Morimoto 4Banger LED Pod Off-Road Lights

Morimoto 4Banger LED Pod Off-Road Lights
Might these be the best pod lights ever? Perhaps. Great accolades are given to the new Morimoto 4Banger LED Pod Off-Road lights for their combination of design, output, and versatility. We will thoroughly examine each 4Banger model in order to test them.
The 4Banger's degree of adaptability and light output makes it a fresh addition to the market for LED pod off-road lights. This lamp is distinguished from the others by its small size and distinctive design.
ABOUT
Morimoto has introduced two distinct trim levels for the new 4Banger LED pod lights. The first is the high-end 4Banger HXB variant, which makes use of Osram HX Boost LED chips. The entry-level 4Banger NCS, which uses Nichia LED chips as its output source, is the second.
These lights are available from Morimoto in three distinct beam patterns: combination, spot, and wide. Integrated fog lights or A-Pillar mounted lights will be the most popular uses for these lights. However, because of their small size, these lights are very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Therefore, these pods will meet your needs if you can imagine them.
Additionally, the integrated fog light mounts and A-Pillar are vehicle-specific. To ensure the optimal fit, Morimoto created these LED pod lights to fit a variety of cars. In addition, the 4Bangers are 30% smaller overall than any other LED pod light available. The 4Banger's OE fitting in fog light applications is primarily due to its reduced size.
For instance, consider the Gen 2 Raptor. The Diode Dynamic SS3 pod lights' suitability for this application is demonstrated here. The middle pod light is crooked and overlapped by the far right pod light, while the bumper cuts off the far left pod light.
The Gen 2 Raptor's 4Banger kit is now available. As you can see, there is no overlap, no crooked pods, and the bumper does not block off any of the lights. Therefore, these pod lights fit flawlessly.
OEM fog light connectors tailored to your car are included with the 4Bangers to make things easier. If you choose not to utilize the integrated fog light application, you can install and operate the lights using a universal relay and a light-up Morimoto switch.
Most drivers will require broad beam patterns if they want the most usable light. Spot beams are frequently overly concentrated, while combo beam patterns are just too narrow for practical road use.
TECH TALK
After determining what you plan to use these LED pods for, you can select between the two colors—yellow and white. The yellow variant of the high-end HXB model includes a white Osram XB Boost LED chip with a yellow lens filter. The yellow variant of the light in the entry-level NCS model uses both a yellow-filtered lens and a Nichia Phosphorus-converted yellow LED chip.
Switching from the premium white HXB 4Banger to the premium yellow HXB will result in a brightness loss of about 30% when comparing the output of the HXB white and yellow choices. You will notice a less noticeable drop in brightness when comparing the yellow and white NCS models for the entry-level model because of the yellow NCS chip. In other words, you are more likely to observe the distinction between the HXB and NCS colors.
The NCS and HXB have somewhat different yellows, which is another interesting aspect of the hue. The beam of the NCS is more yellow than that of the HXB, which is lighter in color.
Each of the Morimoto LED pods features a premium Total Internal Reflector (TIR) optic, which contributes to the superior brightness and ideal beam pattern. Other companies employ a projector with a lens above it or a more conventional optic with a reflector.
4BANGER LENSES
Instead of tailoring each pod light to a particular beam pattern, Morimoto used their lenses to create the beam patterns. Here's where the TIR optic is practical.
A broad beam is produced, for instance, by the LED pod's vertical lines integrated into the polycarbonate lens. The lens on the spot beam pod has absolutely no fluting lines. Light can naturally pass through the optic without the fluting changing the beam's spread because there are no lines.
THE TEST
As is customary, we place the lights 25 feet from a wall to test their performance. The performance of these lights in the real world is not entirely reflected in this setting, but this test will give you a sense of their brightness and the appearance of the design.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the 4Banger pods, we mounted them on one of our trucks for added security and conducted real-world testing.
Wide Beam
We will start by examining the wide beam pattern, which is the most often used beam pattern for everyday applications. A wide beam creates a fantastic fog light pattern; some manufacturers refer to this as a driving beam. The Morimoto 4Banger NCS and HXB are the only LED pod lights among these wide-beam fog lights that are SAE-compliant for use on public roads.
White Morimoto 4Banger HXB
With a maximum luminosity of 690, the 4Banger HXB broad is by far the brightest of the broad beams we examined. The design is most substantial at the top of the beam, which is something we truly adore about this particular model. Furthermore, the beam's brightness is consistent from the light's leftmost to its rightmost sides.
Diode Dynamics Max Fog (White) SS3
With a maximum light output of 490, the SS3 Max trails the 4Banger HXB Wide. The output is very astounding, and the beam pattern of this light is extensive. Although the intensity is not as constant throughout the pattern as it is with the HXB Wide, this pod is still a decent choice.
