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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    New Haven, CT
    Posts
    1,954

    Default LED headlights

    I've been resisting putting LED headlights in my FSJs because they tend to look like bug eyes, but I'd love to have better illumination.

    These also have the advantage of drawing about half the amps, with current inevitably increasing when going from 24V to 12V. This is only made worse by limitations of the stock light switch.

    Great info here:

    http://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/view...p?f=10&t=14299
    Last edited by Mikel; August 2nd, 2018 at 05:02 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Giddings, Texas
    Posts
    7,729

    Default

    I have been looking at LED for all of my round eye vehicles. $300 for light bulbs just doesn't seem right. Then, as you pointed out there is the look when the lights are off. Thanks for posting a little bit lower cost and much better looking alternative.

    I will go down the lens designed for H4 versus LED light rabbit hole today I guess.
    Remember if you didn't build it you can't call it yours.

    6.2 powered M715, 5 M1009's, M416, 2 M101's, 2 M105's, 3 M35's, M1007 6.5 turbo Suburban project called Cowdog.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCz...HGkBCfhXZ5iuaw

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Fernandina Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,689

    Default

    As for the voltage, 24 vs 12, you could rewire your headlights to be in series connected instead of parallel and then use 12volt LED headlights.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Portlandia, Oregon USA
    Posts
    202

    Default H4 conversion lenses

    I installed these same Hella H4 lenses in my M725 factory headlight frames. I elected to run relays, large 150watt halogen bulbs and fed them with 12 ga wire.
    The light output is now fantastic. The Hella's I got have a small DRL bulb as well, which I wired up to run when ever the engine is running

    I recall that the bulb holder on those H4 lenses wouldn't clear the sheetmetal bracket that holds the back side of the lenses into the headlight body. I trimmed the metal with tin snips to allow that. I know I have pics of that here somewhere.
    Bryce
    1969 M725 ambulance

  5. #5

    Default H4 replacements, 24V

    Quote Originally Posted by Barrman View Post
    I have been looking at LED for all of my round eye vehicles. $300 for light bulbs just doesn't seem right. Then, as you pointed out there is the look when the lights are off. Thanks for posting a little bit lower cost and much better looking alternative.

    I will go down the lens designed for H4 versus LED light rabbit hole today I guess.
    Hey Barrman, have you seen these? https://thosemilitaryguys.com/produc...-approved-pair I haven't had a chance to go down the road with them yet, so I can't say much about them other than they are bright!
    1968 M-715 w/1100R16s on Stockton wheels, H3 headlights, 2bbl upgrade...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Giddings, Texas
    Posts
    7,729

    Default

    I had not seen that add. It doesn’t say LED though. I’m to the point that my vehicles that reglarly travel at more than 55 mph have sylvania silver star halogen bulbs.

    They were a huge improvement over the regular halogen bulbs. However, they degrade over time and are starting to look dim. Especially compared to newer vehicles next to me in traffic when driving where there aren’t street lights. Replacement is going to around $50 for a set just to repeat in another 4 or 5 years.

    HID lights have always been a no go for me because my 30 plus year old vehicle wiring systems couldn’t do it.

    Trucklite LED purpose built bulbs are a bit over $300 a set. I haven’t wanted to make that investment just yet. Plus they look like something from some sci-fi movie.

    The JK Jeep forums are full of pretty opinionated threads about putting LED bulbs in the stock factory H4 headlight lenses. Most give the impression it doesn’t work well without replacing the lense with one meant for LED bulbs. Back to the $300 admission price.

    That $300 gets you plastic lenses. Which besides the cost has been my biggest reason not to get into the LED world. Plastic lenses around here last just a year or so before they cloud up and become useless.

    This thread is about glass lenses with none of the links mentioning lack of light focus or anything about problems getting good light patterns down road. All good. Plus, about 1/3 the price of the purpose built ones. Yes, that is still double my current light cost. But I might make the plunge after some more research into light patterns. I haven’t found any negatives yet.
    Remember if you didn't build it you can't call it yours.

    6.2 powered M715, 5 M1009's, M416, 2 M101's, 2 M105's, 3 M35's, M1007 6.5 turbo Suburban project called Cowdog.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCz...HGkBCfhXZ5iuaw

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Barrman View Post
    I had not seen that add. It doesn’t say LED though. I’m to the point that my vehicles that reglarly travel at more than 55 mph have sylvania silver star halogen bulbs.

    They were a huge improvement over the regular halogen bulbs. However, they degrade over time and are starting to look dim. Especially compared to newer vehicles next to me in traffic when driving where there aren’t street lights. Replacement is going to around $50 for a set just to repeat in another 4 or 5 years.

    HID lights have always been a no go for me because my 30 plus year old vehicle wiring systems couldn’t do it.

    Trucklite LED purpose built bulbs are a bit over $300 a set. I haven’t wanted to make that investment just yet. Plus they look like something from some sci-fi movie.

    The JK Jeep forums are full of pretty opinionated threads about putting LED bulbs in the stock factory H4 headlight lenses. Most give the impression it doesn’t work well without replacing the lense with one meant for LED bulbs. Back to the $300 admission price.

    That $300 gets you plastic lenses. Which besides the cost has been my biggest reason not to get into the LED world. Plastic lenses around here last just a year or so before they cloud up and become useless.

    This thread is about glass lenses with none of the links mentioning lack of light focus or anything about problems getting good light patterns down road. All good. Plus, about 1/3 the price of the purpose built ones. Yes, that is still double my current light cost. But I might make the plunge after some more research into light patterns. I haven’t found any negatives yet.
    I'm with you on all points. I don't like the look of the LED lights for this vehicle. I never considered what affect the lens would have on light patterns. I'm hoping someone above my pay grade figured that out.
    The main reasons I got these is because they are glass, are 24V halogen, and the wiring adapter plugs into the stock harness. If I find a 24V set of Silver Star bulbs that fit they will go in immediately! They are my go-to bulbs as well, not just for going fast, but for 2 lane (or less) side vision too.

    Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
    1968 M-715 w/1100R16s on Stockton wheels, H3 headlights, 2bbl upgrade...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Middleville, mi.
    Posts
    1,245

    Default

    Good timing for this thread. I just sent back some LED headlights I bought for my Wrangler/Cj project. They were pretty bad in my opinion.

    I just ordered the Hella housings. I should get them tomorrow I think. I'll report back with how they function once I've had a chance to test them out. I will be using Halogen bulbs to test them with at first because I already have them but will be trying the Hikari LEDs once I am comfortable with the Hellas performance with what they were designed for initially.

    I bought the military Truck-lites for my second M715. I was a bit disappointed in them. I thought the Chinese knock off JW Speakers I bought for my TJ were better and were less than half the price.

  9. #9

    Default

    I was researching the LED's for fire trucks and why they cost so much...
    You get what you pay for in terms of ruggedness and longevity.
    The housings, heat sinks and circuitry are much more robust on the higher end stuff.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    New Haven, CT
    Posts
    1,954

    Default

    I can't speak about these, but I have LED headlights in my XJ and they get covered with snow, severely reducing light output. Since they generate very little heat, snow does not melt from the lenses. Heated ones are $$$

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