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Light Bar questions

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by guinness77, Sep 25, 2022.

  1. Sep 25, 2022 at 7:52 PM
    #1
    guinness77

    guinness77 [OP] New Member

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    Hello everyone,
    I recently got rid of the 1991 GMC and bought a 2022 Tundra. I do spend time driving in the deep forest and sometimes the open sand dunes. My question is on light bars that mount below and inside the grill (in front of the luvers on the internal bumper... if you could call it that.) It looks like I can only use the single row light bar. Is that true? (It looks like the double & triple row bars could give off excessive heat on the front plastic.) What are your thoughts?

    Also, I have several single row models in mind and wanted to know what you thought about them. Here they are:
    Amazon.com: Rigidhorse 22 Inch LED Light Bar Single Row Flood & Spot Beam Combo 20000LM Off Road LED Light Bar Driving Light for Pickup SUV ATV UTV Truck Roof Bumper : Automotive

    Amazon.com: BIGLION.X Slim LED Light Bar 22inch 200W Single Row Off Road Driving Light bar Spot & Flood Beam Roof Bumper Offroading Lights bar Waterproof IP68 IP69K for Pickup Trucks Boat SUV ATV UTV : Automotive

    Amazon.com: LED Light Bar 22 Inch Single Row Flood Spot Combo 20000LM Work Driving Boat Led Off Road Lights for Trucks SUV ATV UTV 4X4 Cars Truck Roof Bumper : Automotive

    Amazon.com: 22 Inch 150W Straight Single Row LED Light Bar & Wiring Kit w/Front Hidden Lower Bumper Mounting Brackets Compatible with 2007-2013 Silverado 1500 and 2007-2010 Silverado 2500 3500 HD : Automotive

    Amazon.com: 22 Inch LED Light Bar, Niking Auto 270W Side Shooter Triple Row Cree LED Fog Light Spot Flood Combo Beam Off Road Driving Light LED Work Light for Trucks ATV UTV SUV Pickup Boat : Everything Else

    Thanks for all your help!
     
    Baja Designs likes this.
  2. Sep 26, 2022 at 9:53 AM
    #2
    HulkSmurf14

    HulkSmurf14 ...Weighted Average...

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    Buy once, cry once... the cheaper Amazon light bars work but not as well as the name brand ones. I'd consider patience and see what gets posted on the for sale threads for these bars. Baja Design, Diode Dynamics, Rigid, etc will make you understand the price hike on quality bars... worse case, buy the Amazon one and see how it works!
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2022
  3. Sep 26, 2022 at 9:56 AM
    #3
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    There's usually decent black Friday deals on the name brands.
     
  4. Sep 26, 2022 at 10:07 AM
    #4
    pvn.beluga

    pvn.beluga New Member

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    Not sure at this point.
    It really all depends on the brand that you choose off of Amazon. Nilight and Auxbeam are two reputable companies that make pretty good aux lights for budget purposes. I've had my 41" Nilight in the hood bulge for over 2 years now and have not had any problems with it. Same with my 30" amber that I have in the lower bumper.

    Definitely consider DD, BD, or Rigid (to name a few) if you want to dish out for lumen and engineering. They're definitely a piece of art work once you get your hands on it, but if you're on a budget, check out some of the more popular options for light bars on Amazon.
     
  5. Sep 26, 2022 at 10:15 AM
    #5
    snivilous

    snivilous snivspeedshop.com

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    The vast majority of light bars are all identical from China, so if that's what you want I'd just get whatever the cheapest option is. Though to reiterate what others said, the high end bars vastly outperform the cheap ones. Personally I'm a fan of Baja Designs, but it can be hard to justify the price.
     
  6. Sep 26, 2022 at 10:22 AM
    #6
    king.cong.1119

    king.cong.1119 New Member

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    I love my auxbeam 5d pro light bar, it performs great in terms of light output, and weather seal. I know you asked for single row, just saying from my own experience Auxbeam makes great lights if budget is on your priority list. If you have more money to spend, there is always rigid, baja, etc. But, personally I wouldn't spend a crazy amount of money on lights, your needs may vary.
     
    PermaFrostTRD likes this.
  7. Sep 26, 2022 at 1:33 PM
    #7
    guinness77

    guinness77 [OP] New Member

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    So far, nobody has mentioned anything about excessive heat. So I guess that's not much of an issue.

