LED Upgrade

Thinking on a headlight LED upgrade on my D100. Any suggestions on a brand and what issues if any are involved?

danielsternlighting.com He seems to be a good authority on lighting upgrades.

I would make sure they are "DOT approved" and not just "meets DOT specs". Lots of knock off and cheap ones out there. I also am looking for some LED upgrades. So far I have found HELLA to be DOT approved, but are a halogen conversion. I may go that route for now just to have ease of replacing just a bulb instead of the entire thing. I do not like the funky look of most LED headlights. Or at least make sure the housing is DOT approved and bulb itself may not be. I have brake and running lights like that. Housings are originals and bulbs aren't DOT approved, but after talking to the insurance company and local police, as long as they are to the state guidelines on vehicle lighting they are fine.

I bought the unheated Truck Lites for my TJ. Absolutely love everything, but the price. I'm trying to sell the Jeep, so moved them to my 64 Chevy. Only issue there is they stick out a little and just look odd on a stock old truck.

Just as an additional note to my HLs I am running the harness upgrade that Crackedback sells. With the halogens my lights now are pretty brite and the dash lighting the same. Pretty inexpensive upgrade and would recommend this to those who are looking for reliable lighting.

I have H3 housings on my 'Cuda with LED bulbs. Not DOT legal but I have not been flashed once even on two lane Texas roads.

Hell, I find myself blinded more by OEM LED lights these days than anything else out there.

If your headlights are not running on relays, adding the relays will make a huge difference in the headlight brightness. Relay kits can be bought pretty cheap. Gene

Hella make a nice product with the option of 100 watt bulbs!

While I agree, they also aren't really necessary if you choose to run LEDs. The current draw is a small percentage of what a halogen needs.

I assume that's got a pair of 7" round headlights.
The last I was looking at this stuff (about a year ago), there were still only two choices of good quality.
The ones made by Trucklite, and those made by JWSpeaker. There's a 3rd which IIRC, Peterson, may be a private label version that's not bad. But check that.
The places with lighting experts that stay up to date with this stuff are yes, DanielStern, and the other is Candlepower Forums.

Some alternation of the headlight buckets may be required to make room.


That might be correct, but I'm not sure.
My recollection is that there is no certification or approval process for manufacturing. Not by DOT, not by SAE, or any regulatory agency.
Products are designed and tested by the manufacturer, and if they have any sense, also by an independent testing company to meet regulatory code.
The specs the lamps meet must then be identified by the lens markings.
Obviously false lens markings are illegal - that doesn't stop some aftermarket manufacturers - but those of repute (such as Hella) can be relied on.
Some performance specs, such as beam pattern, are relatively easy to check and at least some states include them in their motor vehicle codes.


He's alread done that.
yes. A well made package.
Which lamps are you using? GE Nighthawk halogen sealed beams? or a HB2/H4 bulb and housing ?


Their lamp quality is generally good but the lighting patterns range from OK to good.
I've found the hi beam to low beam seperation excessive on the ones marked DOT M (motorcycle). The ones sold now as "Vision Plus" are better, at least in 7" round.
Bosch also reportedly has some decent models but not commonly available.
Not impressed with Hella's bulbs.
Definately some better ones available from Philips, Narva and others.
Can pick up better light pattern and in the +30, +50 flavors more light without going to higher current demands. Trade off with the plus bulbs is shorter life span.

A couple threads of possible interest WRT H4 lamps
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...amp;p=4948264&viewfull=1#post4948264

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?392498-Interesting-headlight-bulb-test-results

We have


Running Phillips

I like this company:

http://www.deltalights.com

Most of the stuff is plug and play, and it's American-made.

I went with this company http://haloheadlights.co/prodheadlights-3/ they use glass lenses and it direct swap, I went with the LED main bulb and the Halo. The halo is a bit cheesy but I look at it like a daytime running light adding a little visibility/safety. The customer service has been excellent and made in USA.

The foirum's quotes are weird these days...

If they are halogen sealed beams, bulb number H6024 or H6017, definately try GE Nighthawks H6024NH.
Light pattern is decent and they draw 55W/65 W; about the same power as the earlier non-Halogen bulbs.
Everyone elses H6024 draws only 35W/65W. Apparently when the new bulb series released, manufacturers decided to keep the low beam light levels about the same and reduce electric draw. (The non-Hologen 6014 bulbs nominally draw 60W/50W)

Bottom line is the H6024NH is decent pattern and brighter low beams than any other H6024 currently available.
They are also probably better all around than any 6014 - certainly pretty much anything made in the past decade or two.