Baja Designs Squadron Pro amber vs clear

[mx5red]

Replaced my LED fogs with squadron pros. I’ve never had amber fog lights before so wasn’t sure how effective they would be or whether they’re worth having over regular lights.
Another question is how much the beam pattern would effect reflection in snow/fog and what the best balance would be (low and wide but short vs higher/farther but more reflection).

I do think the stock LEDs are pretty good, but HID/LED lights have a sharp cutoff which is good for the street but not dirt/off-road. The high beams throw light straight ahead but don’t help light up the sides or up.
So I went with Wide Cornering lenses instead of SAE (cutoff, and weaker haha) or driving combo (thought might reflect too much?).

Before I bought the Jeep I looked up headlight options, and there weren’t really any 9” options and as far as I could tell the Mopar LED lights were pretty good and weren’t much more money considering the taillights, fog lights, and replacing those with aftermarket didn’t make sense.
Plus, I like the Mopar look the best so made sure I got the LED package. Kinda stinks replacing perfectly good fog lights though

so, here are some pics!
Stock low

low + fog

high (no fogs)

Found some fog!
Stock lows

highs

Lows plus white squadron pros (wide cornering)

lows plus amber SP

lows off (parking lights?) and fogs on

Super happy with how it turned out. I obviously don’t plan on driving with these on unless the weather is terrible or off-road, so I think these are exactly what I was going for. As others have said the Squadron Pros are insanely bright, the white Wide Cornering lenses were blinding. Definitely don’t want to run these on the street.

JK Gear and Gadgets on YouTube did a pretty good comparison, but it’s hard to tell from video just how the amber lenses look. You can see more than I thought you could with just the amber lights and low beams off. In pictures it looks dim but I’d feel comfortable driving with just those on.

Hopefully this helps someone!

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[gotswap]

I have some old Baja Design HID's on my YJ and they are certainly quality but you pay the big $$$ for them

 

[mx5red]

Install notes..
When you buy different lenses to change out they are sold individually, so you have to buy two
Bought Baja designs fog replacement kit for JL/JT, metal bracket for steel bumper fit perfectly, easy install.
It’s hard to adjust the bolts on the light mount once in the bumper so I just assembled everything together outside the Jeep, then it’s just two bolts to hold the metal bracket in. Wasn’t hard to fit the whole light and mounting bracket in as one piece.
need 14mm socket
4mm hex
2.5mm hex to unscrew faceplate and change lenses

sorry this makes my pictures upside down

View attachment 111040

 

[Browning]

Thank you for the review. I just got the same kit in today. Looking forward to installing them. btw, i had ordered one of the amber lense... oops. Your post made me go back and order another one.

 

[mx5red]

Thank you for the review. I just got the same kit in today. Looking forward to installing them. btw, i had ordered one of the amber lense... oops. Your post made me go back and order another one.

Haha right? Just a little delay.

another note, I swear when I first installed them and started the truck they worked for half a second then I couldn’t get them to turn on, even turning off auto headlights and different settings on light switch. Figured wires were switched in harness or something and I blew a fuse?

well we then went to dinner, and when valet pulled up the Squadron Pros were on and were blazing into the front windows until I could get in and turn them off!
Not sure what the deal was but they’ve worked fine since...

 

[Browning]

installed one of mine with the white turning lense today. Going to try to get a pic tonight of it vs. the stock led light thats in the other side.

 

[Browning]

Wow. These lights are BRIGHT. I'm loving them. Anybody wanting more light out of their factory fogs these are a legit replacement to the factory led lights.

 

[mx5red]

Update...
While on a recent trip I got to drive through some decent snowfall, which was one main reason I splurged on these. It just wouldn’t show up on camera, but the BDs throw so much light, even up high, that it was creating glare worse by themselves than with just my LED low beams. I hate to admit it but with their sharp cutoff, the stock LED low beams did very well. I still prefer amber though...

 

[mx5red]

Soooo, I decided to try the Diode Dynamics SS3 max pods. I originally went BD because on paper they had higher specs, and I prefer the 5000K light of BD to the harsher 6000K of most other brands (as well as the OEM LEDs).
Anyways, the DD seem to have more defined throw patterns because of their Total Internal Reflection optics (like a fiber-optic cable), as opposed to open bowl reflectors of BD. The BDs do seem to throw light out more, and have softer beam patterns, which I like.
But, I think these diode dynamics SS3s will better serve the purpose of fog/snow lights for me because of the sharper cutoffs.
The Baja designs SQ I’d prefer as off-road lights going through a trail or off in the desert.
Here are pics, DD SS3 max amber fog lens on left, BD squadron pro wide cornering on the right.

Just SS3 on left, Baja designs unplugged

Baja designs on right, SS3 unplugged

you can see the Baja Designs more than hold their own against the new SS3 Max.
The SS3 SAE fog has a cutoff like a low beam, and projects impressively wide.
SS3 vs Squadron Pro

 

[mx5red]

Then for funsies I tried the combo pattern lens in the Squadron Pro.
You can definitely see the spot beam part of it blasting light down the road like a high beam. Pretty impressive.

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