Lasfit Switchback Rock Lights Kit Overview & Installation

Rock lights can be used for much more than just illuminating rocks. Follow this thread to see how the Lasfit rock lights perform.

• Author: By PJSnow from toyota-4runner forum
• Content: General rock light, Lasfit switchback rock light
• Vehicle Make Model Year: 2019 Toyota 4Runner

 

General Rock Light Information/Overview

Rock lights, as their name implies, were originally created to light up the rocks under the vehicle while off-roading. I wasn't able to find any articles about their history, but I assume they are a derivative of under-glow, which was invented in 1987. Unlike under-glow that went out of style in the early 2000s, rock lights have gained traction in the off-roading community, especially over the past few years.

Rock lights are small, flat lights that are typically installed in the wheel wells above the tire. They illuminate the wheel arches and the road/rocks directly below the vehicle. Most are just a single LED or a group of LEDs in a housing without specific optics while some include a diffuser lens (I won't get into the optics of lighting in this post but diffusers spread light more evenly with a slight reduction to the overall output/brightness. A completely clear lens just allows light to pass through virtually unimpacted and scatters it predominantly in a forward direction). The standard light color for rock lights is white but there are versions that come in amber or even RGB (multi-color).

Lighting up rocks below the vehicle doesn't have to be the only use for rock lights. Many have used them for other purposes including courtesy lights, additional interior lighting, scene/camp lighting, and even for style, just as under-glow was once used (a big reason RGB rock lights are available).

One thing to note is the legality of rock lights. Some states allow the use of rock lights while driving on public roads, but most do not. Here in NY, we are allowed to use white colored lights (that do not strobe/flash) while on public roads. Any other color or even white lights that strobe are not allowed in NY. Most manufacturers indicate off-road use only for their rock lights.

And finally, who makes rock lights? Most off road manufacturers sell rock lights and you can even find very cheap ones on Amazon. Some offer full kits with multiple lights and a wiring harness, while others sell individual rock light pods with a short wire pigtail, which requires the customer to complete their own wiring.

Lasfit has been expanding their off road lighting offerings over the past few years. They have made quite the name for themselves and recently released their own set of rock lights with a few unique features. When asked to test out their new rock light kit, I eagerly agreed. Based on my previous experience with their products, I had high hopes for this new kit.

 

Lasfit Switchback Rock Lights Kit 

I don't do any rock crawling, but as mentioned above, rock lights are not only for illuminating rocks. For some reason, the TRD Pro does not come with puddle lights in the side mirrors and the courtesy lights in the doors are virtually useless (especially with a lifted truck). When asked to test the Lasfit rock lights, I immediately wanted to use them to provide more light around the doors as courtesy lights. And I would be lying if I said they don't look cool!

A few notes and special features about the Lasfit kit:

1. "Switchback" - The lights are dual color to allow the use of white or amber light. Although I disagree with the "switchback" nomenclature (typically used to describe turn signal bulbs), the feature is unique. This would definitely be useful for those who want a less harsh light, especially while navigating those technical trails at night, where sometimes white light is too intense for the situation.
2. Wiring Harness Included - While some manufacturers only offer individual rock lights, Lasfit includes a harness to make installation even easier. The harness includes a two-way switch to go between the white and amber light, and 8 leads to connect up to 8 rock lights to a single harness.
3. Price - I believe the Lasfit kit provides the best value considering quality and price (currently at $120 for the 4 pod kit). There are cheaper kits on Amazon, but their quality is probably questionable and I would not expect them to be reliable. On the other hand, there are big name off road brands offering individual rock light pods for $70/pod. While I'm sure the quality is comparable, the value is not.

I opted for the 8 pod kit to allow me to illuminate the areas around the doors and to add lights under the front and rear of the vehicle primarily for aesthetic reasons. They were shipped via USPS and the packaging was top notch, on par with the packaging for other Lasfit products. The 8 pod kit came as two individual 4 pod kits, including two wiring harnesses, and each pod was individually packaged to keep them from banging together. The kit includes the pods with rubber "feet", wiring harness, mounting hardware (Allen head bolts, washers, and nuts), Allen wrench/key, zip ties, and an instruction manual.

 

Upon receiving the kit, I was immediately impressed with the build quality of the pods, they have a metal housing with some weight to them. The wiring harness is also very nice, it has screw-together wire connectors and the battery wires are braided and wax coated. Overall, this initial unboxing met my expectations.

