Driving Lights for 99 Explorer

[99Expl0rer]

I'm looking for some recommendations for driving lights for my son's 99 Explorer. He has to drive approximately 3 hours in the even going back to school on a weekend and there are a lot of deer out on the road. Says the stock headlights don't provide enough light to see the critters on the road. Not so much straight ahead but off to the sides of the highway. I would entertain putting lights in front of the grill or even a light bar on the roof. But I need to know what is legal and what has worked for other Explorer owners.

Thanks

Bill

 

[robertoa1a]

I had the same problem only in the city and the critters are people. Regular fog lights under the bumper made a huge difference. Not so much because of the brightness of the headlamps but the width of field in the peripheral vision. The headlamps can start to yellow and most parts stores have a polish kit to refurbish them.

Your conditions may require more than just fog lamps but they do make a huge difference.

 

[99Expl0rer]

Fog lights...Brand?

Any particular brand/model of fog lights?

 

[seldont]

Get some made by Cibie if you can.... They work great.

 

[robertoa1a]

I bought the cheapest ones I could find as a trial. I am happy with them for now but they don't look like they will last long.

Out in the country you are dealing with zero light so I would compare wattage where ever you shop, and look at build quality. Water splashing under my bumper has taken a toll on mine.

 

[Blazepet7]

check out my pic i have bumper mount and rack lights and let me tell u they make it day light, i live in the city but i take trips upstate often and they saved me a couple of times from deer carnage. the bumper mount lights are hella 500's and the rack lights are pilot fog lights, both brands are relatively inexpensive. check this out for how i made the rack light bar (courtesy of mustangandy) http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201833 and heres my thread on how I installed the lights. the whole job both bar and lights came out to aprox $45-$55 and extremely sturdy. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213085. about the laws it is illigal to have any lights above the headlights in new york (i think) but for TX the laws will be different check with local authorities, good luck

 

[IAmTodd]

Hands down these:

[5000k HID low beam, 55 watt high beam] They are excellent for spottting critters. I think the housing is around $250 for the pair now and $100 or so for a decent set of HIDs.

 

[Blazepet7]

ohh without a doubt hids will light up your way 5 times brighter than stocks but it all about how much you wanna spend hids will keep that "stock" look with really clean bright light. especially with the projectors, Iamtodd those lights look real nice...

 

[99Expl0rer]

Thanks for the info...one last question regarding wattage

What wattage lights will a stock electrical system handle? Should I stay below a certain total wattage and if so, what do you folks suggest? I go back to V x Amps = Watts or Amps = Watts/Volts. So two 55 watt 12v lights would need approximately 9.2 amps. Two 150 watt lights would require 25 amps. I know I'm showing my ignorance but straighten me out here.

Thanks to all...I'm looking at your suggestions now.

Bill

 

[robertoa1a]

My understanding of the HID's is they actually draw fewer watts than stock while producing more than twice the light. Still, headlamps let you see straight ahead but the critters seem to come from the side. To me its like there is a blind spot in the peripheral.

 

[99Expl0rer]

Thanks robertoa1a...I take it you like a light or lighting system that has a broader beam of light than possibly the HID lights...I'll keep this in mind.

Bill

 

[97sprt4x4]

i have a pair of hella lights on my desert bar, and i have them slightly angled out toward the sides of the road. This helps immensely at night, the only problem is, he will have to remember to turn them off as other drives don't appreciate the light in their eyes, if your up for making your own brackets (buying metal strips and bending them and drilling holes) you can mount them on the bumper for 100 dollars for the lights, and then 10-15 for the brackets. But i would also recomend the HIDs as there is nothing that can compare to them, they require a higher load to ignite, but then require less to keep on then regular halogens, and are easily 3-5x brighter then your stock lights.

Justin

 

[99Expl0rer]

Thanks for the info Justin.

Bill