Thoughts on light pattern

Getting a plate bumper soon and will hopefully getting some lights to complete the install... Dually (Floods) will be going in the bumper locations. Have some other locations and brackets available.

1. Light bar in bumper
2. Brackets for bumper on bottom sides
3. Hood brackets

There are very limited times I would be doing any night off-roading, almost never by myself (almost always in a group), and never in the front (2x so our 4x4 friends will lead the way in case I need a pull)... Also, the off-roading that I would be doing is slow stuff going to fishing spots or camping in the mountains..

With that said, not sure a spot pattern would be a good investment as I would probably not have them on when following someone (I would just blind the person in front of me).

I could get some driving or wides for the hood (again spots would probably be a waste and not sure if the driving or the wides would have too much glare on the hood), and because the bumper mounts turn the light on its side, then wides or driving would shine top to bottom rather than side to side.

Any ideas..

 

Well, from the sound of it I would just get some bumper mounted floods. Some cheap ones and see how you like them. If you don't then resell them or return them. But, if you're following people, it's gonna be annoying no matter what you get. Unless you point them at an extreme angle out to the sides. Or put some kinda shield on them so it makes a cutoff. But even on turns it's not gonna matter much and they'll still be annoying to front drivers. Maybe the duallys won't be so bad. Maybe get a couple more of those and angle them out to the sides. Then hood glare won't be an issue once they are pointed out. But, it's gonna look funny I think But if you're NOT gonna be using them while following, then it shouldn't matter. I always suggest using smaller lights as floods. Then any bigger ones you get use a spot. Or a combo. I have a 42" combo, 20"combo, (2) 8" flood bars in the corners of bumper. So the combos have center spots and outside floods. Then the 8" bars being floods and angled out a bit as ditch lights, makes for a very sweet light pattern all around and no hot spots. So if you're doing slow driving, it might be better to get all floods. Maybe a 20-30" combo for the bumper or whatever fits in there. Your dually floods and a single combo would probably be sufficient and cost effective. Then if you find you don't have enough side/ditch lighting, invest in a couple more smaller lights for that in flood. Or the other way around, get the smaller floods first for your side lighting as that will help on turns, then if you want more forward lighting get a bigger bumper bar.