Feature Friday: 8 Roof Rack LED Light Bar Setups For The 5th Gen 4Runner

8 Unique Roof Rack Lighting Options on the 5th Gen 4Runner – Off-Road & Overland Auxiliary Lighting Setups to Inspire Your Build

This Week’s Topic: Roof Rack Lighting Options

It’s Friday! That means it’s also Feature Friday time! This week, we are lighting up the trail with 8 awesome examples of roof rack light bars for the Toyota 4Runner. As a bonus, we’ll also take a look at some extra auxiliary rack lighting. We have a compilation of rigs for you featuring lighting from top brands like the KC HiLiTES Pro 6 to a killer budget-friendly option from Amazon. We’ve got quite the variety this week.

Why Add Extra Lighting?

Featured: @Trail4R Jade, KC Pro6 M-Rack 

So you may be asking yourself, why the need for these extra lights if you have a nice set of LED headlights and maybe already have some ditch lights on your 4Runner? The short answer is simple, you can never have enough light while out on the trail at night, ever.

The longer answer though is functionality. Let’s start with a forward facing light bar on your roof rack. This light bar is typically a “spot” or “combo” pattern. These outputs cast light significantly further down the trail where your ditch lights and headlights simply cannot reach. Spot pattern lighting allows you to spot obstacles, turns, rocks, water crossings, etc. well before it’s too late, especially when driving with a bit of speed in the dark.

Another popular lighting option for roof racks is chase lights. These are usually smaller lights mounted rear-facing on the back of your roof rack. Overkill? Well, not really. Have you ever been following somebody on a dusty trail and lost sight of their rig due to all the dust they what kicking up? Chase lights vary in color, but they flash to alert the other vehicles of truck position to make dusty trail riding safe.

Another example for roof rack lights would be auxiliary lighting or camp lights. These lights are usually on the sides of the roof rack. They typically have lower output to give you just enough light while you set up camp in the dark without blinding everyone around the campsite. These lights are also super small in size, making them subtle yet effective.

Now, let’s get into these rigs!

1. Eryck Hung (@gen5t4r_eric) – Baja Rack + Baja Designs & Diode Dynamics

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Baja Rack UT Flat Rack (No Sun Roof, Tube Floor)
• Forward Light: Baja Designs S8 40″ Spot Clear Lens (25,400 Lumens)
• Price: $1079.95
• Camp Lights: Diode Dynamics SSC2 Sport Yellow Flood (777 Lumens)
• Price: $140/Pair
• Chase Lights: Baja Designs S2 Sport Work/ Scene (1,130 Lumens)
• Price: $235.95/Pair

What Do You Like About This Setup?

I like having essentially 360-degree lighting for my rig. Having forward and rear Baja Designs is cool because I always run tail gunner with my crew. The S8 on top allows my friends in front of me to know where I am while the S2s in the rear allow others to see me through the dust. Seeing how people get hit due to poor visibility made me a firm believer in running lights even in the daytime.

In addition, the S8 amber backlights also function as DRL while on pavement, making it easier for my friends to spot me in traffic. Finally, the Diode Dynamics sidelights are used for camp lights when setting up camp at night. These are a game-changer because I can actually see while unloading equipment and just in general around-the-camp light at night!

2. Mark Pacis (@Roc_N_Loh) – Westcott Designs + Rigid Industries

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Westcott Designs
• 40’ Rigid Midnight E Series Midnight Pro (35,680 lumens)
• Price: $1,499

What Do You Like About This Setup?

I love how the light bar is low profile for daily driving but also very bright at night. Another thing I like about this setup is that it has hints of yellow during the day. This just gives the Rigid E Series another dimension in terms of looks. The light bar fits the needs of my current lifestyle. I am not a crazy lumen type of guy, I just need enough for the practical things, and this 40″ Rigid Industries light bar does the job for me.

3. Ryan Jouhari (@advnrig) – Gobi Rack + Rigidhorse

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Gobi Stealth Rack
• Rigidhorse 42″ Light Bar (40,000 lumens)
• Single row spot/flood combo
• Price: $90

What Do You Like About This Setup?

I was recommended the Rigidhorse brand by a good friend about a year ago. When I saw the price, I was a bit skeptical and assumed it would probably be junk. I was definitely proven wrong and was thoroughly impressed with the lighting for the price I paid. I ended up switching out my bumper bar and chase lights to their brand as well and have not been disappointed!

These light bars are slimmer compared to previous bars I had used and disliked. They are also more than bright enough for what I needed them for and how often I use them. As much as I would love to have the best of the best, I couldn’t justify the 10x price difference for the roof light bar. For someone looking to not break the bank, these should be something to consider.

4. Mel Dela Cruz (@north_shore_t4r) – Prinsu + KC Lights

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Prinsu Full Non-Drill
• Custom YotaMafia Pro 6 Light Bar Brackets
• KC HiLiTES 50″ Gravity LED Pro 6 Light Bar (18,400 lumens)
• Color Temp: 5000k
• Price: $1,799

What Do You Like About This Setup?

