Cube mounting Light

[47Jeepster]

@AFfiredawg ... slapped a piece of masking tape on the inner side, took the Jeep for a ride, and the glare was gone ... well, at least acceptable. Have to see if Rigid has some suggestions.

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[melendez69]

@47Jeepster . I was a bit slow on the draw here... Truth be told, I wouldn't have considered the LED's on one side being a factor given that I've never read up on this specific model... and it's a very nice selection, but at $300, the design or features shouldn't be problematic for drivers.

 

[voodoo11]

Here's a cleaner install of the @Maximus-3 mounting bracket, with the wire tucked away. Looks much better with much less exposed wire.

These are great.

I was thinking of this thread. When I viewed the Gladiator launch pics, there is a photo of the windshield folded down but a Mopar light bracket near the A Frame. I hope all parts are cross compatible.

 

[melendez69]

These are great.

I was thinking of this thread. When I viewed the Gladiator launch pics, there is a photo of the windshield folded down but a Mopar light bracket near the A Frame. I hope all parts are cross compatible.

thank you...I like where they sit. I'm gonna have a difficult decision to make if/when Rigid puts out a newer model of their dual A-pillar mount. First-world problems, huh...

 

[wanderer]

looking for recommendations on lights ideally i would like to be at 100 or less per pair. I would like alow amp draw and as much light as i can get. I am thinking of 2 sets spot for the a pillar seriously consideringthe rough country and flood s for the bumper or winch. I have the super winch exp 10 k ttha has picatinny rails for mounting lights , but i haven't had the time to put it on yet.

I was thinking of going with rigid maybe. and if I could find a combo light set that has flood and spot I might do that . But not sure about the switching . By going with 2sets and usingthe aux switches I could run with both on at the same time.

thoughts and recmmendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Texas_Yote]

@Torque77 ... @AFfiredawg ... @shmpls ... @Texas_Yote If any of you can answer the question right above this post, would you please?

That looks kind of extreme, I do not have really any extra light to speak of. I'll grab a picture tonight.

 

[melendez69]

@wanderer

If you’re considering a spot/flood combo, you’d also have to think about how you plan to mount them; i.e. side-by-side on the cowl, staggered on the A-pillar, etc. The reason I mention this is, while I was experimenting with a setup, I tried a pair of different manufacturers side-by-side and the mounting points were different, so one cube sat higher than the other & it looked silly.

Searching for off-road lights on the Amazon gets you several lower-priced options to choose from, but you’re not gonna get every manufacturers’ full lineup of offerings. Pick the manufacturer you want, chat them up and if they’re a forum sponsor, they’ll have a discount. Also, you get what you pay for. I’d only trust tried-and-true off-road manufacturers. I’m familiar with KC, Baja, Rigid, and IE, but not with Rough Country. I’m sure they produce a quality product, but search the forums for opinions. @47Jeepster ‘s choice is an excellent one, but well outside of what you’re looking to spend. In addition to cost, you seem more interested in brand names rather than focusing on the intended use.

For what you’re trying to spend, you can’t go wrong with @InspiredEngineering ’s Black Cube Series (and at a discount). I’m running a pair of their 6-Cube Red Series mounted above the fenders, and I love them. This ain’t a sales pitch (I don’t work for them). I tried them out, they’re fantastic, and their customer service is great.

You can run a spot/flood combo on a single aux switch, but I’m not sure why you’d want to. Different patterns for different driving conditions & needs. Considering the unfamiliarity with off-road lights, chances are you won’t have a need to run both at the same time, so it may be more efficient to separate them on different aux switches.

You’re now armed with a decent set of recommendations from a few of us. That’s all I got for you, bud. May The Force be with you.

 

[wanderer]

Hey thanks a lot. That is very helpful. I looked at amazon and there are a plethora of choices but only a few recognizable names I also. Looked at YouTube and found some light comparisons that were very interesting. Based on that I am going to with one of 3 or 4. Namely rigid kc Baja designs. Maybe one other. My thoughts being these are well known quality companies with quality products. I am also going to use different aux switches for different situations. Flood and spot. I saw some tests that showed overlapping flood and spot and the combination really made it easier to see. Both what your about to go over and what is up ahead. But I can see the need to separate the two as well. This all stemmed from a trip last year in my older jkur. Where I was on a very twisty and turns trail long after dark Made for an interesting ride out.

 

[melendez69]

Hey thanks a lot. That is very helpful. I looked at amazon and there are a plethora of choices but only a few recognizable names I also. Looked at YouTube and found some light comparisons that were very interesting. Based on that I am going to with one of 3 or 4. Namely rigid kc Baja designs. Maybe one other. My thoughts being these are well known quality companies with quality products. I am also going to use different aux switches for different situations. Flood and spot. I saw some tests that showed overlapping flood and spot and the combination really made it easier to see. Both what your about to go over and what is up ahead. But I can see the need to separate the two as well. This all stemmed from a trip last year in my older jkur. Where I was on a very twisty and turns trail long after dark Made for an interesting ride out.

There's nothing wrong with trying the overlapping patterns on a single aux. If you have the LED's, you may not need as much lighting, and if it's not what you'd expect, it's incredibly easy to separate. Hope it works out for you...

 

[Texas_Yote]

Sorry the pics are not at night but you get the point. There really is no light bleed from the lower lights with the Artec Mount and Rigid side shooter flood lights. The top lights are Rigid spots and have no bleed.

The top pic is at eye level the bottom pic is holding my phone up by the visor pointing down toward the light. I am sure if the side shooters were on the top block I MIGHT have some bleed over but it looks minimal.

