Upgrading Lights

[Kaajot]

Hi-

So, I'm fixing a pretty big deer smack to the front of my F150 (92) and it's coming along nicely, but I bought smoked out headlamps and tail lamps as I'm blacking out the truck and removing as much chrome as possible (not sure about the window trim yet if they make that in black).

I would like a black Ford Emblem -- side note -- if anyone knows where I can get those to fit my grill.

So, the issue is the smoked out lights on the front really don't project as much light at all as my old clear lights. I expected a little lost light, but this is a LOT. So now I'm thinking of upgrading to LED lights. The question is, I've found a few component ideas.

LMC has LED lights and an LED Electronic Flasher, but the LED lights they sell are pretty pricey and I have no idea what they look like or if they will actually fit my receptacles as-is.

I've also read that those "same socket" LED Lights tend to burn out pretty fast, so you're dumping money for effect.

However, there are some AC ballast LED kits out there on ebay that offer all the high light spectrum ranges that LEDs offer but also claim 7-9 years of life expectancy due to the ballast control which also minimizes electrical draw.

Has anyone ever used any of these solutions or have a better solution? I'm thinking of grabbing the Arctic White (just before the noticeably blue spectrum since those won't filter through the smoked lense very well anyway) and using the ballast system on the main headlights, but not sure on what to do for the parking/directionals, tail lights or cab light, which has not been upgraded to a smoked lense yet.

Suggestions/Shops for a solution to brighter bulbs? Is LED the way to go?

Thanks.

 

[DNFXDLI]

With smoked lenses, you are going to be eating a lot of the light whether you go to LED's, HID's or just a different lamp..

I have no idea what kind of thing eBay is selling like that, but all LED's run on DC at the moment with AC units in development that in a nutshell have 2 units in one that will energize on either half of the AC waveform.

What they do need is a current limiting driver and overheat protection.

I only know of Truck-lite at the moment that is offering a true LED headlight but they won't work with DRL.

There are some replacement self ballasted lamps that use a few large SMD devices that are good, but most are crap and don't project properly.

I think your best bet if you are going to use the tinted lenses is to use a Silverstar lamp.

 

[Kaajot]

I only know of Truck-lite at the moment that is offering a true LED headlight but they won't work with DRL.

There are some replacement self ballasted lamps that use a few large SMD devices that are good, but most are crap and don't project properly.

I think your best bet if you are going to use the tinted lenses is to use a Silverstar lamp.

Thanks, I checked out the Silverstar lamp and yeah, that's a lot brighter than a standard lamp I popped into the truck after I hit the deer last Fall. So I agree, although I would like an opinion on the AC unit I've tracked down on ebay that looks possibly like the best thing since sliced bread on a lamp.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181454809764

I selected the white with a tint of blue since most blue will be lost in the smoked headlights anyway. This is a kit that has a DC-AC conversion ballast, slim, and you clip it in under the hood in a secure position most likely on the sidewall.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Thanks, I checked out the Silverstar lamp and yeah, that's a lot brighter than a standard lamp I popped into the truck after I hit the deer last Fall. So I agree, although I would like an opinion on the AC unit I've tracked down on ebay that looks possibly like the best thing since sliced bread on a lamp.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181454809764

I selected the white with a tint of blue since most blue will be lost in the smoked headlights anyway. This is a kit that has a DC-AC conversion ballast, slim, and you clip it in under the hood in a secure position most likely on the sidewall.

Ok..that is not an LED...it is an HID...the issue with plopping one of those in your factory bucket is the beam.....your existing lamps have a certain filament and reflector placement to work with the optics of the headlight shell....that is an arc tube....it will produce one setting of light...so no low beam and will seriously piss off oncoming traffic.
I'm not trying to be a prick or tell you one way or another....what I am telling you is that lamp will be brighter at the expense of being obnoxious....and far from legal....regardless of what the eBay seller might say.

 

[Kaajot]

Ok..that is not an LED...it is an HID...the issue with plopping one of those in your factory bucket is the beam.....your existing lamps have a certain filament and reflector placement to work with the optics of the headlight shell....that is an arc tube....it will produce one setting of light...so no low beam and will seriously piss off oncoming traffic.
I'm not trying to be a prick or tell you one way or another....what I am telling you is that lamp will be brighter at the expense of being obnoxious....and far from legal....regardless of what the eBay seller might say.