    Here are a couple other models (not Amazon) that caught my eye:
    ValueFit Design 21" 120W Combo Spot/Flood Beam LED Light Bar by Hella®. 1 Piece, 12-LED. Black housing, white light, clear lens. 10-30V. Lumens: 5500. 6000K. Outfit your truck with this top-of-the-line Hella ValueFit Design LED light bar to easily tackle the harshest off-road trails with strong lighting power! This light bar features a combination of spot and flood beams, so it is guaranteed to efficiently illuminate a wide area while allowing you to see far ahead of you. Designed to withstand the toughest conditions, this light bar has a durable die-cast aluminum housing and impact-resistant lens. more details on - https://www.carid.com/hella/hella-valuefit-light-bars-3356523394.html

    Lux Performance Series 22" 100W Combo Spot/Flood Beam LED Light Bar by db Link®. 1 Piece, 20-LED. Black housing, white light. 10-30V. Lumens: 7000. Die-Cast Aluminum. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. This product was designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and deliver great quality at an affordable cost. more details on - https://www.carid.com/db-link/db-link-lux-performance-led-light-bar-3356518646.html

    21.5" 100W Combo Spot/Flood Beam LED Light Bar by Hammerhead®. 1 Piece, 20-LED. Black housing, white light. 10-30V. 6000K. Aluminum. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and deliver great quality at an affordable cost. more details on - https://www.carid.com/hammerhead/hammerhead-off-road-lights-3356512374.html
     
    Baja Designs likes this.
  8. Sep 26, 2022 at 1:59 PM
    #8
    snivilous

    snivilous snivspeedshop.com

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    Not remotely. They get hotter sitting in the sun than they do actually being on in my experience, and that goes for all brands.
     
    Sierradevil likes this.
  9. Sep 26, 2022 at 2:20 PM
    #9
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey guinness77, have you had a change to check out the light options we came out with for the new 22 Tundras? We have a few vehicle specific lighting kits that may spike your interest. All things aside, Baja Designs also shines above other company's with the benefits we provide to the lights and consumers. Some of these benefits include, our lifetime warranty which give you the ability to send in any of your lights that may run into an issue and have them fully repaired on us, another benefit to running Baja Designs is our uservice which allows you the consumer to fully service your light down the road depending if you would like to change a lens pattern or lens color. Along with these two we are the only lighting company with a 5000k Daylight output which provides our lights with the closet natural lighting so that you run into less eye fatigue while driving with our lights compared to some blue style leds. Feel free to browse our website a little more to check out more of what we offer in the links below as well as email me direct with any question you may have at brandonk@bajadesigns.com.
    22 Tundra Light Kits:https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/?page=1&vid=511960512
    Baja Designs:https://www.bajadesigns.com/?page=1&vid=511960512
     
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  10. Sep 26, 2022 at 6:26 PM
    #10
    guinness77

    guinness77 [OP] New Member

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    Found one for $800.oo. Ummmm.... no.
    Found another for A lot less.... but it's 270Watts. Any info on wattage limits on these things in a Tundra?
     
  11. Sep 26, 2022 at 7:25 PM
    #11
    vtl

    vtl New Member

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    My BlackOak lightbar + pods get pretty hot in freezing temps.
     
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  12. Sep 26, 2022 at 8:14 PM
    #12
    snivilous

    snivilous snivspeedshop.com

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    Weird, I don't think I've ever touched a light bar that was anything beyond mildly warm if you could even say that.
     
  13. Sep 26, 2022 at 8:28 PM
    #13
    vtl

    vtl New Member

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    Flood pods are 4x CREE leds 10W each. They have to dissipate all that heat. On the other hand, they are so bright that I can't run them on the log truck roads at night without flashing myself. In the open view settings they light up things miles away. Evil pods. Have to run them with lens covers.

    Lightbar has 20x 5W OSRAM leds, 100w in total, and, yes, it runs less hot than the pods, but still not "mildly warm".
     
  14. Sep 26, 2022 at 8:28 PM
    #14
    Totmacher

    Totmacher New Member

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    I've tried a handful of Amazon's cheaper bars. Most seemed to have too much spot and not enough flood in the "combo" beams. Irritates me because I want more wide flood for lower speed wide field of vision. I don't need a spot light shining a mile ahead of me.
    There was 1 or 2 that caused bad interference with CB radio even after adding noise filters and better grounding.
     
  15. Sep 26, 2022 at 8:30 PM
    #15
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    I like my BD ditch lights and their warranty services are awesome, I had moisture in the lens and they took care of it fast. Their light bars are out of budget for me though.

    For a middle option between Chinese garbage and a 1000 dollar bar, check out Ironman 4x4s light bars. Reasonable pricing and the one I have with my bumper is stupid bright.
     
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  16. Sep 26, 2022 at 8:42 PM
    #16
    Chad D.

