Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

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Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Lorgar » 22 Sep 2017, 6:07 pm

I'm playing with the idea of adding a lightbar to the front of the roofrack on the 4x4; it'll be a combination spot/flood unit.

I haven't had lights mounted on the roof before, only ever on the bullbar. Something that's come to mind is the bar throwing light onto the bonnet. I'm picturing driving through pitch black with the bar on and the bonnet being light up light a Christmas tree, likely to be quite a distraction.

Anyone gone the roof rack mounting option and found this to be the case, or not?

edit: Already have a pair of ARB Intensity LED round lights on the front; one spotlight, one flood. Thinking about the additional roof mounted one to bring the source of the light further back for increased illumination in the immediate vicinity around the front of the truck, but as above, wondering if all I'll really be accomplishing is lighting up the bonnet instead.
Last edited by Lorgar on 30 Sep 2017, 12:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by p3seven » 22 Sep 2017, 6:18 pm

Bull bar. Bars have a wide spread and will distract. Driving lights with narrower beams can be mounted up there if you want "bush cred." Though illegal in some States.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by bigfellascott » 22 Sep 2017, 7:37 pm

Yeah the cure back in the day was to paint the bonnet flat black (ambos used to have the same issue with their lights flashing off the bonnet from memory, hence the black bonnets back then from my understanding).

I wonder if you could put some sort of plate under and out from the lights to stop it happening so the light reflects off that - I do similar to my spotlight to stop light bouncing back off the bonnet - might be worth playing around with?
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by andreweden » 22 Sep 2017, 8:10 pm

I have no issues with 2 x Lightforce HTX on a roof rack on my Touareg.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Stix » 22 Sep 2017, 8:13 pm

I cant realky help, but a mate has been trying to talk me into a roof mounted bar for 2 years...
Im hesitant because from past experience if im the shooter on the back of a white ute with a lazy spotter that doesnt want to stretch their arm or move, i cant see s**t from the glare in my eyes reflecting off the roof...

So i fully understand your hesitation...!

I think if i go roof mounted id go spots...unless i could "try before i buy".

Just like spotlighting its important to have full clear unimpeded vision while driving outback...you dont want to unexpectedly give a roo a toungee with a face full of glass at 100km+.

(Thats another pet hate of mine--a filthy windscreen while spotlighting! ...)
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by andreweden » 22 Sep 2017, 8:54 pm

Here they are.
They are a combo light with a pencil HID beam and the LED equivalent to a light bar.


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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by pete1 » 22 Sep 2017, 9:15 pm

So i have 42 inch on the tray roll bar thing, no problems
Mate has 52 inch in same spot and it reflects off his mirrors.
Another put it above the windscreen and it reflected off the bonnet, so he brought roof rack bar (second hand) and put it on the roof back a bit from the windscreen and no problems.

So i did have the problem of when light bar was on it interfered with FM radio antenna so put a Ferrite on antenna lead and it gets rid of interference.
I'm told ilIegal on roof in Vic, but never had a problem from Mansfield cops or Vic roads, so till i see it in writing its staying.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by on_one_wheel » 22 Sep 2017, 11:59 pm

I've mounted mine just rearward enough that the light doesn't hit the bonnet.

Even worse than hitting the bonnet is when the light hits the windshield, a bit of dust, rain or stone chipping and you cant see siht.
I'm surprised at how many people mount them just above the windshield.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Chronos » 23 Sep 2017, 9:06 am

on_one_wheel wrote:I've mounted mine just rearward enough that the light doesn't hit the bonnet.

Even worse than hitting the bonnet is when the light hits the windshield, a bit of dust, rain or stone chipping and you cant see siht.
I'm surprised at how many people mount them just above the windshield.



Same. I mount my 42" light bar on a roof rack and first time I turned it on I noticed the bonnet issue and just moved it back about a foot to solve the issue.

Pencil beams and spotlights are useless on bush tracks at night (you can't use roof mounted lights on the road in NSW) so a light bar allows you to light the track close to the car and each side so you can navigate at low speeds.

