My own $1.00 contribution to this...
And take it or leave it, its free and a worthwhile reading if you arent exactly independently wealthy.
These mods clearly remove any DOT-compliance the original headlights had. Doing this opens the door to partial or total liability, if you are involved in any kind of dusk-to-dawn accident, especially if there are personal injury claims, or if, God Forbid, death is involved.... I personally would preface this entire thread with "For Off-Road Use Only", &/or "Use at Own Risk".
Why?
I can guarentee that any accident investigation will outline every last safety issue found... EVERY deviation from what is required under Federal and State law will be focused on, especially if "State Police" become involved with the accident scene reconstruction... Insurance Companies can also inspect the vehicle, after the police are finished. Their investigators will look for anything, any reason to drop the hammer on you, especially your own ins company, if it appears you may be at fault.
Having "improved" lighting by using off the shelf DOT-Compliant Lenses & DOT-Compliant Bulbs is one thing. Taking those components and cutting holes in the DOT-Compliant part's reflective lens is another entirely... You see, once you structurally change the housing &/or lens assembly, it deviates significantly from its original design... which originally met the Manufacture's required NHTSA/DOT Compliance mandate. And although manufacturers are required to "self-test" their own lights to meet "DOT Compliance" standards, they also need to back their self-certification with verifiable test data, otherwise they would be blatantly liable and the lawyers would line up to sue. You also have to contend with various state laws that add to the Federal requirements.
More:
"
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108" (FMVSS-108)
AKA "
Section 571.108 - Standard No. 108; Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2004-title49-vol5/xml/CFR-2004-title49-vol5-sec571-108.xml
And:
"
Motor Vehicle Safety Title 49, United States Code, Chapter 301 and Related Uncodified Provisions Administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation (NHTSA)"
PDF:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/laws_regs/pdf/MVS01092008
Of particular note is "49 U.S.C. 30122"
"
if equipment is installed by a manufacturer, distributor, dealer or motor vehicle repair business, that equipment, as installed, must not make inoperative any of the required safety equipment.
If an item of equipment impairs the effectiveness of the lighting equipment required by FMVSS-108, we consider the installation of such equipment to have rendered the lighting systems partially inoperative."
I can whole-heartedly say that, in the event of a serious accident that involves this modified headlight set-up, pretty much every body will declare that the modification outlined in this thread violates the law and the lowest common denominator will be blamed...
"Impairs Effectiveness" can and will be readily defined to suit the needs of the lawyers prosecuting you, whether civilly or criminally. In court, you cannot "claim" any modification enhances safety, unless you can prove it with formal scientific verification and a certified professional/expert witness. Simple testimony, pictures, and videos will not suffice any arguement in court, so without that info, you are sunk, no matter how good they actually may be.