Do you get hood glare from cowl lights?

[dstrout]

Just picked up my Gator Max-Tow yesterday, and now that it has a whole hundred miles on it, I’m thinking it’s time to get busy changing things.

I was going to start with some cowl mounted lights, but then as I was looking at them it occurred to me that you might end up getting some nasty glare off the hood, especially with a flood pattern. Has that been an issue for anyone or am I worrying for nothing?

thanks!

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[Erievon]

I went with yellow BD squadron sports in the driving combo pattern on my a pillars. Yeah it lights up my hood, but being a white hood and yellow light, it doesn't seem too bad to me? Maybe if it was a white light it may bother me more. If you go strictly flood you'd want to angle them out more. Since my light is half spot I aimed them a bit straighter.

 

[dstrout]

Cool, thanks for the pictures! I like those lights - the combo pattern is nice.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Flood patterns are made for lights below the hood. Spot patterns are made for lights above the hood. If you add lights to the windshield I would strongly suggest a spot beam pattern over a flood. You will get hood glare with a flood beam.

 

[Ted Striker]

You will get some hood glare even with spot beam on the cowl. I have KC RZR LED 4" spot beams on the A pillar and they still shine on the hood.

 

[JeepTrucker]

I went with yellow BD squadron sports in the driving combo pattern on my a pillars. Yeah it lights up my hood, but being a white hood and yellow light, it doesn't seem too bad to me? Maybe if it was a white light it may bother me more. If you go strictly flood you'd want to angle them out more. Since my light is half spot I aimed them a bit straighter.

What mount is this? Thanks

 

[Erievon]

What mount is this? Thanks

It's the A Pillar mount from Baja Designs.

 

[Factoid]

I put floods on the sides and spots on top. Minimal glare on granite crystal metallic.

I’ll have to get a picture.

 

[WKYRIDER]

I put floods on the sides and spots on top. Minimal glare on granite crystal metallic.

I’ll have to get a picture.

Were you ever able to get a pic of your setup?

 

[Stitchedupseats]

The cowl lights don’t glare at all, but the 50” does give some but that’s expected.

 

[Radio Guy]

I played with a lot of off road lights 30+ yrs ago and found the only two practical places for them were on the front grille/bumper area or the roof but only when placed far enough back where the roof shadows the hood. Otherwise you will get a distracting glare off the hood. On some installations right above the front windshield we used light deflectors made from thin sheet metal to shadow the hood. I prefer the roof mount for flood as the height will fill in nicer and cover a larger area.

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