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Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness

Aonar

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"The golden rule of fog lights installation says that the perfect fog light setup is between 10 and 24inches above the ground."
"Despite its appearance, the fog usually does not touch the ground, but hovers about 18 inches above the surface."

Above are two of MANY similar quotes about fog and fog light height. I have at least 3 possibilities where to mount mine:

A: Passenger side as shown. This is the lowest spot at 17 inches above ground. They have a quick detach plug so I could always disconnect them when off road & if necessary. This would be the riskiest spot to put them BUT also the most effective by conventional wisdom. Even when on road, in the winter, drifts are an issue here in Iowa so I can see damage there too.

B: Drivers side as shown (dis-like this look the most) at 24" above ground.

C: On top of the bumper, on the visible bolts just to the inside of each tow hook. This will be the safest spot but 28" off the ground.

I can't believe this is bothering me so much. I know it will ultimately be a tradeoff of functionality vs safety vs appearances.

Does anyone have personal experience with:
Yellow fogs...mounted higher than 24"...and actually using them in fog, blowing snow and/or rain? Mainly asking because I believe they will look the best on top of the bumper, NOT in either of the 2 places I have them sitting ATM. THX in advance.

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2018JLRUSellersremorse

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Great thread, I have the same questions. I was going to just mount them on top. Very interested to hear what all have experienced.
 
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Aonar

Aonar

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Great thread, I have the same questions. I was going to just mount them on top. Very interested to hear what all have experienced.
I hate to say I am a little shallow, but I know they will look the best on top. But I also want them to REALLY work well!
 

JLTruman

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I have diode dynamics pro fogs installed directly in the bumper, they work great all the time, bad weather, dusty conditions and in one of the brightest cities on the planet.

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Aonar

Aonar

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I have diode dynamics pro fogs installed directly in the bumper, they work great all the time, bad weather, dusty conditions and in one of the brightest cities on the planet.

Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210530_210834


Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210530_210834
And yours are at the right height-doing what they should by the looks of things. My DD pods will be mounted higher, and I am not sure they will be as effective. That was my only concern.
 
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Aonar

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Leaning toward the passenger side placement. Still room for straps on the hooks if needed. And a hair lower than the one on the driver side. Two different views of same. I guess if they do not perform as well that high, I will have an excuse to replace the factory ones too ;) We are expecting snow Friday as well as wind so I will hopefully connect all tomorrow and be ready for a trial run.

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AcesandEights

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It doesn't matter where you mount them if it's relative to fog. Fog lamps do not help the driver (in fog), they help others see you. The beam of a fog lamp doesn't project far enough to be helpful for you to see, at about the 20 mph mark. At that point you're traveling too fast for the light to project far enough; you're over-running your light.

Fog lights give other drivers the opportunity to see you, not you see objects in the roadway (relative to driving in fog, or in conditions where you would travel over about 20 mph).

Studies have found, contrary to most subjective statements, that your high-beams are actually the most effective way for you to see in fog. The idea that the light reflects back or things to that effect are not proven, they are false.
 
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Aonar

Aonar

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It doesn't matter where you mount them if it's relative to fog. Fog lamps do not help the driver (in fog), they help others see you. The beam of a fog lamp doesn't project far enough to be helpful for you to see, at about the 20 mph mark. At that point you're traveling too fast for the light to project far enough; you're over-running your light.

Fog lights give other drivers the opportunity to see you, not you see objects in the roadway (relative to driving in fog, or in conditions where you would travel over about 20 mph).

Studies have found, contrary to most subjective statements, that your high-beams are actually the most effective way for you to see in fog. The idea that the light reflects back or things to that effect are not proven, they are false.
Have you ever driven in the fog w/ high beams on? Have you ever driven on a gravel road in a whiteout with high beams on? I have done both. I have done both with low beams on. Now I will be trying it with yellow fog lights. I will not argue with your "studies" which are contrary to my personal experiences.

Fog Lights: What They Do and When to Use Them - In The Garage with CarParts.com

Everything You Should Know About Fog Lights | Advance Auto Parts

Do Fog Lights Really Help You See Through Fog? (motorbiscuit.com)

Driving in Fog (weather.gov)


DRIVING
DRIVING IN FOG: HIGH BEAMS OR LOW BEAMS?
  • OCT 20,2016
true-false-fog-light-or-high-beam.jpg
true-false-fog-light-or-high-beam.jpg


It starts with the sky turning an ominous grey. Then, the thick, hazy fog rolls in, obscuring the road in front of you. Anything beyond a couple hundred feet is a cloudy white.
It’s both frustrating and dangerous to not clearly see the road or the cars in front of you. So like all drivers in fog, you reach for the headlight switch.
But, if you don’t have specific fog lights in your car, do you turn on your high beams or low beams? And what’s the difference?
WHEN TO USE HIGH BEAMS
High beam headlights give off a bright glow that goes as far as 350-400 feet in front of your car. That’s approximately the length of one city block. High beams are aimed directly in front of you and are great for driving at night in rural areas or on poorly lit roads.
However, high beams aren’t ideal for city driving because their brightness and positioning can blind drivers that are within 150 meters of you.
WHEN TO USE LOW BEAMS
While high beams were designed to maximize your seeing distance, low beams only go as far as 200 feet. That means high beams reach twice as far as your low beams.
Yet, low beams are more ideal for city driving, where the roads are lit up with streetlights and there are other drivers on the road. This is because low beams are directed sideward or downward, with the light not directed in the eyes of oncoming drivers.
WHICH LIGHT IS RIGHT FOR FOG?
While your gut instinct may opt for the one that promises more light and further illumination, high beams can actually cause more damage than good in a foggy situation. When your visibility is less than 150 meters, stick to low beam headlights.
 

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I have ambers on my front bumper. They all have spot/flood combo lenses. They cut through the fog much better than white light, but they would do better in snowfall without the flood half of the lense. The trick is to not cast light upwards and into your line of sight, because it will still cause some glare.

Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210128_132835_resized
Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210127_200104
 

JLTruman

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Leaning toward the passenger side placement. Still room for straps on the hooks if needed. And a hair lower than the one on the driver side. Two different views of same. I guess if they do not perform as well that high, I will have an excuse to replace the factory ones too ;) We are expecting snow Friday as well as wind so I will hopefully connect all tomorrow and be ready for a trial run.

Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210127_200104


Jeep Wrangler JL Yellow fog light height vs. effectiveness 20210127_200104
that mounting location looks good and should work great with the DD lights.

Its my understanding the original reason for fog light was to light up the lines of the road so you could stay in your lane, when driving on a dusty trail behind another jeep or other rig the yellow lights reflect less light and make it easier to see ahead, I know this from personal experience.
 

AcesandEights

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Have you ever driven in the fog w/ high beams on? Have you ever driven on a gravel road in a whiteout with high beams on? I have done both. I have done both with low beams on. Now I will be trying it with yellow fog lights. I will not argue with your "studies" which are contrary to my personal experiences.
Sure have. A lot. In fact, the valley has been pretty socked with fog over the last few days, so I've been driving in the fog with both low beams and high beams as recently as yesterday.

My point is really that you should do what you want, based on how they look, since you're likely to do that anyway and the difference in "performance" will be insignificant.
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