aux lighting - help me choose

scoobysnax · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:24 pm

I’m looking to getting some aux driving lights. I’d rather spend more money and be happy than less money later wish I had just spent the extra bucks. But with that said I also don’t want to spend more than I need to. I’m looking at the either of the following:

Hella 500FF or the 700FF @ around $70 - $100 or the PIAA 550 @ about $430 or the PIAA 520’s in the ATP light pattern @ about $250.

The Hella’s are 55W H3 type bulb. The PIAA 550 is an H4 type bulb listed at 60/55 watts which they claim are the equivalent of 110/100 watts(???) It has a high beam and low beam setting of 80 degrees and 15 degrees. The PIAA 520 series with their “ATP” pattern of 40 degrees. However, that pattern sounds like it’s for off road use only. I’m not looking for that. Or if you have any other suggestions here’s what I’m looking for. It must be legal (not sure what legal is in NYS, I’m working on that) I want to be able to use it will driving against traffic, I want it to out shine my headlights and fog lights on low beams. I will get the most use from them on back roads without street lamps and off road. They must be water proof as I’ve been in water past my bumper before (yes my breather tubes are extended.)

Are the PIAA’s really worth that much extra money? Does anyone have any of the above who can comment on them. Pics would be great too.

Finally, has anyone mounted them directly to their bumper (not a brush bar or anything else like that.) I’m OK with fabricating some sort of metal bracket directly to the metal bumper sub frame. Thanks for the help!

jeepkj02 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:37 pm

Great deal on Hella 500 driving lights on Amazon now.

Linky

Ms5490renegade · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:39 pm

get the hellas

cluelessklewer · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:48 pm

Ms5490renegade wrote:

get the hellas

Hell yea, just got mine. $39.99!!! For that price if u didn't like them, turn around and sell them and get whatever else u want.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:05 am

Different lights have diferent beam patterns the ones recently for sale on Amazon (Hella 500) are more of a spot beam where as a fog light type beam spread the light out over a larger wider area. Are you wanting to run these along with your headlights and foglights? Some areas/states only allow 2 headlights and two extra fog type lights so you need to check in to that as well

More expensive lights are well worth the money as they have a higher quality reflector and lense that uses the light for a better pattern. Light Force makes some killer lights, expensive but well worth it.

Oh and to mount the lights on early model KJs measure over from the side where the bumper drops down near the headlight 3.5 inches and one inch out from the grill, this will give you a spot right above the frame and has a hole to get up in from below to install the nut

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:56 pm

Personally I like my hellas.

You can get a higher AWG wire and put 100watt bulbs in them. Ive been thinking about doing that but Im too lazy to rewire it all.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

All my front lighting is PIAA and I feel they're worth the money. I've had other brands (not Hellas yet) and I find PIAAs are right up there in quality. Worth it, IMO.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:25 pm

I want to get some light force lights but they are too rich for my blood lol but I will probably get some Hella 500's, they are good cheap lights

scoobysnax · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:03 pm

Now I'm thinking of maybe just upgrading the headlight bulbs to Silverstar 9007SU. Has anyone done this? Living in the city I have a lot of parking to do and without a bull bar to protect the aux lights I'm worried someone might just crack them when backing up to park in front of me. Also, I have no idea how to change the bulbs - is it just a few screws to take out or more than that?

If I do go the aux light option I think I will go with the Hella's just in case they do get knocked around while parking. Anyone know the main difference between the 500 and the 500FF?

Guest · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:09 pm

read this. I want to get some of those PIAA's for my headlights.

cluelessklewer · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:43 pm

scoobysnax wrote:

Now I'm thinking of maybe just upgrading the headlight bulbs to Silverstar 9007SU. Has anyone done this? Living in the city I have a lot of parking to do and without a bull bar to protect the aux lights I'm worried someone might just crack them when backing up to park in front of me. Also, I have no idea how to change the bulbs - is it just a few screws to take out or more than that?

If I do go the aux light option I think I will go with the Hella's just in case they do get knocked around while parking. Anyone know the main difference between the 500 and the 500FF?

I have the 9007su's and LOVE them and am getting the ultras for my stock fog lights tomorrow also. They make all the difference in the world. No screws for switching them out either, the bulb housing turns 90 degrees and pulls out. really easy.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:10 pm

I also switched up to the 9007SU's in the main lights and the 9145ST in the fogs and the light patter is very nice.

Even if the bulbs burn out every couple of years, they are really nice and worth it.

HoppedUpOnGoofballs · **Joined:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:36 pm **Posts:** 203

scoobysnax wrote:

If I do go the aux light option I think I will go with the Hella's just in case they do get knocked around while parking. Anyone know the main difference between the 500 and the 500FF?

The 500s use the lens to control the light pattern, and the 500FFs use the reflector itself and have a perfectly clear lens.

Oh, and too lazy to dig them up, but many reviews of the Silverstars, and they are basically a joke.. FWIW

04jeepkj · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:31 pm

I have a set of these up on the cowl and they do pretty well. 100W https://www.bajadesigns.com/NET/P-613285/Fuego%2c+Halogen+Spot+Black+100w
And a set of these on the bumper 55W http://www.adv4x4.com/hera40coblla.html

I ended up getting 2 hella wiring harnesses and hooking them up.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

icarl wrote:

read this. I want to get some of those PIAA's for my headlights.

They're great bulbs for sure. They have a really nice clean white light.

805gregg · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:34 pm

Check out Lightforce lights from Oz.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:57 pm

805gregg wrote:

Check out Lightforce lights from Oz.

Expensive but nice, suggested them above as well, see a lot of people over on Expedition Portal running them

scoobysnax · **Posted:** Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:51 pm

For those who have the Hella 500 or 500FF do you have any issues when passing oncoming traffic when the lights are on? Do they create a lot of glare that other cars are always flashing you or is it not a big deal? It doesn't look like they are DOT approved so I want to know if it'll be a big a problem or not. If they are more suited for "off road only" then it's not worth it for me to get them but if I can use them on the roads and highways without bothering other motorist I think I'm gonna get them.

cluelessklewer · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:29 am

scoobysnax wrote:

For those who have the Hella 500 or 500FF do you have any issues when passing oncoming traffic when the lights are on? Do they create a lot of glare that other cars are always flashing you or is it not a big deal? It doesn't look like they are DOT approved so I want to know if it'll be a big a problem or not. If they are more suited for "off road only" then it's not worth it for me to get them but if I can use them on the roads and highways without bothering other motorist I think I'm gonna get them.

yea... people flash their lights at me, come to think of it, they did that before i put the hellas on, not sure if they are doing it any more than they did before.

Matt400 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:26 pm

scoobysnax wrote:

For those who have the Hella 500 or 500FF do you have any issues when passing oncoming traffic when the lights are on?

They are suppose to be off in that condition cuz they are more powerful than your high beams and are classified as a driving lamp "supplement to high beams"

Now if you want to supplement your low beams and leave them on in traffic then you might get away with the Hella 500FF Fog. It is suppose to have a cutoff and even more focused than the old 500's. Fogs are meant to be used with low beams.
While not listed on their site yet at www.yellowandbluelighting.com you can order them, they are brand new.

If you want to supplement the highs than get the 700's, their beam is much like the FF1000's which is a great high beam lamp, I have those.

aux lighting - help me choose

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