LED Light bar ... help !

[rumy Member Find all posts View Profile Close rumy]

I am thinking of getting the new LED light bars now availiable. They are suppose to be great, even better than HID spot lights. I was wanting to mount it on the roof (on roof racks) but was wondering whether this is legal in QLD and the second thing is .... how do you run the wires down into the car from the roof? I am assuming that you do not drill holes through the roof, I have a TJM snorkel so I am thinking of running the wiring down the side of that ..... any-one with ideas please post them.

Thanks all !!!!

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Forgetting the legality of it the LED lights do not provide long distance light. There was a recent review of driving lights in 4wd action. They compared Halogen, HID and LED bars. The LED bars have a very bright light for short distance but nothing like HID. Halogen are a lot better at distance than LED.

Off the roof you have a number of options. I don't have a 150 say bit hard to say but have a look at running along side the widescreen. On the 120 there is a channel and a couple of dobs of silicon and it's right. Across the roof, again on the 120 are two channels that run the full length. If these exist then you can easily get power to the roof from the front. If not then come out the rear door. Should look at if it is suitable to run something up on hte right hand side of the rear door comming out of the rubber insulation from door to body and then onto the roof, hopefully through channels to a suitable mount for the bar.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

spoken like a true addicted member nick. cheers samo

[dereki Member Find all posts View Profile Close dereki]

Check this document for legalities.

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/5f...orvehicles.pdf

eg. • There is no individual height specification for the fitting of driving lamps

Just check that if you get the LED's make sure they are ADR approved for Road use. Many have small print "Off road use only"

[rumy Member Find all posts View Profile Close rumy]

I check out the new 4x4 magazine, not sure which one but they had a comparison and said they are superior to HID for light and distance? Maybe I have it wrong,too dear to buy HID and LED Light Bar!!!

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

I check out the new 4x4 magazine, not sure which one but they had a comparison and said they are superior to HID for light and distance? Maybe I have it wrong,too dear to buy HID and LED Light Bar!!!

The magazine, as I mentioned above, is 4wd Action. This was about two issues ago (issue 161). Their findings did NOT indicte that the LED bar was supierior to distance. The lightput virtually reached zero about 150ms from the vehicle with LED while HID was still regisetring out around 800 or 900ms.

I posted some of their results comparing IPF900 and Lightforce 240s for both Halogen and HID as spotties and then threw in a couple of LED bars as well. The results are straight out of the magazine:
LED vs HID - Driving Lights

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

I check out the new 4x4 magazine, not sure which one but they had a comparison and said they are superior to HID for light and distance? Maybe I have it wrong,too dear to buy HID and LED Light Bar!!!

If you don't want to spend too much, just upgrade the globes in the headlights. I upgraded the inner headlights only, not the outer lights, with Philips H11 globes. Much more light. You can also upgrade the outer light globes as well.

Yowie.

[Prado91 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado91]

those LED bars do they need inverters or can they run via our 12v plus switch only?
e.g
. LED Power: 120W
. Operating Voltage: 10-30 DC
. Waterproof rate: IP 67
. 40pcs*3w high intensity LEDS
. Dimensions:21.5 inch

[4wd Supplies Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4wd Supplies]

Depending on which one you buy some come with a full wiring harness complete with relays, fuses and switch. They are a very straight forward install and have awesome light output.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

With regards to the wiring question we run our solar panel wires down the roof rack legs, along the roof channel and then beside the snorkel and from there through the scuttle vents and then to the battery. The wiring sits neatly into the trim on the roof and the windscreen but is exposed and vulnerable from the base of the windscreen through the scuttle. I cannot see how you would run the wiring without drilling into the body unless you go backwards and then down the back door but again there will be a section that is vulnerable to damage.

[keencdk Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close keencdk]

LED's can be very good for spread, or for distance depending on the LED and the reflector in use. LED's can easily throw as far as a good spottie, but you get a very narrow beam. A bigger LED light bar with a good mix of long distance throw, middle ground and high spread reflectors would give a really good light.

Most LED light bars these days use 3W LED's however they should start using the 10W LED's soon, as they have been out for a while and have way more light per LED - though they use mroe power and generate more heat.

I would personally rather see that kangaroo on the side of the road 80m away about to jump on my bonnet brilliantly lit up than have light that shines down the road 800m

Be wary of using silicon anywhere in contact with paint as it has a nasty habit of softening paint and letting the water (read rust) in unless you use the right type.