Baja SAE or SPORT

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LeboRaptor

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Hey guys


Just picked up my raptor last week and wanted to get fog lights. I know BAJA just came out with SAE lights. Not sure if it’s worth paying more for them.

So I’m trying to figure out what setup to get for the fog lights.


BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SAE


Or


BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON Sport


SAE is more money and has less lumens. I do 90% of my driving on the street. Would it make sense to go with SAE and pay more or go with sport.


If I go with sport I was thinking of

1st set pair of lights driving/combo

2nd pair of lights wide/cornering


Let me know what you guys suggest and correct if wrong about what o wrote.


Thanks everyone. Love the forum.
 

smurfslayer

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If most of your driving is on the street then the SAE light throws out a lot of lumens, and the pics show a pretty good throw; to be expected from B/D. The advantage to an SAE set is being street legal if someone balks. The other model lights you can get into trouble with and it is not out of the realm of possibility that you inadvertently night blind an oncoming driver. No bueno.

I inadvertently smacked on one of the up fitter switches fumbling around with my sun shade. Oops. lucky it was daylight. Admittedly, I’d have noticed quickly at night but still.

Wide cornering will probably get you the best bang for the buck for street driving. I like the way the illuminate lots of road side critters that the narrower beams don’t. Combo will give you a further throw, but I’d opt for a squadron pro for that. You’ll get light a bit further down the road.
 

crash457

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If most of your driving is on the street then the SAE light throws out a lot of lumens, and the pics show a pretty good throw; to be expected from B/D. The advantage to an SAE set is being street legal if someone balks. The other model lights you can get into trouble with and it is not out of the realm of possibility that you inadvertently night blind an oncoming driver. No bueno.

I inadvertently smacked on one of the up fitter switches fumbling around with my sun shade. Oops. lucky it was daylight. Admittedly, I’d have noticed quickly at night but still.

Wide cornering will probably get you the best bang for the buck for street driving. I like the way the illuminate lots of road side critters that the narrower beams don’t. Combo will give you a further throw, but I’d opt for a squadron pro for that. You’ll get light a bit further down the road.

I had the same issue with accidentally turning mine on until I tied them into a relay triggered off the high beams. I see not point in ever running them unless I also have the high beams on. Plus on rural back roads I can leave them on and let the auto high beams turn them off if I come across any traffic.
 

4x4TruckLEDs.com

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Hey Lebo welcome to the club. We actually put together a killer kit, our SPP Triple Fog Light Kit. This kit includes stainless steel brackets made right here in America, our custom-made Raptor specific wiring harness AND your choice of Baja Designs lights. We let you pick/choose what you want so that you get the best lights for YOUR driving condition.

I'd recommend the following setup, which is real popular

Squadron SAE, Wide Cornering
Squadron SAE, Wide Cornering Amber
Squadron Pro, Driving/Combo

The SAE so that you stay street legal and in both white and amber, so you can turn them on/off based on the weather condition (amber for bad weather). Then the 3rd pair is a set of Squadron Pros in Driving/Combo because those are real nice to flood the road (for back woods driving or what not).

If you'd rather not get the Ambers, then do this:

Squadron SAE, Wide Cornering
Squadron Pro, Driving/Combo
Squadron Pro, Spots

Same idea but now you have spots which are great to throw light down range (or get the Squadron Racers if you do some off-road racing and need to throw light WAY down range).

Of course if you want to save a little cash, change out those Squadron Pros to Squadron Sports.

Check out the kits here. We have a warehouse FULL of Baja Designs lights so everything is in stock and ships right away from our NY warehouse:

You can also shoot me a message/email if you get confused and need some help picking/choosing what to get:

http://www.4x4truckleds.com/2017-ford-raptor-triple-fog-light-kit-w-baja-designs-lights/

upload_2019-8-23_14-0-54.png
 

Spectragod

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In the end, if someone complains your lights are too bright, the local police are not going to check for SAE stampings or DOT on lens, nor will they take your word for it that they are compliant. Their word will hold up in court as opposed to yours.

In Ohio, where I am at, you can only have 5 forward facing lights, so literally, 2 headlamp assemblies and 3 “additional “ lights. That is what’s written in the Ohio Revised Code, so no matter what lights I have, I’m screwed.

Given that, go big or go home is my motto, 1 truck has 2 OnX 6 30” bars, a 20” OnX6 bar and 2 squadron pros in the front.

The other truck has the BD Ultimate kit in it with a 40” OnX6 (once I install it).

You best bet is to just use judgement when operating on road and as another member did, tie them into your high beams with a relay.

Just my 3.5 centS
 
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LeboRaptor

LeboRaptor

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:happy160: Thanks

In the end, if someone complains your lights are too bright, the local police are not going to check for SAE stampings or DOT on lens, nor will they take your word for it that they are compliant. Their word will hold up in court as opposed to yours.

In Ohio, where I am at, you can only have 5 forward facing lights, so literally, 2 headlamp assemblies and 3 “additional “ lights. That is what’s written in the Ohio Revised Code, so no matter what lights I have, I’m screwed.

Given that, go big or go home is my motto, 1 truck has 2 OnX 6 30” bars, a 20” OnX6 bar and 2 squadron pros in the front.

The other truck has the BD Ultimate kit in it with a 40” OnX6 (once I install it).

You best bet is to just use judgement when operating on road and as another member did, tie them into your high beams with a relay.

Just my 3.5 centS
 

Speeddeacon

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SAE is just for your peace of mind really, but what peace it brings is probably superfluous. I suppose that they shouldn’t “blind” oncoming drivers. They are only available as wide cornering I believe, which is totally appropriate since they are designed as street legal “fog” lights as opposed to auxiliary off road lights. SAE or DOT aren’t going to certify projection beams for on road use anyway. The state laws, as previously mentioned, typically specify type and/or number and don’t necessarily address any certification. For example, my state forbids all light bars and limits the number of forward lights to four I believe, which is essentially two headlights and two “fogs”. Someone stated elsewhere that since each Squadron has 4 leds that they were counted as 4 lights each by the officer. That is something to consider. There are no guarantees.

If you plan to use them on the street the SAE w/c is probably what you need and you can get by with it without much concern. I sometimes leave my w/c on and no one flashes me. Even though they are bright, they don’t project far and are mounted low. Anything with a spot will require your switching on/off for oncoming traffic as that is certainly dangerous to oncoming traffic.

Regarding hi beam relays, w/c should be able to be used without high beam in bad weather or dust for sure. Some would argue that for high speed driving, e.g. on road, you don’t want light in the near field because it subtracts from far field vision. I don’t know if that is true or to what degree it really matters. I personally prefer to control my spots manually rather than let the high beam relay do it, but that is personal just preference and is certainly very convenient.


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raptor36

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I would 100% do the sport. Do all flood lenses since the light is mounted in a fog light. Anything above the head lights then do a spot. It is hard to angle a spot pattern down onto the roadway when it is mounted below the headlight

You can do the triple fog mount mention above (post #4).
Since it seems you an kind of on the fence. Maybe do. 1 SAE and two sport floods on each side.


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4x4TruckLEDs.com

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If you're looking to save cash and get a nice setup

Squadron SAE
Squadron Sport, Driving/Combo
Squadron Sport, Spot

This way you get SAE for regular use. Driving/Combo to light up those back-roads and the spots to throw light way down range if you need to.
 
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