Head light upgrade to LED bulbs

[vicsvx]

It would be nice if someone with the proper testing equipment could do an actual test with different led bulb designs and different housings to show if there really is light scatter. And then give information about the whole situation. Every car forum talks about this but it is all he said she said. Arguments go on for ever. But there hasn't been any actual test done. The only actual argument is omnidirectional vs directional and the length of the light source compared to stock.

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[PuddleJumper]

Don't be that person that puts cheap LED bulbs in a reflector housing. If you want LEDs do it right and buy the complete housing.

And for anyone who wants to chime in how they do it and it's fine, I don't care. Reflector housings are designed for halogen bulbs with 360 degree light emission from a known point. LEDs cannot do this and you will be that asshole everyone bitches about with the misaligned headlights.

I didn't want you to be right but you absolutely are. By the time i got the adjustable bulbs i bought and the housing adjusted to not blind oncoming traffic, The beam pattern barely reaches 20ft. Same with my fogs. Plus another issue, Halogen gets hot, LED doesn't. Which i discovered driving in snow as the slush built up on the housing and wouldn't melt off. Causing me to stop every couple miles and clean the headlights. I will be going to a xeon infused halogen bulbs to remedy my problem as well as yellow Hella halogens for my fogs. I could make the LEDs work but at the cost of being a dick.

 

[wec032]

That raises a question. As much as i thought I wanted to replace my Halogen bulbs with LED’s, has anyone just replaced their Halogen bulbs with some brighter/better? Thanks.

 

[fireproof69]

I will be going to a xeon infused halogen bulbs to remedy my problem as well as yellow Hella halogens for my fogs.

I’d be interested in what you go with. I prefer a yellow light in the lower lights.

on my Ram I went with a yellow film on the housings. I loved the look of it during the day, and the yellow light at night. But after a few years it started to dull and was “cooked” on when I decided to replace the film. Had to use a razor blade to scrape it off!

trying some yellow halogen bulbs before investing in some yellow LED housings would be good. And some better halogen headlight bulbs too.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I’d be interested in what you go with. I prefer a yellow light in the lower lights.

on my Ram I went with a yellow film on the housings. I loved the look of it during the day, and the yellow light at night. But after a few years it started to dull and was “cooked” on when I decided to replace the film. Had to use a razor blade to scrape it off!

trying some yellow halogen bulbs before investing in some yellow LED housings would be good. And some better halogen headlight bulbs too.

I went with a Xenon pro HID kit. aint cheap but actually beams properly. wish it wasn't so white but has the lux and the right distance for me. Ill just compensate with Hella yellow halogen fogs. on the plus side it runs hot as shit so snow doesn't build up on the housings anymore. Also not sure if i should have shoved the driver in the housing to keep the dust sheild on, ill let ya know if i melt my headlights ?. I mess around with water and mud a lot so im not running no cover.

 

[ATL_Rubi]

I went with a Xenon pro HID kit. aint cheap but actually beams properly. wish it wasn't so white but has the lux and the right distance for me. Ill just compensate with Hella yellow halogen fogs. on the plus side it runs hot as shit so snow doesn't build up on the housings anymore. Also not sure if i should have shoved the driver in the housing to keep the dust sheild on, ill let ya know if i melt my headlights ?. I mess around with water and mud a lot so im not running no cover.

How’s the hid kit treating you? I prefer hid over led and my current leds are going out.

 

[PuddleJumper]

How’s the hid kit treating you? I prefer hid over led and my current leds are going out.

its no LED projector but its definitely been great. plus it melts the snow build up lights which is nice.

 

[Great Offender]

I just recently did this and I am pleased with the results. Everything is a nice bright "clean" white. Looking at my old halogen bulbs is like looking at a nicotine stain. Just dingy! No change in bulb height or pattern and have not been flashed at yet.

I went to Amazon and put in my vehicle info to filter the results. I went with Seabright for the headlights and fogs while I used Alla for everything else. The only fail was the tail lights and this seems to be a common issue with the JT - led taillights. Personally think it's a resistance (or lack of) issue but you can probably clear it up with jscan or a tazer.

This is not to say I won't replace the headlights (maybe fog) with some GOOD LED headlights. This was just a temp fix because I hated my old halogen nicotine stained bulbs.

 

[NC_Overland]

Pretty easy upgrade with the bulb swap, don't let the haters tell you anything about "scatter" or any other nonsense about blinding the approaching vehicles, some people just overthink everything.

