Sponsored

Really incredible fog light comparison/review

tehschkott

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Sep 5, 2020
Threads
25
Messages
278
Reaction score
384
Location
Flavor Country
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Cat herder
Vehicle Showcase
1

landiscarrier

Well-Known Member
First Name
Landis
Joined
Jun 2, 2020
Threads
19
Messages
965
Reaction score
2,509
Location
Pocono Mtns Pa
Vehicle(s)
2025 Ranger Raptor
Occupation
Sales
Very nice write up. I have the SS3 Max and they are insanely bright! The way the light up the sides of the road is incredible. Makes seeing deer here in eastern Pa much easier!
 

OFC Ranger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jack
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Threads
297
Messages
5,019
Reaction score
13,925
Location
Georgia
Vehicle(s)
ZR2
I can see the news headlines now.

"Companies hate this man! Click here to find out why!"

I wonder how many companies secretly get super pissed when a consumer with commercial grade testing equipment spills the beans. That is pretty funny some bigger name companies are pulling the same power rating shenanigans as the Amazon chi-com bars/pods.

Whatever happened to people standing behind their products with honest numbers. Now almost everyone tries to find a technicality to bloat their performance.

With some exceptions I knew for a while some brand name light makers were just repacking chi-com manufactured stuff at a higher price. I bought a 43" dual white/amber light that I found on Caliraised - except I didn't - I shopped and snooped around and found the same thing on Amazon for about $150 cheaper. Its still the same product, from overseas, but at least I'm not being double fleeced.

I still have plans for some Diode Dynamics in the future.

99452534-8AE1-4ED0-967C-8FD78ECB3822.webp
 
OP
OP
tehschkott

tehschkott

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Sep 5, 2020
Threads
25
Messages
278
Reaction score
384
Location
Flavor Country
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Cat herder
Vehicle Showcase
1

landiscarrier

Well-Known Member
First Name
Landis
Joined
Jun 2, 2020
Threads
19
Messages
965
Reaction score
2,509
Location
Pocono Mtns Pa
Vehicle(s)
2025 Ranger Raptor
Occupation
Sales


NickTheEnforcer

Well-Known Member
First Name
Anthony
Joined
Jul 4, 2019
Threads
5
Messages
653
Reaction score
1,094
Location
Northern Illinois
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger XLT Sport 4x4, 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE Sport AWD, 2009 Dodge Ram Big Horn Crew 4x4 HEMI
Occupation
Residential Construction Project Development & Purchasing.
I just purchased led drop-in replacements for lisc plate, cargo and third brake light from Diode Dynamics. I will post some before/after's when they arrive. If I'm happy I might upgrade to their amber replacement bulbs..
 

port43

Well-Known Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Dec 12, 2020
Threads
10
Messages
657
Reaction score
1,950
Location
Detroit Suburb
Website
childrescuecoalition.org
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, 2017 Lincoln MKX, 2008 Harley XL 1200N, 1972 Pontiac LeMans Convertible
Occupation
Secret agent, man
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

1609930960716.png


This guy did a really incredible breakdown and head to head comparison of fog lights, and also explains the various other types of lights. I realize it's a Tacoma forum post, I'm not trying to catfish anyone. But ho man, if you wanted the shake down on this, read on. The data there is universal.
Great. One more thing I didn't realize I needed to replace until this very thread. :rolleyes:
 

Hoosier Daddy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Daniel
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
61
Reaction score
122
Location
Indiana
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger FX4
Wow...very thorough to say the least. Who makes the fog lights for my 2019 Ranger Lariat? Wondering if they're in there and how they stack up.
 

pull string get cookies

Well-Known Member
First Name
Justin
Joined
May 16, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
309
Reaction score
878
Location
Minnesota
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4 White Platinum
Vehicle Showcase
2
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

1609930960716.webp


This guy did a really incredible breakdown and head to head comparison of fog lights, and also explains the various other types of lights. I realize it's a Tacoma forum post, I'm not trying to catfish anyone. But ho man, if you wanted the shake down on this, read on. The data there is universal.
Thanks for sharing! Living in the winter wonderland that is the upper Midwest... I now can justify safety as the reason the Ranger needs these: PERFORMANCE OFF ROAD FOG LIGHT KIT PART NUMBER: M-15200-RFOG. Wouldn’t want the lights to ice up!
 

r1ch999999

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rich
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Threads
28
Messages
1,151
Reaction score
1,927
Location
Nashua, NH
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Software Engineer
I'd love to see a before/after of the stock Lariet fog lamps along with the SS3 Max. My big lighting complaint with the Ranger was lack of ability to see what was in the ditch at night. Made for some tough drives in the backwoods.
 

