About

KC HiLiTES, the dominant force in auxiliary and off-road lighting! As the original maker of off-road lighting, beginning with the Daylighter®, KC HiLiTES has a rock-solid reputation for quality and performance. Specializing in Jeep, Truck, SUV, and Off-road aftermarket lighting, the brand’s product offering continues to evolve. KC HiLiTES offers a complete line of auxiliary Fog and Driving Lights, Off-road Lights, Flood Lights, Light Bars, Light Covers, and Wiring Kits to accommodate your lighting needs. KC lights are available in Halogen, HID, and LED light sources.

From the privateers to the pros, KC has been pioneering high-quality off-road lighting since 1970. Since the beginning, KCs involvement with motorsports has been critical to the process of designing, engineering, and manufacturing the most advanced auxiliary lighting available. KC competition HID lights are now found on many winning off-road race vehicles, including Scott Douglas, Curt LeDuc, Ron Whitton, Randy Merritt, Rick Doetsch, Todd Wyllie, and many others. As the original maker of off-road auxiliary lighting, KC HiLiTES not only sets the standard for the category – the brand created it.

KC was started by Pete Brown in his garage in Saugus, California, as he was looking for some improved lighting for his pickup. He started using landing lights from aircraft, adapting them to his truck, and then figured out that the way they mounted wouldn't stand up to the rigors of the now growing off-road community of race buggies and pickups. Available lighting at the time was limited to 55-Watt halogen lamps that were in his words, "really disappointing" in the desert. He made a few sets for his friends, and since that time KC has been in business. Working with neighbors out of his garage, Pete Brown assembled the lights, built the wiring harnesses, and sold the packages to off-roaders and local shops.

The KC Daylighter® served as the backbone of KCs development for years to come. KC designed the special patented isolated rubber mount for the Daylighter when they noticed too many failures due to the severe vibration within the metal housing during his off-road adventures. Many long hours were spent with GE engineers, learning about the intricacies of lighting, sealed beams, filaments, the varied types of construction, wattage, and what candlepower was really all about. At that time, they devised a way to completely encircle the bulb in rubber, helping to isolate it.

The 70s and 80s brought more innovations in lighting, and KC was at the forefront. Many race teams using KC products included such pioneers as Walker Evans and Ivan Stewart. In the 90s, KC developed the now-famous HID (High Intensity Discharge) lighting system, based on the same Metal Halide concept used to illuminate giant sports complexes. Now, KC offers HIDs for off-road use, and they're also great for commercial and industrial applications. Many ATVs and Rhinos are now running HIDs, LEDs, and other KC lighting products.

KC is all about quality. The brand’s lights are built tough to last. Inside and out, KC has never accepted anything less than the highest-quality materials and workmanship for its products. KC reflectors are meticulously polished to produce the brightest possible reflective surface. Bulbs are specially designed for the intended applications. KC light housings feature only the finest, toughest finishes. All stainless steel housings are polished and sealed for enduring beauty, and long life. KC’s chrome and black housings are triple plated and polished. The brand’s black painted housings are tough enough to withstand brutal salt spray tests. KCs nylon composite housings feature an extremely tough combination of plastics and resins. It is this absolute.

Today, the company is owned and run by Michael DeHaas, Browns stepson. A couple of KCs newer and very popular products, developed by DeHaas and his team, are the SlimLite and Rally 800 series of lights. The six-inch diameter SlimLite is available in chrome and black powder coated finishes. Offerings long-range illumination with up to 300,000 candlepower, driving light configurations from 120-150,000 candlepower, and fog lights at 25-60,000 candlepower, the SlimLite series has got customers covered with a variety of options for every application.

KC Rally 800 lights, featuring 8" diameter housings, come in stainless steel in either black or polished finishes. Their slim profile and full pivoting base allow for a wide range of mounting options. Rally 800 lights are available in Long Range or Driving beam patterns, with super-bright 130-Watt halogen or ultra-bright HID models.

Recognizing that off-road lights need a good place for mounting, KC developed a new series of Lite Bars. The brand’s products are an attractive alternative to bulky bumpers and grille guards. They feature a great-looking black powder coat finish.

DeHaas and his team spend many weekends at off-road races, working with racers to develop high-quality, super-bright lighting to help them win at night. The scariest part of off-road competition is when the sun goes down, there's no moon, and you are relying strictly on your lights to reach speeds over 125 miles per hour. DeHaas has spent many hours at the races, and in race cars, helping him to develop a second-sense when it comes to lighting design.

This has lead KC to develop the industry's first 70W HID light – the new KC-POD! A beautiful, 7-1/4" carbon fiber housed ultra-bright HID light designed specifically for the tough off-road racing environments.

The KCs newest line of high-performance lights now being released is the LRZ Series LED lighting systems, offering the latest lighting technology available. So, there’s no doubt that the future of KC – is bright!