Roof mount light bars?

Debating between behind the grill or a light bar that mounts above the windshield.
Pros and cons if each and is one better for certain things?

Looking to be able to see better at night in dark places and wicked dark back roads.
Options and opinions welcome

 

A roof light bar will be higher and be able to shoot more light since its bigger than a behind grill and further, great for back roads. A behind grill light bar is more for close light for foggy/dusty conditions I would say. Cons of roof mounted would be wind noise and for behind the grill I would say decreased airflow into the radiator. IMO get a spot or combo roof light bar and a flood or diffused behind grill light bar. Hope this helps.

 

Here is my photo of roof rack with lightbar:




You can get both if you want, I mean a lightbar on rack like mine and 20" lightbar behind the bumper grille.

Or you can get ditch lights on hood like mine.

 

It did a lot thank you. I don't mind wind noise I need light on a lot of dark back roads.

 

What light bar do you have on the rack as I was considering that as well but not sure since I have and use the sunroof if they would fit with that.
Also for offside lighting was considering amber ditch lights along with a light bar. Leaning more towards a roof mount for the light bar.

 

The rack is from Prinsu Design Studio... the company is on here too. You have no problem with rack on roof that has sunroof... You can see bunch of videos of Tacoma with sunroof that they installed racks on it.

See info here:
https://prinsu.com/faq/product-questions/

I don't remember the name of my lightbar. I know it is 40". It has spot in middle and flood on each side of lightbar. I got it from my local truck store down the road from me. And a member from TW helped me installing it years ago. I can see for miles at dark night that I tested at off road park years ago.

 

Awesome thank you so much.

 

No problem.

 

Ive used mine on a few dark backroads and I think the roof would be better then the grill.

 

roof light bars were out of style by 2012. throw a bar or 2 in the grill and call it a day

 

People coming up to me all the time saying they like it.

 

Behind bumper and ditch pods for me. Tempted to do a roof one, but I only got the factory bars at the moment and haven't figured out a way to do it.

 

You can remove factory racks, then install aftermarket racks such as Prinsu, upTop, etc. There are tutorials at YouTube..

 

It's all about the Benjamins. Not wanting to dump money on an aftermarket at the moment. Rather work with what I got

 

I understand.

 

I asked about the moonroof part because I currently don't have a roof rack on mine yet.

 

Contact any roof rack company such as Prinsu or upTop (or whoever you like) and ask them about moonroof.. which is similar to sunroof that I posted a few posts back..

They will help you out. The racks will fit.

Watch this video that this guy has sunroof:

https://youtu.be/31DVeJn9HlM?t=252

 

Soooooo…… I’m feelin froggy today here’s two cents from a guy with a couple lights on his truck.

Roof mounted: LOVE IT! It shines everywhere’s But……that’s kinda its problem too. I’ve found my personal preference based on my own long night highway hours and fatigue levels that with the roof mount my eyes have to adjust and look past ALL the light I’m getting blasted back at me from any reflective surface including the windshield itself ………. on highway or long dark roads I turn off the roof……in off road situations it’s great because your target vision is pulled in close to the truck with trees and hills………your focused closer to the truck with slower speeds…less fatigue.

Front end mounted: Well…….imagine your headlights only 1000 times better, customizable and less long dark highway fatigue because the lights are mounted forward of the truck. Fantastic off road and every bit as good as a roof mount until you get the front end lower that that which you need to see over.

I love all my lights and turn them all on at some point but if I went back a did it all again…….or only had one choice at the moment.

I’d go for the most solid mounted grill or bumper light I could find……..and then get the roof mount later cuz it looks cool

 

Hey, go with what you like

 

I went with a roof rack light bar so I look cool when parked at the mall and some massive round grill lights so I'll look cool if I ever go back in time to the 1980s.

Honestly the best lights to get are the Diode Dynamic SS3 fog lamps, they are incredibly powerful and completely street legal. They greatly out perform my hibeam headlights and with proper aiming they don't blind oncoming traffic so you can run them all the time if you wanted.

If you get roof rack lights they need to be mounted a bit farther back on the roof or else the glare off the hood will blind you while driving.