LED Light Bar Install on TC or Truck, anyone do this

GordonThree wrote:
I find it humorous there's so much concern about legality of add-on lights.

Whenever I visit my family in D.C. I'm amazed at how many modified pickups, jeeps and SUV there are driving around, bristling with off-road LED lights. I see more in Virginia than I do here in the North country of Michigan. Of course, the ones in Virginia all look like driveway queens, not a spec of mud in the mud tires or anywhere else.

I don't know how all those modded trucks pass inspection in the District, here in Michigan we thankfully don't have to deal with any of that "make work" type government nonsense.

I like my dual color light bar. I use the amber mode when driving during the daylight in fog, rain or heavy snow. Unless its really coming down, I don't use it at night.

I use the blinding white mode exclusively off of the public roadway. It's especially fun crawling down a narrow two-track in the dark with a close tree-canopy forming like a tunnel.

At least you display some common sense, how refreshing. I was driving on a cross 2 lane (east to west) the other night and an oncoming jeep (lifted of course) had all his LED's on. It was so bad I could not even see the road until I lit him up with the Day Lighters and then he turned them off. Amazing how giving idiots a suntan works. Only time I use them except if I'm driving on a deserted road at night. At 160 watts each, kind of hard on the batteries, even with a relay. I keep them aimed up just a tad for the ocassion.

I find it humorous there's so much concern about legality of add-on lights.

Whenever I visit my family in D.C. I'm amazed at how many modified pickups, jeeps and SUV there are driving around, bristling with off-road LED lights. I see more in Virginia than I do here in the North country of Michigan. Of course, the ones in Virginia all look like driveway queens, not a spec of mud in the mud tires or anywhere else.

I don't know how all those modded trucks pass inspection in the District, here in Michigan we thankfully don't have to deal with any of that "make work" type government nonsense.

I like my dual color light bar. I use the amber mode when driving during the daylight in fog, rain or heavy snow. Unless its really coming down, I don't use it at night.

I use the blinding white mode exclusively off of the public roadway. It's especially fun crawling down a narrow two-track in the dark with a close tree-canopy forming like a tunnel.

Thought Rigid (Ridge Tool) made pipe wrenches, not lights. Probably Chinese andd rebranded,

unknown user wrote:
X2 on checking with your DMV/DOT OFFICE as to whether this will legal to operate on Public Roads in your state...

There's no point in going to the trouble to check because operating it on highways/city/county roads will not be legal.

Nearly all of the various LED light bars are for offroad use only.

But that isn't the point of this thread (discussing legality)

There's only one company I know of that makes an SAE certified light (OK for street use) and it's Rigid Industries. They make several FOG lights

jplante4 wrote:

RoyB wrote:
The worse thing that may happen is you may not be able to pass your Annual Inspection until the lights are removed...

No, actually the worse thing that can happen is you can blind some old guy that will swerve into your lane and kill you. I came around a corner one night head on into one of those bumper mounted units and that's almost what happened.

Roger on that as well... One guy was telling me his state only allowed certain lights in the front to be ON at the same time and his install didn't meet that criteria... Back in the day we used to be able to put socks over some of the OFF-ROAD lights when using the public roads but I don't think that is done any more now as well...

jfkmk wrote:
You might want to check to see if it is legal to mount them up do high.

I find them to be irritating and obnoxious when approaching from the opposite lane.

Here in Michigan at least, they are illegal for on road use and will garner you a citation and fine.

Nothing worse than getting blinded by some idiot that don't have the common sense to extinguish them in traffic.

I have a pair of 150 watt KC Daylighters on the bumper that I rarely use except when I do get blinded by an idiot. I quick blip of the Datlighters jerks them back to reality.....:S

The all say on the packaging... 'For off road use only', but who reads instructions anymore???

I've seen a YouTube when the driver was asked to remove or cover lights like that. The cops explanation is that they were abused by people. In any case, what do you need them up that high for on the road?

I have had a 22" Ebay bar on my truck for a few years now. It is mounted inside the bumper opening on my Dodge (between the tow hooks). I welded some flatbar to the base of the hooks for mounting.

I kept the wiring simple and added a relay driven by the high beam circuit so that the bar comes on whenever the high beams are selected. Of course the bar is not DOT approved, but driving into oncoming traffic isn't legal either... I can toggle the high beams off quicker (muscle memory) than I can reach for an aux switch elsewhere on the dash.

Mounting the bar on the roof using windshield mounts is a terrible idea. A friend did just that. Wind turbulence caused a bunch of cab noise at higher speed (on a truck running 37" mud terrain), and the light was near useless because of the reflection off of the hood. He even vinyl wrapped the truck hood with flat black, which helped, but was still hard on the eyes. He ended up removing it.

RoyB wrote:
The worse thing that may happen is you may not be able to pass your Annual Inspection until the lights are removed...

No, actually the worse thing that can happen is you can blind some old guy that will swerve into your lane and kill you. I came around a corner one night head on into one of those bumper mounted units and that's almost what happened.

X2 on checking with your DMV/DOT OFFICE as to whether this will legal to operate on Public Roads in your state...

The worse thing that may happen is you may not be able to pass your Annual Inspection until the lights are removed...

Has happened to me placing additional OFF-ROAD type lights on the front of my JEEP in the past here in Virginia. Some of these installs are quite expensive only to find out you may not be allowed to use them... Most definitely worth a trip to you local DMV/DOT Inspection station and get their blessing...

Just my thoughts here based on my past experience in Virginia...

I see them being used all the time around here but that does not mean they are legal to use... One of those "Install at your own risk things I reckon"

Roy Ken