NE1 tried any LED headlight conversions?

Hey, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, New Years, etc etc....

I didn't get results other than halo lights when I searched here for any posts on LED headlight conversions.
I'm thinking the lower amperage draw of LED headlights would improve light output and voltage drop in the wiring without having to go to relays.. ..

Has anyone installed any of the direct replacement, plug-and-play LED headlight products that are available?

There are some from HELLA.. https://smile.amazon.com/HELLA-0023...608756209&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-20

... then there are products from websites that are just resellers of probably Chinese products... with varying customer reviews...
https://ledheadlight.com/products/h...TC_yBeDU3PJIOjNdusN9rCkn-KBoCsc8QAvD_BwE

Cheers,
- Art

What car?

The Amazon link is for halogens.
Kinda funny that the LED conversion pictured uses what looks like household 110V plugs.
6.000K should be quite bright, though.
But my question with LED headlights is how far do they throw the light ?
They're way too bright to look at (oncoming or in the rearview mirror), but I haven't yet seen a great pattern or range.
But to be fair, I haven't yet driven a vehicle with them.

This was just a test - I haven't actually installed these yet. The bulbs are 5000 lumen LED H4 conversion, in a 4x6 sealed beam to H4 conversion housing. So a conversion on a conversion I guess. The housings I got off of eBay for $40 for a set of four and the bulbs are from Superbrightled.com. What was weird is the high/low wiring is reversed on the connector for these bulbs even though its the standard three prong plug. The photos show the LED in low beam mode looking at the car and in high beam mode looking across the street.

Same here, did so many searches for 5 3/4 round headlight conversion kits and for some reason (NOBODY) out there makes a good repro version of this type of sealed beam. First, the glass is wrong not bevelled and the glass fluting or aiming lines are not even close to oem. Also the locating tabs on the back of the glass are off " not clocked right" Dam, I wish there was a nice regular glass type of sealed beam that would put out a nice ,bright led type intensity.

Later, BUZZ

I agree, all I can find are the euro styles which are flat glass, which looks ok in my Dart. I want to convert my 49 International truck, but since everything is curved the flat lights would look funny.

It’s seriously odd that there is no direct replacement yet that looks like the convex shape of the original bulb. At any rate, for me, I did the wiring conversion with relays and ceramic plug ends so that the headlight power is coming directly from the battery. I think that’s a good decision no matter which way you go with headlights.

There's a wack of different ones. If you live in the land of ice and snow, you absolutely need heated ones because they generate no heat and 5 seconds into a snow fall the lights a an inch thick in snow and you can't see.

Link to Iowa 80. Lots of OEM truck stuff but the list has a bunch of conventional type bulbs.

https://www.iowa80.com/lighting/hea...oCNikQAvD_BwE&product_list_limit=110

Kevin

I put a set of 7" round GE Nighthawks LED headlights in my 51 Plymouth.

They light up the night. But I had already converted to 12v and I had replaced the entire wiring harness in the car. No relays though, not really needed.

Not cheap either.

I put 2012 Jeep Wrangler headlamps (using relays) in my '71 Dart GT. It is a bolt in, but you will need the donor wiring connector shell.

I bought into the 4 Delta LEDs for my 71 bee with hidden headlamps. I had a relay set up for halogens but it is not necessary.

Pros:
Made in USA
6000 K white light
Plenty of lumens
Curved bulbs similar to OEM
Great distance and illumination for low beams vs halogens
Even better distance with high beams. Maybe 150+ yards.
High beams have a full developed pattern
Significantly reduced amp draw vs halogens


Cons:
EXPENSIVE. My restoration guy is a dealer so I got a better price.
The lense line pattern on the bulb glass is similar to but does not match OEM style The lense curve is slightly flatter compared to OEM (With hidden head lamps its no problem.)
Low beam pattern is oddly splotchy up close to the car but blends in at about 50 feet due to the LEDs. I am used to it.
Buckets needed to be slightly trimmed, no big deal.


