The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

I know the markings on my SS3s say SAE F19 for fogs and SAE Y19 for the driving lamps. I'm assuming the letters differentiate J583 from J581 (F for fog, Y for driving). The number is the year that they were designed and determined to be compliant with specifications at that time? And is there a different spec for truck, TK?

 

@memario1214
They got here today (wow USPS is ahead of schedule) and I cannot say thank you enough. Every nice things members have said about you here is very true.

Honest dear I have no idea why my bumper fell off

 

One more test with @toledoupsguy F150 OEM LED Fog. Comparison width test of the F150 fog vs the SS3 Max. The F150 fog has just a slightly wider pattern vs the Max (top).

 

OEM Ford beam saturation is a bit weak. Intensity looks way lower too. Am I surprised? Nope.

 

Do you happen to have a full shot of the SS3 pro vs max together?

 

Off hand, no. But could certainly take one. I have these comparison shots from the Max review.

SS3 Pro SAE Fog


The new SS3 Max SAE Fog

 

I have said how much I appreciate the respect and help I've been shown here as a Ford outsider but I have to change that. Now I really think I hate you guys

After last nights little eye opener I am considering a radical change. Sometimes we think bright is right, bright as in OEM 6000k lights. Not a glamorous subject but I use a flashlight every night. Use it for pre-tripping all my equipment for the drive to Chicago and when pulling triple trailers you really don't want to miss anything wrong. If there is any haze, fog, dust or rain in the air a halogen flashlight hands down makes it easier to see any issues that may need to be addressed before heading out on the highway. Same in weapon lights, Oops are we allowed to talk about those here? Check out the OWL if you're interested in such things https://www.clouddefensive.com/optimized-weapon-light/ seems like about a 4k LED and it really cuts through the less than perfect air.


Anyway about relearning things we already know and admitting things we don't want to admit. Last night (actually 4am) there was a little haze and fog in the air. Getting ready to drive home I noticed it didn't look like I had any lights on so I turned my headlight switch to make sure they were on. Yep, they were on but the factory F150 LED lights weren't getting the job done at all. Hit the fog light switch and OH YEA, there's light now. Freaking ugly ass (my opinion) selective yellow REALLY does the job. So much so I'm considering something really radical. I am thinking about selective yellow SS3 max driving pods to go next to the fogs. YEP, thinking about throwing the subtle unnoticeable OEM look right out the freaking window.

It's all you guys fault.

 

@crashnburn80

Did DD have to tone down the white Max fogs to pass SAE standards? Their spec page shows 18000cd but their data sheet shows 15600cd.

 

Hate to break it to you for OCD-ness, but the Max is only available in selective yellow for fog. For selective yellow Driving SS3s the Pro is as good as it gets. However, the Pros use more color efficient 4000k emitters with a yellow lens for selective yellow output. The Max uses 6000k emitters with an amber lens to achieve selective yellow output. So if you had a selective yellow Pro driving light with a selective yellow Max fogs, the lens colors will not match, one will be yellow and the other will be amber. You don't want to put a Pro yellow optic on a Max light either, since the 6000k + yellow optic = greenish output. You can get a yellow SS3 Pro and put a clear lens on it though, giving you 4000k output, much like the flashlight you mention.

The Max wasn't reduced to pass compliance to my knowledge. Good question as to why the data is different, i'd speculate that the spec sheet is incorrect as my numbers are much closer to the 18000cd. @Diode Dynamics could weigh in.

 

Somehow - and I think I'm speaking for all of us here - we're proud of that.

 

Hmm he's right.

SS3 spec sheets

I'm a big fan of the 4000K color as well, and it has the added benefit over yellow of being highway legal (though in this picture, having fogs on at the same time is not legal. I have them wired to a dual function switch.). Here are some pro driving lights on mine.

