Last Updated on August 18, 2022
General Overview and What to Expect When Buying the Diode Dynamics SS3 Fog Light Pocket Kit for a 3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma
Starting on the very day I left the dealership driving home in a brand new Toyota Tacoma. Thoughts of what can be done to make this Tacoma my own starting to brew. I’m sure everyone has the same exact thought when they purchased their new or used Tacoma, or any vehicle honestly.
The time to start looking at options began for upgrading the stock halogen fog lights, I discovered two popular options. Option number 1 was installing an LED bulb into the stock housing. Option number 2, purchasing a whole LED pod that would replace the outdated factory halogen setup.
After doing my research on 3rd Gen Tacoma fog lights I learned two pros that would come along with upgrading the whole housing. A stronger output of light and a more defined beam pattern would be produced with an updated housing. Now that the approach I was going to take in upgrading my fog light was known, it was time to pick the brand that would best fit my build.
My research was done by mostly watching YouTube videos and reading articles on the internet. It took many videos and articles but I narrowed my choices down to two different options. There were two brands that caught my interest, it would either be Diode Dynamics and Baja Designs, they both make quality products and they are both very reputable within the off-road community.
The main two components I factored into my decision were the fog lights’ performance and price tag. This article does not tell you which product is the better product, I am just sharing my opinion and how I came to my decision.
Find them online
Diode Dynamics: SS3 Pro LED Pod in white
- 3,000 Lumens @ 36W – 2.7A: Check Price
Baja Designs: Squadron SAE LED Pod in white
- 2,480 Lumens @ 22W – 1.6A: Check Price
MAKING THE CHOICE
With both brands having good reputations for their quality, that wasn’t a big factor in my decision-making.
Looking at the few specs I have listed about the products you can see they have just over a 500-lumen difference when comparing their light output (performance). The largest difference in my comparisons was the price difference. Purchasing more light output for a price tag of $90 less seems like a no-brainer to me.
After breaking down the differences that were important to me it was fairly easy to make my final decision. Both products are great choices for any build, but I ended up purchasing the Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro lights. As I mentioned before, my decision was based solely on my own opinions and research.
Do your own before you decide about what you would like to have on your build.
DIODE DYNAMICS SS3 PRO FOG LIGHT KIT
Founded in 2006 and growing fast, Diode Dynamics is known for bringing its own unique LED technology to the automotive aftermarket. Diode Dynamics produces most of its products right here in the USA.
The SS3 fog light kit comes with two 3” angled bracket LED Pods that are a direct fit for the 3rd gen Tacoma. With the provided angle bracket, the installed kit has a clean factory appearance. The kit also includes a wire harness adapter, so these lights are plug and play.
All Diode Dynamics fog light kits are SAE compliant unlike some aftermarket led fog lights that would be blinding other drivers on the road. Due to them being SAE you can drive with the fog lights on while traveling on road. Their fog light kits come in a white (6000k) and an amber (3000k) option, for my setup I chose the white (6000k) LED option.
BUILD QUALITY
The outer construction of the LED Pods is made out of powder-coated aluminum with an attached heat sink on the rear of the assembly. The aluminum construction compared to the factory plastic construction is an obvious upgrade in durability. Based on the first initial inspection of the Diode Dynamics LED pod, I was excited that I chose to install the Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro fog light on my Tacoma.
A cool and unique feature that the Diode Dynamics SS3 fog lights have is the replaceable lens. After buying your SS3 lights, if you want to change from SAE to a driving pattern you can just purchase a new lens instead of buying a whole new fog light. The same option goes for colors, if you bought a white (6000k) fog light, then you can purchase a yellow lens to convert your fog light into an amber fog light.
TIR (TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION) OPTICS
Diode Dynamics has an advantage with its LED products over the competition. Diode Dynamics uses what they call Total Internal Reflection technology. Other brands may advertise more lumens or more power than Diode Dynamics LED’s but some of that performance is lost due to poor lens designs.
The optics created by Diode Dynamics collect all the light from the LED and direct it only where you need it to go. This design reduces unwanted glare and improves the total efficiency and performance of your lights. With Diode Dynamics TIR technology you get more usable light output compared to the other LEDs on the market.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Installing this kit is a breeze with just a few hand tools and some free time. I’m not going to go over the details of the installation because there are many articles and videos out there explaining how you can do that.
When I turned my fog lights on for the first time, I was amazed at how much of a difference a simple upgrade could make. The light output of the SS3 Pro compared to the factory halogen is night and day. The factory fog lights are kind of just an accessory with no function. The Diode Dynamics LED Pods are so bright they are like having a second set of low beam headlights.
Just to test it out, while driving I turned just my fog lights on at night. Keep in mind they shine lower than the headlights but regarding the high light output, they produce. These lights produce more light than the factory halogen headlights in my opinion.