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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Daddybang » 23 Sep 2017, 9:23 am

I don't put anything on the roof but I spend a lot of time on over grown tracks(low hanging branches can be a bitch) so keep that in mind. :thumbsup:
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Lorgar » 30 Sep 2017, 12:47 pm

p3seven wrote:Bull bar. Bars have a wide spread and will distract. Driving lights with narrower beams can be mounted up there if you want "bush cred." Though illegal in some States.


Zero interest in "cred", just looking for function.

And only legal options, of course.
Last edited by Lorgar on 30 Sep 2017, 12:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Lorgar » 30 Sep 2017, 12:51 pm

Chronos wrote:Pencil beams and spotlights are useless on bush tracks at night (you can't use roof mounted lights on the road in NSW) so a light bar allows you to light the track close to the car and each side so you can navigate at low speeds.


That's exactly the problem I'm looking at tackling.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Lorgar » 30 Sep 2017, 12:52 pm

Daddybang wrote:I don't put anything on the roof but I spend a lot of time on over grown tracks(low hanging branches can be a bitch) so keep that in mind. :thumbsup:


I have a roof top tent anyway, so that's well higher than the light bar would be.

If I can get the tent under it the light bar is safe.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Browning » 30 Sep 2017, 2:51 pm

I've got a lightbar mounted under my roof rack (rhino tradie)
Works a treat and the only prob I initially had was with my uhf aerial. I had one of those really thick ones. It lit the aerial up like a light saber. I just bought a thinner aerial (needed a new one anyway as a mate shot the top off it lol) and moved it out to the edge of the bullbar.
There's little to no reflection on the bonnet and as an added bonus when mounted up there, I don't have to worry about stone chips and importantly roo strikes.
I would of busted 2 light bars in the last few months if they were mounted on the front/middle of bullbar.
I'd find those big round spotties mounted up top would get in the way when spotlighting Roos/pigs.
We mostly use thermal/nv these days anyway, so the lights never get used for "spotting", just bloody handy on country roads...
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Hugh » 17 Oct 2017, 4:33 am

pete1 wrote:So i have 42 inch on the tray roll bar thing, no problems
Mate has 52 inch in same spot and it reflects off his mirrors.
Another put it above the windscreen and it reflected off the bonnet, so he brought roof rack bar (second hand) and put it on the roof back a bit from the windscreen and no problems.

So i did have the problem of when light bar was on it interfered with FM radio antenna so put a Ferrite on antenna lead and it gets rid of interference.
I'm told ilIegal on roof in Vic, but never had a problem from Mansfield cops or Vic roads, so till i see it in writing its staying.

30 years ago cops around Albury put an unroadworthy on my car for having spoties on roof.

LED light bars
LED light bars are fitted to the front of vehicles to better illuminate the road in front of the vehicle. They act as a supplement to the vehicle’s main beam (high beam) lamps. These can be used as an additional driving light.
From 4 July 2015, LED light bars became legal on all vehicles under the following conditions:
the lamps should, as far as is possible, be installed symmetrically in pairs to the front of the vehicle
if lamps are not fitted as pairs (e.g. one, three etc), they must be fitted to the front of the vehicle, symmetrically about the centre
a maximum of four driving lamps (including LED light bars) can be fitted to a vehicle in addition to the vehicle’s main beam headlamps
the lamp/s must be installed in a way that the light produced does not cause the driver of the vehicle discomfort either directly or by reflection
the lamp/s must only come on when the main-beam (high beam) headlamps are used, and must automatically turn off when the main-beam headlamps are turned off
the lamps must not obstruct the driver’s view of the road.
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Re: Light bar on the roof rack casting light on the bonnet?

Post by Gamerancher » 17 Oct 2017, 7:13 am

Any lighting that lights up your bonnet will be a pain in the ar$e and becomes very fatiguing on your eyes.
There used to be a 1200mm above the ground rule in NSW as the maximum height you could install lights. I bought a truck years ago that had "bull-lights" installed on top of the bullbar. Had to remove them at annual inspection as they were over 1200mm above the ground.
They don't seem to enforce this anymore.
Some of the light vehicles we take underground at the mine where I work have them and I can tell you they are an absolute pain in the eyes. :crazy:
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