boogielander
Ram Guru
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2022
- Messages
- 1,967
- Reaction score
- 2,782
thanks brother!
holla at me next time you come out west. we can see if we can make a trip!
5thGenRams Forums
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Boogielander Build
- Thread starter boogielander
- Start date
holla at me next time you come out west. we can see if we can make a trip!
boogielander
Ram Guru
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2022
- Messages
- 1,967
- Reaction score
- 2,782
east coast is on my list to visit too.
perhaps when I make the move out to TN or somewhere that'll be easier!
boogielander
Ram Guru
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2022
- Messages
- 1,967
- Reaction score
- 2,782
So I sold the LP6s with Dark Dunes bumper bracket to a customer/ shop friend, and upgraded from LP6 to LP9.
The primary reason for me to upgrade was actually not the lights themselves, but the brackets. Previously, I had Dark Dunes brackets on and they worked fine for on-pavement driving, but wobbles too much for offroad use especially with heavier lights like LP6 and larger. I always had plans to reinforce those or swapped them out, but BD wanted $300 for the brackets alone, and I didn't have time to mess with making reinforcement pieces.
So, when my customer wanted to copy my build, I just sold mine to him and paid additional $200 out of my pocket to upgrade. Win, Win, and Win!
LP9 Low Beam Only (head lights off):
LP9 High and Low Beams (head lights off):
LP9 High and Low with XL Racers (head lights off)
Now, do I think it's worth the $1600 MSRP? Yes it is! The brackets are sturdy and definitely not the build quality and construction of those cheap knock-offs that can be found on internet. The preloaded support and the main brackets are made with thick metals and therefore, sturdy. These brackets blew the last ones out of water by miles!
How does the output compare? Honestly, these are bright. BUT I can't say how much brighter because I had amber lenses on the LP6 and went with clear lenses this time around. Amber lenses reduce output by about 15%, so in addition to color temperature, amber is less stressful to the eyes. Because of that, I can't really say how much in comparison.
Why amber lens? Well, usually I run tail gunner in the convoy since I'm one of the few fully equipped trucks in our group (with comms, lights, and most importantly, trail map), so I am usually dealing with a lot of dust kicked up by vehicles in front. Amber penetrates through dust, snow, rain, fog, etc a lot better than white, so I went with amber on LP6s. This time around, since I'll be soloing this time for the big trip and will not be eating dust, I figured white will help me see further at night (well, IF I have to drive after dark, that is). For my tail gunner duty, I also have a pair of amber covers that I can just throw on when needed, making these a true dual-color, switch-on-the-fly solution.
These are driving combo lens pattern. When mounting lights, the location of lights dictates which pattern lenses should be used. Here is a cheat sheet:
Lowest: fog lights - SAE Fog to retain on-pavement usability
Bumper or below bumper - Driving Combo - to touch close and mid distance, while spot pattern included gives you a glimpse of what's further down ahead.
A-Pillar - Wide Cornering if used as ditch lights to spread the output more
or
Spot/ Racer spot to touch distances way further ahead.
*Never mount spots on bumpers or down low, because your output spread is limited and you won't be able to see as far.
Finally, comparing to my friend's Diode Dynamics SS5 Pro, these are similar in output but cost ~$200 more per light. HOWEVER, I've got a customer whose SS5 overheated and burned down the wiring harness, so there's that.
The primary reason for me to upgrade was actually not the lights themselves, but the brackets. Previously, I had Dark Dunes brackets on and they worked fine for on-pavement driving, but wobbles too much for offroad use especially with heavier lights like LP6 and larger. I always had plans to reinforce those or swapped them out, but BD wanted $300 for the brackets alone, and I didn't have time to mess with making reinforcement pieces.
So, when my customer wanted to copy my build, I just sold mine to him and paid additional $200 out of my pocket to upgrade. Win, Win, and Win!
LP9 Low Beam Only (head lights off):
LP9 High and Low Beams (head lights off):
LP9 High and Low with XL Racers (head lights off)
Now, do I think it's worth the $1600 MSRP? Yes it is! The brackets are sturdy and definitely not the build quality and construction of those cheap knock-offs that can be found on internet. The preloaded support and the main brackets are made with thick metals and therefore, sturdy. These brackets blew the last ones out of water by miles!
How does the output compare? Honestly, these are bright. BUT I can't say how much brighter because I had amber lenses on the LP6 and went with clear lenses this time around. Amber lenses reduce output by about 15%, so in addition to color temperature, amber is less stressful to the eyes. Because of that, I can't really say how much in comparison.
Why amber lens? Well, usually I run tail gunner in the convoy since I'm one of the few fully equipped trucks in our group (with comms, lights, and most importantly, trail map), so I am usually dealing with a lot of dust kicked up by vehicles in front. Amber penetrates through dust, snow, rain, fog, etc a lot better than white, so I went with amber on LP6s. This time around, since I'll be soloing this time for the big trip and will not be eating dust, I figured white will help me see further at night (well, IF I have to drive after dark, that is). For my tail gunner duty, I also have a pair of amber covers that I can just throw on when needed, making these a true dual-color, switch-on-the-fly solution.
These are driving combo lens pattern. When mounting lights, the location of lights dictates which pattern lenses should be used. Here is a cheat sheet:
Lowest: fog lights - SAE Fog to retain on-pavement usability
Bumper or below bumper - Driving Combo - to touch close and mid distance, while spot pattern included gives you a glimpse of what's further down ahead.
A-Pillar - Wide Cornering if used as ditch lights to spread the output more
or
Spot/ Racer spot to touch distances way further ahead.
*Never mount spots on bumpers or down low, because your output spread is limited and you won't be able to see as far.
Finally, comparing to my friend's Diode Dynamics SS5 Pro, these are similar in output but cost ~$200 more per light. HOWEVER, I've got a customer whose SS5 overheated and burned down the wiring harness, so there's that.
boogielander
Ram Guru
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2022
- Messages
- 1,967
- Reaction score
- 2,782
Checked "Camping at the edge of the cliff at Grand Canyon North" off my bucket list this Memorial Day Weekend.
Drive in was an easy 60 miles of high speed dirt road followed by 10 miles of bumpy road. It actually put the platform I built to elevate my fridge to test. Glad nothing shook loose though lol
Interesting thing is I visited the South side a year ago for the exact same weekend.
Some big changes made within a year!
