4x4 (because they are low profile and the mounting point for pods are further outwards) Con: lead time is up to 20 business days

    Option 2: Cali Raised (because they are widely used among many members and low profile) Con: you tell me?

    Any other brands you guys would recommend and why?


    ALSO, are the ditch brackets suppose to be mounted in front of the hood hinge or sandwiched between the hood hinge and hood itself???



    CHeers!
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  2. Jun 9, 2020 at 11:38 AM
    #2
    GravityGear

    GravityGear Parking Lot Prerunner

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    IIRC, the brackets should go BELOW the hinge and not between. Mounting them between will cause improper panel height.

    You can also look at Rago Fab. What you get will ultimately depend on your use case. If you just want them for the style, grab some cheap ones and get on with it. If you will be relying on them exploring the back country and giving light at camp, you'll probably want something nicer.
     
  3. Jun 9, 2020 at 11:46 AM
    #3
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    Thank you, this makes sense to mount them below the hinge.

    I personally don't like the lights to be protruding too much, but I see the advantages of having them. With that said, something low profile would be priority preference and then price, etc....
     
  4. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:04 PM
    #4
    GravityGear

    GravityGear Parking Lot Prerunner

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    Are you getting lights for the look or because you'll be using them in the wilderness? The cheaper ditch light brackets will vibrate and with the weight of the pods and driving on rough trails, stress fractures can develop and eventually cause the bracket to fail. Not a huge concern if you'll just be pavement pounding.

    Cali Raised seems pretty popular. I'm not sure what they are made of though. To contrast, the Rago Fab brackets are made of 3/16ths stainless. They will be strong and resist the elements. Again though, that won't matter to you if you are strictly on pavement.
     
  5. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:07 PM
    #5
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    these are lights will be used for the purpose of what is intended, which is for trails and wilderness.
     
  6. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:26 PM
    #6
    sr5shark

    sr5shark Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

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    I have the Rago low profile brackets and am pretty happy with the quality. That said, these lights will eventually be moved down to my bumper. With clear lenses, there is a lot of glare off of the white hood. The amber covers help a lot so I always put them on when using the lights at night.
    IMG_4207.jpg
     
    SC_TRD likes this.
  7. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:29 PM
    #7
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    Thanks for that info. I have a white Tundra, something to consider. That bottom nut looks fairly close to your hood. No contact at all? no scratch in paint or the pod hitting the windshield when open?
     
  8. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:36 PM
    #8
    sr5shark

    sr5shark Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

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    I saw you had a white Tundra in your avatar which is why i mentioned the glare. :)

    The bottom nut is close to the hood but there is no contact. (There is actually a little more room than what the picture makes it look like.) I did buy shorter bolts than what came with the Baja lights because I wanted as much room as possible.

    Rago has taller brackets but it is a trade-off. I did not want the lights sticking up very hight which is why I went with the low profile brackets and a shorter bolt.
     
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  9. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:41 PM
    #9
    SC_TRD

    SC_TRD Big BASTRD 4x4 Enthusiast

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    Colin
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    good info for us White Tundra owners, thank you! Literally putting some Squadron Sports driving combos in my shopping cart today and they will definitely be the amber lenses now haha. Also just purchased my Rago Fabrication brackets this morning, I have less options than you 3rd gen folk. Haven’t read any complaints on Rago so went with them
     
    sr5shark[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. Jun 9, 2020 at 12:53 PM
    #10
    TheBeast

    TheBeast The Beach

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    I have the sdhq ones. they are nice quality and lo pro
     
    mightyowl[OP] and sr5shark like this.
  11. Jun 9, 2020 at 1:06 PM
    #11
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    Any one running Victory 4x4 brackets? Like to see a member picture.
     
  12. Jun 9, 2020 at 1:11 PM
    #12
    TRDFerguson

    TRDFerguson SSEM #99/RGBA #8-ish?/It’s a funny name.

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    I've got the Cali Raised brackets and they're pretty close to the same as Rago's version. I like the design of Victory4x4's version, but there's a review that is a little concerning... "my driver side windshield wiper hits the bottom of the drivers side mount and pushes it up slightly each time. It has started scratching the paint off of my wiper blade arm"

    https://www.victory4x4.com/product/VTUDLM.html
     
  13. Jun 9, 2020 at 1:12 PM
    #13
    TundraPHX

    TundraPHX Ryan started the fire.

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    Woah. I think you’re in the wrong forum asking for that kind of stuff. Hahaha. I’ll see myself out.
     
  14. Jun 9, 2020 at 1:13 PM
    #14
    mightyowl

    mightyowl [OP] New Member

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    I dont follow. What you mean?
     
  15. Jun 10, 2020 at 7:55 AM
    #15
    Sephon

    Sephon Don't be an American't

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    "member picture"

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Jun 27, 2020 at 4:40 PM
    #16
    AZ_Tundra1

    AZ_Tundra1 Gold member

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    Anyone know of a good install how-to for ditch lights? The search function is turning up dry for me.
     
  17. Jun 27, 2020 at 4:59 PM
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    TRDFerguson

    TRDFerguson SSEM #99/RGBA #8-ish?/It’s a funny name.

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    AZ_Tundra1[QUOTED] likes this.
  18. Jun 27, 2020 at 5:00 PM
    #18
    shellshock

    shellshock Guy who drives a lot

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    I run the rago brackets on both my trucks. Been very happy with them
     
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  19. Jun 27, 2020 at 5:05 PM
    #19
    BigSkyTaco

    BigSkyTaco Successfully Social Distancing since 1998

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    Got the Rago brackets and they have great fit and finish. Zero issues with them.
     
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  20. Jun 27, 2020 at 9:28 PM
    #20
    AZ_Tundra1

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  21. Feb 24, 2021 at 7:21 PM
    #21
    BenSan

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    Thinking about getting the Rago LP with the LP4 you think it will hit my windshield?
     
  22. Feb 24, 2021 at 8:36 PM
    #22
    BenSan

    BenSan New Member

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    What’s the difference between the Rago LP and the regular brackets?
     
  23. Feb 24, 2021 at 8:41 PM
    #23
    sr5shark

    sr5shark Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

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    The low pro sit closer to the hood. I have these and if I was going to do it over again I would get the regular. The low profile brackets look clean but there is a lot of glare off the hood. Also, I had to use shorter bolts for the Baja lights so that there was more space between the bolt and hood.
     
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  24. Feb 24, 2021 at 8:56 PM
    #24
    BenSan

    BenSan New Member

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    okay thanks for the info. I’ll get the regular with the amber pro. But I still want to try the LP4 hahah
     
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  25. Feb 24, 2021 at 10:17 PM
    #25
    RoniusMaximus

    RoniusMaximus The One and Only

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    Im about to get some sdhq brackets. Anyone know if sdhq ever has sales?
     

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