DrewKD88

Well-Known Member
First Name
Drew
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Threads
7
Messages
263
Reaction score
542
Location
Pasadena, Ca
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4
Occupation
IT Guy
That was an "Intense" read. Lots of good info. I wish he threw in the Baja Designs SAE fogs for comparison. I understand that they didn't exist when he wrote this but a follow up would be nice.
 

r1ch999999

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rich
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Threads
28
Messages
1,151
Reaction score
1,927
Location
Nashua, NH
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Software Engineer

DrewKD88

Well-Known Member
First Name
Drew
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Threads
7
Messages
263
Reaction score
542
Location
Pasadena, Ca
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4
Occupation
IT Guy
Nice! I didn't do my due diligence. Didn't feel like filtering through pages and pages. I have the BD SAE fogs in amber and love them. They are great lights. I'm not too concerned over blinding others. I am more concerned about my own safety and what I can see. As long as they are SAE certified then I am happy and in compliance. These lights blend really well with the stock lights. There are no harsh cut offs and the color is great and easy on the eyes after hours of driving. The work great in fog and dirt
 

D Fresh

Banned
Banned
First Name
Doug
Joined
Dec 10, 2020
Threads
20
Messages
6,272
Reaction score
13,570
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
'20 Lariat FX4, '17 FiST, '16 CX-5, '95 YJ
Occupation
Milkman
Nice! I didn't do my due diligence. Didn't feel like filtering through pages and pages. I have the BD SAE fogs in amber and love them. They are great lights. I'm not too concerned over blinding others. I am more concerned about my own safety and what I can see. As long as they are SAE certified then I am happy and in compliance. These lights blend really well with the stock lights. There are no harsh cut offs and the color is great and easy on the eyes after hours of driving. The work great in fog and dirt
I think he overemphasized the importance of vertical cutoff some. A little bleed into the headlight pattern is often a good thing. As long as you're not overshooting your lowbeam cutoff, no problem.

Dude is spot on about their white color though, Baja Designs has the most perfect white.

Also all BD pods can be reconfigured with a roughly $15 lense change. Have spot whites but want combo Amber's? $15 and 15 minutes.
 
OP
OP
tehschkott

tehschkott

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Sep 5, 2020
Threads
25
Messages
278
Reaction score
384
Location
Flavor Country
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Cat herder
Vehicle Showcase
1
I think he overemphasized the importance of vertical cutoff some.
I mean, the man is a light scientist. He pointed out that they're out of compliance and they're response was "yeah man that's like, by design. We wanted a light that broke the mold..." like it's a Monster drink ad or something.

(Quote1 - crashnburn80)

These lights emit more glare than any other SAE LED fog light on the market that I am aware of. SAE compliance allows a glare gradient threshold in the pattern, it is as if these were designed to pin to that maximum glare threshold. I'll come back to this later but feel the understanding is necessary before reviewing the output photos.
(Quote 1 Response - Baja Designs)
Hi, that’s exactly what we were intending to do with this light. We wanted a light that would essentially break the mold of traditional J583 lights that leave a lot to be desired. With our convex lens, we have a main beam intensity similar to those displayed previously, while projecting a less intense beam spilling upwards – yet still within the safe range of SAE guidelines. This gives the end user a light that blends nicely with headlights, and projects well onto street signs, hazards, or other obstacles.
SMH
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/page-50

BD goes on to defend their decisions but it comes down to them trying to explain away what was demonstrated as obviously out of spec by a professional who didn't have an axe to grind or a horse in the race. He just likes doing it.

In Germany they have the StVZO which is a massive set of laws that govern the use of lights on - of all things - bicycles. They too have very stringent rules about lights and cutoffs. Any bicycle over 22 lbs has to have a generator-driven front facing light that does not exceed 3w, is white or yellow, a rear facing light that is red, and the front facing lights have to have a cutoff so it doesn't blind oncoming cyclists.

On the surface this sounds absurd because bicycles, who cares? But in Germany and the Netherlands something like 38% of the population commute by bicycle. In the US you may get 3% in densely populated cities. We're talking MILLIONS of people daily commuting by bicycle. The light deal is actually a pretty serious affair to manage.

Which brings me back to why cutoffs are important. Unless you're in the outback or the woods, none of us are alone out here. We all must interact vehicles of varying capabilities. I dunno. I like the idea of bright lights like anyone, but lights that make me less safe because oncoming traffic is blinded is less interesting to me. Lights that might get me ticketed are also less interesting to me. There are fog lights that do this job well and still have good cutoffs, I'll probably source one of them instead. The KC lights were awesome. Maybe I'll try to get into that.
Sponsored

 
 








Top