Ultimate Headlight upgrade: DOT Legal LED Headlamps!

[Ben's Z]

Look what I got in the mail! I am going to take some before and after pictures. Mind you I have Cibie headlamps from 1979 with an original purchase price of $54! a lot of money in 1979. Frankly the Cibies are pretty good but wanted to try these out.

These headlamps are made by a company called "Truck-Lite". http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GenericView?pageName=/new/PressReleases_en_US/12vLEDHeadlamp.html&storeId=10001&langId=-1 They are a Tier 1 OEM supplier of lighting and harnessing to the trucking industry. These headlamps are currently in use by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Humvees. I have actually seen these lamps in my travels in Louisiana on a national guard Hummer. These things are serious! I am guessing each lamps weighs about 2 lbs or more. They have a huge heat sink on the back, and are fully ecapsulated in epoxy for protection against water and moisture.

They only draw 2.5 Amps on low beam and 4.5 on high beam.

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=64057&langId=-1&catentryId=64058

I am going to try to get these installed with before and afters today.

[SteveJ]

If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you also incorporate relays into the design. Getting 12VDC to the headlights help, even for LEDs.

[Jeff G 78]

How much were they? I didn't see a price on the website.

[SteveJ]

I think I saw them for $263 + $8.50 S&H each on Amazon.

[spdcrazy]

I'm pretty sure napa can get them too. But they were pricey

[silvey19k]

those are on our military vheicals im going to try to get a set. they are really good and they light up the night well

Edited May 22, 2011 by silvey19k

[Arne]

I'll be interested to see what beam pattern they project. There is a world of difference in the preferred output for a tall military vehicle or truck, as opposed to what works well in a low sports car.

[EScanlon]

I agree with Arne.

A military vehicle's beam pattern would be either extremely tight and defined or very wide and dispersed. Either one could be problematic on a vehicle that isn't worried about being spotted from the air or the side or needing to see every bush and obstacle on the side of the road. There was a reason that war time vehicles get their lenses masked and painted so that only a small tight beam can be seen.

Aside from that, I can't help but feel that many of these deficiencies in headlamps may be solved by a proper electrical supply and a good alignment. The relays help the supply voltage, but if they're mis-algned, then you're either searching for squirrels /chipmunks or worse yet blinding other drivers.

FWIW

E

[Ben's Z]

I have not installed them yet but a google search yielded some reviews on Jeep forums and Harley forums, with pretty good reviews.

[Arne]

Yeah, this is an on-going deal - the vast majority of people judge headlights by irrelevancies like light color (think blue-tinted bulbs), technology (HID and LED), physical appearance (clear-lens MSR lights, faux-projectors, etc.) and output (wattage, candlepower, lumens).

Yes, I even classify output as irrelevant - at least once you get above certain point. There is very little benefit to super high-watt output. Your typical 55/60 watt H4 bulb delivers plenty of light, the key is to put that light where it is needed. Much above 80 watts in a normal automotive headlight is totally superfluous.

That brings us to the important part. Beam pattern and control. It doesn't matter how much light is output if the lens and reflector don't direct it to where it will do the most good. That's why cheap H4s aren't as good as expensive name-brand lights.

And this is why I'm skeptical of these truck/military lights. I love the idea of the low current draw, but I doubt that these will be engineered such that they will be significantly better than normal H4s in any way other than current draw.

But I'd love to be proved wrong, which is why I hope that someone will post pictures of the beam pattern as shined on a flat wall.

And then there's the price....

Edited May 22, 2011 by Arne

[EScanlon]

Adding to what Arne writes, there are numerous times when you can tell a vehicle has had the headlamps replaced... and the replacement lamps require a different alignment. New tires, new shocks, front end work, rear-end work, a large extra weight in the car all of these can change the alignment profile. The argument of "They were aligned before..." is at best moronic, and at worst criminal. Why? For exactly the same reasons people purport to needing a headlamp change.

If your current, meaning original, OEM or dealer-installed lamps aren't putting the light where YOU need it, then first things first, CHECK THE ALIGNMENT!! It may be that the car's suspension has settled over time, and the rear of the car sits lower than it used to... translate that to mean that the lamps will be shining further down the road and more into the eyes of the opposing direction drivers. The opposite would be the case if the front end was now sitting lower, worn shocks, alignment out of whack, etc and all it takes is a few degrees and now you're searching for man-hole covers directly in front of the car. Couple either of these with poor seat back alignment, and your eyes can't see where the light is actually shining. The "I'm so cool" posture of reclining the seat back until the rear ledge stops you means you can't see in front of the car properly. (Granted, I'm exagerating.) But the point is simple, try a simple alignment first.

It only takes one or two TURNS of the alignment screws on each headlamp to effect FEET worth of adjustment at the point of focus. Throw in that many "restored" cars haven't taken that into consideration and when replacing the lamps adjusted the adjustment screws to that area that shows the least amount of corrosion... while ignoring the fact that they removed the screws (all four) and stuck them in a bag, so there is a slim if any possibility that they're going back into the correct adjuster. It happens, and if you don't adjust the headlamps after you've re-assembled the car and set it up for every day use, there's a good chance your headlamps won't be shining where you think they are.

I researched having my headlamps aligned on both the Roadster and the Z when I refreshed them. I found that very few mechanic shops even knew HOW to do it, or offered it as a service. Now this may be specific to Vancouver, WA (I didn't check all of Portland, Oregon) but my results led me to believe that this is something that is largely ignored.

Don't think so?

Next time you find yourself in front of a raised Pick-Up truck, with monster tires and suspension jacking it up so that it's bumper is about eye level with your Z, see if you can discern where his lights are shining. I find I use the "Night" feature on my Z's mirror all the time and sadly the Roadster doesn't have one, which is when I'm grateful the plastic window has darkened over time and "mitigates" the mis-aligned super beams.

Lastly, when you've checked all that and everything is to spec and you still don't have enough light, that's when you should look into upgrading the lamps themselves. Do the basics, check the wiring, check the grounds, make sure there's adequate voltage supply and then get the bulbs you need for a wattage that is appropriate. A 100W may sound great, but it's illegal for use on the road/highway per the DOT of the states that I know of, and I'll wager that it's illegal in most states (with a possible few exceptions).

I'll also further bet that if you replace them with new bulbs of the same or slightly higher rating (while still keeping within legal limits) you'll find that they're bright enough.... once they're aligned properly.

FWIW my 2¢

E

[Arne]

Yes, proper aiming is crucial, and with the common use of modern H4 lights these days, it's not hard to do yourself. A modern light with a typical beam cutoff should be aimed on low beam, on a flat surface. Do not try to tweak the adjustment for high beam, aim them on low and leave it alone. You can find detailed instructions on any number of websites, but the short version is simple - shine your lights on a wall 20 feet away. The point of flare up to the right ( _⁄ ) should be aimed straight ahead (not off to either side), and for most passenger cars you should have 2-3 inches drop at 20 feet (~1%). Normal trucks and SUVs should have a bit more drop, 1.5-2%. Jacked up trucks should not be allowed to have headlights at all. OK, jk on that, but you see how it works.

Edited May 22, 2011 by Arne