LED conversion?

[Goofyexponent]

What are your guys' ideas on complete LED install for all the exterior lights?

I might do the dash lights as well, but I will have to see about cost. I can get the LED headlight bulbs for cheap, but are they like HID's and blind everyone?

I want to cut down on battery usage, try and save them a little longer, and headlights seem like a good start.

Besides not getting warm enough to melt ice and snow, drawing a LOT less power and lasting forever, what are the other pros/cons you all ran into when you started using them?

 

[Diesel_brad]

I was unaware of a LED replacement bulb. I have seen LED headlights for anything that uses a sealed beam light but not for composite headlights..

I get all my LED replacement bulbs from here
http://www.superlumination.com/

 

[Goofyexponent]

I was unaware of a LED replacement bulb. I have seen LED headlights for anything that uses a sealed beam light but not for composite headlights..

I get all my LED replacement bulbs from here
http://www.superlumination.com/

I found some on Ebay. They are a weird looking unit, but I did some research on them and what I found was promising. They are a pure white like a flashlight, and draw something like 95% less amps than a traditional bulb. That would cut down on the draw by a LOT on the light switch. Even though I have teh headlight relay mod donw, and am about to do the park light light relay mod I want to cut down on power usage period!

 

[Brimmstone]

I googled them just to see. I want to know what you think of there light output. Looks like something I need to do to my trucks.

 

[DaytonaBill]

Um, don't LED's get dimmer as they age? Or am I confusing them with fluorescent bulbs?

 

[Brimmstone]

I have several dozen LED lights here and none of them are anything near dim. I believe you are thinking of fluorescent bulbs.

 

[The Warden]

Um, don't LED's get dimmer as they age? Or am I confusing them with fluorescent bulbs?

As I understand it, some LED's dim as they age, but these are mostly the cheaper, lower quality variants. I had this happen with an LED nightlight I keep in my bathroom...it went from being almost too bright to being almost useless in less than a year. But, for $5 at Wally-World, you get what you pay for

I'm not too keen on using LED's for the headlights, but I plan to replace all of my running lights with LED's when $$ allows. IIRC if you're going to replace your turn signals with LED's, you need to replace the turn signal and hazard light flashers...otherwise the stock flasher will think that all the bulbs are burnt out and go into "failed bulb" mode and either flash ridiculously quick or not flash at all.

One other concern for you guys who have to deal with that cold white stuff is that I've heard that LED bulbs are cool enough that they don't heat the lenses enough to melt any snow/ice off of them, and that has developed a problem for semis. Don't know how much of a problem that will be for you, but it's something to think about...

I wish someone sold an LED purpose-built tail light lens for our trucks similar to these (meant for the '99+ trucks):

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I've seen some setups that are all LED for our trucks, but they end up making the truck look riced-out...at least the above design looks like it was meant to be there, but AFAIK no one makes a similar light for the '80-'97 trucks

 

[93cc7.3]

i have all led running lights except the taillights and front turn signals which i soon hope to replace.
ive put leds on all my vehicles ive looked at building my own taillights using breadboard kits from www.superbrightleds.com to make lightslike the ones posted earlier

 

[The Warden]

ive looked at building my own taillights using breadboard kits from www.superbrightleds.com to make lightslike the ones posted earlier

If you end up doing this, PLEASE post a how-to with pictures!! I've put some thought into doing similar (either using breadboard kits or somehow integrating two semi truck tail light assemblies inside the factory housings), but I haven't figured out a way to do it while making it look as "factory-original" as possible. I'm VERY interested in what you end up doing with this

 

[93cc7.3]

i will defently keep everyone informed its one of those time and money things but things are looking better for both of those lol i also what to put stobes on all the light fixtures cab lights and everything but thats longer down the road

 

[yARIC008]

I found some on Ebay. They are a weird looking unit, but I did some research on them and what I found was promising. They are a pure white like a flashlight, and draw something like 95% less amps than a traditional bulb. That would cut down on the draw by a LOT on the light switch. Even though I have teh headlight relay mod donw, and am about to do the park light light relay mod I want to cut down on power usage period!

Got a link? You said in your first post you can get the LED headlights for cheap and everyone here is saying the cheap ones suck

Anyawys, from what i've found, the high powered LED needs really good cooling. If they are anything like the ones I installed you have to have some serious heat sinks for them not to burn themselves out in short order. I would be weary of any plug and play LED headlight mod as they are more than likely not going to meet DOT regs for light output. If they do meet the light output requirements then they are most likely not going to be cheap.

 

[Goofyexponent]

Got a link? You said in your first post you can get the LED headlights for cheap and everyone here is saying the cheap ones suck

Anyawys, from what i've found, the high powered LED needs really good cooling. If they are anything like the ones I installed you have to have some serious heat sinks for them not to burn themselves out in short order. I would be weary of any plug and play LED headlight mod as they are more than likely not going to meet DOT regs for light output. If they do meet the light output requirements then they are most likely not going to be cheap.

So I should keep looking? The ones I looked at were too cheap to be true. Although all the running lights I am going to get from that link Brad posted.....I will have to keep looking for headlights that meet DOT standards....HID's are just not for me.

 

[93cc7.3]

So I should keep looking? The ones I looked at were too cheap to be true. Although all the running lights I am going to get from that link Brad posted.....I will have to keep looking for headlights that meet DOT standards....HID's are just not for me.

have you looked into new diamond clear housings.

i havent done this on the dually yet but on my jimmy i put diamond clear lenses headlight relay mod with heavy gauge wire everywhere and some Sylviana silver star ultra bulbs often times people thought i had hid.

along with all those if you put the 100watt "offroad only" bulbs you would be at hid level with less glare

 

[franklin2]

IIRC if you're going to replace your turn signals with LED's, you need to replace the turn signal and hazard light flashers...otherwise the stock flasher will think that all the bulbs are burnt out and go into "failed bulb" mode and either flash ridiculously quick or not flash at all.

I will bring this up again. LED's on the turn/brake circuit bulbs will cause them to malfunction unless you have a different flasher or use resistors in the taillight units to increase the load of the circuit to simulate the regular bulbs.

 

[The Warden]

I will bring this up again. LED's on the turn/brake circuit bulbs will cause them to malfunction unless you have a different flasher or use resistors in the taillight units to increase the load of the circuit to simulate the regular bulbs.

Thanks for checking my memory IIRC some sites that sell LED bulbs also sell flashers that are specifically meant to work with LED bulbs. Seems like a better option than wiring in resistors to me?