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LED headlights

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 7:17 pm
by geckoadventure
Has anyone tried any of the new LED headlights or got advice on them?

The appear to be getting popular with the LR mods from about $400USD a pair.

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 7:40 pm
by dokatd
The LR world has been doing them for a very long time now. They work very well but do have some trade offs. It's all about the lens

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 9:05 pm
by VinceAtReal4x4s
The Pinz headlight is the same. Check these posts too.
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6732

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 6:28 am
by aclark79
I went with the truck-lite lights. They have been fantastic with no flicker and a ton of light. They were just plug and play. Just don't plug them in when the trucks on... I did blow my headlight relay being a dummy.

One went in super easy, the other one was a little more of a challenge because the screws on the bezzle were so old and rusty that I had to replace them and do a little work to get the light to be centered properly. They are just the right size, but I believe any of this style of light should fit fine.


http://www.amazon.com/Truck-Lite-27270C ... ge_o08_s02

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Re: LED headlights

Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 5:41 pm
by dokatd
You can get a generic version of the truck lite on eBay for about $130 plus S&H

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:25 am
by cavetroll
I have some of the generic ones in my 303 and they are a massive improvement over the stock head lights or even halogen units.

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:32 am
by rmel
Generic? Meaning a knockoff?

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:03 pm
by dokatd
Depends on how you define knock off. Really it's more likely that truck light is buying these from an Asian source who is also selling them under a generic brand as well. The EBay units may be a bit lighter plastic etc, but I would bet they are molded in the same factory.

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:23 pm
by Jimm391730
Lots have commented on how great LED headlights are - Yes, I have a set of the ORIGINAL Trucklights in my 712W so I can honestly compare them to the 75W halogens that I had in the stock Pinz headlamps: The LEDs (on low beam) do NOT seem to make nearly as much light as the halogens did. The LED beam is bright, but very limited to just straight ahead, in my lane. Compared to the halogen bulbs and reflectors there is very little light spill to the sides. Living on a very winding road, half the time the light is off to the side and not where I will be soon driving. High beams are OK, actually very good at both long distance lighting and side spill lighting but I can't run high beams with much oncoming traffic.

I have not had the opportunity to compare these older style LEDs with the newer (newest?) designs. I hope that the problem I have seen has been remedied. The LEDs do draw less current but that is of no benefit if I can't see well enough to use them. I have gotten used to them but most of the time I also turn on my "fog lights" that are a flood beam pattern, each aimed out to each side to illuminate the white fog line and ditches. This makes the tight curves much more visible and comfortable driving. But I can almost turn OFF the LEDs in this condition, only loosing a bit of illumination straight ahead beyond the reach of the fog lights.

In conclusion, the LED high beams are as good or slightly better than the high wattage (75W is more than the stock 55W bulbs) halogens, but low beams are very tightly focused directly ahead and would be fine on straight roads but are poor on tight curves. Just food for thought, YMMV.

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:17 pm
by rmel
Trucklite is US made with a 3 year warranty, JW Speaker is also US made. Both have
been cloned by Chinese knock-offs -- you won't get a decent warranty with them. As
far as illumination patterns go, Headlight Revolution has some decent tests they posted
on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syCRMmV0-Bg

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:14 pm
by GadgetPhreak
I just picked up the new Vision X vortex LED headlights, along with an adapter that keeps the low beams on when you switch to high so you get both light sources simultaneously. I am installing them next week so I'll grab som before and after shots showing the lighting difference. Here's the link http://www.visionxusa.com/shop/7-vortex-led-headlight/


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Re: LED headlights

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 11:54 am
by rmel
The reviews always seem to come down to JW Speaker, Trucklite and VisionX as
top rated.

No one has fessed up getting a JW to fit in a Pinz headlight bucket, the spec on the
unit looks tight. Many have had no issues with Trucklite. It will be interesting to see
how it goes for you with VisionX, would give another option.

Here's the review of 12 headlights, note the comment on the Chinese knokoffs not all
being DOT compliant, and wildly false marketing lumen numbers -- a risk not worth taking IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZT6QqHHOo

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:56 am
by GadgetPhreak
This week I installed the new Vision-X Vortex 7" LED headlights http://www.visionxusa.com/shop/7-vortex-led-headlight/ into my 1972 710M. Overall the install was pretty straightforward.

The previous owner had installed an aftermarket H4 headlight assembly already, by cutting off the stock connector and crimping on spade connectors which were then attached to the headlight assembly. The Vortex connector spades are wider than those used by the previous owner so before further shortening the wires I made a short adapter for each connection by placing a standard male spade connector on one end and a widened female connector on the other end to connect to the headlights. I fitted the adapter cable in place and added some electrical tape to ensure everything was secure.

To enable the outer halo rings to come on separately I used the stock wire for night mode - which the previous owner had cut off and left floating without any tape or insulation of any kind :-( - and fed that into the line for the outer rings.

Now when I turn light switch to the first click the outer rings come on, and the second click the lights come on. The outer rings make a nice ambient light when working in the dark but you don't want to blind people with full lights.

Currently there are two distinct sets of LEDs, one set for low beam (which includes two down facing LEDs on the side for illumination directly in front of the vehicle) and one high intensity LED for high beams. There is an additional adapter (which I will add when I go back in to remove my temporary adapters and solder all the connections) which keeps the low beams on when the high beam comes on, for maximum illumination from all LEDs. I will be doing that this weekend and will share some additional thoughts at that point.

Overall I am extremely pleased, the light pattern is amazing, didn't have a single car flash me to complain about my lighting, and from recollection they seem much better patter than the truck-lites that I ran in my Jeep. They fit great and provide outstanding lighting from the stock 24v system.

I'll put up a few pictures in my next post. I'll also try to get some night pictures showing the illumination soon and post those up as well.

Re: LED headlights

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:58 am
by GadgetPhreak
Pictures...
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Re: LED headlights

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:15 pm
by rmel
That's good news, we can now add VisionX along with Trucklite as an option
that fits in the Pinz headlight bucket.