 

If I'm the he's right you are referring to those posted spec sheets SEEM like they agree with what crashnburn80 has been saying. 12500 for yellow and 15600 for white is a 20% drop for yellows output.
It's almost a 31% drop compared to the 18000cd figure.

 

Funny how Google sends you stories about things you're studying...but no they aren't spying on us

Anyway he's saying we all wasted big bucks on fog lights.
"Turn them off, leave them off and forger you have them"
https://drivingintherealworld.com/part-2-lighting-the-way-with-daniel-stern/

 

He’s not wrong. The issues are that people run their fogs when they shouldn’t and most factory fogs are toy-like trinket lights that have little useful function. If you can see the edges of the roadway fine without your fogs on, then you should not have them on. But way too many people run them when conditions don’t call for them, and then they are more harmful than helpful, hence that quoted statement. I’ve been in near whiteout conditions on the pass where I’m not even sure where the road is and headlights were completely useless, in that case fogs were instrumental in successfully navigating the roadway. They have function and purpose, but it is limited and most people don’t utilize them correctly.

 

Far be it for me to disagree with someone I have a ton of respect for, but here goes. I believe Daniel is talking about OEM fog lights - which as we've all seen are pretty useless. When you step up to a well designed street legal aftermarket fog, I think things change just a bit. And as you've seen yourself, the DD SS3 Max fogs illuminate an area much further down the road than the OEM fogs.

 

To some degree I concur. I first went with sports because of the price point and selective yellow option. I’ve only been in heavy fog a handful of times in my lift so it was more aesthetics than performance.

However, since switching to OEM LED I switched to MAX fogs for one very specific reason. If I do get stuck in some truly terrible snowy weather, and my headlights are iced over, I’ll at least have some hope of creeping out of there with the fog lights at very low speed if I have to.

So I see them as more insurance than performance on the Tacoma, similar to my shovel.

On the Odyssey, however, I use them when we drive from San Diego to Palm Desert. We leave on Thursday evening and arrive well after dark. We prefer the more windy route which ends in a set of switchbacks descending to the desert floor from 4000’. Since it’s low speed, downhill and tight turns carved into the side, high beams are risky to other drivers and not any real help to me. The MAX fog lights in this one specific section give me significantly better confidence with the proper line, so that the other occupants can remain asleep and I can stay alert and exactly in the lane position I want.

Now, if I wound up swapping to the LED assembly in the minivan like I did in the Tacoma, that could change things. Still, these white max fogs on paved windy descents in pitch dark are for sure a significant driver aid.

 

Hes right for most people that stay on road and rarely venture off road or through fog. I bought mine mainly for twisty mountain roads and forest roads where you typically stay under 20 or 30mph. They come in real handy out here in Colorado.

 

Trying to figure out where I fit in on this and if I'm hindering my vision (but I don't think I am).

Before the DDs I ran my fogs all the time because I liked the look and I absolutely knew I wasn't blinding anyone. Wasn't until I was aiming the stock fogs preparing for the DDs that I found out they were 3" low at 6'3", so a foot low at 25'.

Now I can see the edges of the road with the stock (apparently super sucky stock f150 LED headlights) but things are not very distinct and clear. With the Max yellows everything out to the sides is clearly visible and I don't think (questioning my thinking) they are hindering my down range vision. I know they are on but I'm not drawn to the yellow like the bright white fogs did. When I switch them (fogs) off it is like holy crap batman where did my light go, everything is a washed out mess. I am really very happy now running the max fogs with the high beams, can see wide and far.

Oh, does it sort of sound like I'm coming around to these yellow things. Good thing since I have another obstacle in the way of changing them. The adaptive cruise control radar sensor is in the bumper so if I remove the bumper have to go through getting the radar realigned.

 

For an interesting perspective on high performance lighting, tune into the live feed from the 24 hours of LeMans - currently running at night. Tell me what you see.

 

Without looking I'm going to say cars going very fast with yellow lights????

Actually don't they have different color lights based on class