Hello all, I was just wondering if any of you have had any issues converting over to LED bulbs, or any input either for or against that you'd like to share?

I'm thinking of upgrading my headlights and thought I'd ask the guys in the know...

Thank you

 

I have done all led Other then headlights.

Inside
Dash gauge (blue) and few (red)
ac/heat (red)
door light to map lights to back cab light. White other then
outside
front turn (amber)
add daytime running led white

Back
reverse white
turn amber
brake red led
side
maker light white
did have what they call hyperflash but did like it. But then the ome failed and get a new one and it was a led flasher. So lost the hyperflasher on the turn signals

But about headlights I enjoy my hella. Have not seen a led headlight I like so far. But always looking. The day time driving lights came with a resistor but that's been years I put them in and all still lighting the dark up.

 

as a 61 year oldbiker, i like to see at nite. so i have tried a fair number of hid and led bulbs in my bikes (as led bulbs are very efficient, it is a real advantage to be able to run them on a bike where power is limited). i do a pretty thorough evaluation of each as i am looking to IMPROVE my lighting. as such, while i like the whiteness of led lighting and generally could live with the patterns and coverage, i find myself returning to the higher end halogen bulbs. i do have a pair of Hella E code reflectors in my 96 van and use Piaa Night Tech H4 bulbs supplemented with Piaa 004 driving lights go here.(you can see EVERYTHING 1/2mi+ down the road when they are on). the issue to me is due to the bulb/reflector relation. i don't feel that the replacement led bulbs emit light in the same place as a halogen so the subsequent beam pattern is compromised. were the bulb and reflector designed as a pair as they are on new cars, then i think you would have an excellent lamp. check out Daniel stern's website. and here is a read from the bus stop (vw bus dudes) on their page selling the Cibie h4 reflectors - hella h4 equivalent

LED-Ready. These headlights accept all H4 LED bulbs, but we don't sell those bulbs and are recommending high-output Halogen bulbs instead. Why? Because retrofit LED's (for vehicles not factory-equipped with LED headlamps) aren't quite ready for prime time yet. There's a reason why the major bulb suppliers (such as Hella and Sylvania/Osram) are not offering them yet, but off-brand Chinese companies are. The beam pattern tends to be irregular (either blinding oncoming traffic, or not illuminating the road evenly), and reliability, QC, and lifespan are inconsistent. (Also they don't generate heat so they're poorly suited for cold weather; they won't melt snow that hits your headlights.) At this time we are not recommending switching to LED, but when that time comes all you have to do is plug in LED bulbs in place of the included halogen ones, it's that simple. By the time the halogen bulbs burn out it may be time to go LED, but if not, replacements are only $8 a pair and are a huge improvement over what you're using now.

anyway, ymmv

 

LED headlights for those of us in northern climes are a waste of money on account they lack sufficient heat to accumulated snow/ice. Once the weather clears I'm converting my '98 from composite to sealed beam using trim pieces from a donor. Then Using Hella Vision Plus headlamps coupled with Flösser 140/110 H4's. I've done this conversion with many rigs in the past and I find that for me. it's the best solution. I also relay battery power to run them which in my humble opinion is the only way to go.

 

My experience is I find led bulbs are the way to go for interior, stuff that can stay on when the engine is off, draining the battery.
so dome lights-saves melting-discoloring embrittling the plastic cover, foot wells, door, trunk, hood lights and also 3rd brake lights-because incandescent seem to burn out fast and also same reasons as the dome light.
Any other lights and it gets tricky and not necessarily worthy it unless you leave your parking lights on for long periods with the engine off.

Like others have said the headlights are asking too much from an led and aren’t perfected yet.

Seems anywhere but eBay wants way too much money for led bulbs.
Generally get the brightest that will fit in the space.
Cobb led is very bright-it’s a grouping of led patches.
Otherwise the led size is a 4 number which is the width and height of the tiny led. Like 5050 or 3540.
So take the number of led on the bulb times 50 times 50 equals gives a comparison of light output vrs a bulb using different size leds

Don’t buy canbus safe bulbs have resisters for newer cars that keep from activating the burned out light message but also take more electricity.

If an led bulb does not light, reverse the connection, they are polarity sensitive.

