fog lights

mexicanzero · Post by **mexicanzero** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:58 am

so i want some fog lights
are there bolt ons to go in the factory holes at the bottom of the bumper? i've also seen alot of cars with the round rally ones on the bumper or in front of the grille i guess my question is where do i get these? and how hard are they to install, drill a hole and stick a screw in or is it more complicated?
any links to sites selling them or instructions on how you installed yours will be appreciated
thanks
-Alex

dscoobydoo · Post by **dscoobydoo** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:05 am

Search my friend, search.

There are a few posts on all of this.

( but I do have another set of the JDM fogs on the way, but it will be a month or so.)

Dynamic Entry · Post by **Dynamic Entry** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:28 am

Search yes

even browse for that matter......

this thread started by a seasoned PRO is on the first page of Body/Chassis/Interior
http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=31722

there are a few other write ups in 'er too

mexicanzero · Post by **mexicanzero** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:16 am

my main intention of putting in fog lights is for a functional reason
driving down country roads at midnight, which i do often, is sometimes a struggle with even my high beams on
so i want more brightness

i've found one decent website with universal fog lights that i could most definitely find a good spot for on/in my bumper.
does anyone know of other good sites to compare prices and product?

also what is a good brightness reading? they have some led ones that claim to be 5000k is this good? and is LED better than standard halogen bulbs?

i had tried the search before but i didn't find reference to where to buy lights or much about the lights themselves (brightness, led vs. standard...) but i found lots on mounting so i will have no problems there.

thanks
-Alex

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:45 am

Fog lights won't do what you want. They actually reduce your ability to see in the conditions you describe. You want driving lights.

Driving lights can be mounted in the bumper, but they'll work a lot better if you mount them above the bumper. When I used to have to drive down country roads late at night, I mounted a pair of Hella FF75 driving lights in front of my grille and they were great. For the size and price, they're probably about as good as it gets.

Don't buy anything that gives you any number with a "K" at the end.

Don't buy anything with LEDs.

Be very suspicious of any lamp that claims anything about "brightness" unless there's a lot of actual scientific information provided.

mexicanzero · Post by **mexicanzero** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:22 am

what is the difference between driving lights and fog lights?
because the ones i have been looking at are called "driving/fog lights"
so how do i tell which they actually are?
thanks a lot
-Alex

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:24 am

That's why you shouldn't buy them right there! Driving lights shoot a long narrow beam pattern to see further ahead while fog lights are low and wide, to reduce glare. They can't be both and if they try they won't really be either. I can recommend Hella products as I've had two sets of fog lights and my custom 90mm projector lights and they've all worked very well and reliably (though I didn't use the 90mm's long before I took the car off the road).

dscoobydoo · Post by **dscoobydoo** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:29 am

Fog lights are meant to be mounted low ( below headlights to about 10 inches off the road) and are meant to cut the glare normal lights produce in fog. They are either standard halogen or the yellow colored lights.

Driving lights are meant to put a larger longer beam down the road so you can see further in the night. They should be mounted just slightly below to just slightly above the headlights. They should be good halogen lights ( as HID's do not work so well in this instance)

mexicanzero · Post by **mexicanzero** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:48 am

awesome i guess i'll look into the hellas
thanks guys you're all really helpful
-Alex

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:02 am

you can angle fog lights though

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:05 am

Misaiming them is not going to change the beam pattern.

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:07 am

ja...

but you'll see more in front of you

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:10 am

Not so much... You'll think you can see more but the light's still going to largely go off to the sides at low intensity.

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:12 am

huh?

Nevermind then

Canadian Turbo · Post by **Canadian Turbo** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:51 pm

Check out Jamal's web site, he has a good wriet up on a set of Hellas. I think I'm going to follow his example for mine.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:17 pm

I aimed my fog lights out to the sides a little to use as cornering lights. I had Hella 550s on the '83 and 500s on the Legacy.

mexicanzero · Post by **mexicanzero** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:59 am

who is jamal? what is his website? sorry for being a noob...lol

so i was reading up on driving lights and i found some sites that say in certain places driving lights have to be wired with high beams so as to only come on with the high beams meaning they can't be used in city driving.
is this a law?
because although i want something to help me see better in the extreme darkness of the country i also want something i can use in the city without getting pulled over by the cops.
fog lights will make a noticeable difference right? i don't really need lights that will shine a super bright beam 1000feet in front of me.
just something to basically make my headlights brighter.
Would fog lights be better or are driving lights still the way to go?

sorry if these questions are somewhat "stupid" but i have never had a car with fog lights or driving lights and i cant afford to buy a set of each and see what they are both like.

thanks again for all you opinions, recommendations and your patience
-Alex

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:08 am

What you're asking for doesn't make any sense. Think about it -- you're talking about two completely different lighting applications.

