JD has a design flaw in their Long Range Light Kit

[VictoriaFarm]

I have an issue that I have not seen anyone comment on these lights. Have you noticed when you are using the lights that each light puts out a beam pattern that is vertical? It looks like two cats eyes on the horizon. I spoke with Hella, the maker of the lights, and they stated that these lights are not supposed to be mounted on their sides as the JD brackets do. I spoke to JD about this and they said they would look into it. That was a year ago. Still no response. I fabricated a bracket that rotated the lights 90 degrees.

Original light and bracket from JD.

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Modified light and bracket.

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[Bunky]

You could sell them ! I ordered the kit I would buy them.

[VictoriaFarm]

I appreciate the offer but it was one of those things that I had to do for myself. It took me several hours to make a fixture to hold the light in relation to the two bolt hole on the JD bracket. I had to do that so that I could fabricate and position the bracket so that it would fit the first time. The bracket is made from a scrap piece of 3x3x1/4 angle iron trimmed up. I can do fabrication but I am not the fastest person on the block.

I was hoping that JD would take my phone calls seriously, modify their kit and send me a complementary set of brackets. Maybe someone from JD will monitor this post and make a change.

[NAndreassi]

Very well done on the modified bracket. Looks professional! Looks like I may have to make new brackets for my lights. I used them for the first time a few weekends ago & noticed the same thing. It ticks me off that JD never got back to you on this. Clearly it is their design issue. Thanks for the recommendation on this!!!

[Destiny creek]

How long is the piece of angle.Did you modify the light bracket or does the bolt connect the light to the angle

[VictoriaFarm]

The piece of angle iron is a few inches long. To fabricate it yourself you have to make a jig that has the JD mounting holes on the Gator and the center of the light fixed in relation to each other. Once you have that you can make a bracket. There are several designs that will work. I picked the one that I did because it worked with some scrap metal that I had handy. I welded my piece of 3x3 angle to the OEM bracket and drilled a new light mounting hole in the angle.

[Steve_in_SEMich]

I ordered these lights when I bought my 2011 3+ years ago. With the vertical beam pattern, they project light at "long range", lighting up way, way down the road. With the other Hella lights installed, I have enough light for the near & mid-range distances. Can you see further down the road with the lights mounted sideways?

[Bunky]

As I read it, I think the original posters comment was the cat eye design when mounting vertically (not as Hella intended) the light projected vertically is essentially wasted.

In the center of the light, the down the road light distance is the same but there would be a sharper drop off side to side so you basically get less light left to right.

I do not have these lights but definitely would like to have the brackets if I did to purchase the lights. I am more interested in lights higher up (brush guard, on canopy) since I do not ride on level ground.

[VictoriaFarm]

Exactly.

[Bunky]

What kit p/n did you order?

I was browsing the JD parts catalog and the bracket appears to have changed with BM24090. The image in the JD manual shows the original bracket you mentioned with kit BM23120.

This is a pic of the new bracket. It looks a lot like yours.

14	M168879	Bracket	1				Light, LH
	15	M168880	Bracket	1				Light, RH