 

[nerubi]

Take a look to the Baja Designs mounts
https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Jeep-Wrangler-JL-Lighting-Kits.asp

$85 for 2 small pieces of metal?

 

[melendez69]

They're really good mounts... I have them, but I got them at rubitrux.com for $76... free shipping. I don't think you'll find them much cheaper (eBay, maybe?).

https://www.rubitrux.com/baja-desig...MIxdmT9LiH3wIViwBpCh3KwAY0EAQYBSABEgIdUfD_BwE

 

[47Jeepster]

Sorry the pics are not at night but you get the point. There really is no light bleed from the lower lights with the Artec Mount and Rigid side shooter flood lights. The top lights are Rigid spots and have no bleed.

The top pic is at eye level the bottom pic is holding my phone up by the visor pointing down toward the light. I am sure if the side shooters were on the top block I MIGHT have some bleed over but it looks minimal.

Thank you for the feedback. Your lights are working just like mine ... some of the main light is reflect back down the inner side and leaks out. With the side shooter cubes in the bottom position, it doesn't look like it would bother you. I used the KC Hilites pillar bracket and, unfortunately, the cube sits high enough that it's distracting to me. @AFfiredawg is using the same bracket as you are, but I suspect, based on his picture, that he has the side shooters mounted in the top position. You've given him a fix if the spillover bothers him ... just reverse the position of the cubes on his bracket.

Visited the Rigid factory yesterday and talked with one of their reps. He determined that there was nothing wrong with the lights, nor with their mounting. He had a set of D-SS fogs installed on his company Tacoma that also had some spillover visible from the driver's seat. Said they never bothered him ... until I pointed it out ... now it probably will. Rigid introduced the side shooter lights about three years ago and there hasn't been any/many complaints. But, they did up the lumens not too long ago and that might change the equation.

I like the side shooter cubes. They are fantastic on a twisting trail. I don't want to give them up.

Have to give a shout out to the Rigid company. I called them yesterday morning ... punched the number for technical assistance. Jaclyn picked up the phone and listened to my concern. She sent an e-mail out to the rest her team asking for input on the spillover light. Her boss answered right after lunch ... went out and sat in his company truck to visualize my concern. I stopped by later in the afternoon and we went over his truck and my Jeep and talked about the lights and some possible fixes. He later introduced me to the engineer responsible for the side shooter lights ... and again, we talked about possible fixes. That they were willing to acknowledge my concern deserves a tip of the hat. Everyone I talked to was proud of their company and their product ... great experience.

 

[AFfiredawg]

Thank you for the feedback. Your lights are working just like mine ... some of the main light is reflect back down the inner side and leaks out. With the side shooter cubes in the bottom position, it doesn't look like it would bother you. I used the KC Hilites pillar bracket and, unfortunately, the cube sits high enough that it's distracting to me. @AFfiredawg is using the same bracket as you are, but I suspect, based on his picture, that he has the side shooters mounted in the top position. You've given him a fix if the spillover bothers him ... just reverse the position of the cubes on his bracket.

Visited the Rigid factory yesterday and talked with one of their reps. He determined that there was nothing wrong with the lights, nor with their mounting. He had a set of D-SS fogs installed on his company Tacoma that also had some spillover visible from the driver's seat. Said they never bothered him ... until I pointed it out ... now it probably will. Rigid introduced the side shooter lights about three years ago and there hasn't been any/many complaints. But, they did up the lumens not too long ago and that might change the equation.

I like the side shooter cubes. They are fantastic on a twisting trail. I don't want to give them up.

Have to give a shout out to the Rigid company. I called them yesterday morning ... punched the number for technical assistance. Jaclyn picked up the phone and listened to my concern. She sent an e-mail out to the rest her team asking for input on the spillover light. Her boss answered right after lunch ... went out and sat in his company truck to visualize my concern. I stopped by later in the afternoon and we went over his truck and my Jeep and talked about the lights and some possible fixes. He later introduced me to the engineer responsible for the side shooter lights ... and again, we talked about possible fixes. That they were willing to acknowledge my concern deserves a tip of the hat. Everyone I talked to was proud of their company and their product ... great experience.

unfortunately for me i have them in both positions so swapping wouldn't really help me...What types of solutions did they discuss? I would like to see some sort of simple pop on plastic piece(like the covers) but that only covers the reflector on the inside side of the lights...seems like it would be a simple design and cheap retrofit for those that it bothers...

 

[47Jeepster]

unfortunately for me i have them in both positions so swapping wouldn't really help me...What types of solutions did they discuss? I would like to see some sort of simple pop on plastic piece(like the covers) but that only covers the reflector on the inside side of the lights...seems like it would be a simple design and cheap retrofit for those that it bothers...

That must be a tremendous amount of light out to the sides. I'm jealous.

We talked about shielding (internal and external), paint (internal and external), tinting the lens on the inner side (too expensive), angling the cube outward, etc. I've been in their shoes, so it's easy to be patient while they work through their options. They did tell me not to open up the cube to work on the inside ... would void the warranty. Guess they could see my mind working.

The lens doesn't get that hot, so for now it'll be painter's tape when I light them up.

PS: aiming the cubes outward with spots doesn't work well. The spots have a 7.5 degree pattern and you have to angle the cubes out 12 to 12.5 degrees to alleviate the glare. The OEM brights don't completely fill in the center gap. Imagine three circles that kind of overlap ... the result is some shaded patches along the edge of the OEM lights. The plus side is that I could really see my neighbor's yards as I cruised down the street.

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