Driving lights: attach to high beams or not?

[Brett Fields]

I'm thinking about Auxbeam 7" lights. I know some people wire to the high beams and some don't. Anybody have any thoughts on this?
Looking for some opinions please.
Thanks

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[OFC Ranger]

Having done both ways I can say for me personally that tapping my overhead forward lighting to the hi-beams is the only way if you plan to use them often.

Articulating them on-off with the hi-beam stalk is just light years beyond having to manipulate a switch that will never be in a natural position if you have to turn them on/off with some regularity.

Hi beam tapped means that can be triggered instantly and turned off instantly, all while your hand(s) remain in the area they are suppose to be; the steering wheel.

 

[Brett Fields]

Having done both ways I can say for me personally that tapping my overhead forward lighting to the hi-beams is the only way if you plan to use them often.

Articulating them on-off with the hi-beam stalk is just light years beyond having to manipulate a switch that will never be in a natural position if you have to turn them on/off with some regularity.

Hi beam tapped means that can be triggered instantly and turned off instantly, all while your hand(s) remain in the area they are suppose to be; the steering wheel.

Does your truck have the auto hi beams? If so, does it get overkill?
I was thinking about wiring to the hi beams through a switch controlled relay.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Does your truck gave the auto hi beams? If so, does it get overkill?
I was thinking about wiring to the hi beams through a switch controlled relay.

I turned that feature off the day I got it.

 

[Brett Fields]

I turned that feature off the day I got it.

I didn't know that was an option. That said, it didn't really bother me. I don't know if I'd feel the same if two additional 7" lights kept coming on though.

 

[D Fresh]

Nope. High beams are for on road. Aux lights are for offroad.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

Nope. High beams are for on road. Aux lights are for offroad.

Auxiliary lighting is not just for off-road. I have bumper mounted yellow fog lights (in driving light pattern) that are for on road driving.

High beams should only be on when no others drivers are subject to the light, so aux lighting coming on simultaneously shouldn't be an issue.

 

[D Fresh]

Auxiliary lighting is not just for off-road. I have bumper mounted yellow fog lights (in driving light pattern) that are for on road driving.

High beams should only be on when no others drivers are subject to the light, so aux lighting coming on simultaneously shouldn't be an issue.

Fogs aren't what we're talking about here though.

There is a delay when dimming brights for oncoming traffic. Hell, oftentimes people forget. Being subject to somebody's brights for a bit is much more acceptable than being subject to tens of thousands of lumens from somebody's off road lights.


Also, even with your brights on a person can see another's light beam from the other side of hill, or around a corner. This way you can dim your brights BEFORE oncoming traffic sees them. With good offroad lights you're washing that beam out and won't see another driver until he's looking at your OFF ROAD lights.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

Fogs aren't what we're talking about here though.

There is a delay when dimming brights for oncoming traffic. Hell, oftentimes people forget. Being subject to somebody's brights for a bit is much more acceptable than being subject to tens of thousands of lumens from somebody's off road lights.


Also, even with your brights on a person can see another's light beam from the other side of hill, or around a corner. This way you can dim your brights BEFORE oncoming traffic sees them. With good offroad lights you're washing that beam out and won't see another driver until he's looking at your OFF ROAD lights.

"We're"? The thread is discussing auxiliary lighting, you are the first to decide the subject is off-road lights. Capitalizing it, doesn't change that auxiliary lighting is not just for off-road.

That some don't know, care, or have the ability to control their higher intensity lighting properly, doesn't define how those who do, should wire or control theirs.

Although I'm not against the courtesy of lowering my lights when I know I am about encounter other vehicles, the milli-second it takes to drop them when you do see a vehicle crest a hill or curve, shouldn't be an issue.

 

[D Fresh]

"We're"? The thread is discussing auxiliary lighting, you are the first to decide the subject is off-road lights. Capitalizing it, doesn't change that auxiliary lighting is not just for off-road.

That some don't know, care, or have the ability to control their higher intensity lighting properly, doesn't define how those who do, should wire or control theirs.

Although I'm not against the courtesy of lowering my lights when I know I am about encounter other vehicles, the milli-second it takes to drop them when you do see a vehicle crest a hill or curve, shouldn't be an issue.

The OP mentioned he's talking about 2, 7 inch round aux lights, not fog lights.

Even high beams are aimed at much better levels for oncoming drivers. Aux lights, not so much. Brights and Aux lights are not the same, if they were there would be no need for aux lights.

Stare into 15 or 20 thousand lumens of bumper mounted offroad lights for a millisecond and then turn them off. If you can tell me your eyesight was unaffected you aren't human.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

The OP mentioned he's talking about 2, 7 inch round aux lights, not fog lights.

Even high beams are aimed at much better levels for oncoming drivers. Aux lights, not so much. Brights and Aux lights are not the same, if they were there would be no need for aux lights.

Stare into 15 or 20 thousand lumens of bumper mounted offroad lights for a millisecond and then turn them off. If you can tell me your eyesight was unaffected you aren't human.

Yes I understand 2 x 7" lights, that doesn't make them off-road lights, no matter how many times you repeat it.

Where does it say they are aimed any different than highbeams? Coming over a hill alters the attitude of the vehicle, so how they are aimed is irrelevant, and you will still get a face full of high intensity light.

Where is anyone suggesting staring into them, and no one said unaffected. I said shouldn't be an issue, just as sudden high beams cresting a hill should be an issue.

Responsible use is still prudent, whether high beams, fog lights, driving lights, or light bars.

 

[D Fresh]

Yes I understand 2 x 7" lights, that doesn't make them off-road lights, no matter how many times you repeat it.

Where does it say they are aimed any different than highbeams? Coming over a hill alters the attitude of the vehicle, so how they are aimed is irrelevant, and you will still get a face full of high intensity light.

Where is anyone suggesting staring into them, and no one said unaffected. I said shouldn't be an issue, just as sudden high beams cresting a hill should be an issue.

Responsible use is still prudent, whether high beams, fog lights, driving lights, or light bars.

We're going in circles here Jack. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

We're going in circles here Jack. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Sure, but I have a question. Of course you don't have to answer, and have a great day if so.

How do you define off road only lights?

Is it lumens (which didn't have a universal rating system last I checked), light colour, mounting position, light/reflector size and shape, light pattern (spot, driving, flood, fog), or...?

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I have the Auxbeam 7" 178w lights on the front of my truck. They're pretty good lights. I have them on a switch.

Here's my opinion, for what it's worth. I would not have them with the brights. I actually like the auto bright feature, as I drive on dark roads quite a bit. I think the Auxbeams would be too much, as there is enough traffic in the distance that I think it would be too bright, even with the auto system. I would never be in an offroad situation (Never say never, right?) where I have to hit the aux lights in such a hurry that I am worried about having to 'find' the switch. Night time driving that requires lights would be taken at a slower speed, so stopping and turning them on is okay with me. Having the lights on your brights would make the brights unusable around town. You know that d-bag who drives with his cool light bar on all the time? Don't be that guy...

Disclaimer: The views above are my own, they do not reflect reality or the opinions of the station.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I didn't know that was an option. That said, it didn't really bother me. I don't know if I'd feel the same if two additional 7" lights kept coming on though.

I did not like having hi-beams taken out of my control. It is an option under the gauge cluster menu somewhere.

I have to wonder, if I turned the feature on, would my 6x 7" spot lights trigger the auto sensor to cut the hi beams back off when it sees that much light? lmao

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