Here's How Many Rock Lights You Need For Your Truck (And Where To Mount Them)

You may have heard about rock lights before, or possibly seen them on the road at some point. Basically, they're a series of small lights mounted on the underside of a vehicle. They can look fancy when driving around at night or be used as helpful extra lighting for the immediate area around the vehicle. They can also be installed just about anywhere else around a vehicle to add stylish or useful illumination in a variety of situations, like being mounted under the hood, inside a truck bed, and so on.

Their primary purpose, however, is for off-roading in the dark (hence the name). Surrounding the bottom of an off-road vehicle with bright lights makes it much easier for drivers (or spotters) to see exactly what the terrain beneath them is doing. This allows them to get a more complete picture of any given situation and plan accordingly. It's one of a few arguably essential mods for off-road excursions.

Exactly where to mount rock lights and how many to install depends entirely on what you intend to use them for. They're often sold in multiples of four (4-packs, 8-packs, 12-packs, etc.) and in a variety of colors (color-changing options are also available). But if you're specifically planning to go off-road with some extra light, your choices are a bit more limited. Regardless of your plans, definitely do some research into your state's laws regarding these kinds of external vehicle lights, as some have made them illegal for street use.

If off-roading is the goal, definitely avoid RGBW (color-changing) rock light LEDs, as they're more for show than utility – meaning they aren't as intense as single-color lights. White light is the best choice for off-road driving since it's a bit more clear than other colors. Overall brightness and spread are also pretty important when you want to see as much of the surrounding terrain as possible.

As for how many rock lights you need, the typical count is eight. That number can increase or decrease based on the strength of the lights and the size of the vehicle, but eight is the general average for most drivers. Of course, if you want more coverage than the norm or want even more of the area around your vehicle to be lit up, you could always install additional lights.

Where you mount them, once again, depends on their intended purpose, but when it comes to off-roading, the best spots are to install two inside each of the vehicle's four wheel wells. There's some wiggle room when it comes to the arrangement, but ideally you'll want to aim them downward at a slight angle (towards the front for front wheels, towards the back for back wheels) to spread out the terrain coverage. Some drivers also recommend a one-in-front, one-in-back setup for each wheel, though this may affect illumination strength as it spreads the light sources out more.