Are light bars really as bad as people say is there any decent one cause I really like having a collapsed sun on the top of my jeep for the heck of it but I’m not gonna waste money on it if it’s just gonna reflect off my hood and blind me
Are lightbars as bad as people say?
- Thread starter Vernin1984
- Start date
DropTopDon
TJ Enthusiast
It isn't the lightbars themselves that are looked down on. It is a stereotype about the people who use them. If you want a lightbar, then get a lightbar.
Chris please put “ Once considered a light bar” on his profile. We need information like that.
I do not have a lightbar, but I do have a roofrack. And I am constantly smacking the leading edge of the roofrack into branches and such. I would say if I had lights up there, they would have been ripped off or at least damaged a long time ago.
Its not the form of the light, it's the location. Above the windshield is awful if there's anything in the air or on your hood. I remember being able to use mine a few times in the woods, enough after a rain that my hood was clean and dry but the ground was still wet enough to keep the dust down. If there was dust or moisture in the air or on the hood, forget it. That also was a dark colored Jeep, now I have flame red so even clean it would probably be too bright.
I have a light bar now, haven't installed it yet but it's a short one going above my winch fairlead. I have spot lights on my A-pillars, which is the only beam pattern that should go above the hood line at all and Im still not sure I'd even put spots above the windshield.
Light is good. Useful light. Light bars and racks that don't howl and whistle driving down the road. Don't smack on the first tree branch and break. Lights that don't turn into aquariums after 8 months of Oregon rain. Wiring that's sized correctly with fuses, relays and switches that won't set your rig on fire. Oh and something affordable would be awesome.
-Mac
-Mac
C.J. Roberts
TJ Addict
It’s just gonna reflect off my hood and blind you. You'd be much better off mounting something to your front bumper. You need the light in front of you, and that's where the bumper puts it.
You might notice by my avatar that I like light. Those are all halogens, because I can't see anything with the light that LEDs emit. To me, it's like looking at an overexposed picture. If LEDs work for you, find some that you can mount up front, where they will do some good.
You might notice by my avatar that I like light. Those are all halogens, because I can't see anything with the light that LEDs emit. To me, it's like looking at an overexposed picture. If LEDs work for you, find some that you can mount up front, where they will do some good.
Thanks ANDYG, I needed a laugh after what happened here in downtown Louisville yesterday
I put a small light bar on my front bumper. No interest in anything that mounts to the top or above the windshield. This one was a $100 on Amazon. I don't really use it enough to spend $500+ on a name brand light bar.
Get lights if you want. Just don't go overboard with the giant light bars.
Get lights if you want. Just don't go overboard with the giant light bars.
Light bars mounted in front of the windshield wipers are the worst. Too much glare from the hood. Over the windshield is OK.
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
Good for blinding your friends; just don't blind your spotter.
I have one but rarely use it. I was going to remove it but I like the protection on the windshield frame.
I like my light bar and use it all the time but we live down country roads where it really helps brighten things up and I am not blinding anybody. Mine is on the hood near the windshield and sticks with strong magnets. I don’t even see it when I am driving and the light doesn’t bounce back at me. It came with the Jeep but I for sure would do it again next time now that I have one.
roof mounted is preferred if you’re running high speed thru the desert since roof mounted lights help eliminate shadows created by lower mounted lights. shadows from lower mounted lights can cause whoops to look flatter/shallow when driving at high speed… Bottomline is for a Jeep, there’s really no need for roof mounted lights unless you really need to project light as far as possible, such as in racing, SAR, hunting or just enjoy blinding Bright lighting…
also remember roof mounted lights will decrease your highway mpg…
also remember roof mounted lights will decrease your highway mpg…
I’ve run several light bars on my class 6 bee trucks and my off road forklifts. All have been from Amazon or Tractor Supply. The issues I’ve had are sections of LEDs failing and water getting behind the lens. I do not buy expensive light bars for these applications because they get knocked off while we are moving bees to off road locations. I’m lucky to get 2yrs use of them. My Wranglers all have individual lights. I prefer KC or Rigid brands. I’m saving up my milk money to buy some KC spots for mounting on the A-pillars on the TJ. I agree mounting as high as possible for high speed desert running but I’ve never found a mounting system I liked.