In the extreme darkness of the country, you need to shine light down the road. In the city, you need to shine light closer to your car and also need your lights to not shine in other drivers' faces.

They're completely different.

If you just want your headlights to be brighter, then make sure the lenses are polished smooth and clear, install high-efficiency (not high-wattage) bulbs, and build an upgraded wiring harness. You'll see a noticeable difference compared to how they are now.

Canadian Turbo · Post by **Canadian Turbo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:03 am

The short answer if you just want to be told rather than explained, is YOU WANT DRIVING LIGHTS for your application. Forget fog lights!!!

Jamal is another user, he writes alot on this forum. Just type "jamal" into the search engine and you'll find plenty of posts. Select one of his posts and at the bottom click on profile. Then you'll see this

http://jamalb.net/carsite/

use it.

Don't worry I'm a n00b too, but you'll get the hang of it if you try.

vrg3 wrote: install high-efficiency (not high-wattage) bulbs, and build an upgraded wiring harness. You'll see a noticeable difference compared to how they are now.

Vikash, what do you mean by this "upgraded wiring harness"?
and I bought some PIAA 110W bulbs to replace mine originals, is this bad?

OH wait I'll use my own advice and search!! I'll let you know if I find it.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:30 pm

Fog lights are good for the city at night in glare conditions. I'm pretty sure it saved me from running over an idiot kid once and having to fix the dent he would've caused. At night in more deserted conditions, driving lights would work better unless you drive in bad visibility often, but they won't let you drive any faster by seeing further. I have good peripheral vision that I use constantly so I prefer to see to the sides.

Technically, it's the law (although it varies by state here and maybe province in Canada) to have them wired with the high beams, but I never did that with mine. You can always turn them off when you don't need them and the cops around here at least never seem to bother people for violating the somewhat vague lighting regulations in regards to additional lighting (or stone guards over the headlights).

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:22 pm

yeah, i have my fogs set up independent of the headlights, so that i can flash them at the stoplights at night and get the red lights to go green.

i doubt anyone will truly enforce lighting laws unless you take it to the extreme.

there are more important things the cops should be doing, rather than enforcing lighting laws.

86ruguy · Post by **86ruguy** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:26 pm

the lenses on driving lights look like this

fog lights look like this

see the difference in the lenses?

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:29 pm

Having more important things to do never stopped them from petty harassment before, but for whatever reason, they never bothered me about lights with the exception of the bow light that I had on the front of my '84 wagon (he didn't like a red light element on the front). Didn't bother me about the wire mesh rock guards over the lights, though.

Canadian Turbo · Post by **Canadian Turbo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:51 pm

evolutionmovement wrote:That's why you shouldn't buy them right there! Driving lights shoot a long narrow beam pattern to see further ahead while fog lights are low and wide, to reduce glare. They can't be both and if they try they won't really be either. I can recommend Hella products as I've had two sets of fog lights and my custom 90mm projector lights and they've all worked very well and reliably (though I didn't use the 90mm's long before I took the car off the road).

I totally agreed with you until.... I just got back from napa, and I was looking through their Hella catalogue and noticed a whole bunch of lights listed as driving/fog lights, go figure?? I imagine that they could be both depending on where you mount them, how you angle them and what bulb you put it and when you turn them on?? I am now begining to understand the confusion!! How many types of lights can one company make!!!! (Hella catalogue is as thick as a dictionary)

All_talk · Post by **All_talk** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:13 pm

Based on what he is looking do accomplish, I think a set of EDM headlights is the real fix. I have both fogs and driving lights, they both served there purposes with the stock headlights and they did help quite a bit. But, now that I’ve made the switch to the EDMs I really don’t need them. I know the EDMs aren’t cheap, but I think they are the best money I’ve ever spent on a car. I’d say get some decent driving lights for now and save you pennies for some EDMs.

Gary

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