All -

First - a thank you to several here who helped me with my last question about limited slip differentials - I got a Detroit Truetrac installed last week with new additional bearings for $735 all-in (parts, labor, pinion bearings, taxes) at Paden Drivetrain here in Portland. The truck is a lot better mannered driving around Mt. Hood. I drive a fair amount of weekends in intermittent traffic around Mt. Hood as an avid skier and would like lighting that won't get me arrested but will light up the road a lot better than the stock system (no fog, just low beams) in my 1997 F150 XL.

The next mod that would help would be some additional light/lighting - both for reverse and for driving at low and high beams. I looked into PIAA driving lights about a decade ago but never really moved on them, and wonder what folks here recommend to help - fog lights? driving lights? would love something mounted to the bumper or cut into the lower air dam, the lower profile the better.

I appreciate any recommendations or search shortcuts folks can make - I ran a couple searches before posting this and came up with literally tons of threads - many of which did not pertain to lighting in the subject.

 

You may want to look into finding a front bumper and or a lower air damn with lamp pockets in it from a wrecking yard, or even form the local Ford dealer around Portland.
You can install it along with some Sylvania Silver Star Ultra bulbs which would be about 100% better than the stock lights you have.
When I lived in Clackamas many years ago and owned an old International Scout I ran the mountains around there a lot and ended up installing two aircraft landing lights on my front bumper along with a 10,000# winch. DAMN THAT WAS A NICE SET UP. I could light up half the mountain side..pi$$ed off a Sasquatch out around Vernonia one night and he tore one of them off when I startled him, but thats another story....
Good luck with whatever you do..

 

Thanks, Marc Carpenter - I will look into those bulbs and a different air dam. Probably can find something in the junk yards that I can get painted to match

 

get you some hella 500 lights with 55watt bulbs. theyll keep you legal (as long as they arent pointed at the back window of the car infront of you) i have two of mine i use as driving lights and they help out so much.

 

Hella makes some nice stuff. Piaa also makes some really nice stuff. You may want to take a look at teh Piaa 525, it is actually a fog/ driving light in one. They offer many others as well.

http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamps-General.html

 

^X2 i have four of them on my light bar and they are amazing. heres my thread that has light output pics in it too.
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...tput-pics.html

 

Appreciate all the responses - does anyone know if there is a bar similar to a Smittybuilt bar that would apply to a '97 F150 2WD? I had hoped to avoid buying a bull bar or grill guard, but no dice as yet.

 

Chack out N-Fab. They a offer a bar and pre runner bar.
http://www.n-fab.com/products/search.../F150/sfID1/75

Randy Ellis makes one for the 4x4, not sure about 2wd. You may want to call them.

 

Glen, you're al-right. I just spoke to Thomas, who owns N-Fab, and he tells me he has a bar that will fit my '97 2wd pickup - it's the same as the '99 model but he will be available for questions and says there will be no problem. He is sending it to me free shipping, too. Thanks for the referral - we'll see how it goes.

And yes, Ellis were nice folks, but they only do the 4x4.

 

Glad I could help.

Do a write up on the insatallation. I am waffling between N-Fab and R Ellis. Just can't decide. I like the ideal of no drill (R E), but the N-Fab is a little tighter to the body, not to mention less expensive.

 

I have a 2000 with two 55 watt Baja lights mounted behind the grill, same principle as you, I need them when I am out at our cabin messing around in the pitch black of the lake

If I was better at this forum thing, I would post up some pics for you. They're easy to mount up on our trucks, no real fabrication needed. I'll work on those pics for ya lol

 

ive havin a smitty built light bar with 4 KC Rally 800 130 watts lights put on it, thatll be bright

 

Did you get the light bar? How does installation look? Does it require a lot of work to install?

 

Hella H83135362 H13 9008 12V 60/55W Hella High Performance Xenon Blue Bulb

Hella 009906011 Grille with Xenon Driving Light

 

Unfortunely not an option for a 97, that the OP has. I would love to have to grill mounted lights on my Expd.