What Do Light Bars Really Do?

Be sure to verify, if using stock housings, that they seal around the bulb well.
If water gets in and touches the bulb, they explode if they're hot. Ask me how I know

 

Some good responses here. Good information. Feels like a critical piece has been ignored though...

Any aftermarket light can have any beam pattern. Ditch lights aren't exclusive for lighting the sides. The name refers to the mounting location; not the beam pattern. Same with light bars. As per your application, you want to get lights that suit your needs. Patterns typically come as Spot, Driving, Wide/Cornering/Fog, Flood/Difused and even Combo. A combo light is usually a mix of Spot and Driving; used to throw a wide beam very far.

With this in mind you could easily mount a light bar across your roofline with a wide pattern, or use ditch light brackets for spot lights. Set up is completely up to you, although certain mounting positions lend themselves to certain lights better than others. Hence, ditch lights are usually used for Wide/Corning lights because they have an unobstructed view of the near sides.

For more on light patterns and what Baja refers to as "zones" check out some of their articles on the matter. Every manufacturer follows the same basic principles.
https://www.bajadesigns.com/Science-of-Lighting/Lighting-Patterns.asp
https://www.bajadesigns.com/Science-of-Lighting/Lighting-Zones.asp

 

we sell a Baja Designs kit that works perfect for that.
https://www.paranoidfabrications.co...yota-tacoma12-17-4runner10-17-tundra14-17-fpk
paired with a good wide pattern light.
https://www.paranoidfabrications.co...gns-led-lights/products/squadron-r-sport-pair

 

That’s one thing I’ll eventually have to do. I can not and will not attempt any wiring. I should be able to install the lights myself tho. From what I’ve learned in this forum, my truck is not even wired for fog lights, so I’ll have to find someone who knows what they are doing to get them wired.

 

Good info. I’m learning so much from this thread that my decision on what to install is changing daily. I’m thinking wide cornering fog lights might be the solution that works for ditch lights for me. Currently, subject to change, I think the Baja Squadron Sport, Pair Driving/ Combo LED or the Squadron Sport, Pair Wide Cornering LED might work for me if I can figure out how they get installed in the fog light location.

 

Baja makes a plug-n-play replacement kit for fogs.
Got mine from I just swapped mine out last week and I've been really happy with them. Includes mounting hardware and a dongle to connect directly to the oem wiring. I hear mixed things about using the Sports with oncoming traffic. There's a little wiggle room to angle the lights down a tad to reduce the throw distance. I went with Pros. Definitely not suitable around traffic (they're comparable to the stock high-beams) but the visibility to the sides is amazing. And I drive a lot of quiet country roads with lots of deer wandering around so I find it worthwhile.

 

This is a 2011, so that won’t work unless someone here has done that and knows it will work. Maybe it’s time to start a thread in the Baja forum.

 

I have the US Off Road bumper in my truck that has two light-pod mounting points in it, mounted up a pair of Rigid D2's angled outwards as 'ditch lights' and they've provided plenty of visibility off to the sides for my needs. Not near as much as @Zac of all trades posted a page back, but enough to count deer in the ditches as I drive the back roads.

 

Howdy, I'm not an expert on lighting but I recently installed this cheap 31" lightbar in my lower valence. You might consider this option if you really want your lighting mods to not stand out. I've been really happy with it so far, it helps a lot.

 

Do you have a picture of this from inside the truck?

 

I do not. But next time i am out at my moms i will take one. If i can remember to....

 

Bro what happened to the Carey!

 

the what??

 

Jim Carrey man!

 

Oh hahaha. yeah i kinda miss him but i need to rep my business man!

Firstworldproblemsfab.com!

 

shine light on the suject.

 

Here is another angle...

 

light bars are great when you are out in middle of nowhere and it is pitch black. like glamis dunes.