Here it is: I said it could be done

Transient · May 23, 2025

Baja Designs 10" S8 lights replacing the lights in the Rough Country dual grill lights kit. I just needed to get off my rear and do a bit more trimming of the grill. Baja Designs lights are slightly narrower, but much thicker than the lights that came with the Rough Country kit. I used rubber bushings to compensate for the difference. The mounting bolts supplied by Baja Designs were a little shorter than what I needed, so I got longer bolts at Lowe's. There was a slight mounting issue with the Rough Country brackets. The brackets closest to the bowtie had a spacing issue with the light bar mounting bolts, so I ended up turning the bracket around and threading the light bar bolts through the mounting bracket and walked the bracket while tightening the bolt until the bolt that connects the plate on the exterior of the grille and the bracket could go through both. I think this was a more secure mounting method anyways. There is no interference with active aero shutters. Wired directly to GM Upfitter switches. Iirc, each light bar produces about 4,000 lumens. That's a lot brighter than the Rough Country light bars that are no brighter than the OE high beams.

Edited May 23, 2025 by Transient

Transient · May 24, 2025

Just took some nighttime pics with the new lights. Sorry they are crappy cell phone pics. Imo, this turned out better than I thought it would. I used an add-a-fuse kit from Baja Designs and utilized fuse location 42 in the fuse block under the hood. I didn't realize the amber lights were projecting due to not seeing them on the roadway while driving. I'm truly surprised these amber lights are as bright as they are. Website photos from Baja Designs makes them look more subdued than they actually are. Imo, these amber lights are brighter than all amber LEDs lots used to have the Raptor look that I've seen on Tacomas and Silverados. I also need to adjust the light bars and aim them slightly upward. The white light is aimed downward, but not too badly. The last pic is with the low beams on. I am debating about whether or not too change the fuse location for the amber lights so they illuminate while driving during the daytime.

Edited May 24, 2025 by Transient

Transient · May 24, 2025

A few more pics with the lightbar lights on. From the side you can see the amber lights are still on, but they are being washed out by the white LEDs. From straight on you can't see the amber lights at all.

Transient · May 24, 2025

One last one with the low beams. Btw, my driveway is sloped. Please don't judge the distance of the lights in these pics.

Edited May 24, 2025 by Transient

Transient · May 31, 2025

Update: I pulled the grill again and re-aimed the light bars. This was easy. I didn't need to remove the grill completely. I just needed to pull it away at the top far enough that I could reach behind the grill. I then grabbed the light bar angle pushed the back end down so I could aim the lights a little more upward.

I also decided to switch the fuse location from #42 to #40. This was solely so I could have the amber backlights illuminated during the daytime. They are bright enough to be seen. I'll try to grab a Pic and post it later. I had a busy day that bled into the evening and had me late for my oldest son's birthday dinner. So, please forgive the omission of the pic.

Mack10290 · June 1, 2025

Are these lights for off-road use? Sounds like they are blinding bright and you're aiming them up off the road so wouldn't that put them directly in the eyes of oncoming drivers? I happen to be a truck driver and I'm on the road all night every night of the week. I see vehicles with these type lights occasionally and they blind me with those blazing bright lights in my face or in my mirrors. I haven't seen as many lately and I've been wondering if some states are adopting laws to limit the use of these for normal driving conditions.

silveradosid · June 1, 2025

i can agree with you mack, also a truck driver and some of the people have no respect for other drivers at all. owning a horse trucking company we spend a lot of time on back roads going to farms and i can't count the number of times i have been blinded. at least with power mirrors i can turn the mirror out and blind them with their own lights, but with on coming traffic you are at their mercy

KARNUT · June 1, 2025

Just driving regular vehicles these days at night especially a sedan. The newer headlights when they go uphill they act like high beams. So now everyone is flashing their headlights because they think the other has the high beams on. We need to go back to the old style headlights. Use high beams when you’re alone and low when you’re not. With the exception of the interstate just slow down at night.

Transient · June 2, 2025

23 hours ago, Mack10290 said:

Are these lights for off-road use? Sounds like they are blinding bright and you're aiming them up off the road so wouldn't that put them directly in the eyes of oncoming drivers? I happen to be a truck driver and I'm on the road all night every night of the week. I see vehicles with these type lights occasionally and they blind me with those blazing bright lights in my face or in my mirrors. I haven't seen as many lately and I've been wondering if some states are adopting laws to limit the use of these for normal driving conditions.

Yes, they are for offroad use only. I do go offroading in my truck. They are the same as the lights on my roof bar. I don't drive down the road with the roof bar on, and also don't use my a-pillar lights, so I don't understand the concern about the lights in my grill. If I wanted to blind every other driver on the road I most certainly could without even using the lights I just installed in my grill. The driving factor behind this modification was due to my roof bar being so far back (actually sits on top of the GM Accessories sport bar that's mounted behind the cab) that the cab roof blocks a bunch of the light that would otherwise reach the ground. The light bars in the grill solve this problem.

