Is there a guide or general practice with regard to supplemental lighting on a Wrangler / Gladiator?

[Seal]

I am a total newb. I go to these lighting websites and they sell all kinds of stuff. Floods, spotlights, amber, white, bars, pods, etc. They offer little guidance as to what a good set up is, which may be intentional (buy more stuff if you bought the wrong thing).

I'm not looking to go crazy with extra lighting, but I'd like to have maybe a couple of additional lights on the fender up by the windshield (aitch lights as I've heard them called). But what is the best thing to put there? Driving lights, flood lights, spotlights? Are any of these switchable from one to the other (driving light mode for driving on highway and maybe a floodlight for low speed off-roading)?

Again, I'm a noob. mea culpa.

Sponsored

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Go for a mix of lighting to get the widest/longest coverage. I prefer fog type lights down low on the bumper area with maybe a single long throw down with them. On the cowl you want something that is long throw with a lower angled vertical. Basically a flat type long throw light or you’ll get glare off the hood. My rule of thumb is anything below the hood is wide and close, anything above the hood is long throw. Study study study. That’s the only way to get it to your satisfaction.

I highly advise you DO NOT get one of those good lights that go across the width of the hood.

 

[ATL_Rubi]

As mentioned above, wider spread lights down low and spot type lights higher up.


A good set of Diode Dynamics, Baja, or KC fog lights (replace OEM fog lights) preferably SAE fog lights

Then for ditch lights, I like combo there, gives to a nice flood pattern with some hot spots for distance. Here’s my current setup:

diode dynamic ss3 max sae fog in amber
Aftermarket led headlight bulbs
Auxbeam 360 PRO
Amazon special Baja Designs lp6 knock offs facing sideways now

Plenty of light down range and good illumination to the side as well

 

[Seal]

Go for a mix of lighting to get the widest/longest coverage. I prefer fog type lights down low on the bumper area with maybe a single long throw down with them. On the cowl you want something that is long throw with a lower angled vertical. Basically a flat type long throw light or you’ll get glare off the hood. My rule of thumb is anything below the hood is wide and close, anything above the hood is long throw. Study study study. That’s the only way to get it to your satisfaction.

I highly advise you DO NOT get one of those good lights that go across the width of the hood.

Thanks, but if those lights are "good" why are they bad?

 

[JTdiRtyD]

Thanks, but if those lights are "good" why are they bad?

The light bars that mount on the hood don't project light on the ground in front of the truck because it's blocked by the length of the hood. Good for lighting up the trees if thats your thing.

 

[NC_Overland]

I didn’t want anything on my hood, so I did two 7” combo lights on my bumper. 15k candle power. It’s absurdly bright and I have the factory LED lights so I didn’t really need them anyway. I use the heavier wire on the aux switches and hid the rocker switch. I rarely use the spot function, but I can reach under the steering wheel and switch if I wanted.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Thanks, but if those lights are "good" why are they bad?

Yeah that was supposed to be “hood” light bars. I blame fat thumbs for typos.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

The light bars that mount on the hood don't project light on the ground in front of the truck because it's blocked by the length of the hood. Good for lighting up the trees if thats your thing.

Those long throws are good for seeing down the trail in canyons and such. OP is in SoCal from what I can tell and if moving fast through the desert canyons the turns can really sneak up on you. Anza Borrego has some winding areas where you’re locked in fairly tight so seeing what’s 200m+ ahead can be beneficial.

 

[Janster]

Just a note:
Check with your state laws & regulations in regards to extra lighting and/or if you have yearly ‘inspections’.

I live in PA…. and there are certain rules to lighting. For instance:
Driving lights can only be ON with the high beams
Fog lights can only be on with the low beams
Any additional lighting must be 20” apart center-to-center.
If they’re not 20” apart, they need to covered.

We also have yearly inspections. They check the lighting (above). Depending on your inspection station…whether or not they ‘overlook’ it.
You can ‘get around’ most of it by disconnecting the power to those lights (for inspections). When you install them, you purposely make an easy way to ‘disconnect’ the power before yearly inspections. Been there done that….

Just sayin’……

 

[Alpine Warthog]

These guys have pretty good explanations on what the different lights do. I'm going to piggyback and say that what you "need" and what you "want" will be different. My rule of thumb is go out wheeling and driving and anytime you say to yourself, "I wish my lights......" and then research ways to get light at that spot. I've overdone my lights. I could really cut back but my light bar is sexy, so I don't. LOL

For me, bare minimum is:
Area/flood/amber beams on the bumper for the trails and roads when weather has gone to hell
Long range spots on the A pillar or roof top. Two lights are enough (but more is sexier)
Ditch lights for those tight trails and drop offs after dark.

anything more and you run the risk of becoming a clown show. So take it slow and have a purpose for each light. You don't have to have a full set up from day one. Add as you find a need

 

[NC_Overland]

You guys have made me think that I should add my yellow aux light covers to my supplies I carry in my Jeep with me for when I run into poor weather. Surprisingly, I never thought about it before I read this. I loved my yellow diode dynamics fog lights I had on my Canyon. They were great in snow and fog.

 

[hillx4]

Is there a link to see the best options for mounting brackets for lights on the plastic bumper?

 

[MPMB]

If you don't look like this on the trail, are you really Jeepin'?

I have two 7" "Oh, I can see Canada from here" LED spots on the bumper, the little pods on the cowl, and I've had a few mounted on the bed rack for campsite & bed illumination. The cowl ones are ok, but I really need to yank those off. Combination of not bright enough and an odd angle for me.

The big spots are fantastic. They illuminate wayyyyy down the road. On road the drawback is reflections from road signs. The lights make anything reflective pop from probably a mile away. There is a straight stretch of I90 in Montana east of St. Regis we were on once in the middle of the night. I flipped the lights on and we could see the markers curve to the right way off in the distance.

I've been wanting to put a few up on the roof rack to help light up the ditch area and beyond, as we drive a lot at night where we're in mountains with no other light sources. It'd be nice to know if we're on a gentle plateau or a narrow ridge with a 2000' descent on either side. Also, illuminating the sides may help us ID wildlife in our late-night drives through the National Parks. The front spots aren't optimal for winding roads that are in parks like Glacier or Yellowstone.

When you do finally pick out what you want, you can pay the premium and get well-known brands like Baja Designs, Diode Dynamics, or save some coin and get the cheaper stuff. Before you make that decision, watch the YT videos from the guys who have tested the lights and actually do a good comparison.

I had some Hella lights a while ago, which used to be a pretty good brand. In less than 1yr of being mounted, the bulb assembly popped out of the housing. So that was nice. <eye roll> So I don't prescribe to choosing one brand over another. There are only a few manufacturers of LEDs, so the light companies pretty much using the same light source, just different wiring & circuitry, quality control, and customer service.

 

[MPMB]

Is there a link to see the best options for mounting brackets for lights on the plastic bumper?

Check this thread: Suggestions for mounting lights to the plastic front bumper… | Jeep Gladiator (JT) News, Forum, Community - JeepGladiatorForum.com

 

[Rcoe]

Small ambers angled out with larger amber on the bumper. Spots on the A pillars with a good set of flood ditch lights. Best setup I have had on a Jeep and not too much.

Sponsored