 

Although I like this kit, there are a few points to note that might not work for everyone:

1. Not RGB multi color - For those looking to buy rock lights purely for aesthetic purposes, multi color options might be a necessity. The Lasfit kit might not be right for those buyers, but I find the white and amber to be more than adequate. The white on the RGB versions is not a pure white, which is something else to consider. The Lasfit white is a dedicated white LED chip so it is a pure white.
2. Bluetooth Connectivity - Some kits on the market offer Bluetooth connectivity to control the color of the lights (mainly the RGB versions). Lasfit only has two color options so I don't think Bluetooth is necessary. The simplicity of the kit makes for a more reliable product. Although Bluetooth is a proven technology, reliability of the system is questionable and it can malfunction. Also, most Bluetooth kits rely on your phone having a battery charge to turn them on. The Lasfit kit will work regardless of your phone's battery percentage!
3. Size - The individual rock light pods are a bit larger than other offerings but Lasfit also crammed in more LEDs compared to the competition. If you are constrained to very tight spaces, this might not be the kit for you.

 

Initial Impressions/Review

I installed the kit a few days ago and have been happy with it so far. Everything seems to work as intended and it certainly looks the part. The white light is crisp and bright under the 4Runner.

I have yet to figure out a wiring solution to have the lights turn on when I open a door, but for now, the included switch will have to do. While on the topic of the switch, I have to say it is very basic. It is a universal round two-way switch that stands out in the 4runner interior. Some may choose to cut a hole to mount it through an interior panel but I like a more factory aesthetic. I will likely try to find an OEM style two way switch to replace it with.
I am eager to see how these perform after a rain storm and after driving through dust or mud. I am curious to see how they hold up to moisture (condensation build up) and if my mounting locations are prone to dirt build up. These are more long term criteria that I'll report back on. But so far, there are no complaints.

I will discuss my specific installation in the next post if anyone wants to do the same, but I want to note a few things I noticed:

1. The hardware provided is a bit short, especially when using the supplied rubber feet. They are only really meant for thin sheet metal or use without the rubber feet. You may need to purchase longer bolts if you mount through thick body panels or the frame.
2. This is a universal kit intended to work with a multitude of off road vehicles. I found the length of harness for the rear light pods to be barely long enough for my application. For anyone with a longer vehicle (for example a long bed Tacoma), the harness may not reach the rear of the vehicle. I'm sure you can cut and splice in to add length, but it would be nice if Lasfit made an add-on extension harness for those who need it.
3. The rubber feet are contoured for a round surface. I'm sure they work great if mounting to a tube (example aftermarket sliders) or a round body panel, but most surfaces on the underside of the 4Runner are flat (example: the frame and wheel arches). I wish they provided flat rubber feet as an alternative.
**Thanks for the kindness feedback, we have upgraded the accessories and will keep offering the best product service to our customers.

Overall, the value of this rock light kit seems unmatched. I would definitely recommend this kit if it fits your build. Lasfit has been doing a great job with their off-road products and is certainly making a name for themselves. I am eager to see what else they have in the pipeline for their off-road line!

 

Photos

And now for some glamour shots.
This is the amber color:

This is the white color:

This photo shows the spread of the rock lights. They do well as courtesy/puddle lights, I just need to wire them up to the doors.

Here you can see the amber color compared to my yellow Diode Dynamics fog lights. The Lasfit color is definitely a true amber color.

The spread of the white and amber lights are identical:

This shot gives a nice color comparison to my Lasfit Pro headlights:

Here you can see the flaw in mounting the rear lights in different positions. I will likely change something in the future but not sure on my plan yet.

And one last side profile:

 

Installation Step With Zip Ties

Now, onto installation. I decided to install my kit with zip ties because I didn’t want to cut holes in my 4Runner (Scroll to the bottom of this post for installation step with cutting hole). I also plan to test a few different locations for mounting the lights and zip ties make removal easier.

Most choose to mount rock lights in the wheel wells, but I think all that does is light up the top of the tires. This location doesn’t illuminate the ground or rocks/obstacles below the vehicle. There are also no mounting holes in the rear wheel wells and I have no intention of drilling holes into my 4Runner. Unlike most, I still have running boards (primarily for the vertically challenged family members) and I decided to mount 4 pods on the undersides of them. The other 4 pods I decided to mount under the front radiator support and adjacent to the spare tire. I might play around with mounting locations in the future, but for now these points worked best for me.

