Led headlight?
- Thread starter madmaths
- Start date
hansrober
Adventurer
So has anyone tried the legal headlights? I have been thinking my Jeeps headlights could use an upgrade for sure!
I run the truck lite LED lights in my Jeep and they are miles ahead of anything else I tried. I have tried HID in stock housings, that sucked, I tried JW speakers, I tried a replacement housing with halogens, and the truck lites are the best. The JW are ok on low beam but their high beam lighting sucked (even though they tested better in the amazing light tests with little meters and gadgets). The Truck lite put out a longer and wider beam than the JWs. That is parked side by side.
Truck lites are the best replacement light for the Jeep at the moment.
Truck lites are the best replacement light for the Jeep at the moment.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Yes.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f96/headlight-shootout-1166827/
I'm using JW Speaker right now.
No. In backwards societies we wear the local fashions, blend in, observe. Prime Directive and all that.
Look at it this way. When a newbie or uninformed person tells you that a Honda Odyssey with a puck lift and 30s can navigate the Rubicon Trail easily, safely, and as well as a Wrangler on 40s with a long-arm Rock Krawler package, you'd wince and nod. But you'd think they need some coaching.
That's how it is with people who know about automotive lighting when you show us these toy bulbs. We think it's cute at first, like a kid with a toy gun playing Army. Then we realize that you're serious about it, really intending to use the toys on the road, and present a problem.
The drop-in bulbs can't focus properly on the parabola. Like when you fiddle with the bezel of a Maglite. Yeah, there's light; but the light is a total waste in all the positions but one.
hansrober
Adventurer
I just installed a new set of tuck lites tonight. I like the light color but I think I find the V or Y pattern showing up is distracting to me. I hate to go back to the stock lights. I wonder if a jw speaker fog light might soften the V / Y pattern. I read it referred to as the artifact? Anyone have any thoughts?
The JW Speaker headlamps don't have the same artifacts, and are objectively better.
The Truck-Lite headlamps made to the UN spec (for Right Hand Traffic, of course) do not have the same artifacts as the US version.
No, because you shouldn't be running fog lamps when there's no fog, because it creates excess glare for drivers-- including YOU.
hansrober
Adventurer
Thanks for the reply, I am satisfied with them except for the artifacts, bummer. I hate to spend the extra money but I would rather have something thats not distracting to me. I hope the 4 wheel parts will take them back in exchange for the JW Speakers. We will see in the AM.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
If you have trouble, ping me.
The Speaker product is vastly superior. Even the Petersons work better.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
You got that wrong.
JWS uses an array of LEDs in several projectors. Main beam is handled by two vertical projectors that are always on. High/low toggle between two round projectors. All have more than one LED.
Peterson and Trucklight each use a single LED for lowbeam and a pair for highbeam with a split parabola. I did measure more LUX at 100m with the Trucklite than the JWS though. But JWS lowbeam wins for normal use.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Don't thump your chest too hard. Here are some numbers from a "fancy little meter":
All readings at 25 feet in front of the vehicle. Vehicle lights are wired/relayed straight to the battery and engine is running.
Baseline. A pair of 1980's vintage Cibie Z-Beam headlamps with Osram bulbs threw 583 LUX lowbeam and 970 LUX highbeam
A pair of IPFs with their bulbs like the $126,000 JK Brute wears threw 517 LUX lowbeam and 513 LUX highbeam. Yes; highbeam was lower.
Hella ECE with Delta's best bulb threw 339 LUX on low and 653 LUX on high.
Hella ECE with Philips Xtreme Power bulbs threw 695 LUX on low and 1619 LUX on high.
JW Speaker 8700 (not the Evolution, the original) threw 630 LUX on low and 1139 LUX on high.
Trucklite Phase 7 (prototype, not a production unit) threw 416 LUX on low and 1870 on high. The production units never did as well. EDIT -- in fact, both of the prototypes stopped functioning in a few weeks and Trucklite replaced them with production models. They took the prototypes back to the lab for forensic deconstruction.
So, overall, if you just want light down the pipe, get some very-affordable Hella ECE reflectors, Philip bulbs, and use a harness and relays.
Or get the Rallylights 90mm H9 kit --- which blew that away.
Or get the Rallylights 90mm HID kit --- which blew away the H9.
Best of the best at a reasonable cost?
Scot (from SC) put HIRs into both his high and lowbeams. I had to change the scale on my meter to measure his highbeams (I did with the HID too).
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