Off-Road Light Bars for Trucks: What You Need To Know

Summary

• The two main light bar bulb types are LED and halogen. LEDs are more expensive but also brighter, more energy efficient, and longer lasting. Most light bars have either a single-row or a dual-row design.
• Light bars consist of rows or grids of light bulbs connected to a single circuit board. They also have access to a power source.
• Light bar benefits include visibility improvement, added safety, style, ease of installation, and durability.
• Light bar drawbacks include keeping track of their legality, bad glare, and their initial installation cost.

Looking to take your truck off-roading? There are many useful accessories like off-road light bars. Here’s what you need to know about these handy attachments:

Truck Light Bar Types

There are a ton of light bar types out there. Try to pick the features that best suit your needs when you buy. Here are a few things you might want to consider:

Bulb Types

You’ve got two light bulb types to choose from—LED and halogen. LED light bars are more popular because they’re energy efficient, long lasting, and bright. Their minimal power consumption, paired with powerful light output, makes them the ideal choice. For off-roading in particular, LED light bars are excellent because they’re able to operate even under real tough conditions.

Halogen light bars aren’t very common anymore, but the available options tend to be more affordable, since older tech’s cheaper. However, halogen light bars aren’t as bright or energy efficient compared to LED ones, and they tend to have shorter lifespans. If your budget can only cover a halogen light bar, you might end up spending more in the long run. Also, down the road when the halogen bulbs go out, there’s a chance they won’t be available anymore, making the whole light bar useless.

Designs

Most light bars have either a single-row or a dual-row design. True to their name, single-row light bars only have one row of bulbs. They’re more compact, which is great for trucks with limited mounting space. Meanwhile, dual-row light bars offer twice as much lighting with their two bulb rows. They may take up more space, but the extra light is great for night driving and off-roading.

Other features you should look into when buying a light bar include lumen output, size, shape, and beam patterns. There’s also color, adjustability, and additional technology to consider.

How Do Off-Road Truck Light Bars Work?

Light bars have rows or grids of light bulbs connected to a single circuit board. They also connect to a power source, which is either an internal battery or your truck’s electrical system. Other light bar features include switches, dimmers, relays, or controllers.

Truck light bars also have lenses or reflectors that focus or spread the light beam from each individual bulb. That’s what determines the light bar’s beam pattern.

Truck Light Bar Benefits

Here are the upgrades you can expect if you choose to install a light bar for your next off-road adventure:

Visibility Improvement

Having more lights means seeing in the dark is easier. This is especially handy when off-roading. Light bars can also be useful when you’re driving on dark roads too. Just make sure the light bar you buy complies with local laws. In some states it’s illegal to drive on the streets with a light bar. Even when it’s legal to use light bars on the road, some light bar designs are solely for off-road use and aren’t street-legal.

Added Safety

Clearly seeing things around you raises your awareness of your surroundings, which adds to your safety both on and off the beaten trail. A light bar makes your truck more visible too. Other drivers can see you even if you can’t see them, which is great when off-roading.

Some light bars also have spotlight and floodlight modes. This means setting up camp in the woods just got a whole lot easier, and emergency situations will be less harrowing.

Style

As handy as light bars are, there’s no shame in picking one for its looks. Light bars give that rough and tumble outdoorsy vibe to a truck, adding tons of personality. That said, while we won’t judge, others might label you a “mall crawler” if your highly modified truck sees more paved roads than off-road terrain.

Ease of Installation

Installing a light bar is pretty simple. You only need basic tools and a good tutorial to hook one up to your truck. Mounting a light bar is easy enough, and you have a ton of options for where to put it.

Durability

High-quality light bars are made for off-roading. They’re resistant to temperature changes, which is great for mountain scaling. Heated light bars keep the ice off, and most good models are sealed against moisture, debris, and dust, so the light bar will work even in the harshest conditions.

Truck Light Bar Drawbacks

It’s not all good news though. Here are some drawbacks to light bars that you should consider before buying:

Legality

States have laws and regulations about light bars on public roads. Certain colors, sizes, and brightness output are restricted. Where you mount your light bar and the number of lights in your light bar also matters. 

Check that a light bar you’re interested in has a Department of Transportation (DOT) certificate before buying it.  If you have a lightbar that’s not street legal, then get a nice cover for it so it’s covered when not in use.

Glare

If you get a light bar, be aware of how much glare it causes. You might endanger other drivers and pedestrians if the glare from your light bar causes eyestrain and discomfort. When the light reflects off snow or water, it can also bounce the glare back at you.

Cost

Light bars, particularly LED light bars, can cost a pretty penny compared to other lights. There’s also the cost of mounting kits and other additional accessories and components to consider. If you don’t go off-road very often, a light bar might not be worth the investment. 

Where to Get Quality Light Bars for Your Truck

Now that you know all about off-road light bars, you might be wondering where to buy one.

The JC Whitney Performance Parts + Accessories Hub is an excellent place to start. Our hub brings together off-road, Jeep, truck, classic VW, and restoration parts from top brands in the industry. You’ll find some of the best names in off-road, performance, and restoration parts. Visit the JC Whitney Hub now for your off-road lighting needs.

Also, if you need tools for the project, you should buy a set that’ll last. JC Whitney’s premium tools are designed for every garage, from the humble beginner to the experienced DIYer. Pick up a set of JC Whitney tools today.