Need to add LED aux lighting to a couple vehicles. Will test on my old Tacoma and plan a purchase for the Superduty. SD has very poor high beam as y'all know. I just want to add a light bar rather than mess around with retro-fitting the OEM headlights.

Do LEDs need a relay?

How does one compare LED to say 100w halogen?

What have you put on your truck?

Thanks,
Mike

 

You can get LED headlights in the 2017 SuperDuty.

 

In my experience Rough Country LED lights - bars and individual, perform as well as do Rigid lights which cost considerably more. And yes you will need a relay- Rough Country and Rigid lights both are available with easy to install wiring kits that have a relay. Or if you have the optional auxiliary switches in your SD, they already utilize relays you can take advantage of.

 

If your headlights are aimed a tad high, say from the load in the back or just poor aiming from the factory, your low beams do not deliver light to the correct places (they overshoot the road), and your high beams are near worthless. Contrary to popular belief, adjusting them lower often improves performance dramatically.

But more lights properly aimed are always better.

 

Thanks.
Was not aware that the upfitter switches went through relays.

 

Yes, all upfitters use a relay and fuse. Upfitters are fused with different amperage fuses, iirr the #1&2@ 25 amp, #3@10amp, #4@7.5 amp, so be sure to look in manual for the proper switch # to use for amperage needed.

I know the current rage is all for led bars, they are cool and brite...
Might want to consider some high power hid driving lights that mount easily in a hole all ready in the bumper, like I did. You can get square or round ones...

To me, most inexpensive led light bars are very very floody. They're nice. Great for off road slower speed use, but high speed hyw use, more of a spot/driving/euro beam is much better imo. On a divided hyw thats lanes are far enough apart from each direction to allow safe non blinding oncoming traffic hi beam use, a spot beam will be ok many times where a very floody led bar will blind anything even at a large angle to you.
For long distance high beam type use HID can't be beat. Thats why most trophy trucks/desert racers have both led & hid...

jmo

 

The lights do suck. I have HID fogs, ridgid D2's in the bumper and rough country LED bar in the grill. The HID fogs throw out tons of light but I do get flashed at times since I lifted it.

 

My setup consists of two Rough Country LED light bar grille kits and a pair of Vision X 4.5" Light Cannons. This setup will literally turn night into day.

 

I went with a HID retrofit on the headlights, a Baja Designs LED bar, Baja Designs LED fog replacement, and Baja Designs LED reverse lights. You cannot use any off road designed light with oncoming traffic. However, when the roads are clear... these lights literally turn night into day.

The HID retrofit while expensive, definitely gave me the best bang for the buck because I can use them all of the time.

 

SHOpar.....Those "Cannons" will get deep in the pockets. $449 a set. BUT, I like the way they light up.


Hump

 

I ordered a LED light bar from Amazon that is a spot/flood combo. I'll see how it does. If I don't like it I'll put it on the wife's van or my Tacome.

I remember seeing where to buy the upfitter switches listed on here, but can't find that info at the moment.

Link, please?

 

See below to see how I added 2 rows of curved led's to the grille.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...the-cheap.html

 

Nice install, shade.


Any help on switch vendor, anyone?

 

Exactly!!!! I never had a vehicle with better lights actually