I have been looking at the LED replacement headlights as an inexpensive way to increase the light output of the OEM headlights. Has anybody installed them? Do they really increase the light output/do they light up the road better? Any thoughts, views, opinions are more than welcome.

 

It's hard to imagine you can get any brighter than the 2016 OEM lights without blinding oncoming drivers if your lights are properly aimed.

If it's a problem with long distance lighting then get some driving lights. Just remember, driving lights should be wired via a relay so they only come on with high beams.

For really cheap, make sure you're actually getting 14+ volts at the lights with the engine running.

 

I run LED headlights. With LEDs you get less of a spotlight effect and more of a light up everything effect. This has helped me tremendously to see road/street signs when driving at night. For some states with vehicle inspections you might get nailed for having them and fail inspection. So keep all of the old parts in case you have to temporarily swap the original bulbs back in to get your inspection sticker.

 

As long as they are up to code and complete assembly replacements, not just sticking a LED bulb in an H4 (or whatever socket) then they can't fail you.
In other words, if they meet FMVSS 108 regulations states can't fail you.
Ok, they can fail you if they are ignorant, but you can't be fined if stopped.

That said, there are a lot of scams out there selling lights cheap that aren't legal.

 

I never have anything good to say about these extra bright headlights, that's why I haven't commented on this thread. What about the people like me who have regular headlights? I am starting to hate to drive at night.

But it dawned on me after a few comments about the LED's, that they must be the same difference as the new led flashlights versus the old time flashlights with the yellow light. I do like the led flashlights for broad close up work, but they do not work well when you have to look way down inside a pipe or dark hole.

Then that led to this train of thought; If I had bright led headlights lighting up the front of my vehicle, then my eyes might adjust to this brighter light, and everyone else's bright lights may not bother me so much. Sort of like driving with your headlights on during the daytime. Someone could probably have their high beams on during the day, and they would not bother people so much because of the high ambient light.

Maybe this is the solution? Everyone get led's and then we don't bother each other so much? Maybe the government can step in a make it a law like the did the digital tv, and give us all vouchers for led replacement headlights

 

Oh yea! Just what we all want, more government regulations.

 

Can you tell us a bit more about your setup? I've been considering the swap to complement the new aftermarket housings on my 97 Expedition. Only problem I encountered was the 9005 high beam LED bulbs I got were hex-shaped and wouldn't fit properly.

Pictures would be massively helpful too

 

A 97 expedition uses a 9007 lamp, not a 9005, so that might be your fitment problem.

Not much to tell, the LEDs are a direct swap for the 9007 lamps. I went with this style because of their slim design. Since the heat sinks are flexible the original bulb retaining ring fits over the LED, unlike the LEDS that have the fat heat sinks built into their bases. The LED pigtail plugs directly into the original headlamp connector. The whole swap took me about 15 minutes, and I wasn't rushing.

2015 80W 9600LM Cree LED Headlight Kit 9007 HB5 Hi/Lo Beam 6000K White Bulb Pair | eBay

 

A STOCK 97-02 Expedition uses 9007s, but those with housing that separate high & low beams such as my Spyder Auto ones will use 9005s for high beam, H3 for low beam. For reference, mine are the style which includes the turn signal in one housing and look quite good on a black Expedition.

This is the style of 9005 LED bulb I tried:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=182366748442&alt=web

The problem I encountered with mine were that the vertices (corners) of each LED panel stuck out further than the seal, and stopped it from going into the housing. This doesn't occur for the same style of 9006 LED fog lights on our stock housings.

Anyway, do you have pictures of how well yours perform?

 

I tried several times but I can't get a good picture with a camera phone. I'd probably need something closer to a professional camera that can make the colors more defined. All I got were big splotches.

 

It might not be the most ideal photo shoot, but anything is better than nothing to at least get us in the ballpark on what to expect.

 

 

 

As poorly as the Super Duty lights perform I'm surprised there isn't more discussion around this. My truck is only four years old and I can't tell if the lights are on or not. One resource I'm using to look into lighting upgrades is Headlight Revolution. They at least test stuff.