Question about mounting aux lighting on the stock bumper

strider3700

Adventurer
My 96/97 F350's stock lighting is dangerously bad at night on unlit roads. My wife was at the point of not wanting to take the truck anywhere if it was going to be dark. After looking into way's to improve the headlights it became obvious that there just wasn't much I could do that would make a real difference (staying road legal) so I decided to splurge and bought a set of Hella 500FF driving lights and a set of Hella 500ff fog lights. This kind of destroyed my non existent mod budget so they'll be my christmas present as well.

The truck has the stock chrome bumper and at this point I'm thinking I'll just drill some holes in it and mount directly to it. In the past I've seen mention that mounting to stock bumpers is not a good solution but I get the feeling that had more to do with mounting to the plastic bumpers so common these days. My bumper already has holes in it from the previous owners mounting of the spare on the front. I don't do any high speed off roading 90% paved 10% gravel logging roads. I had thought about adding some sort of light bar mounted directly to the frame but it will be a fair amount of work to construct and I don't view my bumper as being overly weak as is.

Am I going to have issues with mounting like this?
 
Last edited:

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
The 500FF aren't the worst lights you could've chosen but aren't the best either; they're usually not too expensive and are small enough to mount.
I mounted lights on my bumper and had no problems; you'll just have to protect from rust and chrome peelage.

Use relays and have the fogs only able to come on with lowbeam and the drivers with highbeam. Also, I suggest getting these bulbs for your truck ---- it takes 9007, right? The Phillips Xtreme Power are a marvel of bulb technology -- great focus, more light per watt.
 

strider3700

Adventurer
Thanks, I'm curious what lights you recommend over the 500ff's? I got all 4 with complete install kits for $160 to my door. I had wanted to do 500ff fog's and 700ff drivers but amazon shipping on the 700ff's to canada was $60... I looked at not road legal knock off's from local places and when you add switch, wiring, relay, they were very close to the cost of the hella's.
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
Thanks, I'm curious what lights you recommend over the 500ff's? I got all 4 with complete install kits for $160 to my door. I had wanted to do 500ff fog's and 700ff drivers but amazon shipping on the 700ff's to canada was $60... I looked at not road legal knock off's from local places and when you add switch, wiring, relay, they were very close to the cost of the hella's.
Daniel Stern Lighting is in Canada and he sells Cibies; much better light than those Hellas.
There are quite a few that work better but, like I said, the FFs aren't all that bad. The regular 500s are terrible...

For the price-point you did well. Quality costs more ---- but not all of the expensive lights work much better.
 

strider3700

Adventurer
If I remember correctly I actually messaged Daniel Stern lighting a few years back about improving my headlights. They were very knowledgeable and right away suggested that there wasn't much that would improve the stock lighting a great deal and suggested auxillary lighting. The cibies are very very nice lights but looking at the prices I could get 2 lights and covers with nothing else for a little more then I paid for 4 with everything else I need. Sort of like the guy down the road who had two Lightforce lights on the front of his truck which did a great job lighting up the night but cost a fair amount more then I paid for 4 new tires...

I need light but budget mattered a lot.
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
If I remember correctly I actually messaged Daniel Stern lighting a few years back about improving my headlights. They were very knowledgeable and right away suggested that there wasn't much that would improve the stock lighting a great deal and suggested auxillary lighting. The cibies are very very nice lights but looking at the prices I could get 2 lights and covers with nothing else for a little more then I paid for 4 with everything else I need. Sort of like the guy down the road who had two Lightforce lights on the front of his truck which did a great job lighting up the night but cost a fair amount more then I paid for 4 new tires...

I need light but budget mattered a lot.
The Cibies put out a more even spread of light than Lightforce can dream of...

The Phillips bulbs I linked are a new product; I'm pretty sure that Dan helped Phillips develop them. If you queried him a few years ago it's likely they were still on the drawing board.
 

strider3700

Adventurer
Ok real quick question. 4 lights in a row on the bumper. all 4 are the same size. 2 fog's 2 driving lights. I'm thinking the fogs on the outside and the drivers in the middle or am I backwards?
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
Ok real quick question. 4 lights in a row on the bumper. all 4 are the same size. 2 fog's 2 driving lights. I'm thinking the fogs on the outside and the drivers in the middle or am I backwards?
It really depends on the driving lights' beam pattern. You might want to leave a bit of extra wire in case you want to move them later.
All things being equal (that means competent fogs and drivers), I'd mount the fogs to the outside.
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
You should be good with the fogs outside; they're main purpose is to help you find the edges of the road, the lines, the fire hydrants when it's really nasty outside. You want them low.
And you don't want the drivers too awful wide.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,543
Messages
2,875,693
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top