Has anyone installed a set of led tail/turn/stop lamps with their existing red taillight lenses? I think that you can only get them in red, not clear. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had done this and could tell me how it looked. Thanks!

Any pics by the way?

jamstrait.com

 

I just returned from the Mid-America Street Rod Nationals, and i saw these replacement LED bulbs utilized in a few vehicles, as well as some vendor displays. They look to be a great upgrade, and i say go for it!!!! Fomogo

 

remind me...what does LED stand for?

 

(L)ight (E)mitting (D)iode

 

LED = Light Emitting Diode

Dave Wild
78' F150 300six
78' F150 EFI 300six
79' F250 351M

 

When it comes to LED's there are a few other abbreviations that Engineers use:

The most popular is: DED = Darkness Emitting Diode

Others kind of depend on the failure mode:

SED = Smoke Emitting Diode
GED = Gas Emitting Diode
FED = Flame Emitting Diode
PED = Particle Emitting Diode
PED = Plasma Emitting Diode...
-This last one can happen when you pulse them at 200 Amps!

I see that a lot of the truckers are using LED lights on their rigs now. There seems to be some variance in quality in the LED auto lamps. Around where I live most of the traffic signals have been converted to LED's. I did see one the other day with a few individual elements changed to DED's.

I have used LED's lamps since they were first available for machine tool power and condition indicators due to the high vibration environment that my hydraulic presses operated in. A standard bulb could go out in a week or a month. $100 control housings were wearing out from lamp replacements so we switched for that reason and of course the liability issues.

 

I put a set of these in my truck. The light was almost directional like a flashlight beam. They were brighter to the rear but not at all brighter from the side. So, I added another socket, put the LED and regular bulbs in along with a set of new lenses. I am happy with the result. The LED bulbs don't produce a lot of heat so they don't burn the lenses.
William in Atlanta

 

Yeah, I've seen the LED's in place and they look great. Further to that - I've heard that many of the new trailers on the market have gone to all LED lights as they last longer, are brighter (therefore more noticeable)and they are more shock resistant - another plus for those with 4x4's!
One word of note - they are more pricey than a standard bulb - but they may well be worth it.
My two cents!

 

I run the LED's in my Vette and was given a nice "fix it or don't drive it" ticket. It seems that, like one of the other post mentioned, you can't see them from the sides. Because of this a person that is not directly behind you might not notice that you have slowed to stop or turn. If someone was to change lanes this would cause them to either, panic stop if they seen your lights in time, or rear-end you if they didn't. As such it is now illegal to use the LED's in Iowa has brake lights for other then the third warning light.

PS. I was also told they are trying to pass a law here to make it illegal to use the new high intensity lights in urban areas and ban the blue soft lights altogether. Got to love big government.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 02-Jun-02 AT 01:00 AM (EST)]Interesting to note that they are illegal in Iowa...what are the fifth wheel manufacturers going to do?
LED not visable from the side? - unless you plan to cross three lanes of traffic to make a turn, does this matter? Just curious - as I assume MOST (there are a few big 4x4's out there which could pass-over the average lowered import with ease)of us don't drive over other vehicles (and do shoulder checks) when changing lanes or turning. Is the purpose of signal lights to notify traffic BEHIND you that you are turning or not? Just some thoughts rambling through my head - just thought I'd share.
Cheers!

 

Man they must be giving out tickets like crazy to the truckers in Iowa. I drive thru that state all the time and it seems at least half the truckers are using LED lights. Probably some scam by the Iowa legislature, like their weight limits a few years back, to skim money off the trucking industry (and any other poor sucker they can grab). Who says governments aren't crooked as snakes. The whole idea behind most laws is just extortion, or a legally protected, "protection racket". Quad is right, the LED's are much better for the reasons he stated. Maybe there is a big "conventional" light bulb manufacturing plant in Iowa and someone passed some bucks under the table to get the law passed. It won't stand for long tho, It is just the old guard industries trying to snuff out the new technologies that might put them out of business. Unfortunately change is coming and you can't stand in front of it or it will squash you flat. Kind of like our old guard record companies and their outmoded business model fighting MP3's, they are dinosaurs that are still convulsively ripping and tearing even tho they are dead, -they just don't know they were killed years ago.

My $.02 worth!

 

i had 2 led lights in my f100 they look ok but the standed bulbs are brighter.the leds whould look bad *** if i had clear lenses for my f100.does anybody even make those clear lights for an f100? any way i still got the bulbs but i have no use for them there collecting dust and taking up space in my glovebox.

 

On the 73/79 tail lights you cannot see them from the side anyway.

Bear Tracks

 

as far as being illegal, any part that comes from the manufacturer on any vechicle is legal in any state. it is only illegal when it is a modification. got this from a federal attorny. got a ticket in okla. for an exhaust exiting in front of the rear wheel. state law says it has to exit behind the rear wheel. 97 ford pickups came with a side exit exhaust. attorney says it is legal in any state as long as it is manufactured that way.

 

Good Point.
And as a reminder - when you modify, always check Federal as well as State/Provincial regulations and NEVER do anything that will endanger yourself or others.
My Two Cents