Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Replacing stock headlights with LED?

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Replacing stock headlights with LED?

2004 f250 super duty. I hate the old yellow lights and the plastic housing is so fogged up its almost like not having lights. I want to replace with LED and replace the housing also but driving myself crazy trying to find them. I found one set my mechanic said was good but the reviews on the company were really bad. Mostly I'm finding just the led "trim" with regular headlights. Suggestions?

So are you looking for new housing to put led lights in if that's the case we can help as that's what I have and am very happy with the set up lots of other guys on the site have also done this and are happy with the results too. If your looking for headlights that have the led already built into them I think you're going to find that if you do find some they are going to be some BOBO Chinese junk.

Thanks for the reply. I don't know enough about the led so I'm glad to get steered in the right direction. You recommend buying a new housing and bulbs separately. Would love recommendations from folks that have done this.

I used my factory housings, ordered a direct match up to stock bulb number from a company called opt-7, on amazon.

These lights utilize 2 large led elements instead of a bunch of little ones. You have to make sure they are oriented correctly on install, i.e. low beam on bottom. The only adjustment is you will have to adjust the factory housing up a little using the adjustment screws.

These lights take a little getting used to since you wont get the 2 pronounced beams that you are used to. More like a flood, but after a few night drives, you'll be glad you did it.

Thanks, I like the light but I need new lense cover also, I assume I just buy a new headlight ass and add these bulbs? Or rather, my mechanic will :)

LED bulbs in a housing intended for a filament will always blind oncoming drivers. The light source in a filament is a tiny strand of wire. The whole reflector assembly is designed to put that light on the road in the right spots.

But LEDs are thicker. There's no way it can be a tiny strand of light, like a filament. So the LED light shines from 1/4" or more away from where it should be. And that makes the light that shines on the road be in the wrong places. We have seen many examples of this at my friend's shop in Texas. They look really cool in the daytime, but at night everyone flashes their lights at you. You're blinding them, and if a cop wants a reason to pull you over, he can use that easily.

If you want to do it right, it has to be an entire LED assembly that includes the whole housing, reflectors and all. We have seen a few examples of this at the shop. The customers found good ones on fleabay. I have two early Super Duties and am holding off until I can get the exact part number from a guy who comes in the shop, who found good ones on fleabay. He also sells cool guns.
.

I thought the leds were supposed to be left to right not up and down??

I would love to know what they bought. Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Projectlittleredf250 (Post 18324422)

I thought the leds were supposed to be left to right not up and down??

They are that’s why his out put isn’t right if the the leds he got had the led “chips” in the same place that the halogen light would which is critical to them functioning properly and not blinding other drivers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boo153 (Post 18324433)

I would love to know what they bought. Thanks

This is what I would recommend you do is decide which headlight housing you want if you want to upgrade to the 05-07 this would be the time and get one of these 2 lights that I’m going to link below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike189677 (Post 17769392)

I would recommend these 2 options they are the same light but branded differently they both have a warranty, I and guys here have had good success so far with them. I have the auxbeam branded ones here

https://www.amazon.com/Auxbeam-Headl.../dp/B074GWW7BY

And the other guys have the beamtech versions in their trucks

https://www.amazon.com/BEAMTECH-Head.../dp/B06XHCQ8KY

They have a good cutoff like the halogen bulbs as well as a functional high beam unlike a lot of options. There is no ballast they just plug right in. For the price these lights can’t be beat by anything else on the market today that I have been able to find.

Here is the thread in the 2017 forum discussing these lights if you want to read through it.

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boo153 (Post 18324291)

I would as I’ve never seen a headlight with a built in led unit for the headlight that fit our trucks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike189677 (Post 18324672)

I would as I’ve never seen a headlight with a built in led unit for the headlight that fit our trucks.

well, then it just comes down to a matter of opinion.
I can assure you, my led chips are one on top, and low beam on the bottom. That is the only way they go into the housing. When the low beams are on, the bottom half of the housing is lit only,,,,and I dont get anybody flashing their brights at me because they are blinding them. If the chips were side to side, I would not have bought them.

if you look at the pic I posted of the unlit headlamp, you can clearly see the wide part of the element where the chips are mounted is is top and bottom.

I went this route because, and only my opinion, the aftermarket headlamp housings look stupid and cheap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boaterguy (Post 18324319)

These lights take a little getting used to since you wont get the 2 pronounced beams that you are used to. More like a flood, but after a few night drives, you'll be glad you did it.

I think you misunderstood what you quoted above I didn’t mean that there is no led bulb that fit into a super duty headlight housing, I meant I’ve never seen a aftermarket head light housing that had a built in led for the headlight like how the new super duty is configured with the oem led headlights which was what I thought the op was asking about. I can see which way the leds are facing in your lights and that’s why you posted the above statement, and I hate to tell you this but they are facing the wrong way the housing is not supposed to reflect light that way it is supposed to be done mainly off of the left and right side of the housing just look at the reflector that’s why you don’t have the same light patten as you do stock with the bulb. If that’s the only way they will fit that doesn’t mean it’s right it means you need to get leds that fit the right way. When the leds are positioned facing 3 and 9 o’clocck you would have much better results and you would also have better results if with an led that had the chips in the positioned like the filaments for the halogen bulbs would be like the ones I linked. If you don’t want to listen to me that’s fine I’m not trying to or going to argue with you I’m just giving you the facts and trying to help. I’ve done far more research than most on the subject. I was one of the first on here to try led headlights and have had several different sets to test out and helped other members on here with them including one guy with the same 11-16 truck with the same headlight housing as as yours to get the lights facing the right way and improve not just his low beam but actually give him a functional high beam. If you get different leds like the ones I linked you will have far better results than what you have now.

Not to hijack, but can i ask this question another way? ok 2...

1 What bulbs will work with the 99-04 housing, and are they better than stock?

2 which direction do they need clocked, or do they even need to be? i've never seen an LED bulb so have no idea if there's adjustment or not.

I've tried to follow a few threads on these and they always get into newer housings, etc, would love to hear from those that have successfully done it , rather than the hypothetical.

Gfl I think you maybe a little late to hijack but you would need a 9007 led beamtech has one looks like the auxbeam are out of stock. Anyway for them to to work right you need an led that has the chips in the same position as the filament on a halogen would be. The problem with the 9007 is the locking collar. I’m pretty sure you going to have to trim it down for it to work shoul be pretty easy to cut them. As for clocking them it appears they need to face 3 and 9 o’clock as well. Unfortunately I only have have hypothetical advice for you as most people including me don’t want to keep the 2 piece light housing since the output is better from the 05-07 housings too, but all you need to do is figure out the locking collar and your good to go.