Curved vs Straight Light Bar
Installing an LED light bar is a great way to give trucks a brighter light source, which is particularly useful for off-roading or if you just want to a have a nice looking truck on the road. There are two main types of LED light bars for trucks: curved and straight. Which of the different styles is more beneficial typically depends on how you plan to use that light bar.
Beam Pattern
A main difference between a straight line bar or a curved bar is the beam pattern.
For straight bars, you will typically see:
- spot beam pattern,
- flood light,
- or combo beam patterns
On the other hand, with a curved light bar, you can still achieve the same combo beam patterns, but the light will actually cover a wider area. This allows a larger area of illumination during your off-roading trips.
Curved Mounts vs. Straight Mounts
Aside from the difference in light output and beam patterns, you have to consider mounting capability before committing to a new light bar. To help you pick the perfect one for your truck, we’ll detail the difference between curved and straight light bar mounts. Homework isn’t always fun, but don’t worry; the difference between these two mounts is pretty straightforward.
Curved Mounts
Curved light bar mounts tend to be low-profile. If you’re unfamiliar with the term in this context, low-profile means the mount brings the light closer to the windshield. This design essentially means mounting a straight LED light bar on a curved mount would create a situation where your straight bar is touching the windshield. In fact, you’ll likely find that you’re unable to mount straight LED bars on curved mounts at all.
Straight Mounts
Luckily, straight LED light bar mounts hold the bar higher, allowing the titular LED to install comfortably on the vehicle. Strangely enough, though you can’t mount straight LED light bars on a curved mount, you can mount curved LED bars on straight mounts. Installing the curved LED bar on a straight mount will hold the light higher than necessary, but it’ll fit.
Some mounts can hold both light bars, but if the mount is specifically designed for straight or curved light bars, you should use the points above to guide you in the right direction. As you can see, breaking down the difference between curved and straight light bar mounts is fairly simple. Although the difference is straightforward, you should still understand what makes each mount unique when you’re buying gear such as a Ford Raptor light bar. Suffice it to say that buying a light bar only to discover you can’t mount it on your truck is about as fun as it sounds.
Shop at Specialty Performance Parts
Whether you want a red light, blue light, or white light for your Jeep Wrangler or truck, SPV has what you need! Our collection of light bars offers you a wide range of light colors, beam patterns, and types of lights. Shop SPV for your mounting brackets, road lights kits, front bumper lights, wiring harness, Baja designs lights, and more. Contact SPV today if you have any questions regarding our products.