I can't stand the people I pass on the road going the opposite direction with their cheap chiwanese led bars from ebay and Amazon being on, even in the daytime. There aren't any new laws about offroad lights that I'm aware of, just a lack of enforcement, which also explains the underglow lights being on in various colors while all 3 of their brake lights are inoperable.

The purpose of my posts was to show that the horrible and cheap Rough Country light bars that were no better than the OEM high beams could be easily replaced with a better quality and more effective light bar. I didn't think this would lead to such an off topic conversation.

The only lights from these light bars that will be illuminated while on the road are the amber colored backlights. Those aren't bright enough to blind anybody, are just bright enough to be visible during the daytime, and are 100% legal for how I'm using them. I've checked the laws where I am and I'm good to go. If there's a problem with my amber lights, then there's also a problem with the same lights for semis. Hell, I've seen semis do far worse than I have. The difference is, my truck goes places your semi can't.

Edited June 2, 2025 by Transient

silveradosid · June 2, 2025

your right some of the semi's out in western canada have in sane lights

Mack10290 · June 2, 2025

2 hours ago, Transient said:

Yes, they are for offroad use only. I do go offroading in my truck. They are the same as the lights on my roof bar. I don't drive down the road with the roof bar on, and also don't use my a-pillar lights, so I don't understand the concern about the lights in my grill. If I wanted to blind every other driver on the road I most certainly could without even using the lights I just installed in my grill. The driving factor behind this modification was due to my roof bar being so far back (actually sits on top of the GM Accessories sport bar that's mounted behind the cab) that the cab roof blocks a bunch of the light that would otherwise reach the ground. The light bars in the grill solve this problem.

I can't stand the people I pass on the road going the opposite direction with their cheap chiwanese led bars from ebay and Amazon being on, even in the daytime. There aren't any new laws about offroad lights that I'm aware of, just a lack of enforcement, which also explains the underglow lights being on in various colors while all 3 of their brake lights are inoperable.

The purpose of my posts was to show that the horrible and cheap Rough Country light bars that were no better than the OEM high beams could be easily replaced with a better quality and more effective light bar. I didn't think this would lead to such an off topic conversation.

The only lights from these light bars that will be illuminated while on the road are the amber colored backlights. Those aren't bright enough to blind anybody, are just bright enough to be visible during the daytime, and are 100% legal for how I'm using them. I've checked the laws where I am and I'm good to go. If there's a problem with my amber lights, then there's also a problem with the same lights for semis. Hell, I've seen semis do far worse than I have. The difference is, my truck goes places your semi can't.

Yeah that's why I asked if they are for off-road use they're great for that. About a year or so ago I got off work one morning and was driving home in my Corolla beater car. A vehicle came up behind me with this blazing bright light on the grill very similar set-up to what you have there. He got right up on my ass and the light was so friggin bright I couldn't even tell what the vehicle was and I assumed it was some kind of emergency unit so I moved right and let it go by. Nope just some jerk in a navigator out to intimidate everyone that gets in their way. Nothing wrong with it if used as intended, but when used like this a-hole was it is a serious hazard. And yes I've seen big rigs with same bright lights on the grill and they're just as bad. We don't need that crap on the highway it's already dangerous enough. I am seeing less of the super bright lights lately and I haven't checked on it but I would guess the reason for that is people were starting to get cited by the police for running them on the highway at night. As for the amber lights well that's never been an issue at all I wasn't referring to those.

johnnyquick · June 2, 2025

On 5/22/2025 at 7:53 PM, Transient said:

Baja Designs 10" S8 lights replacing the lights in the Rough Country dual grill lights kit. I just needed to get off my rear and do a bit more trimming of the grill. Baja Designs lights are slightly narrower, but much thicker than the lights that came with the Rough Country kit. I used rubber bushings to compensate for the difference. The mounting bolts supplied by Baja Designs were a little shorter than what I needed, so I got longer bolts at Lowe's. There was a slight mounting issue with the Rough Country brackets. The brackets closest to the bowtie had a spacing issue with the light bar mounting bolts, so I ended up turning the bracket around and threading the light bar bolts through the mounting bracket and walked the bracket while tightening the bolt until the bolt that connects the plate on the exterior of the grille and the bracket could go through both. I think this was a more secure mounting method anyways. There is no interference with active aero shutters. Wired directly to GM Upfitter switches. Iirc, each light bar produces about 4,000 lumens. That's a lot brighter than the Rough Country light bars that are no brighter than the OE high beams.

looks GREAT! Thanks for sharing and the write up, I agree the Rough Country ones are NOT bright enough