Total installation time, including a lunch break, was about 5-6 hours. Most of that time was deciding on mounting locations and routing the wires. The most difficult part was passing the switch wires through the firewall (always seems to be a challenge for me…).

 

Here is a photo guide on how I completed my installation:

1. I started by mocking up the pods under the running board since this was my primary purpose for the rock lights. I decided to mount one at the front of the running board without the rubber foot. It fits nicely and there are already two holes that accept the zip ties. The harness easily feeds above the body mount and can continue straight up into the engine bay. Mounting on the driver and passenger sides are identical. Here are photos of my specific running boards and where I mounted the front pods: 

 

Next, I mounted the pod at the rear of the running board. The holes I used at the front are taken by some sort of mud guard or aero piece at the rear. There are holes along the length of the underside of the running board but drilled a single small hole to pass the second end of the zip tie through (this is a small hole through aluminum so I am not concerned about corrosion or structural integrity). Both the driver and passenger sides mounted the same. I routed the harness around the running board leg/bracket and zip tied it to the parking brake cable on both sides. Once over the frame, I then zip tied the harness to an existing factory harness on the passenger side and to the brake lines on the driver side. These both run up into the engine bay to meet the other harnesses. Here are photos of where I mounted the pods at the rear of the running boards and how I routed the harness on each side:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the main rock lights were installed, I decided to move to the rear of the 4Runner. As mentioned earlier, the rear wheel wells do not have any holes or opportunities to mount the rock lights without drilling into the body. Mounting at the top of the wheel well only illuminates the top of the tire. I decided to mount mine farther back around the spare tire. On the driver side, I used two existing holes in the bottom of the frame. On the passenger side, the factory exhaust (non TRD Pro) runs directly under the frame rail and would block the light. I decided to mount the light on the spare tire brace(?) on the passenger side. It angles up but I was able to shove a rubber block between the light and the metal brace to angle the light downwards. Overall, this is the location I am least pleased with and may change in the future. Once mounted, the harnesses run up and over the frame before merging with the harness from the rear of the running board. I found it easiest to pass the harness over the frame and into the wheel well (easier to pass the harness forward while staying above the frame). Here are a few photos of the rear mounting location:

 

 Once the 6 pod harnesses (3 from each side) are routed up to the backside of the front tires, I ran them up into the engine bay. I found it easiest to remove the rubber splash guards to see clearly. On the passenger side, I continued to follow the factory harness that runs up into the engine bay. On the driver side, I continued to follow the brake lines to lead into the brake booster. Once in the engine bay, I temporarily tied the 6 harnesses to keep them in place using a twist tie. Here are a few photos:

 

 

 

Lastly, I moved to the front. Again, I didn't want to mount these in the wheel well so I looked for locations in front of the front wheels. The only place that seemed to work is the factory tie down points (arguably recovery points?) under the radiator support. I have a set of aftermarket recovery points so I was not concerned about covering these. The zip ties looped nicely through the tie down points and the harness can be fed up into the engine bay around the radiator. On the driver's side, the harness pops out in front of the battery and can be run along the fender for a hidden look. On the passenger side, I decided to run the harness under the intake tube because the intake box sucks air from the fender (no clearance to pass the harness between the fender and the intake box. Once the front pod harness was at the rear of the engine bay, they met up with the other harnesses that were brought up (see point 4 above). Here are a few photos of the front mounting:

 

After all the light pods are mounted and the individual harnesses are run into the engine bay, I then routed the main harness within the engine bay. I began by fishing the switch wiring through the fire wall using an existing grommet (this is always a pain but there are plenty of videos on Youtube to help). The wires simply disconnect from the back of the switch but it is still a chore to fit through the grommet. The power leads can then be run towards the battery (both positive and ground), which I found cleanest to feed between the fuse box and fender. I removed the inline fuse on the power wire before connecting anything to the battery as a safety precaution but this may not be necessary. Lastly, the pod connector was run to the top of the fire wall and zip tied to a factory wiring harness. I needed to mount this near the center of the engine bay to reach the individual harnesses from the rear mounting locations (this is where I wish there was a bit extra length on the pod harnesses to give flexibility on mounting, especially for longer vehicles). The individual harnesses connect to the main harness with nice weather sealed screw-style connectors. Here are a few photos of the main harness mounted:

 

And that is about it for the install! Time to enjoy your rock lights. Don't forget to take the blue film off the pods, otherwise you will have blue under glow (AMHIK).

 

Installation Step With Cutting Hole

If you'd like to install the kit with cutting hole, please follow this video.

 

 

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