A-pillar only lights?

[WyrPldn]

I currently have the KC Flex era 4 and I love them. Yes I have the pro 6 light bar and some bumper stuff but I find myself using these A pillar lights the most on trails with other people. Previously I ran the KC gravity pro 6 in driving beam at the a pillar and they weren't giving the up close super bright light I was looking for. I have both spot and flood beams and with this light the flood beam lens is 100% the better option. I have a buddy that runs the Baja designs LP6 on his front bumper and they definitely have more output than the Flex 4 however they are also huge and I am not sure if they would look good on a jeep A pillar.

Sorry I dont have any great up close photos but these are my Flex 4's

And these are some photos of the LP6 while they are not on the a pillar I think they still preform extremely well at the low level. He also has the BD squadron sports at the a pillar and they are only ok and not something I would buy for how much BD asks for them.

Hope this can help you make an informed decision on what you go with. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Thanks for the extra pics and comments, @Golden Power. Love the Golden Eagle package ? Good point about overall size considerations for that location.

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[WyrPldn]

those lights on the rear of the hood are for looks not for real offroading. lol

Thanks, @JLeco2022. I am trying to figure out a functional solution - and to learn. Would you recommend front bumper mounted lights? Besides the glare issues others have mentioned, does it give a better overall sight picture?

 

[AcesandEights]

Yes. You want the lights as high as possible, and more importantly unobstructed. Bumper mounted is better than pillar mounted.

 

[BlkTXRbcn]

I have KC Gravity Pro LP6's mounted on my A-Pillars, but I also have them wired into the KC Flex Era 3 Dual Mode Fog Lamps (a unique fog lamp on its own). I was on some winding country east Texas roads this weekend, and these did an excellent job of watching the tree line for any suicidal deer.

 

[GATORB8]

We run KC Pro6s on the bumper in the SAE driving beam (combo spot/spread) and use them on trail and on road in dark/high risk animal areas.

We do run pillars, but not for forward facing. We have relatively inexpensive KC C3s in a 90 degree flood pattern, and those are pointed out 45 degrees. That gives us "ditch" lighting which helps on trails that fall off, and lighting up camp when setting up.

Those two sets get 95% of the usage, with the Pro6 bar covers only coming off in the middle of nowhere on trail.

 

[GATORB8]

Thanks, @JLeco2022. I am trying to figure out a functional solution - and to learn. Would you recommend front bumper mounted lights? Besides the glare issues others have mentioned, does it give a better overall sight picture?

BD has a great tutorial on lighting "zone" recommendations. https://www.bajadesigns.com/help/lighting-zones/

 

[roaniecowpony]

My thought is that the headlight position is the optimal position, up as high was possible to the hood line and outboard. If the fenders were more rigid, they'd be a good place to put a set, up forward and outboard. Having lights at eye level would be ideal for long range lights. Close range lights can be mounted up on the bumper so the beam isn't obscured by the hood and fenders. When you look at some of the off-road race vehicles that are setup for night racing, they have lights all over the place. That's because lights mounted in each area serve a purpose. Just keep in mind that lighting up the hood and fenders will cause your eye pupils to constrict and you reduce the ability to see in the areas further ahead in your field of view.

I'd start with making sure you have the best headlight setup you can. Then look at replacing the factory fog lights (useful for about nothing I can think of) with some well made high output combination beams like the BajaDesigns Squadron Pro. After that, my bet is you'll be very happy with the lighting and may not want for more, but if you do, it will likely be for more side lighting.

Give some thought to how you will realistically use them. Then learn about beam patterns and choosing mounting locations. Baja Designs has some good information here. Lighting Zones Explained - Baja Designs - Off-Road LED & Laser Lights | Automotive, Jeep, Truck, UTV, ADV, Dirtbike

Or, if you're just going for a look of your Jeep, just put lights of your choosing wherever they look good to you.

 

[Travs4X4JLU]

Just installed KC 6" Slimlite on their A-pillar mount. Great output. Wired to factory Aux switch too. Having those switches makes installation super simple.

 

[JLeco2022]

Thanks, @JLeco2022. I am trying to figure out a functional solution - and to learn. Would you recommend front bumper mounted lights? Besides the glare issues others have mentioned, does it give a better overall sight picture?

bumper/stinger/fender or over rack mounted are best for sight picture

 

[mrtm1970]

Just installed KC 6" Slimlite on their A-pillar mount. Great output. Wired to factory Aux switch too. Having those switches makes installation super simple.

Any Pics?

 

[Erievon]

Ooooof… thanks for pointing that out; I hadn’t considered glare coming out of a combo beam. It makes sense and I can see how that would be an issue. Hmmmm…

LP6 just seems way too big on the a pillar on a Jeep. Maybe on a full size truck or something.

I have a combo beam BD Squadron Sport, you do get some glare off the hood. I may switch to a dedicated 4 spot lens. But that's the beauty of BD, I can switch it up any time I want. Here's what the throw looks like. This is pitch black in a public park around 11pm, no headlights or fogs, just the Squadron A Pillars on.

 

[WyrPldn]

BD has a great tutorial on lighting "zone" recommendations. https://www.bajadesigns.com/help/lighting-zones/

Thanks @GATORB8 !

 

[WyrPldn]

My thought is that the headlight position is the optimal position, up as high was possible to the hood line and outboard. If the fenders were more rigid, they'd be a good place to put a set, up forward and outboard. Having lights at eye level would be ideal for long range lights. Close range lights can be mounted up on the bumper so the beam isn't obscured by the hood and fenders. When you look at some of the off-road race vehicles that are setup for night racing, they have lights all over the place. That's because lights mounted in each area serve a purpose. Just keep in mind that lighting up the hood and fenders will cause your eye pupils to constrict and you reduce the ability to see in the areas further ahead in your field of view.

I'd start with making sure you have the best headlight setup you can. Then look at replacing the factory fog lights (useful for about nothing I can think of) with some well made high output combination beams like the BajaDesigns Squadron Pro. After that, my bet is you'll be very happy with the lighting and may not want for more, but if you do, it will likely be for more side lighting.

Give some thought to how you will realistically use them. Then learn about beam patterns and choosing mounting locations. Baja Designs has some good information here. Lighting Zones Explained - Baja Designs - Off-Road LED & Laser Lights | Automotive, Jeep, Truck, UTV, ADV, Dirtbike

Or, if you're just going for a look of your Jeep, just put lights of your choosing wherever they look good to you.

Appreciate the feedback and advice @roaniecowpony

 

[DHW]

I have Artec's double stack bracket with Rigid DSS driving lights on bottom and spots on top. All four are wired into Aux 1. More light than you'll ever need 5x over.

There is some hood glare but since my Jeep is black it isn't really an issue.

 

[blessidsoul12]

Ive got single RIGID D-SS Pro. They aren't cheap, as said before, but dayum they bright.

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