Offroad Light Packages

Why buy a package

Lighting a truck piece by piece means picking a light, finding a bracket that fits both the light and the truck, and then building a harness with a relay and switch. A light package does that engineering for you: the lights, vehicle-specific brackets, wiring harness and switch are matched and tested on the named truck. The Baja Designs kits here are good examples. A Squadron Pro A-pillar kit for the 2009 to 2014 F-150 and Raptor, an S8 50 inch roof bar kit for the 2021 and 2022 Bronco with no drilling, a 20 inch OnX6+ bumper kit for the Ram 1500 TRX, and S2 reverse light kits for the Raptor and Ram HD each bolt to factory points with brackets cut for that body.

Match the kit to the job

• A-pillar pods: two lights at the base of the windshield pillars, as in the XL Pro and Squadron A-pillar kits. They throw a wide pattern down the sides of the trail and are easy to aim. No drilling on most trucks because they use the mirror or hood hinge bolts.
• Roof light bar: a 40 or 50 inch bar above the windshield, like the S8 roof kit for the Bronco, gives the longest reach but lights the hood and can cause glare in dust. Rock guards and a pre-load support bracket, included in some kits, stop the bar from humming at speed.
• Bumper or grille bar: a 20 inch bar in the lower grille, like the S8 driving combo kit for the Ram 2500 and 3500, stays hidden and fills the foreground.
• Cowl kits: the 40 inch S8 bar with two Squadron Sport pods on a cowl mount for the 2018 and 2019 Wrangler JL combines reach and spread in one bracket.
• Reverse lights: S2 Sport reverse kits for the 2017 to 2021 Raptor and 2019 Ram HD mount wide-pattern pods at the rear for backing up to a trailer or down a trail at night.
• Hood bar: the Rugged Ridge hood light bar with five square LED lights bolts to the top of the hood on the 2007 to 2018 JK using factory hardware.

Reading the specifications

Compare watts, lumens and beam pattern. The listings quote figures such as 216 watts and 24,920 lumens for a 20 inch OnX6+ and 300 watts and 31,750 lumens for a 50 inch S8, and 40 watts and 4,900 lumens for a Squadron Pro pod. Beam pattern matters more than raw lumens: a driving combo pattern mixes distance and spread, a wide cornering pattern is for A-pillars and reverse, and a spot is for roof bars. An IP69K rating means the housing survives high-pressure washing; IK10 means impact resistance. The harness in a kit is sized for the lights it includes; the Baja Designs two-light harness listed here is rated at 150 watts maximum, so do not add a third light to it.

Wiring and legal use

Kits include a relay harness and switch, and upfitter versions, like the Bronco roof kit with an upfitter harness, plug into the truck's factory auxiliary switches. Run the power lead to the battery through the supplied fuse, keep the harness away from the exhaust and steering shaft, and use the included weatherproof connectors. Forward-facing off-road lights are not for use on public roads in most states and some require covers when driving on the highway; check your local regulations. Aim roof bars slightly down and A-pillar pods outward. Confirm the kit is listed for your exact year, model and trim, including factory roof rack or bumper differences, before choosing.