The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

The flip-side is that it's just 4 allen screws for either a seller or a purchaser to verify what they're getting. Its not like they use the same LEDs and the difference in output is the driver circuitry which would be hard to tell without either checking current draw or the intensity in the beam.

 

Diode Dynamics SS3 Max Selective Yellow (Fog lens) Vs Morimoto XB Amber







SS3 Fitment





Just showin off



Low Beam and fogs were properly aligned at 25yds prior to pictures. I used the XB's alignment to align the new fogs so they may not be perfect.

Previous alignment behind Aldi about 3 weeks ago







The following were taken at a park with fairly low light pollution, but this is not "scientific" as I just used my Pixel 3 phone camera. Tree line is about 70 yards away and the grass is sloping slightly downhill.

Top Low (Hikari Ultra H11)


Top Fog (SS3 Max Selective Yellow (Fog lens))


Top Low & Fog


Top Light Bar (Diode Dynamics Stage Series 30" Combo)



Side Low


Side Fog


Side Low & Fog


Side Low, Fog, and Light Bar




MESO Total Tail Stage 1



Partner-In-Crime



Special thanks to @memario1214 for going out of his way to ship these ASAP.

 

I’ve seen the fog light & headlight threads... dare I ask if there’s one for light bars too?

 

There is the start of a driving light thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-sae-j581-aux-high-beam-thread.696597/

As mentioned above, without a standardized pattern requirement it is extremely difficult to draw meaningful results or measured data comparisons. Even what many manufactures call “driving lights” on their light bars are not driving lights at all, it is a combo optic which is not the same thing. There are just too many pattern variables and size variables to distill things down as simply as the headlight and foglight threads for light bars.

 

I was thinking, regarding light bars, it might be helpful just to have some sort of description for what types of solutions they provide?

When I first got my truck I figured I should have one because there's that cool space in 3rd gen which seems ripe for a bar and with halogen headlights I wanted some LED's somewhere.

Now that I understand a tiny bit more about what a fog light is designed to do and what a headlight is designed to do, I think I'm still fuzzy about what a light bar is supposed to do.

I get ditch lights and I think they are cool for off road use where you aren't sure about the edges of the road and/or you don't want to miss an unmarked connecting trail/road.

I also somewhat understand aux driving lights as augmenting high beams but not super sure how they fill in some gap not filled by having both high and low beams on at the same time?

I really don't understand light bars other than they are sort of cool looking. Are they meant for low speed flood style illumination of near field objects? And if so, in what ways do they outperform fog lights?
Or are they meant for medium distances and if so then how/why do they outperform regular low beam headlights?

Perhaps this information is readily available somewhere already?

 

@crashnburn80 while we're on the topic of light bars, I was thinking about how there have been a few "generations" of the SS3 (sport/pro/max).

Do you know if the same is true for DD's light bars? So, if you got a DD stage series light bar today or last year, would they both have the same "sport" emitter or have they also made changes to the bar emitters?

 

They're the same as last year. They have TIR optics as well and throw some light like nobody's business.

 

A light bar has no one specific purpose, other than to provide more light (that should not be used with oncoming traffic due to lack of cut offs), and that is what makes the comparisons difficult. Rigid, Diode Dynamics, and KC make actual driving light bars, countless others make combo bars, you can have hyper spot, spot, driving, wide cornering, flood, or even several in one bar. As with any light you should evaluate what the lighting needs are, where there is a gap and find an appropriate light to fill that need. If mainly a street vehicle a real driving bar would be best suited for best distance visibility. Slow speed tight trails at night, you'll likely want a combo bar with a flood/wide cornering optic for good near field visibility on the tight trails. Ultra high speed, you might want to consider something with TIR Spot or hyper spot for maximum distance illumination. Too many are looking at products for the cool factor without the actual need and don't have an understanding of what they are buying or why. You should never buy a light bar because you feel like you need a light bar. Your purchase should fill a specific lighting purpose.

^Yep, this. No changes.

 

"SAE" Right... More falsified China garbage.

