Topic: LED Lights

[jfrabat]

Have any of you tried those LED light bulb conversions they sell on eBay?  I was wondering if they are worth a try...  I see that they have both H3 and H4, which means, theoretically, I could swap the main lights, the fog lights, and the long range lights...  (they have many options; not sure if the linked ones are the BEST option).

I wonder if these have enough juice (illumination) to really compete with the current bulbs, though...  I am also considering swaping out the dash incandescent lights with LED's (in fact, i am considering RED LED's, so that all my interior lighting matches and becomes red at night), and I DID order the LED light bulbs for the courtesy light, along with the passanger side courtesy light switch and mount, and a dome light to be installed in the Tuffy overhead console (all to be wired together) so that the interior lights up when I open the door in a way in which it actually does SOME good!.

Anyway, have any of you done any kind of LED mods to your lights?  I know LED lightbars work pretty good, but what about these?  Or is this as good an idea as replacing the bulb for and HID retrofit kit (which never works well and always ends up blinding oncoming traffic)?

Felipe

[sharpxmen]

i bought the ones for the stop lights but they are too dim to be safe, they work but you get what you pay for (if you want quality buy name brand, the ebay cheap ones are out of spec overstock from China).

[Jeffy]

I'm in the process of replacing the underdash light with a LED strip.  Rear lights are already LED's.  Nothing fancy but they are bright.  I'm be weary of LED bulbs for the headlights though.  You'll also need H4 conversion's as well.  If you're still on sealed beams I suggesting going with Euro Spec H4 conversion first.

[jfrabat]

I'm in the process of replacing the underdash light with a LED strip.  Rear lights are already LED's.  Nothing fancy but they are bright.  I'm be weary of LED bulbs for the headlights though.  You'll also need H4 conversion's as well.  If you're still on sealed beams I suggesting going with Euro Spec H4 conversion first.

Mine have been H4's for at least 5 years, so no need to convert...

[dwtaylorpdx]

I put my Cibie H4 conversion is about 3 weeks after I bought my YJ in 1994..

I rode in a friends YJ the other day that still had the sealed beams.. Thought I was going to die..

Dave

[sharpxmen]

sealed ones work ok for me - as long as I buy the good ones, the $5 put as much light as they cost. the best ones i had were the xvision when they made the 70w (i think) but since they are not DOT approved anymore they stopped selling them here. I had the clear lens conversion and took them off (didn't like the look of the Jeep with those for some reason, was too modern).

[Jeffy]

Well, with H4's you can swap the bulbs out for different ones.  Mine are the legal 60/55w IIRC.  With the euro spec lens, they are a huge improvement over the sealed beams. Especially if the sealbeams aren't E-code.  You can get 130/90w, 100/55w and 85/55 as well.  Then there are the fancier xenon's that are brighter even though they have a normal wattage output.  I haven't bothered since the 60/55 bulbs are cheap and I already get flashed by the occasional oncoming cars.

The problem I see with using a higher wattage high-beam is that you all of the coverage from the low-beam.  You really need to run both the high and low beams together. But that's another problem.

[jfrabat]

You really need to run both the high and low beams together. But that's another problem.

That's why I have 2 sets of aux lights...

[dwtaylorpdx]

My Cibies look just like a sealed beam, but use H4 bulbs, I run the 100W High over 60W low beam.

I also have a pair of Rally 2000 Hella H3's between them... If needed.. 150W 8" reflectors with Driving lenses.. Owned them for 30 years.. Nothing compares.. Have pencil beam lenses too for those occasional desert adventures..

[Mozman68]

My JW Speaker LED headlights are the best lights I have ever run...even better than the xenons on my Audi. The problem with LED headlights right now is that it is like the time when I had the xenons on my Audi back in the early 2000's; everyone thinks your brights are on when they aren't.

[sharpxmen]

My JW Speaker LED headlights are the best lights I have ever run...even better than the xenons on my Audi. The problem with LED headlights right now is that it is like the time when I had the xenons on my Audi back in the early 2000's; everyone thinks your brights are on when they aren't.

they shouldnt as long as they (the bulbs) are set for low beam (if they had the cutover properly, otherwise the beam goes into the guy's eyes from opposite traffic). problem with the bright ones are when they're not adjusted to the proper down angle.

[dwtaylorpdx]

Color temp is a big deal as well, I find the ones with a blue tint screw up my night vision badly.. My BMW has Xenon HID headlights and they are a solar white not blue white, love the visibility..

If you use LED replacement bulbs in marker/turn/brake the LED needs to match the lens cover. Red LED's shine brightly through a red lens, white not so much because a lot of the white light is blue and the red lens blocks it..

Cool toys..

[Mozman68]

they shouldnt as long as they (the bulbs) are set for low beam (if they had the cutover properly, otherwise the beam goes into the guy's eyes from opposite traffic). problem with the bright ones are when they're not adjusted to the proper down angle.

They are aimed correctly and have a cutoff as clean as high end xenon lights...that's why I bought these over other LED versions (like TruckLITE).

The issue is the brightness of the lights tricking people into thinking I have my high beams on when the cutoff is clearly below their ey level.

You'll see what I mean as they become more popular. Very few cars use them as regular low beams...Acura is where I see them most often.

[Jeffy]

They are aimed correctly and have a cutoff as clean as high end xenon lights...that's why I bought these over other LED versions (like TruckLITE).

The issue is the brightness of the lights tricking people into thinking I have my high beams on when the cutoff is clearly below their ey level.

You'll see what I mean as they become more popular. Very few cars use them as regular low beams...Acura is where I see them most often.

I'm sure having the light 3ft off the ground doesn't help much.  I think that's the main reason I get flashed.

[grumpygy]

I get flashed from time to time, Just flash them back once they see what the high beams are like  they stop.