Diode Dynamics SS3 SAE MAX / SS42 Stealth Combo Lightbar Review

New to Tundras, but had a 4runner for 5 years and 168,000 miles previously that was just traded in for an insane resale. I LOVE TOYOTA TRUCKS!

On my 4runner, I had the Diode Dynamics SS3 SAE PRO fog lights in both white and yellow and prefer the yellow. Near the end of ownership, I did the Morimoto XB GEN2 Headlights on it too.



I chose a Tundra SR5 CrewMax with the TRD Off road package, Convenience Package, and the SR5 Upgrade package. I wanted the OEM LED Headlights/Foglights, parking sensors/blind spot monitor, and the Auto Climate Control as well as the Bilstein Shocks.

Stock Headlights are actually pretty good and pretty happy with them. LED fogs left something to be desired as I was used to the Diode Dynamics SS3 Fog lights performance.

Stock Headlight


Stock LED Highbeams


With the Fogs on


You can see the SAE fogs do have a cutoff:

Spread of the fogs:


Photo's at Lightwerkz
Everything on!

Lowbeams/Fogs on

Highbeams

Lightbar ON/highbeams were actually on (look at instrument panel)


Video of them in action and how it translate into real life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLx2Rhx5bmI

Diode Dynamics SS3 SAE MAX in Yellow for Toyota
https://lightwerkz.net/products/sta...-light-kit-toyota?_pos=1&_sid=2b6382610&_ss=r

Diode Dynamics SS42 with Tundra Brackets
https://lightwerkz.net/products/tun...es-diode-dynamics?_pos=7&_sid=1276cdaac&_ss=r

Let me know if you have any questions on the install or the lights as I've played around with them a lot with the 4runner and now the Tundra!
Looking forward to sharing some more and learning with my fellow Tundra members

 

Thanks! Lightwerkz is a little closer to me than you I like supporting a local small business especially when they do a Excellent Job!
Are you going to do the Diode Dynamics driving lights in the grille too? I'm thinking it may be too much but maybe there is no such thing...

 

Well that verifies it. I had my Max’s in and what I thought was low so I adjusted them up. Must have went to far. So now I have to take everything back apart. Just for a quick reference...are yours adjusted almost all the way down?

 

Mine are adjusted all the way down.
It's a bit deceiving in the Tundra because the Hood is blocking a lot of your view.

The trick is to tighten it and while it's installed you can push it up and down. there is enough tension to hold it in place but also able to make the fine adjustments. Try just pushing it down first.

One other thing to keep in mind is to have it positioned as far out as it can on the slot/bracket so you have more range of adjustment up/down. Mine is all the way out and down if that makes sense.

 

How did you set up switches in the cab? I have a similar light setup using Baja Designs’ stuff: SAE Ambers in shipment along with their Squadron Sport Spot beams. 30” light bar from Aries arrived yesterday. Was hoping to reuse the factory fog light light switch for the SAEs, then just get two aftermarket rockers for the Sports and Light bar. Need to do a few honey do’s before I can ask for a Switch Pro 9100.

 

Fog lights are plugged into the stock fog light wiring so the switch works for that.
Light bar I have run to the bottom of the center console hooked up to a switch. It comes with a switch, but I'm going to hook it up to an oem like switch. It's wired to be on anytime right now regardless of the vehicle being on or off.

 

Oh yeah!! They are way high. Initially I had my truck parked at 20ft and had them lower then the headlights. I test drove it and thought they were low. Next day it was raining so I parked close to my garage door and adjusted them up. Went to work the next day and wasn’t impressed. It took three days for the rain and fog to clear before I realized yesterday just how high they are. Now I’ll have to take apart the fender liners and start over. At least I’m getting good at that part.

Thanks for the picture to @memario1214.

 

Makes sense for the separate toggle. There’s a switch brand on here posted recently that looks really close to OEM; I was going to go that route but am trying to see what others have done. I thought I’d read in your post that you had two pairs of fog lights, sorry for the confusion! I’m trying to see if I can maybe do the light bar and the second (off-road, non-SAE) pair on one switch or if I have to do it with separate ones.

 

I would love to hear about your 42” light bar. How’s it holding up? Do you find it bouncing on rough roads or washboard gravel roads? I saw another thread where a few people said they 42” bar sagged and bounced around. I love how it fills the whole space, but if it bounces around on logging roads, I don’t want to deal with that.

 

seems to be holding up.
I re-did it with some lock washers and Loctite to prevent it from getting loose. so far so good!

 

That’s good to hear. Did you do those things where the light bar attaches to the brackets? Do you drive much off road? Thanks for the response.

 

That’s encouraging to hear. I wonder why a few people would.

 

How did you like the XB Leds in the 4R? One of the problems with the stock headlights on the 5th Gens is the sideways mounted projectors.

 

They were a great improvement. lightwerkz did a comparo to the oem led lights too. Go check it out on their YouTube

 

I can confirm that the DD 42" stealth bar adds an impressive amount of light. But TBH I haven't used it extensively as it has been light to ~10 PM here lately.

I had the pleasure of installing it three times. After the initial install, I couldn't reason out why it was loose, and so I removed and re-installed it. I mean it's only 3 bolts and a metal bracket on each side. That is when I found out the light bar itself was defective, which DD RMA'd, so then I got to install it a third time.

Their bracket is just poorly designed, I'm not sure why -- perhaps the it needs to be thicker. So my bar is actually resting on the plastic of the bumper, which I don't love. I had initially shimmed it with some cardboard so that was centered, and the moment I pulled that out, it settled onto the plastic. Also, you can't reach the small Allen bolt that holds the light bar itself to the bracket when fully installed, so adjusting it means removing all six of those bolts again -- which is a hassle.

My janky solution to the loose bracket was to slip a little 3M VHB tape underneath each side and it has been stable for me so far. I've got no clue if that will melt or burn with extended use. I haven't observed a lot of heat buildup but like I said, I have not used it extensively.

Again, the amount of light it produces is impressive but I expected the bracket to hold it firmly centered in that opening, and it simply doesn't.

 

For what it’s worth, I was impressed with the bracketing and mounting on the Aries 30” light bar, but you had to be careful not to overtighten.

 

Thank you for the response. This is similar to what I’ve read elsewhere.

 

Luckily I know a guy, my old shop teacher actually, owns a metal shop. When I get this bar I'm going to take it all to him and see what we can come up with.

 

I haven't yet, working on paying other things down at the moment, looking to the end of the year hopefully

 

mine is installed the same way even when pushing the bracket up the lightbar will rest on the bumper.

 

Like up a lot or a little bit?

 

Any more on this? Did anyone come up with a good mounting solution to keep the bar from moving around? I have a DD 42” combo bar sitting and waiting for me to mount it….