I bought these for Drag Week 2020 to enhance night driving. I raced last year and found the halogens lacking. I am satisfied with the purchase.

There are other MFGs with cheaper set ups. They had less lumens and lower K temps.

https://www.deltalights.com/5-3-4-led-headlight-kit-hi-lo-system/p25

this comparison is like apples to kumquats, but i got some 6k 9007 [?] LED bulbs [with the little fan motors] for my wife's 1994 chrysler concorde.
anyone who has driven one of those, or the dodge intrepid or eagle version of it, know how bad those headlights were when they were new.
anyway, these bulbs have a definitely different pattern, but did improve the lights. not by a lot, but enough to be noticeable.
it did, however, take a bunch of screwing around to get them aimed so you could see.
nobody has given the high beams yet [after a couple of night drives], so the aim must be close.

now the 5 3/4" sealed beam aircraft landing lights, [for high beams] now THOSE throw the light !!
it's a good idea to use relays with them. also, don't stand in front of them. they get kinda warm.

I have common H4 "upgrade" housings with drop-in amazon LED headlights. Thus far they have been great and I have not been flashed by anyone.

Seems pretty normal today that even factory headlights are remarkably blinding to oncoming traffic..

Me neither, Goody, but I keep cruising past Victoria’s Secret hoping to get lucky.

Just make sure whatever you use is actually designed properly and not too bright, Nothing worse then driving towards some car with aftermarket headlights that the pattern aims them right at oncoming traffic or they have as much light output as hi beams.

If you are running the factory OEM wiring harness, please don't hook your relays up at the battery.

If anyone tells you or suggest that on a muscle era factory OEM wired mopar... RUN!!!!!

Go check out 'Modern Bulitt Build' over in the member projects section >>>> LINKY

Keepat used LED bulbs from Delta on his '68 Charger project. He bought them from Classic Industries.

Any questions, ask him, not me!

Thank for all the replies!

So, there's a lot to look into..

The backstory is I installed relays in my Alfa Romeo. It wasn't hard and it made a noticeable difference in light output and reduced heat build-up at the light switch - a very common weakness in the GTV6.

So, thinking the same for our Satellites, which are running four/two Wagner sealed-beam halogens. Then I wondered why not modern LED headlights.
The '67 has a glitchy hi-beam switch I need to troubleshoot, and I know the light output is a little dim because of the voltage drop across all that wiring, so I might as well upgrade while I'm sorting out the glitches.

Blinding oncoming traffic?.. why would that be a problem with LED headlights any more than conventional lights - the headlight buckets are fully adjustable up/down and side to side for the right lightcast! .. or do Mopar owners no longer know how to adjust headlight patterns? ...am I missing something?

I'll read through and check all your links again to educate myself more, see if I can map out an approach that makes sense for me.
I like the Jeep conversion on the Dart above, even if it's a little more work. I could try it on the '65, see how it looks with the modern reflector appearance..

I'd only install relays if I keep the sealed beam halogens.
- Art

• An H4 housing is designed for an H4 halogen bulb, which is very much standardized in shape and light pattern, the optics are built around that.
• Most any "H4" LED you find will be whatever shaped bulb that happens to fit into an H4 socket. Not ideal.
• Typical retrofit LEDs will "scatter" light much more when retrofitted into a different housing. The optics aren't tuned for it, nor isn't something up/down left/right adjustments will cure.

That said, I currently have H4 LEDs retrofitted into a halogen housing. It's not ideal, but it is working fine. I simply don't want the daytime appearance of a modern "LED headlight" on my car, they look out of place to me on muscle cars.

Stay away far away of the blue tinted bulbs. They put out less useable light and are very aggravating to other drivers. I'm very happy with halogen at 5000k for brightness and reach.

So where do you hook up a relay?

Alternator output stud via a fuse or fusible link.

Ok, but most bypass the amp meter and connect the alternator directly to the battery?

Some of us know what an ammeter is good for too.