 

Honestly that Chinese garbage does a better job than Baja Design “SAE”

assuming the light spill (circular orbs) is coming from the DRLs. I can see the headlight is illuminated a bit unless it’s a reflection off the garage. If it is then I retract my statement

 

So hard to set the Bar then even though you’re sheddin’ more light on it.

 

I'm glad I've got the SS3 selective yellow sports. They don't overshadow my headlights and I still see their white light and everything doesn't turn yellow.

 

thanks x2. Understood there are a ton of variables, just was basically poking around for a starting point to weed out which products are garbage.

 

Well, after rewording a bunch of times, this ended up becoming a big post. Here's were I am at this point in my life:

Desire:

1. Not to get any tickets (due to my work, it's a massive pain to deal with tickets)
2. Better visibility on roads without traffic, and a wide pattern
   • Hoping to have eyes on wildlife prior to an accident (many close calls in the past few years, and I attribute missing due to good headlights in our other vehicle)
   • We travel and camp a lot, and I do some astrophotography. I want to be able to see a wider area in dark sky places for location scouting when I do a crappy job at pre-planning.
3. Retain stock look & ability to remove parts

Truck:

• '18 OR (stock suspension/stock tires, with no plans to lift)
• H11 bulb conversion
• Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro fogs
  • I purchased these because the stock fogs were terrible, and was hoping to be able to have wider FOV. I love the product (for fogs), but as they're pointed down & lower on the vehicle they don't have the reach I'd like

What I'm thinking:

1. Diode Dynamics Stealth Lightbar kit - Combo
   • Edit: the DD Stealth Kit is basically at the same level. Higher on vehicle than fogs for getting light over brush/obstacles (but lower than ditch light option)
   • Concerned there will be a negligible difference between this and the Pro fogs already installed
   • I think these do not need to have a cover in CA (?)
2. Diode Dynamics Ditch Lights - Pro (also, hoping they will produce these in Max soon)
   • Better reach over brush/low obstacles due to height (I would assume)
   • Concerned glare off the hood would be a distraction
   • I think these do need to be covered on-road in CA.
   • I'm not fond of the aesthetics (not that important)
3. Aim fogs higher & only use with no traffic
4. Most likely - do nothing and read these threads several times a day for several years

 

After a 2 second google to see that the position of the Stealth light bar is basically equal to the fogs, and after finding what I believe to be the CA statue around automotive lighting, I'm even more inclined to go with option 4 now.

I think these are the applicable references:

Retrieved
from: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/...ivision=12.&title=&part=&chapter=2.&article=2.

Ok, so I think if the DD Lightbar is considered an off-road "headlamp", it must be covered when on the highway (also assuming they don't count each LED as a "lamp"). If a lightbar is considered an "auxiliary driving lamp", I think it's fine.

So, tracing back to DD's site, they state:

Not just off road. In six-inch size, when installed as a pair and aimed in accordance with your state's regulations, the Driving pattern meets SAE J581 as a Driving/Auxiliary High Beam Light, and the Wide pattern meets SAE J583 as a Foglamp, for legal on-road use. Please check your local laws and regulations for aiming, installation, and applicability.​

Ok. So if I'm interpreting things correctly, I can only use the Driving or Wide pattern (not the combo) for on-road use, and if I procured the Combo (like I want) I'd have to cover it when on-road because it doesn't meet the SAE J581 criteria for auxiliary driving lights.

 

Damn, you're faster on the phone than I am at the keyboard! Thanks a ton for the response.

Great point just building the kit with the Max, I was on DD's site and just looking at the bundles. Much better option for sure. So I think this, combined with what I just found out on my last post about the Stealth kit, means the Ditch Lights are probably a better option for what I want. I need to dwell on it a bit before the wife sees a chunk of money fly out from the bank account

 

I just got my SS3 Maxes in selective yellow installed just now. Was a little tough aiming them. I did one at a time inside the garage, as was recommended here, and it just so happened the beam stopped at particular stair step to inside the house. Could barely see the OEM fogs, so that step made things a bit easier. Also found it easier to remove the black plastic cowls on the sides to give me more room for access. The far side socket head bolt for aiming was tough to slip a hex wrench in.

Thanks to @memario1214 for the BF deal.