Roof mounted Spotties?

[Azza]

Hi guys, looking to mount some lights on either my roof racks or roof carrier (when I get one). Just wondering if anyone has done this if so feedback and or pics would be great. Keen on going x4 170 lightforce lights to go with the pair of 240's on the bar.

Thanks fellas

 

[craig fitzpatrick]

check out the picks of my navara and yep they work realy well

 

[j2m5k6]

One of the issues to consider with roof mounted lights is the reflection from the beam in dust and light rain/fog etc, this can be very distracting also the spread pattern can vary depending on the height, also in my experience the turbulance over the roof means you need very secure mounts.

 

[Leprechaun]

I found them useless, too much reflection off the bonnet, very annoying.

 

[Old.Tony]

If you can overcome the glare from the bonnet/bullbar, you have to ensure that the lights do not protrude above the rack on your roof to keep them legal.

Not sure how many people get pulled over for it, and if you're not ratbagging it you'd have to be really unlucky to get a copper with a wasp in his ass to even mention it.

Also, when you run the cabling ... if the driving lights are 100W each, that's about 8.5A each or 34A for the 4 lights. If you use anything under 60A cable (6 sq.mm), the wiring will get hot and will possibly melt its insulator, causing a direct short. Yes, there should be a fuse to handle that, but it's a preventable issue.

Also, if you're drawing an extra 34A, you will probably not have a lot left in your alternator for other stuff. I certainly would not let the vehicle sit idling for any extended period of time with the lights on, you'll discover a ruined battery as the alternator doesn't charge heaps at idle.

 

[Aussie Frontier]

Even though there are many vehicles with lights on the roof etc they are actually illegal in NSW according to the Codes of practice.That being said it seems to be something the cops seem to ignore.
I have been busted years ago for driving lights on the sports bar. Basically the rules are no main light sources, driving lights head lights etc , above 1500mm.
As I said it seems to be a rule thats heavily ignored.
1 model Jeep actually came with lights mounted in the roof bars from factory. Jeep Aus was made to disconnect the lights to make the vehicles legal.

 

[j2m5k6]

I used to have a spotlighting buggy with a leyland P76 V8, fitted up with 2 aircraft landing lights that were 250 watts each, actually fitted with projector globes. would fry a fox at 100 mtrs and stall the motor if switched on at idle. the alternator was from 200 hp tractor and so was the battery, god I miss being young and stupid. Tony is right about frying wiring, big is better.!

 

[shaggy]

Hi Fella's

During the last school holidays I was out touring western NSW when I was pulled over for rbt no problems,but RTA inspectors where doing road side inspections as well no drama's but a few 4wd had defect stickers on them for having driving/spot lights fitted on the sports/rolls bar.Most for the 4wd's had at least 2 or more lights to these bars. Must have been a rta blitz because the boys in boy where not to worried.

Shane

 

[joshy]

never had any dramas with the coppers with the lights. x2 on the alternator not keeping up, had the same set up as your thinking plus 2 rear facing worklights all on one night while setting up camp etc, ran the battery dead while the car was running.... wouldnt be a problem if it was mechanical injection diesel....no battery no diesel in these!

check out my build up for how i mounted mine. if the lights are behind the windscreen u shouldnt get glare on the bonnet

 

[Azza]

Cheers guys. I had a look at a few of your set up's and that's exactly what I'm looking to do. Possibly a rhino or similar alloy rack with 2 or 4 lights mounted on the front. I did hear that they were possibly illegal but the police don't seem to enforce it down this way. A member of my local fire brigade has 4 of the 240's on the sports bar of his rodeo and 2 on the bull bar, It's quite impressive to see the light it throws.

I'm rubbish with electrics (cabinet maker by trade) but I assumed that with the stock dual batteries that they would be plenty enough to run the 4-6 lights. But like I said I don't know much about the subject

 

[Deejay]

Hi Guys,

Convert all your lights to HID and you have no problem with current drain.

I was pulling about 22amps from my two 130w halogen globes in the Hellas. By adding a third light it would push power consumption up to around 33 amps. That's a lot of amps creates big sparks when shorted.

The HID's are 50% brighter and use less than half the power 3 x 55w is 165w or just under 14 amps. I actually should down rate my fuses to 20's from 30's.

Cheers,

DJ

 

[joshy]

Cheers guys. I had a look at a few of your set up's and that's exactly what I'm looking to do. Possibly a rhino or similar alloy rack with 2 or 4 lights mounted on the front. I did hear that they were possibly illegal but the police don't seem to enforce it down this way. A member of my local fire brigade has 4 of the 240's on the sports bar of his rodeo and 2 on the bull bar, It's quite impressive to see the light it throws.

I'm rubbish with electrics (cabinet maker by trade) but I assumed that with the stock dual batteries that they would be plenty enough to run the 4-6 lights. But like I said I don't know much about the subject

Be fine while your driving the car. Just dont leave it idling with all the lights on. Idle it up atleast

 

[rescue]

I've actually run it past the RTA Technical guys and provided they are switched via high beam AND a seperate switch to your other driving lights it is OK in NSW, this mod allows you to claim they are for off road use only. Make sure the switch is not in the on position when they check.

Mind you if you get caught with them on......

 

[Aussie Frontier]

According to the NCOP blah blah that NSW is going to be using for its new rulings on vehicle height there should be no lights higher than 1200mm. As to if they stick with that who knows.

 

[gadgets]

I put two up on my roof yesterday with the intention of putting a hid kit in them, after fooling around with them for a couple of hours I decided to take them off again, was gona be a pain to mount the ballasts somewhere and I cant run more halogen lights as I think my altenator is already at its limits running all my other stuff.

 

[Aussie Frontier]

Well the other alternative is to go LED and there is another post on that. New LED tecnnology is outstanding
I was reading today that an 18"LED light puts out more light than a 35watt HID
18" XMITTER LED BAR THIRTYTWO 3-WATT LED&#39S EURO BEAM Vision X USA

 

[flashum1]

I put two up on my roof yesterday with the intention of putting a hid kit in them, after fooling around with them for a couple of hours I decided to take them off again, was gona be a pain to mount the ballasts somewhere and I cant run more halogen lights as I think my altenator is already at its limits running all my other stuff.

hella rallye 4000's can house a slim hid ballast. go back a few months and check out my thread on d40 canopy mounted driving lights. had them wired up with 100w halogen bulbs for a while now, bastards to get adjusted correctly but light is awesome. light stream is very visable when driving in rain & light fog but no glare in mirrors or on bonnet. light spread from 2 pencil beams can be seen out drivers door window but is by no means a distraction. i will still hid mine.

 

[user 4231]

Hey mate,

I've got 4 Hela's mounted to my Sports Bars.

I used some ARB brackets which make the lights sit higher, so there is no reflection of the bonnet. They do, however, light the back seat up abit; it doesn't really annoy me and provides abit of light in the tray.

I use them to light up the bush out front but in the sides, and the middle two light up from where the low beam stops.

See pictures attached!