    Chad D. New Member

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    Hate to say it, but the advice doled out so far is dead nuts on. Buy once, cry once. I’ve got three lighting options on my 2018; all from Baja Designs. The Squadron Sport with amber wide cornering lenses are an incredible upgrade from the piss-poor OEM fog lights. Not. Even. Close. I’ve also got a set of flush mount S1 lights with clear wide cornering in the rear bumper that are unbelievable, especially for their tiny size. The real star of the show is the 30” OnX6 with amber driving combo lenses in the bumper slot above the license plate. Back roads and late night highways are illuminated beyond belief with no holes or gaps in the light pattern.
    Add the performance of the lights with the manufacturer support behind the product, and I feel that the prices are not unreasonable. They’re expensive, but you’re getting a lot.
    Isn’t it weird that we will dump $1,500 on new wheels without blinking an eye, but can’t wrap our heads around investing half that amount on a quality light that will actually enhance our driving experience??? I still grin every single time I turn mine on…
     
  17. Sep 27, 2022 at 9:03 AM
    #17
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey Chad D, Thanks for the positive feedback on our product. We love to here your input on the products you are using.
    Best,
    Brandon
     
  18. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:40 AM
    #18
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey HulkSmurf14, Thanks for the great recommendation about our lights. Our prices are high compared to some Amazon options but you do get a great quality light as well as great benefits from Baja Designs on these.
     
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  19. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:42 AM
    #19
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey MadMaxCanon, We will be holding a Black Friday deal this year, stay tuned for more details regarding this in the future.
     
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  20. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:43 AM
    #20
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey pvn.beluga, Thanks for the positive words regarding Baja Designs.
     
  21. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:46 AM
    #21
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey snivilous, thanks for recommending our products across the forums. We are always looking to improve our lights for the best optimal performance in the smallest packages for you guys.
     
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  22. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:51 AM
    #22
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Hey guinness77, all of our housing on our lights come with a heat soak built in allowing them to dissipate heat very well provided with proper airflow surrounding the light. Also check out this link further explaining our 5000k lighting output.
    Link:https://www.bajadesigns.com/5000k-daylight/
     
  23. Sep 27, 2022 at 10:53 AM
    #23
    Baja Designs

    Baja Designs The Scientist of Lighting Vendor

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    Great to hear the ditch lights are working good for you.
     
  24. Sep 27, 2022 at 11:05 AM
    #24
    NewImprovedRon

    NewImprovedRon New Old Guy

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    270 watts is 22.5 amps (watts divided by 12 volt system). You are limited by the wiring size that will be used to support the accessory. As an example, if you tried to power a 270 watt light by tapping into anything less than a 22.5 amp circuit, you will be risking burning the wiring and blowing fuses. Any added accessories need to be wired with the appropriate gauged wiring and contain an in-line fuse.
     
  25. Sep 27, 2022 at 11:39 AM
    #25
    PlatinumPro

    PlatinumPro New Member

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    Bilstein 6112+5100s, Rigid Lighting, Fuel 20x9 Bronze Blitz
    i bought a cheaper $200 Kodiak light bar back in 2016 and 6 years later it still works perfectly. The same from Rigid would have closer to $1000 and for the 10 times a year that i need it would have been a complete waste of cash.

    IMG_1596.jpg
    IMG_1598.jpg
     
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  26. Sep 27, 2022 at 1:03 PM
    #26
    omgboost

    omgboost The Accountant

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    Check out this video for a comparison between light bars
    https://youtu.be/Rs7mIyTlJv4

    I mysepf have ended up buying the cheap Amazon ones because 1) I didn't want to spend 10x more money and 2) I don't need/use the lights a lot, I mainly bought it for show. However, if I needed the extra light, then I would definitely look into buying the more expensive ones. The cheap 22" Nilight I bought is advertised as 120W, which would mean 10 amps at 12V. When I hooked it up to measure amps, it was not even pushing out 3 amps at 12V. Take those wattage claims with a grain of salt. Same thing with a 15" ridighorse light bar, advertised 90W, pushing out 36W.
     
  27. Sep 28, 2022 at 2:22 PM
    #27
    guinness77

    guinness77 [OP] New Member

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    Thanks. I won't buy a light that lacks an in-line fuse. I just don't wanna risk a meltdown.
     
  28. Sep 28, 2022 at 3:20 PM
    #28
    Windsor

    Windsor Why do I do this to myself?

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    Some.
    DO NOT TAP INTO AN OE CIRCUIT TO RUN THE LIGHT BAR.
    The light bar should be wired on its own circuit from the battery with a fuse, switch, and relay. You can use an OE circuit (like high beams) to trigger the control side of the relay. This will prevent anything other than idiocy during install from causing damage to the trucks factory wiring/computers.
    If you plan on eventually having multiple accessories, you will get a better/cleaner install using a Bussmann RTMR.
     
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  29. Sep 28, 2022 at 3:26 PM
    #29
    guinness77

    guinness77 [OP] New Member

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    Of course. The bar will be independently wired on its own circuit with the battery and its own fuse and relay. The switch will be put into the dash somewhere.
     
  30. Sep 28, 2022 at 6:02 PM
    #30
    Windsor

    Windsor Why do I do this to myself?

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    Some.
    Had to say it, can't trust people all the time.....
     
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