2 x 36 LED 3156 3157 Tail Brake Stop Turn Bulb White IN: eBay Motors (item 140363178600 end time Oct-23-10 02:56:28 PDT)
^these are the ones i ordered

 

These are the one I bought

2 3157 3156 36-Led White Car Brake Turn Tail Bulb Light - eBay (item 230513215539 end time Aug-23-10 12:54:40 PDT)

 

With LEDs in old light housings, put in the colored LEDs that match the color of the lens. That will make for the brightest light.

Use red with red lenses, amber with orange lenses, white only in clear. Any color LED can go in clear. LEDs are designed with a specific output light frequency (read COLOR). Lenses are filters that allow only a small set of frequencies (again read color) to pass. For instance, red lenses filter out all colors other than red. Therefore little of the light is lost with a red LED. With white behind a red lens most of the light is lost as only the red portion of the light is passed, the rest blocked.

I have found this site with good information about the brightness and radiation pattern of each type and color of LED they sell. I have been happy with transactions from them. Buying from an ebay seller does not give you the ability to check the brightness and radiation pattern of their product against other types. LED technology moves quickly. Ebay vendors are probably selling older surplus from two and three years previous which are lesser in performance.

Super Bright LEDs ? LED Lights, Bulbs, and Accessories

I have not put LEDs in my trucks fixtures because I have not found any bulbs that fill the face and side of the fixtures nicely. I cannot get even illumination on the face and bright enough on the sides.

I did try to make an LED fixture from about 110 super-bright RED LEDs in a JY rear fixture. The face had good illumination and the side was brighter and fuller than the OEM filament bulb. The the view from 45* was poorly illuminated. If there is no rain on sunday night, I'll hang it on the side of the truck and take a couple of pictures to post.

 

I think that the tinted taillights look great! However I have safety concerns about tinting them.

First, the reflector strip is disabled or darkened making it harder to see by other drivers after dark when the truck is in the street or parking lot. I have no control over what the other drivers do. I want to make it a visible to them as possible.

Second, the tail, stop, and brake lights are decreased in intensity. You can still see the lit bulb through lens, but the distance at which a following driver will see it is decreased. It might not matter in slow speed driving, but I can recall driving at night on unlit US395 at 65mph and being passed by someone at over 100mph more than once. That might be life or death if he sees me later rather than sooner. Also the dimmer stoplight might fool the following driver in that he does not realize/recognize that your brakes are engaged for just a second before he hits his brakes at decreased distance behind you.

The brake/tail/turning/running lights and reflectors on the truck are for the OTHER drivers not you! No matter how safely you drive and park, the OTHER drivers actions are beyond your control. By decreasing the brightness of your lights and reflectors you are increasing the likelihood of vehicle damage and decreasing your bodily safety.

 

I tinted mine with nason clear mixed with a couple drops of black base. I didn't like the night shades it turned out dull when i tried to use it.

 

Can you take a picture with the tail lights on and then with the brake lights on? I would like to see the intensity difference. Also, maybe just the brake light during the day? This looks like an upgrade I might like to do to my '85 F150. One other thing, how well do the turn signals function?

 

Yes Ill try and do that today.

You will need an electronic flasher for the LEDs to work with the blinkers. They work just as stock but they light up quicker. Stock bulbs have a long delay lighting up. LEDs dont.

 

Which electronic flasher?

 

Blazer FL32

$9 from autozone

 

Has anyone tried LED's in the front turn signals yet? I might do 1 coat of VHT on the tails of my F-150.. I do want to do those LEDs though. All that will come after it runs though. lol

 

I haven't done the front YET. Im waiting to get some new headlights. But when I get some clear headlights I will have LEDs in the front too. I just dont see the point with my stock amber lights.

 

I am going to do that, and im going to buy a tractor spotlight that im going to put on my ladder rack, that will be tied into the reverse lights.

 

I don't think anyones brought this up yet, but one way too make up for the "lack" of brightness after tinting their taillights might be to get that strip of LED's that fit below the tailgate. I've seen them a few times and I liked them. You don't see them until the brakes come on.

 

I like those too. Especially the ones that have the amber turn signals built in.

 

Perhaps I will try it with mine since I'm fixing to put the smoked lights in with HIDs. What do the corners and signals take? I think I'm going to go ahead and order all the LEDs at one time for the tails and the fronts.