Overview
The 968 series of lights from IPF (part of ARB USA ) are considered the "budget-minded" light of their product line. At ~$170 Canadian (I have seen them around $100 USD on sale online), they place themselves in the lower to middle range of the light price scale. They are available in round (968) and rectangular designs (868) and include two lights, a snap-together wiring harness with mouse style switch and light covers.
http://www.arbusa.com/Graphics/IPF/USA/868_968/968_pic.jpg
Before purchasing these lights, I compared them to dozens of other available models. The final field also included the PIAA 520 or 525 series, LightForce 170's, IPF SuperRally 960's and another model from Hella. (And I saw all of them lit prior to purchase) At about 50% of the cost of Lightforce and some PIAA models, it came down to how much I was willing to spend on a light that I really NEED only a few times a year. With the amount of rocks on the road in my area, I just couldn't see myself putting at $400 light on the front of my truck. I also did not want a pencil beam pattern as most of the trails I would use the lamps on have lots of turns - making the pencil beam of little value. A mixed wide and driving beam seemed ideal for me.
The lamps offer a unique single bulb, dual reflector design that offers both a narrower driving beam along with a wider fog pattern at the same time. Construction is a light resin housing with a strong hardened-glass lens. Two sets of bulbs are included with the light kit - a set of 55 watt (installed at the factory) and a set of 100 watt. Installing the 100 watt bulbs were simple, but did require a philips-head screwdriver to remove the back cover of the lights. Here is the graphic from the back of the box that displays the beam pattern of the lamps with 55 watt bulbs:
Installation
I installed the lights on my ARB Bull Bar. Although they simply bolted down, I added a cut-up piece of bicycle tire tube in-between the lights and the guard to prevent scratches and reduce movement. Once tightened up, they are solid and do not shake - it helps that they are lightweight.
Wiring of these lamps is very straightforward thanks to an EXCELLENT wiring harness. Everything is "plug and play" and the instructions are straightforward. As the included relay must be mounted with the plug down, I used an existing ground bolt on the drivers side by the battery to mount the relay and ground.
I mounted the switch here, however I have had problems with the two sided tape sticking so I have to re-mount it. Although this is an excellent switch, I see a different switch in the future because 1) the location of the switch is obstructed by the steering wheel and turn signal stalk so you can't see the on/off indicator light, and 2) I plan on adding other lighting and switched accessories in the future and would like all of the switches in one location (probably below the ash tray).
While following the included instructions has you tapping the high beam at the headlight to have the lamps only come on with the high beams, this didn't really appeal to me. At first I wanted to be able to turn the lights on independently so I powered up the switch with constant power. Not liking that, I decided to change it to switched power so I can't accidentally leave them on with the truck off (during the daytime). To do this, I used an "Add-A-Fuse" and put it into the unused fuse location at the top of the left row in the fuse box. It's an unused spot that has switched power and no other use - and since I am only running the switch and not the actual lights, it is very little draw (I used a 3 amp fuse).
Update(June 2005): I have received a number e-mails asking about the Add-A-Fuse I used during the install. I purchased the product locally at Canadian Tire for around $10.00(in Canada of course). However, here are some links to identical products (I am not endorsing the retailer in the links - support your local parts store first!):
Example at sportys.com
Example at partsexpress.com
Using the lights
I know everyone wants to know how bright they are... so here are some pics.
""Note that the regular headlight bulbs are Silverstars""
Low beams only Round #1
High beams only Round #1
High beams & IPF Round #1
Low beams only Round #2
High beams only Round #2
High beams & IPF Round #2
The lights don't shake and they throw out a decent pattern of light, but I am still playing with the aiming to get it just where I like it.
Issues & Concerns
I have noticed one issue with these lights that seems to limit them slightly. Because of their narrow design, some of the light projected to the sides is cut-off by the ARB bull guard. This reduces the amount of light that is projected directly in front of the truck and into the ditch on the sides. This is an issue that happens with many different types of lamps, but on the positive side they are less likely to get damaged when they are set in a bit. This would not be an issue with the Lightforce 170's. Here is an image that describes what I am speaking about.
Conclusion
Overall, these are excellent lights. The build quality is good, the wiring harness is excellent and they throw a decent pattern of light as shown in the pictures. They don't shake, include nice covers and best of all the price is right.
If you are looking at a new set of lamps and don't want to spend a fortune, take a hard look at these IPF's. There are some other models out there that put out more light, but you will be hard pressed to find anything as good as these in the price range.
They'll light up your life :D
Pete
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