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Wed Aug 05, 2015 11:36 pm

This is kind of embarrassing but I am having no luck with this and I'm not even sure why.

I'm looking for affordable street legal headlights with hi/lo beams that can be mounted to a sandrail. It seems these must exist but I can only seem to find single setting off road lights, or headlight assemblies for specific models of car.

I can't seem to figure out search terms that don't direct me in the wrong direction. Is there some kind of technical term for what I am looking for or what? With the hundreds of auxiliary light options out there it seems this should be easy but I'm not finding anything.

Also, I would love some suggestions from anyone who has solved this problem. Don't need anything really fancy, just want to get some lights on it in my quest towards street legality.

Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:25 am

Would these work? They are what I ordered to mount to my baja bug in order to take the weight off the fiberglass fenders.

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D7501

They take 7 inch round sealed beam (like stock) units or H4 reflectors.

You can also get them with bulbs already installed:

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C13%2D9305

I don't think you would have a hard time fabricating some mounts for these. Also, plenty of other retailers have them if you prefer.

Hope this helps

Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:21 am

You need to look at "bucket style" or "Deitz" style head lights.... Either in the VW world .. OR Hot Rod world...

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Shop/Lighting-Exterior-Headlights/12.html?NoRedirect=true

For instance ...

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chrome-Dietz-Type-7-Inch-Headlight-Bucket,58819.html

And put H4 type lenses and bulbs in them...

Or maybe these... A pair with Halogen (H4 style) bulbs...

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chrome-Dietz-Type-Headlights-Halogen-Bulb,21646.html

If LEDS were not so expensive that would be the way to go....

Dale

Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:32 am

My favorite cheap housing to use is found on old tractors - 6" tractor headlight housings that are non-chrome & 'paintable'. (not a word, but I'll use it)

I have an uncle that owns a farm equipment business & I occasionally raid the salvage pile for headlights... last set I got were from a Massey Ferguson with 5-3/4" bulbs - $20.00 for the pair - I switched out the 6V bulbs & installed 12V. Drilled out the mounting bolt ID large enough to snake 3-wires through for connecting to new headlight.

bnc

Thu Aug 06, 2015 1:00 pm

Harbor Freight $10 off road lights, drop in some 7" replacement bulbs. Done deal.

Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:31 pm

I don't know of any HF 7" light housings. But they DO sell 6" housings. You can replace the H3 bulbs with LED H4 replacements. But you wind up with a light with no aiming in the lens. You could put 5-3/4" Halogen conversion units in the 6" housing or even Halogen sealed beam 5-3/4".

Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:00 pm

Dale M. wrote:

If LEDS were not so expensive that would be the way to go....

Dale

the LED lights and light bars on amazon are actually very cheap and have decent build quality. i have a couple small lights on my rail and a light bar that all together cost me about 100 bucks. they are stupid bright.

So there is my recommendation. use the cheap off road lights as low beams, then just use an LED light bar on a switch as high beams.

Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:11 pm

Thanks for the replies. Dietz style would work but not really the look I am hoping for, but that is a secondary consideration so I may go that way in the end.

I spent some time looking at the regs for state and there seems to be no reason why I couldn't use four off road style lights with two aimed downwards for low beams.

What I am wondering now is if its feasible to just get a 4 pack of cheap LED spotlights on Amazon and use those?

Right now I just have two super cheap 55watt h3 tractor lights mounted on the front which provide plenty of light but are don't have any high/lo function which is required to register my vehicle. (which is odd since that is not required on normal cars)

Anybody have any idea what the rough LED equivalent is to an 55 watt H3?

Would say, something like this work? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ0ROZS/ref=wl_it_dp_o...&psc=1

Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:14 pm

check ebay, I got a 20" and 40.5" for under $150 shipped. But pretty sure bars aren't street legal for hi/lo.

Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:35 pm

Quote: But pretty sure bars aren't street legal for hi/lo.

Not in MT at least, the code specifies two lights at a given time except in the case of fog lights which have to be focused on the ground no more than 25 feet in front of the vehicle and a up to a maximum of two spot lights which must be turned off when approached by any other vehicle from any direction. (but are legal on empty highways which is nice)

Something else interestin that I just found out is that headlights can be up to 54" above the road so my high beams could actually be mounted on my roll cage and be legal headlights...although I bet I would get pulled over anyway.

Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:22 pm

I have a pair of old school kc spotlights that I converted to be headlights on my rail. Their only 6" which is okay, but the light output is rather dismal compared to the rest of the lights (their only 35 watts high or low beam).

The conversion was pretty simple, but if I were to do it over I would go with a 7" housing instead since theirs a lot better options for lights with those.

Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:36 am

So any idea what wattage of led would be a good choice without being too bright? Most of the ones I'm seeing are 18, 27, or 48 watt.

Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:31 am

Aerindel wrote: So any idea what wattage of led would be a good choice without being too bright? Most of the ones I'm seeing are 18, 27, or 48 watt.

Watts is how much power they draw, not how much the light output is...

You probably need to know light output in "lumens".... Wattage of LEDs are not direct crossreferenceable to wattage if incandescent bulbs, unless you have a manufacturers chart to reference....

Sort of like light bulbs for house, "23 LED watt LED equal to 60 watt incandescent" or some such cross reference data...

Dale

Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:35 am

Aerindel wrote: Quote: But pretty sure bars aren't street legal for hi/lo.

Not in MT at least, the code specifies two lights at a given time except in the case of fog lights which have to be focused on the ground no more than 25 feet in front of the vehicle and a up to a maximum of two spot lights which must be turned off when approached by any other vehicle from any direction. (but are legal on empty highways which is nice)

Something else interestin that I just found out is that headlights can be up to 54" above the road so my high beams could actually be mounted on my roll cage and be legal headlights...although I bet I would get pulled over anyway.

Calif law reads pretty much same way.... And IF you have more than 4 lamps on front "others" have to be covered....

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=w...ndlighting

Read up on Lights & Lighting if you are in Calif...

Oh yeah... If you are stopped by "the man" and he looks real close and your lamps are not DOT approved, you may have a fix it ticket issued for illegal lighting ... Probably will not happen unless something about lights gets his attention.... And there is the statement that comes with "some" lights, something about "off road use only"....

Dale

Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:47 am

Aerindel wrote:

Would say, something like this work? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ0ROZS/ref=wl_it_dp_o...&psc=1

Note the part in fine print that says "not DOT approved" and "off road use only"....

Dale

Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:49 am

Aerindel wrote: So any idea what wattage of led would be a good choice without being too bright? Most of the ones I'm seeing are 18, 27, or 48 watt.

i will tell you this. the two 18 watt lights on the front of my rail (the small ones) put out a ton more light then the 55w kc headlights on my old rail.

Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:36 pm

I Ride Sand wrote: Aerindel wrote: So any idea what wattage of led would be a good choice without being too bright? Most of the ones I'm seeing are 18, 27, or 48 watt.

i will tell you this. the two 18 watt lights on the front of my rail (the small ones) put out a ton more light then the 55w kc headlights on my old rail.

Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to know.

I understand the difference between watts and lumens but watts are still how lights are sold and none of the numbers really translate into how well something will project light anyway since that also depends on how much of the total light generated actually is focused on target.

Nothing in the Montana code says anything about DOT approved. In fact it doesn't give any limits on light style other than that that they have to be white in color, be bright enough to illuminate persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 200 feet and that if brighter than 300 candlepower must be directed in such a way that the high intensity portion of the beam doesn't project more than five inches above the height of the headlight.

The only way this vehicle will ever enter California is if it's being used as a rapid attack vehical as part of the liberation effort. I don't think anything I own is legal there.

Fri Aug 07, 2015 3:10 pm

Of course...It probably would help the inspection process if I did have DOT stamps on everything...hmmm....what does it have to be so complicated?

Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:31 pm

Brian wrote: check ebay, I got a 20" and 40.5" for under $150 shipped. But pretty sure bars aren't street legal for hi/lo.

Dang Brian, that off road truck you got turned out awesome! Love it. 8)

Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:09 pm

Aerindel wrote: I don't think anything I own is legal there.

More than likely not. But depends on who inspects it and which cop pulls you over.

Thanks Van! It's slowly getting there. It handles pretty well in the dunes too :wink: