Which fog lights did you upgrade to???

Yeah, I ran the Baja Design dual sports on my 08 Taco and they were amazing output, crazy bright, but for sure couldn’t use them in the city. Loved them in the mountains though.

 

@slater thanks for the tips. The felt had become frayed and its lack of rigidity meant it just wasn’t slipping into place to line up. I ended up snipping out the outside 3rd of the hole and just tucking it into place. The part I snipped off was what I couldn’t get past the hole to allow me to insert the 1/4 turn nuts. I’ll watch it for a bit but I think it’ll be fine.

@6starwars, I’ll post backup tomorrow after driving with them in the dark morning. I’m sure I’ll need to aim them. They’re solid and well made. Fitment seemed fine. I went with these because someone was selling them new & unused in the buy/sell forum here and it was a decent deal.

 

@6starwars bright, that’s all I’ll say. Maybe too bright. I actually stopped to adjust them down some more.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I went with the ambers as well.

 

For anyone else interested we offer most of the brands that offer fog options for the Tacoma. We offer Baja Designs, Rigid, Alpharexx, Diode Dynamics and more! Message me or @paul@gotexhaust for a quote!

 

Be sure to aim them correctly. If the light isn't aimed correctly it doesn't matter if you purchased the correct lights, they will be ineffective and could be hazardous to oncoming traffic. For fog lights you should have a 4" drop at 25' as shown in this diagram. If you cannot find a level spot with 25' lead way, cut it in half (though not as ideal) 2" drop at 12.5" feet will give the same result.

 

So I'm assuming you don't have to take the truck apart again to adjust them up and down? Obviously most people are going to be doing upgrades like this during the day, but adjusting them correctly would be much easier at night, unless it's too involved. Kinda disappointing Toyota made it so hard to do some of these projects.

 

I actually went back and checked to make sure these are SAE approved lights and, they are. They were just not adjusted correctly. DD has a good vid that outlines the above, though it’s a little more difficult with these lights as they don’t have a clear cutoff line, so you have to use the hot spot as a guide. It is a pain to find a 25’ white wall on flat ground.

Actually, no. The installation of these lights allows them to be adjusted by hand without removing the assembly. However, if you over tighten the mounting bolts, there is no adjustment. So, be sure to snug the pivot bolts but not too tight.

 

After seeing the SDHQ mount I ended up going that route because it allowed for better flexibility of lighting options. Many of the OEM fog replacements are either too expensive or not ideal for road use (SAE approved).

The install was a pain removing the front bumper. My only concern with the SDHQ bracket is that the radiators are significantly more exposed with the active shutters removed. Hoping that rocks/debris don't cause issues down the road any small cracks.

Super happy with the Diode Dynamic SSC2 Pro fogs and Rigid side shooters (repurposing).

 

This thread has turned into the main fog light replacement kit discussion. Having put a lot of time into researching all the options, I thought it would be helpful to summarize the most popular fog light options for others going through the same purchase process with so many options available now. It's worth highlighting the differences in price, SAE/DOT compliance, and raw lumens. Keep in mind many of the kits listed below have several other beam patterns available that would affect lighting output and performance.

Edit 3/25: Added Alpharex to the list

 

Always great to compare data! A few noteworthy comments:

Cali Raised listed numbers are double the single lamp values. Note just like the cheap Chinese manufactures they white-label resell, they claim two lamp output in the specs rather than single lamp. Aka both lamps combined as a system have a "Total Output" of "3500 lumens”. So while the reputable manufactures tell you single lamp output, they are doubling up to bump the numbers to look better. Aka actual "Raw" is "1750 lumens" for a single lamp. But this brings me to my next point.

Raw lumens is a totally useless metric and one that should never be compared as factual performance data. Reputable brands do not use this metric as a method of comparison. Raw lumens mearly states what an LED emitter should be capable of in a perfect scenario, multiplied by the number of emitters in a lamp to give you a wild theoretical output value. But turns out, thermal dynamics, power delivery, circuit board architecture, lamp design all play critical parts and the emitters will never meet theoretical output. But if you have a really cheap/poorly designed lamp and lack the knowledge and ability to test if for measured performance values, quoting those theoretical values (though they mean nothing) rather than measured actuals like lux @ 10m is a great way to trick people into buying your product by making it look way more impressive than it actually is. Then double down by putting the specs of multiple lamps into the same single lamp theoretical meaningless number to bump your product over the reputable competition.

Intensity output metrics are also only useful as a performance comparison metric between lamps on the same beam patterns. Comparing differing patterns for peak intensity means little/nothing.

@PNWtacotime Note that you list SAE Spot for Baja. There is no such thing as SAE Spot, that is not an SAE pattern. I also believe you have the Rigid intensity numbers reversed, white should have higher intensity output than selective yellow.

There is a lot that goes into decisions on lamp replacement. If your vehicle has a high level of street driving as the vast majority do, then SAE compliance for fogs are the right decision. They will outperform the non-SAE options for poor weather and be useful on the street in the worst conditions when they are needed most. Running off road lamps can be great on the trail but worthless on the street where blinding lamps cannot be used and will be completely ineffective in fog and other poor weather conditions.

Also worth noting that Diodes next gen units shown at SEMA are just around the corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4s4F4TYfo8

 

This is great feedback and I completely agree! Unfortunately the marketing tactics of many lighting companies make it really challenging for consumers to draw apples-to-apples comparisons. I listed raw lumens to keep things simple because I believe Diode Dynamics is the only one that lists measured output lumens. I'd happily remove lumens from the chart if you think it would make things more objective. I tried grabbing the appropriate fog light pattern offering of each company, but recognize others are cross shopping and installing non-fog/wide beam patterns for the factory fog location and wanted to convey how most of those options are not SAE/DOT compliant (for all the reasons you stated).

I pulled the info directly from the company's product pages. For some reason Baja Designs lists their own beam pattern as "SAE Spot." I have no clue how they're able to accomplish both of those things unless it has a strong cutoff line and is carefully aimed:



Rigid lists the selective yellow having higher lux, which I agree doesn't make sense. Maybe they flipped them on the website or actually have different optics?
https://www.rigidindustries.com/2022-toyota-tundra-selective-yellow-fog-light-kit-37201.html
https://www.rigidindustries.com/2022-toyota-tundra-white-fog-light-kit-37202.html

Your last section is perfectly stated! If I didn't go with the DD SSC2 Pro SAE fogs, I would have held out for the new DD Stage Series 6" SAE fog bar coming out soon. They recently shared that the launch has been delayed a few months for sometime in Q2 but should be well worth the wait once they're available!

 

Good info in here. Waiting to see about the new Diode Dynamic fogs and what they will cost.
Interested in seeing the Alpharex fogs as well.

 

Here are a few key points to clarify about our kits. The full kit, which includes four lights, provides a total of 4,840 lumens. Each light in the kit is rated at 1,210 lumens. Additionally, our kit is fully plug-and-play, meaning it comes complete with everything you need right out of the box: brackets, harnesses, hardware, lights, and instructions. Most importantly, it also includes a lifetime warranty and you don't need to buy parts separately.

We also offer an S2 Sport kit, which is plug-and-play but designed specifically for off-road use. The S2 Sport kit is more affordable than the SAE kit and provides even more light—6,324 lumens total, with 1,581 lumens per light. However, keep in mind that this kit is not legal for on-road use.

Lastly, if you'd like to upgrade your lights in the future, we offer the option to change the internals for an additional cost, so you don’t have to stick with the same light forever.


The "SAE Spot" name refers to the light featuring a non-diffused lens. Unlike traditional off-road lights, which use the lens to shape the light pattern, the SAE light uses reflectors to achieve this. Because of this, we use a non-diffused lens, often called a spot lens. We understand this might be confusing, so we wanted to clear that up.

Best,

 

I took the plunge today and installed my DD SS6 fogs. My install took longer because I fumbled around with the second set of brackets included in the kit before realizing the correct ones were right under my nose. I am also super methodical (that means slow). The rest wasn’t so bad, and I’m looking forward to the sun going down tonight to see if I need to adjust the aim.

I also ran into issues reinstalling the felt fender liners. A few wouldn’t fit perfectly, but I was able to punch holes through with a screwdriver.

 

@Baja Designs I applaud you for responding to your customer base.

However,

There is no such pattern as "SAE Spot". Are you implying this is a SAE compliant fog pattern, without a spread lens? What compliance pattern spec does it meet?

 

I appreciate the info and Pics, as I still have not taken the plunge on doing this, but I purchased the SDHQ kit. Are the rigids the "spots" and if so any feedback on light output with how they are mounted (I am also trying to repurpose my rigid spot sideshooters)). If possible pics would be cool too.

 

You're absolutely right—there's no such thing as a "Spotlight/SAE light." Early on, we did use the term "SAE Spot" in our wording, but for quite some time now, we’ve simply referred to it as the "Squadron SAE." We appreciate the callout—it actually led us to a page where we still had "SAE Spot" listed, which we’ve now corrected.

That said, while the light does use what we commonly call a "Spot lens" (meaning it isn’t diffused), it is not a "Spotlight." This is what originally caused the confusion.

To clarify, the proper names are simply "Squadron SAE" or "S2 SAE," and both comply fully with SAE regulations for a fog light.

Best,

Brahian Herrera | Forum Sales & Support
Email: brahianh@bajadesigns.com | Phone: (760) 560-2252 Ext 201

 

I have the Rigid flood side shooters. Went with flood instead of spot to try to help with deer visibility on the side of the road. The placement is a little tricky because of how the ACC sensor and vertical plastic pieces in the lower grill can obstruct the lateral lighting spread. You can see I mounted them upside down, but with the side shooter LEDs placed opposite (driver/passenger) what one might expect so they still have an unobstructed path toward ditches on either side. Otherwise the side shooters would be shooting straight into the SSC2 and grill contour. I hope that makes sense..

Edit- sorry no night time comparison photos yet. Will try to grab a few soon!

 

Honest question Slater. Do you dislike the look of the orange reflector in the headlight housing? I'm asking because I too prefer amber fog lights and don't like the orange appearance of "raptor lights", regardless of the color of light they throw.