Fog/Driving lights

[Mopar1973Man]

Well I added driving lights as a matter of fact 4 driving lights. I'm using 100 watt aircraft landing lights mounted in rubber tractor buckets. The reason for going to this is fairly simple. I've purchased several driving/fog lights. The biggest problem is the lens in normally made from glass. Well out here in Idaho most of the road are gravel or they use gravel on the highways for traction in the winter time. A good set of driving light would barely last a season before the lens was blown out by a rock. With the aircraft light the bulb is a sealed beam so the bulb and lens is on in the same. They are extremely bright and came light up as far as 1/4 mile down the road in front of you.

The new system I've designed has a few safety features built into the fog lamp kit.

The fog lamps follow the setting that the main headlights are on. So if you select high beams the fog lamps will follow and go to high beam mode. If you select low beams the fog lamps will follow by going to low beam mode. You never have to worry about blinding some one with this system.

If you go from headlight to parking lamps the fog lamps are forced to low beam mode regardless of the pervious head light mode. But if you use the dimmer switch to wink the high beam the fog lamps will follow. But will return to low beam mode when released.

When the headlights are turned off the fog lamps are forced off as well. You don't have to worry about shutting down a second switch. My kit also includes a bypass shutdown switch too. This allows you to run only your stock headlights without the fog lamps.

The kit requires tapping a few signal wires. But the lights are completely supplied by there own fuse from the battery. This will not put any extra load on you headlight circuit. The kit requires a signal from the trailer relay and a signal from the fog lamp relay. That's it!

This kit uses 100W bulbs so its some states this might be illegal to use on highway purpose. Check with local laws first before using.

Contact me for information on ordering a fog lamp kit.

[flagmanruss]

These are nice. I don't do a lot of night driving anymore and the highways here have too much traffic to use them much.

(Not like the old days... my 68 Plymouth Road Runner had off-road lights (Carrellos & Hellas) Highs, Lows & Fogs recessed into the grill... 255k cp per lamp. I could light up a mile & a quarter of straight flat road (I-95), the longest stretch I ever found. The law had a sense of humor back then too.) They were early separate halogen bulb / lens-reflector units, not sealed beams. While the power of the bulbs was impressive (especially compared to the sealed beams of the era) the more impressive quality was the optics and reflectors... very high grade.

Wish I could have that Plymouth back... fabulous road car... First year issue... 3.23 rear axle, man that car could fly. (I will not be contributing to the delinquency of drivers by going further... I note the Police have no sense of humor about such fast driving these days.)

I gotta say the OEM Dodge "fog lamps" are pricy bulbs but worthless for lighting. I wonder about cutting out the factory fogs and installing a real light in it's place.

Russ

[flagmanruss]

I'm recalling details of those early "off road" lights. The Lows were Carrello single filiment assemblies that I wired to stay on all the time... the lens had a very sharp cut off which allowed the butterfly shaped beam to be cranked up higher than normal without blinding every one. On several occasions I had Inspection stations re-aim them with some stupid guage and I'd have to take it back to a schoolyard brick wall. I'd measure the height to the center of the lens and make a chalk line on the wall... back up & set the top of the butterfly center to the mark. Set like this one could drive by them alone to about 55 without "over driving" the lights. The Hella highs were flame throwers... straight beam... I'd center the high beams right on the chalk mark... exactly horizontal. Ya really had to be aware of them and dim them before an approaching driver crashed in front of you.The Hella fogs... also useful in Massacheusetts snow storms... were a wide beam with sharp cut off up & down. They really lit up the close shoulders well. To be useful, they were set lower (aimed more downward) than the low beams to reduce back splatter reflection. Obiviously only useful at low speeds (alone). On a few occasions when I was running with only the fogs & parking lights, I had to explain them to the Law who advised me that Yes, they worked better as I was but No, it wasn't legal to run them that way. (Of course I didn't want to draw attention as to why the low beams were catching so much glare.) I only got warnings back then... but those were different days. I also only got a "written warning" from a trooper who I passed at about 95... I dare say that would not happen today! R

[flagmanruss]

Hmmm,I'm looking at the stilly, non-adjustable plastic insert in the Dodge bumper opening... that mounts the worthless OEM "fog lights". Now, if I cut out the OEM fog light, what would it take to mount a real light there... Hmmm.R

[Mopar1973Man]

Hmmm, I'm looking at the stilly, non-adjustable plastic insert in the Dodge bumper opening... that mounts the worthless OEM "fog lights". Now, if I cut out the OEM fog light, what would it take to mount a real light there... Hmmm. R

I didn't bother with the worthless OEM position fog lamps. There is very little room for lights to be mounted in the and the bumper tends to block the beam path on larger lights... Smaller lights will fit but the bulb heat is bad...

[flagmanruss]

Yes, there's not a lot of space to mount a quality light in the OEM position... but if the RIGHT SIZED light could be found it sure would be better protected than under the truck. Yes, lights generate heat but I would not think the heat from the light would be an issue to the motor. Correct aiming would have to be considered as well. Yes, my experience with the early lights is that some of the OEM headlight moldings interfered with the beams. It would be a project, not just a quick install... depends what one wants for an end result. And may be impossible if he correct sized lamp could not be found.

I should have several rubber tractor lights in the barn from a collectable Massey-Harris tractor I sold... I removed the non-authentic lights & probably put the 12 v bulbs back in them. I think I used a couple on the JD

Yep there they are...

R

[Mopar1973Man]

Acttually the small housed fog lamps tend to fail more rapidily from the heat that's trapped in the casing.

[dorkweed]

Mike, what I did for improved lighting was to order Geno's Fogzilla kit. All it is, is a wiring harness to use the 2006 bulb (I believe). It's a high beam only light. The only hands on modification you do is to the little tabs on the bulb socket so that it will fit into the OEM fog lights. About 30 seconds with a utility knife and you're good to go!!! To install; remove the OEM bulb from the fog light, remove it from the socket, plug in the Geno's harness, modify the tab according to the instructions if you've not done so prior, insert bulb and reinstall into the fog light!!! I have to say, it doesn't help for light up way down the highway, but it sure does light up right in front of the truck!!!! Great for night driving around here with all the deer!!! I do wish I had some driving lights for when I go hunting out west!!

[Guest]

Your kit looks pretty cool 73 !! How much is it ??

[Mopar1973Man]

Your kit looks pretty cool 73 !! How much is it ??

Hmmm... I would have to refigure out the parts... I've haven't sold one in awhile... :confused

[Guest]

You have NO problems running the 100W lights in the rubber housings?

[Mopar1973Man]

You have NO problems running the 100W lights in the rubber housings?

Nope no problem! Most of the trucker out here run them. Not to mention I've got 4 across the front and 2 acros the rear axle...