Aloha! I absolutely love my KC HiLiTES Pro 6 light bar! I needed a “signature mod” to make my 5th Gen 4Runner stand out and be useful on night trail runs. The guys at YotaMafia helped me with a stout set of custom powder-coated brackets to mount the beastly KC HiLiTES Pro 6 light bar to my Prinsu roof rack. A unique setup I haven’t seen replicated, yet.

Hawaii’s unofficial state SUV has to be the Toyota 4Runner. If you see me rolling in the aloha state, don’t forget to throw da shaka.

5. Eric Keller (@evergreen_rnr) – Victory 4×4 + Diode Dynamics

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Victory 4×4 Full-Length Non-Drill
• Front Lighting: Diode Dynamics Stage Series 42″ Light Bar White Driving Pattern (15,900 lumens)
• Price: $450
• Rear Lighting: Diode Dynamics SSC1 Sport Amber Flood Pattern (1,305 lumens)
• Price:$120

What Do You Like About This Setup?

I went with Diode Dynamics for my lighting because they are the absolute best value in performance. They may not be the absolute brightest but they aren’t far from it either. Diode Dynamics offers extremely good performance and high quality for a reasonable price.

I went with the spot pattern for the front 42″ light bar to throw light down the road since we tend to get to camp late at night after working all day. Combined with the short PNW daylight makes having all of this light a necessity. This is mostly to supplement the other lighting lower on the vehicle which handles the mid-range gap in terms of light distribution.

The SSC1 light pods are mounted on the rear of the rack shining through an open hole in the rear valence which act as chase lights. I have these lights set to flash once a second through my SwitchPros 9100. Having chase lights might seem like overkill for a 4Runner. However, when you are leading or in a group of people in very dusty places, it can be difficult to see the person in front of you. This is where the chase lights come in very handy.

6. Jeremy Pajarellano (@yotapro_rnr) – Prinsu + Baja Designs

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Prinsu Roof Rack Full Non-Drill
• Baja Designs 7 XL Linkable lightbar (white/amber) Combo (22,000 lumens)
• Price: $1,675
• Baja Designs S1 (amber) WC (2,000 lumens)
• Price: $225

What Do You Like About This Setup?

One of my favorite mods I’ve done has to be this lighting setup. The style and aggressive look of the Baja Designs XL linkable lightbar completely changes the look of my T4R. They are highly adjustable, very customizable, and the light output is extremely bright.

The Prinsu roof rack is lightweight yet durable. I’ve tested this out and never had any problems placing all the items up top that I needed to bring. Not to mention its ease of installation.

7. Rovie Flores (@Adobo4runner) – Prinsu + Diode Dynamics

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: Prinsu Design Full Non-Drill
• Light Bar: Custom (21) Diode Dynamics SSC1’S PRO w/ Amber Backlight
• Chase Lights: Heretic Studio BA-2 Amber LED
• Side Lights: (Camping lights) 4x Baja Designs Universal Rock Lights Mounted on Prinsu Handles

What Do You Like About This Setup?

I like the functionality of my roof rack lighting setup. The light bar is very bright! It is definitely useful when wheeling at night. I use rock lights when I am camping and it gives me ample lighting to see all around the vehicle at a dark campsite. The rock lights are hooked up to my switch pro as well, so I often use the app to power on/off when I am in my rooftop tent. The chase lights are very useful and important while driving in low visibility conditions.

8. Zach S (@overland_engineer) – upTOP Overland + Diode Dynamics

Roof Rack & Lighting Details:

• Roof Rack: upTOP Overland Bravo Rack
• Diode Dynamics SS5 Linkable Pods w/ White Driving Lens & 8 Different Backlight Options
  • 26,600 measured lumen output / Ideal 33,600 lumen
• Price: $1,600
• Diode Dynamics SSC2 Sport Chase Lights
  • 1,600 measured lumen output / Ideal 1,900 lumen output
• Yellow SAE Fog Lens w/ Orange Backlight
• Price: $140

What Do You Like About This Setup

Well, I have not had this setup too long. I gave a ton of thought about different setup options before pulling the trigger on anything. I knew I wanted a linkable pod system setup and Baja Designs was really the only one I liked until these Diode Dynamics pods were dropped at SEMA in November 2021. Since then, I have been absolutely giddy about getting them installed.

They are one of if not the brightest 5″ pods you can buy if you buy the Pro configuration. Plus, the backlight looks so sweet. You really can’t go wrong with Diode Dynamics. They make some of the best lights on the market at a reasonable price.

Final Thoughts

Man, what a killer group of 4Runners this week to brighten up our weekend! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But seriously, this Feature Friday was pretty lit! Okay, I promise I’m done.

Next week we will be focusing on wheels for the 4Runner but in a specific color. Check out the link below if you wanna send us your rig!

If you would like to be considered for next week’s Feature Friday, we will be showcasing BRONZE WHEELS.

We want readers to get inspired by a variety of rigs/products. Submit your build for Feature Friday here to get featured. If you would like to submit your build for next week, include your setup details and an awesome photo that shows it off.

Have a great weekend everyone!