Offroad Lighting - Whatcha got?

[Foxracin]

Do you have a link to them? I was looking at getting a 150w set, but since they are off-brand lights, I didnt know if they would work good. Do they shine down the road pretty far?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-130W-4X4-OFF-ROAD-DODGE-FORD-FOG-DRIVING-LIGHTS_W0QQitemZ390155044850QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item5ad70d87f2

These are the ones I got. He has them in set of 2,4,6, or 8 and any color/lens color you want.

The light up the road pretty good. A lot better then just regular high beams.

 

[sean9721]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-130W-4X4-OFF-ROAD-DODGE-FORD-FOG-DRIVING-LIGHTS_W0QQitemZ390155044850QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item5ad70d87f2

These are the ones I got. He has them in set of 2,4,6, or 8 and any color/lens color you want.

The light up the road pretty good. A lot better then just regular high beams.

Alright, thanks.

 

[tippykid98cztom]

The Hella 500's (not ff's) come stock with 55 watt bulbs correct? Can you put 100 watt bulbs in them? If so do you have a brand and part number? Thanks in advance, much help.

the kid i bought my 4 hellas from had put those 100w bulbs in 2 of them and their alot brighter than the other 2

 

[99_3.0]

Can that thin guage wire handle the 100 watt bulbs? They were 55 watts starting, looks like 16 or 18 guage wire.

 

[94ranger#22]

Theres mine not sure of the brand, there bright as hell tho. Im about to start on a roof rack prerunner style light bar with 4 Kc's

 

[Mtrhd0024]

Can that thin guage wire handle the 100 watt bulbs? They were 55 watts starting, looks like 16 or 18 guage wire.

18 Gauge should be fine as long as you're not using a piece over about 5ft long. Any longer than that and you'll probably want to go to 16 gauge.

 

[o4rhm1]

55w square head lights... they bright up your dark night!!

 

[spdcrazy]

got 4 kc daylighters, bought all four used for 75 bucks!

yay craigslist

 

[Quartermile]

18 Gauge should be fine as long as you're not using a piece over about 5ft long. Any longer than that and you'll probably want to go to 16 gauge.

Length has nothing to do with it. I'm an electrician, I know. You need 16 gauge wire for one 100 watt bulb. 100 watts = 12 volts times 8.3 amps. 8 amps is too much for 18 gauge. Length only matters for voltage drop, and you would have to loop a wire around your truck ten or fifteen times to maybe drop half a volt.

 

[mud390]

im running 2 hella 500's and 2 hella 500 FF's i put 100w bulbs in the 500 FF's and they work great

What type of mount did you use for your lights? I like the look of that setup. Very sharp!

Kris

 

[Mtrhd0024]

Length has nothing to do with it. I'm an electrician, I know. You need 16 gauge wire for one 100 watt bulb. 100 watts = 12 volts times 8.3 amps. 8 amps is too much for 18 gauge. Length only matters for voltage drop, and you would have to loop a wire around your truck ten or fifteen times to maybe drop half a volt.

As an electritian, I'm guessing you're judging the rating of a wire off of 110v AC current?? 12v DC is a very different beast.

Technically 18 gauge wire is rated for 9-10 amps when being used for 12v DC. That means that at 8.3 amps for a 100w bulb running at 12v DC, you would be within the limit for 18 gauge wire. In reality you could probably safely run more current, but why risk it!

And as far as voltage drop goes... Calculate it out. Running 8.3 amps@12vDC through 5 feet of 18 gauge, you'd get a little over half a volt of voltage drop. Now for a bulb thats not a big deal, but for some things it might be. Jumping to 16 gauge, you only get about 0.3v drop over 5 feet of wire at 12vDC.

Now all that said, its always better to be safe than sorry. Run 16 gauge if you've got it, I'm just saying that for a single 100w bulb, 18 gauge would technically be ok.

 

[Quartermile]

As an electritian, I'm guessing you're judging the rating of a wire off of 110v AC current?? 12v DC is a very different beast.

Technically 18 gauge wire is rated for 9-10 amps when being used for 12v DC. That means that at 8.3 amps for a 100w bulb running at 12v DC, you would be within the limit for 18 gauge wire. In reality you could probably safely run more current, but why risk it!

And as far as voltage drop goes... Calculate it out. Running 8.3 amps@12vDC through 5 feet of 18 gauge, you'd get a little over half a volt of voltage drop. Now for a bulb thats not a big deal, but for some things it might be. Jumping to 16 gauge, you only get about 0.3v drop over 5 feet of wire at 12vDC.

Now all that said, its always better to be safe than sorry. Run 16 gauge if you've got it, I'm just saying that for a single 100w bulb, 18 gauge would technically be ok.

AC and DC power are not that different. One alternates and one is constant. Otherwise E still equals I*R, and current is current. And to actually calculate out voltage drop based on the national electrical code . . .

Vdrop=I*R The resistance of 5 feet of 18 gauge wire is 8.08 ohms per thousand feet (Chapter 9 table 8 - -conductor properties). So therefore 5 feet of 18 awg wire has a resistance of .04 ohms, which is a futile amount not worth mentioning really. I=W/E, or amps equals watts diveded by voltage, the same for AC or DC, so 8.3 amps of current are flowing for a 100 watt bulb. For the voltage drop, Vd=8.3 x .04 which comes out to a third of a volt. for 16 gauge you get .21082 Vd.

Figure in that bulb is being used off road and for long periods of time, and wire heats when current flows through it. Little wire has more resistance than a bigger gauge, so it heats faster. So when your "technically ok" wiring causes a fault, and maybe a fire. Thats too bad. Any one who knows anything about wiring and electricity wouldnt suggest either 18 or 16 gauge. 14 would be the safe choice, and if you have to skimp on the wire to save a few coins, thats your own fault. Bare minimum is not a good way to wire.

 

[Quartermile]

How did you mount these?

 

[camodown]

I knew I had some old pics that showed my lights, anyways 2-7" hella knockoffs up front and 4-6" daylighters up top

 

[lil'_big_truck]

that truck looks like a tank. very nice