Apparently, I've been the asshole for the past 4 months (BEAMTECH LED replacement bulbs)

[Rahkmalla]

Bought beamtech led replacement bulbs for my gladiator based on recommendations and assurances that led replacements for halogen reflector housings had come a long way. Installed them and noticed a pretty serious cut-off line. Not quite projector housing crisp, but it looked like a clean-enough on/off. I figured driving at night would be the test. I got highbeamed once the first night, but i was cresting a hill and could clearly see my line was elevated because of the terrain and the person who flashed me was blinding me prior to the flash as well. So i wrote that off. I generally don't drive at night that often so it barely really came up again. I've never gotten multiple flashes on any given day, and the flashes i do get were usually 1-3 weeks apart.

Well, standard time (thank god it's gone next year) came around, and suddenly i'm driving in the dark more often. No increase in highbeamings though. But i did have occasion to drive behind my wife last night. She called me on the drive to ask if i had my highbeams on. No, definitely not. She said "holy fuck are those bright"... bright all the time or just when i hit bumps? "Bright all the time, but worse some moments"

Well fuck.

Final question "Bright like 'wow, that's a bright headlight' or 'look at this fucking asshole' bright?"

Asshole bright.

Just finished up putting my halogens back in. Can't wait for the Diode Dynamics black friday sale on their new projectors!

No such thing as a free lunch i guess.

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[In3briatedPanda]

did you aim them?

i put a 3.5 inch lift on mine and immediately was being flashed in the morning. they were stupid high. I adjusted them down and no more flashes.

I run factory LEDS

 

[Rahkmalla]

did you aim them?

i put a 3.5 inch lift on mine and immediately was being flashed in the morning. they were stupid high. I adjusted them down and no more flashes.

I run factory LEDS

Yes, i aimed them after i put my 35s on

Your factory LEDS are a projector housing like LEDs are supposed to be in. I tried to cheap my way into brighter lights because I thought the tecnology had advanced. Turns out only the marketing has advanced because the tech for LEDs in reflector housings is still the same as it's always been, zero

 

[ChrisNLA]

I'm running Beamtech LED bulbs. I have not driven ahead of myself to see if they are bothersome. I did aim them lower purposely after installing them though to limit the potential issue. I have never been flashed by another driver with them.

But - to sound like a bit of a dick - I'm personally not switching back. I pass tons of new vehicles, like brand new F150's and Silverado's, that I know have OEM LED's and find them to be offensively bright. So - everyone can have a taste back I guess.

 

[Benbean66]

I was thinking about doing the same thing with Led bulbs to my Sport, but I too, am holding out for a set of @Diode Dynamics Max Elites

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yes, i aimed them after i put my 35s on

Your factory LEDS are a projector housing like LEDs are supposed to be in. I tried to cheap my way into brighter lights because I thought the tecnology had advanced. Turns out only the marketing has advanced because the tech for LEDs in reflector housings is still the same as it's always been, zero

KC & Quadratec both sell LED headlights that are DOT compliant that are not projectors. I had the Quadratec ones on my JK for about 5 years. I think the factory (OEM Mopar) JK LED headlights are also not projectors.

 

[berb]

do you have a link to the Beamtech bulbs you bought? I would love a set of insanely bright bulbs.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I had a Gladiator behind me the other day on the way home and his LEDs were bright as f***. Blinded the shi* out of me. Don’t know what he had put in but they were terrible. And this was through my tinted back window and with the auto dim mirror in my Gladiator.

 

[JRobes]

If you have a clean cutoff line with the beamtech LED bulbs and you're still getting flashed, you need to aim them down more.

An easy way to know if they're too high (besides getting flashed by everyone) is to watch where the bulbs are illuminating the backs of vehicles in front of you when in traffic while you're behind them 25' or so, you should be able to tell if you're shining your lights into their side mirrors. I pulled my JT up to several parked cars on side streets at night (creepy, I know) to test this way and made sure my cutoff line was a few inches below where they'd start to hit their side mirrors.

Keep in mind if you don't have them quite down far enough and your vehicle bounces on the road as you drive oncoming traffic is going to get a repeating flashing effect of getting the bulbs full brightness and low brightness because of the bouncing cutoff line. I'd bet you're right at this point which arguably is worse than if you had them way too high and oncoming traffic was just getting the bulbs full brightness without the bounce.

Fine tune yours a little more and I'm sure you'll be good to go, I've been running mine for 2 years now and no flashes after proper aiming.

Edit, added a pic of the bulb differences to show they have very similar patterns in the OEM housing.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I've been running beamtech headlights and rarely get flashed and have been in front of my jeep while my wife drove and they don't seem any brighter than my wife's BMW X5 50I headlights are when she's behind me. I do have 3-1/4 inches of lift and have them adjusted accordingly. Like seriously I have not been flashed but like 3 times in a year and half. My fog light LED bulbs are a different story. If I put them on I get flashed by ever other vehicle I pass and they have been adjusted but they suck. I only use them if I need to

 

[In3briatedPanda]

Yes, i aimed them after i put my 35s on

Your factory LEDS are a projector housing like LEDs are supposed to be in. I tried to cheap my way into brighter lights because I thought the tecnology had advanced. Turns out only the marketing has advanced because the tech for LEDs in reflector housings is still the same as it's always been, zero

GOTCHA! I misunderstood. My bad. Thank you!

 

[AmishMike]

Just FYI this week brought one of those heavy wet snows, my factory LEDs were caked in snow within a few miles.

 

[JRobes]

Just FYI this week brought one of those heavy wet snows, my factory LEDs were caked in snow within a few miles.

Get the Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro fogs for these situations, crazy bright and produce enough heat to melt snow. South Dakota driver here and love them for this reason.

I might as well be a brand ambassador at this point for how much a praise them (ahem, @Diode Dynamics ?, would love to test your new Elite series headlights too...)

 

[Rockabillyroy]

sometimes those bulbs are not clocked correctly. But yeah, if you don't get a sharp cut off line, might as well move on to another solution. There's too many good products out there to run junk lights.

Good luck

 

[Rubiwoo]

Final question "Bright like 'wow, that's a bright headlight' or 'look at this fucking asshole' bright?"

Asshole bright.

That's funny stuff right there.

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