Arctic Ambulance

[nelstomlinson]

Holley is selling Morimoto LED sealed beam replacements. I bought a pair for my Mercedes, and so far so good. Might be good for a bullnose, but I haven't found anything ready made for the bricknose.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's the good thing about the Aussie set up. It lets you run Bull Nose sealed beam lights in your Brick Nose. Again, not cheap, but I think they would be worth it. I can't stand how the plastic lights all turn yellow over the years.

 

[nelstomlinson]

For the price of the Aussie kit you could buy some smooth face replacement housings and a set of those Morimoto LED projectors. I might yet do that for my brown truck. In the mean time, the brown truck has new housings with Hella bulbs, that's merely poor, instead of miserably inadequate.

 

[Bart F-350]

I find the way those standard units project the light on the road horrible!, those two dot's of light!
maybe that was ok for a T-Ford, but not for our trucks!
I refuse to but these standard light units again, and go look for something different as well.
are there some better images of how these Aussie units are installed/mounted?

 

[nelstomlinson]

I stayed up late enough last night to drive around in the dark a bit. I had the lights adjusted a little high, got flashed by oncoming drivers, so I stopped and adjusted them down a bit. Success! Now the road signs aren't lit up on low beam, but are on high. Nobody flashes me. The cutoff is WAY better than the original, and even on low beam there's a good spread of light.

It's still hard to see the moose. Any light is going to leave shadows, no way around that. When the snow comes back in a week or three it'll be a lot easier to see at night.

 

[Bart F-350]

you'll laugh when I tell you this, but do you know why it's hard to see moose with LED lights?
because basicly LED lighting is based on blue light, where Halogen is based on yellow light.
And in all that is at the side of the road, apart from road signs and the alike, there is hardly any blue's, but more browns reds and greens.
therefore, Led lighting has many benefits, but the one I mentioned is a Big drawback!
Imagine if you could spot that moose or whatever else at the side of the road just that little bit earlier, could make a difference between a accident or not.
and I didn't even mention the melting off the snow, that Halogen has and most LED doesn't.

 

[nelstomlinson]

Yes, that's the downside to high color temp lights. We'll have snow soon, and then we can see a lot better at night.

Edited to add: We don't get much wet snow or freezing rain here in the Interior, so I'm not too worried about the lenses icing up. Don't let them get above freezing and there's no way the snow will stick.

At the Deadhorse airport they found that halogen centerline runway lights would keep snow melted off, LEDs with no heaters would stay cool and let the snow just blow on by, but LED lights with heaters would ice up - the heater was just enough to _cause_ icing.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

We don't get much wet snow or freezing rain here in the Interior, so I'm not too worried about the lenses icing up. Don't let them get above freezing and there's no way the snow will stick.

I usually wipe the snow away from the headlights while I'm clearing the windshield. All while the engine's running to warm up. That's ok though. I'm the weirdo who's at the gas stations cleaning off the headlights after I'm done with the windshield. It does make a difference.

 

[nelstomlinson]

Most of the winter our snow is a dry dust, doesn't stick much, but definitely drifts. At least the drifts don't get rock hard like up north.

 

[Cant Write]

I usually wipe the snow away from the headlights while I'm clearing the windshield. All while the engine's running to warm up. That's ok though. I'm the weirdo who's at the gas stations cleaning off the headlights after I'm done with the windshield. It does make a difference.

Put me in that weirdo group too!!

Also, I will grab a handful of fresh snow and wipe it on the headlights in the dark to clean them up. Even do it on the taillights.

You’re right, makes a heck of a difference. And the clean snow removes all that road grime right quick.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I've done that trick too. Mostly after driving through a lot of slush when everything is grimy from other vehicles throwing spray.

 

[klook]

Since yours is a 94 e350 and mine is a 92, and they are very similar in size if not identical, can I ask how much reverse curve there is in your rear leaf springs? I have 9 leaves and am thinking about replacing them.

 

[nelstomlinson]

I'll check tomorrow. From memory, there is reverse curve. Here is a photo I found on my phone, doesn't really show the curve.

 

[klook]

Thanks, mine have quite a bit of curve. When I contacted a spring company they said the 9 and 10 leaf spring packs have a flat contour but when I asked if mine should be curved they would not respond. It has been impossible to get an opinion from anyone that should know. Not sure why.

 

[nelstomlinson]

Is yours a box truck/ambulance, or a regular van?

MG Metalworks sells a 2wd lift kit for these econolines. Bent I beams and longer radius arms up front, suitable springs all around and so on. If I ever change springs on this rig, I'll seriously consider going that route.