Squadron Pro Wide Cornering by Baja Designs (white)
The Squadron Pros emit 330 max—Lux, a significant decrease from the previous two LED pods. The poor projection and fuzzy edges make the beam pattern unimpressive.
Although most of Baja Designs' best-performing products are specifically designed lighting for off-road racing, their performance is usually better than this. Unless your commute looks like a King of Hammers stage, you won't need it.
White Morimoto 4Banger NCS SAE Wide
The results are outstanding for the entry-level model. The NCS wide, which has a maximum luminosity rating of 310, provides a fantastic beam pattern with uniform intensity throughout. The trade-off is reasonable even though the beam cutoff is not as wide or as clean as the HXB model.
For that purpose, a lot of people believe that a really bright fog light is less helpful. Therefore, the NCS is a good choice if you are in that situation.
Diode Dynamics White SS3 Sport Fog
This light serves as the entry-level model for Diode Dynamics' LED pod product range and has a maximum lumen output of 230.
Spotlight
The least valuable lights are those with spot-beam patterns. A spot beam is probably not for you if you are not racing through the Baja 1000 in the middle of the night. The purpose of spotlights is to light up your way from a great distance. However, Morimoto has produced a 4Banger LED lighting pod.
White Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport Spot
The SS3 Sport from their entry-level line has a lovely beam pattern and a maximum lumen rating of 3950. The SS3 Max will undoubtedly be considerably brighter than this, but we were unable to obtain it.
White Morimoto 4Banger HXB Spot
The SS3 Sport is a close second to this pod. This time, the beam pattern is a little bigger and has a more squared shape. In contrast to the round SS3 Sport beam pattern, this pod has a maximum lumen rating of 3740.
Hyper Spot D-Series by Rigid Industries (White)
This enormous LED pod's maximum brightness is 2630. Its beam pattern is more condensed than the other two, but this option comes at the expense of brightness and size.
Yellow Morimoto 4Banger HXB Spot
Morimoto has done a fantastic job of maintaining its beam patterns. This high-end yellow LED pod offers a bright yellow color and up to 2350 Lux.
White Morimoto 4Banger NCS Spot
The entry-level NCS slot, which we assessed at 2240 max. Lux comes next.
Cannon Spot for Vision X (White)
Its light cannon more accurately describes the size of this LED pod than its output. This is a step below the entry-level 4Banger, with a maximum Lux of 2070.
White KC Hillites C3 Spot
In our tests, KC Hillites rarely performs well. The C3s are not a fantastic choice because of their lackluster beam pattern and maximum lumen of 1400.
S4 Pro Spot for Dark Defense (White)
We had never heard of the brand before, but our viewers recommended this pod. However, this one has a maximum Lux rating of 1390.
Yellow Morimoto 4Banger NCS Spot
This entry-level Morimoto LED pod's maximum resolution is 980. Once more, Morimoto's 4Banger Spot range features the same high-quality beam pattern.
Spot for FCK Lightbars (White)
We also evaluated this less well-known brand. The maximum brightness that FCK Lightbars' spotlight can produce is a pitiful 470.
A rough, rural location (white)
We also evaluated this less well-known brand. The maximum brightness that FCK Lightbars' spotlight can produce is a pitiful 470.
A rough, rural location (white)
The Auxbeam spotlight comes in last. We have observed flashlights with higher power than this one, yet they only generate 140 maximum lumens.
Combo
Although they are cool, spotlights are not very useful for daily tasks. If you're in the market for an LED pod, you should probably look at the combination or driving pattern. This light is basically a combination of broad fog patterns and bright spotlights.
The trapezoidal shape at the top of the lens and the vertical fluting lines on the Morimoto 4Bangers indicate that the light is a combination of driving light.
Max Driving Diode Dynamics SS3 (White)
First, we have Diode Dynamics' Max White Driving light, which has a maximum Lumens of 2740.
White Morimoto 4-Banger HXB Combo
The high-end HXB model from Morimoto has an excellent beam pattern and a maximum lumen of 2530.
Yellow Morimoto 4-Banger HXB Combo
The premium HXB 4Banger model's amber variant has a maximum rating of 1400. Lux.
White Morimoto 4-Banger NCS Combo
The entry-level NCS Combo from Morimoto, with a maximum lumen rating of 1370, is a good choice for your driving light application.
D-Series SR Pro Driving by Rigid Industries (White)
The D-Series SR Pro is subpar in comparison to the other vehicles on our list, regardless of trim level. This LED pod was tested at a maximum brightness of 610.
Yellow Morimoto 4-Banger NCS Combo
Finally, we tested the NCS Yellow Combo LED pod at a maximum brightness of 590 lx.
Oh, phew! It was quite a sight. Given the launch of a new Morimoto product, it's critical to assess their position in the LED pod industry. Making a wise purchase is crucial, regardless of whether you choose to use built-in fog lights or vehicle-specific a-pillar attachments. As much as we like creating our tests for you, we hope you enjoyed them as well.