Off-Road Light Suggestions?

[VBVA]

I got 100W KC stainless Daylighters, they are great lights but are really deep. I couldn't quite get them mounted straight, so I took them off and they just sit in the back of my Ex. I still would say that they are the most powerful set of lights I have ever used on a vehicle, amazing power.

 

[diablo5969]

Speaking of powerful: When I was planning on getting lights, I was planning on just wiring them into my headlights so they were on whenever my headlights are on.

It's starting to sound like I shouldn't even think of doing that with these. Is that a correct assumption?

 

[JDraper]

No way do you want to wire them into your headlights. They are MANY times brighter than your hi beams and you would piss of everyone coming at you and the 1st cop that saw them would pull you over. Also, your headlight circuit cannot support that large a current draw. The best thing to do is hook them up with a switch and a relay like the instructions they come with show. I've got mine wired into the power distribution box in the engine compartment (it's right next to the master brake cylinder on newer X's and on the passenger's side fenderwell in older X's). I have mine setup so the relay is activated from a switched power supply so I don't accidentally leave them on when the truck is off.

 

[becker69]

I agree with Jeff about the wiring.... wire them seperate from your primary lights. What type of pattern did you choose... I am looking at lights right now and I am not sure if I want to get the 'flood' pattern or not. I do not want super long range; just some light to fill in the crags/dirt/rocks while night off-roadin'.

 

[Bill Kemp]

On driving lights, like the KC, I want to use them on the road with the high beams. So I use the high beam wire to provide power to the switch. When the switch is on the driving lights go on & off with the high beams. Off is off. This way you dont have to be reaching & switching off the lights seperatly each time you dim your lights.
Never had any trouble w/cops as I dont leave the high beams on for anyone comming at me to see. Most light laws are just common sense.

 

[diablo5969]

I like that idea about wiring them into the high-beams. Can the circuit accept that much power, or is it still better to use the switch they came with?

 

[JDraper]

Actually, mine are wired the same way as Bill's. You tap the hi beam circuit to provide the switching power for the relay, and then put the toggle switch in between the relay and the hi beam circuit. The relay uses almost no power, so the hi beam circuit can handle that. Best bet for powering the light side of the relay is to use a battery feed. You can get that off the battery directly or off the power distribution box.

 

[diablo5969]

Cool. Thanks for the information!

 

[JDraper]

Hopefully this is legible. Here's a diagram on how to wire it through the hi beams.

 

[diablo5969]

Cool, thanks for the diagram. Something tells me that will come in handy

 

[Bill Kemp]

Heres another, although it should have come with your lights.Dead Link Removed
And YES do use the wireing provided w/the light set.