Take care

 

Does your truck have sealed beams or the composite lens with a removable bulb?
The big issue with LED headlights is matching the bulb to the lens, there are literally hundreds of LED headlamp bulbs available now so finding the one that works correctly in your headlights can be an expensive and time consuming exercise.
Sealed beams are now the easiest to convert, there are also lots of choices available for these in the common sizes but a quick web search for videos will show the best performing versions use a projector lens for low beam and separate lenses for high. In this case all lens are designed to work with the LED source so they deliver a DOT spec output that does indeed provide much better lighting than the stock headlights in these trucks. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DVDVVXX
If your truck has the composite headlights then you have some research and experimentation to do, you need a bulb that matches the halogen bulb in output pattern as closely as possible.

 

Great info! Mine has the removable bulb (9007 I think) and that's what I'm asking for... If anybody has found one that works well will our setup? I'm hoping to find a lamp with better light output, and reduced power requirements, but the latter isn't absolutely necessary..

Thanks guys!

 

Well, I thought I'd try a different approach since I'm broke for the time being...I purchased a headlight restoration kit off of Amazon for about $14. After an hour my headlight lenses are once again clear, and not yellow. The difference in light output is amazing. I don't need to upgrade anything... My lights are bright, I just underestimated how much light was being blocked by my old yellow dull lenses. If anyone is interested, I used the "Mother's" NuLens... WORTH EVERY PENNY!

 

You started with the basics and found the sweet spot, Very well done!

 

Wheelnon is absolutely right. LED's have not come close to equaling good Halogen bulbs. There are some well known websites that compare Halogen 2007 bulbs like "Candlepowerforums.com"
So I have tried every "brighter" bulb like the Sylvania/Osrams, Phillips Extreme, and GE Nighthawks. But the LED aftermarket has been known for good low beam brightness, but dismal high beam brightness. FWIW, I drive 1 to 1-1/2 hours every night to and from work on winding 2 lane roads and need good vision for safety, so this has been a "mission" of mine for many years to find brighter bulbs without blinding oncoming traffic with those HID conversions that do not match the filament depth in our headlamp housings.
There was a poster here in the FTE forms that said he got great results with Beamtechs and I decided to give them a try at only $40 for a pair of 9007 bulbs on Amazon.
The results were VERY noticeable, not just a slight improvement ! For those of you who know How bright Rigid "D" series pro cubes are (and how much they cost, ouch!) , these are almost as bright on high beam. These are designed with the LED elements in the same positions as a stock 2007 bulbs and I checked the pattern on my garage door before driving with them. No one has flashed me yet.
After more than a decade of trying many bulbs, these I can highly recommend. The photos are of my 2003 Excursion, but I also have these on my 2007 E-450. See for yourselves . . . . .

LED matches stock 2007 bulb pattern

Bulb comparison

 

^^^ Thanks CalEx.. I had similar [POOR] experience with trying to get a better bulb for our E250... tried several halogens and also a set of LEDs. The LEDs seemed to put our a lot of light, but - exactly as you noted - but the beam pattern was useless.
I just ordered a pair of those Beamtechs, hopefully that will do it .

 

Hey Mark- good luck and maybe post an update back here on how those Beamtech's work for you.
This is a photo of the high beam comparison with the Beamtech on the left and the Phillips halogen on the right.

Finally an LED bulb with a bright high beam !

 

^^^ First report [after a night ride] - WOW!
The light is much "whiter" and brighter than the Halogens (I think that I had the same Phillips ones that you had). The key is the beam pattern, which - as you noted - looks unchanged.
Very impressive results - thanks again for the tip
And the price is great, too.

The plugs don't seem to fit very well, did not seat against the rubber seal... but that can be addressed by some other method.

 

Mark T-TB
"The light is much "whiter" and brighter than the Halogens (I think that I had the same Phillips ones that you had). The key is the beam pattern, which - as you noted - looks unchanged.
Very impressive results "

Hey Mark, Glad they are working for you. Now we just need to see how long they last- and get the word out to everyone else.
I bought the double relay system to increase the voltage (and hopefully the brightness) of my previous halogen bulbs, but now I no longer need this AND the LED's use much less amperage. It's a win-win.
George