So that's why there are so many people blinding me on the roads these days....

I thought it was just me, but the vehicles out there never seem to lower their beams.

And woops, thought it was an LED, not HID! Misread.

Sounds like your initial recommendation is the best one.

 

[DNFXDLI]

So that's why there are so many people blinding me on the roads these days....

I thought it was just me, but the vehicles out there never seem to lower their beams.

And woops, thought it was an LED, not HID! Misread.

Sounds like your initial recommendation is the best one.

Yep....there is one setting and it can't be fixed without buying the proper headlight housing...there are other lamps out there that bring a motorized reflector over the lamp with some spin that says it will give you a "low beam"...not so...again, you need the matched bucket with optics for that kind of lamp.

I live in deer country...big time and travel 60 miles per day one way to my job on rural roads....you might want to look into an LED lightbar to supplement your driving if you want to stick with the tinted lenses...which I do understand for the look.
I like Rigid products...not cheap but well made.

 

[Kaajot]

I live in deer country...big time and travel 60 miles per day one way to my job on rural roads....you might want to look into an LED lightbar to supplement your driving if you want to stick with the tinted lenses...which I do understand for the look.
I like Rigid products...not cheap but well made.

I just got back to deer country. Originally Northern MI, USAF kept me in the south for 9 years or pacific. Now in upstate NY just 30 minutes from Canadian border.

I just picked up the brightest silverstars I could get, but if they don't cut it, would you have a suggestion on the light bar? I've never looked. My next "addition" was going to be Rancher/Bull Bars to protect my rebuilt grill. I'll know tomorrow if the lights will outshine the smoked look -- I pick them up at Advance Auto Zone, scored 30% off and a $50 off $100 purchase which was better than ebay since I do have other purchases I can make at Autozone.

 

[jebadiah04]

switch to the snap on smoked out lenses....

 

[Kaajot]

switch to the snap on smoked out lenses....

Que? No lo se, senor.

Can you that in context?

I have decided quite quickly that smoked out lenses are best in a city filled with lights where you don't need to illuminate everything because there area hundred lamps on each side of you lighting the road.

 

[DNFXDLI]

I just got back to deer country. Originally Northern MI, USAF kept me in the south for 9 years or pacific. Now in upstate NY just 30 minutes from Canadian border.

I just picked up the brightest silverstars I could get, but if they don't cut it, would you have a suggestion on the light bar? I've never looked. My next "addition" was going to be Rancher/Bull Bars to protect my rebuilt grill. I'll know tomorrow if the lights will outshine the smoked look -- I pick them up at Advance Auto Zone, scored 30% off and a $50 off $100 purchase which was better than ebay since I do have other purchases I can make at Autozone.

It will boil down to budget.....the Rigid ones are not cheap...I run a couple of pairs of the Dually D2's on my quad and they are still around $300 per pair.
I would look at a 20''-30'' lightbar from these guys..no affiliation,just have good prices and service.

http://www.azoffroadperformance.com/store/

 

[jebadiah04]

Que? No lo se, senor.

Can you that in context?

I have decided quite quickly that smoked out lenses are best in a city filled with lights where you don't need to illuminate everything because there area hundred lamps on each side of you lighting the road.

They make a snap on version of smoked out lenses. Its basically a smoked out lense that goes over your head lights that you can snap on or off. That way, in the day time you have smoked out lenses, and in the night time, you aren't running around BLIND...think about the children. I have 110 watt bulbs plus sealed beam spot lights on the front of my super duty and on a rainy night, i cant see dick. So i know you cant see ANYTHING. Keep it safe.

 

[Kaajot]

They make a snap on version of smoked out lenses. Its basically a smoked out lense that goes over your head lights that you can snap on or off. That way, in the day time you have smoked out lenses, and in the night time, you aren't running around BLIND...think about the children. I have 110 watt bulbs plus sealed beam spot lights on the front of my super duty and on a rainy night, i cant see dick. So i know you cant see ANYTHING. Keep it safe.

Ahh! Yeah, you're right. We're working fixes and mods on the truck, will post when done and hopefully have those beams up and running. I'm currently avoiding night/bad weather in truck for the same reasons.