I really hope this was said in jest. The stock housing is horribly designed and should be illegal and blinds incoming traffic with the stock halogen bulbs. With LED bulbs you’re a menace and deserve to be fined.

The only way to properly do it is with new LED housings. Otherwise you’re that A hole everyone hates and I’ll high beam the shit out of you with my vastly superior LEDs.

 

[Like-a-virgin]

I went with LED's for the fogs, the DRL's, and the headlamps. Just switched the bulbs out, it works great and I'm not getting any codes or having any issues. The only thing I would consider to be a slight problem is that the DRL's/turn signals will overheat if you leave the turn signal on too long, this time of year. When it's really hot outside, the bulbs don't cool down quickly enough and you'll get a fast clicking with the error message on the dash, until you turn them off. I compensate for that by not leaving them on, I'll signal but then if I'm sitting at a light waiting to turn, I'll turn them off until the traffic starts moving again. Works for me, YMMV.

How does the led heat up more than halo? I thought people had icing issues with leds. I’m theee months old on Jeepworld so I’m learning.

 

[texanjeeper]

How does the led heat up more than halo? I thought people had icing issues with leds. I’m theee months old on Jeepworld so I’m learning.

All I can tell you is, that the LED turn signals and headlamps generate heat. Enough to where there are heat sinks built into the assembly. I've never had an issue with my headlamps, but if I leave my turn signals on too long in the summer, or even on a warmer spring day, then sooner or later it will start with the fast signal and I'll get a notification on the dash that the turn signal(s) is/are out. I'd like to find another brand of LED that might stay cooler longer, if that even exists.

 

[Like-a-virgin]

All I can tell you is, that the LED turn signals and headlamps generate heat. Enough to where there are heat sinks built into the assembly. I've never had an issue with my headlamps, but if I leave my turn signals on too long in the summer, or even on a warmer spring day, then sooner or later it will start with the fast signal and I'll get a notification on the dash that the turn signal(s) is/are out. I'd like to find another brand of LED that might stay cooler longer, if that even exists.

Thanks. I never heard that before. Glad you mentioned it.

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Don't be that person that puts cheap LED bulbs in a reflector housing. If you want LEDs do it right and buy the complete housing.

And for anyone who wants to chime in how they do it and it's fine, I don't care. Reflector housings are designed for halogen bulbs with 360 degree light emission from a known point. LEDs cannot do this and you will be that asshole everyone bitches about with the misaligned headlights.

Not if you buy a high quality LED replacement. The type you can still twist in the housing once locked in. That allows you to properly index the LED element to a side to side direction, then adjust according to a 2” drop of the bright horizontal line at a distance of 25-50”, then go out a SEE the darkest road as never seen before with halogen bulbs! If you’re still flashed the lower a bit more. There are YouTube videos that explain it all. The best LED to use as they come out if the box are MORIMOTO TWO STROKE 3.0 H13. Plus psw24 fog light bulbs made to match.

 

[LostWoods]

Not if you buy a high quality LED replacement. The type you can still twist in the housing once locked in. That allows you to properly index the LED element to a side to side direction, then adjust according to a 2” drop of the bright horizontal line at a distance of 25-50”, then go out a SEE the darkest road as never seen before with halogen bulbs! If you’re still flashed the lower a bit more. There are YouTube videos that explain it all. The best LED to use as they come out if the box are MORIMOTO TWO STROKE 3.0 H13. Plus psw24 fog light bulbs made to match.

It's not about quality it's about the origin of light. LEDs don't have the output to allow for a singular point of emission around the bulb and moving the LED even a few mm off axis from the intended beam pattern will cause errant light. You can read into all the bullshit you want from these Chinesium lighting companies selling you this crap but it's just wrong.

It may look fine to you while you test it but you aren't the one driving down the road being blinded by some asshole who believes everything they read on the internet.

 

[Sandman 4x4]

It's not about quality it's about the origin of light. LEDs don't have the output to allow for a singular point of emission around the bulb and moving the LED even a few mm off axis from the intended beam pattern will cause errant light. You can read into all the bullshit you want from these Chinesium lighting companies selling you this crap but it's just wrong.

It may look fine to you while you test it but you aren't the one driving down the road being blinded by some asshole who believes everything they read on the internet.

Really? Inferring I’m an AH? Nice guy. Everything I posted can be backed up on YouTube, using top on the line components in their products. Some of you continue to go about in the dark, more ways than one. Good luck your gonna need it with that attitude.

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