• We have upgraded our forum software! See here for details.

LED headlights

Chiro

Chiro

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
1,322
Reaction score
71
Location
A New York Yankee living in Virginia
Recently took a 7 hour round trip in the truck to pick up a steal-of-a-deal professional gas stove that I have been looking for on Craigslist for over 5 years. Part of the drive was at night and I rarely drive the truck at night. I was really disappointed with the old technology headlights.

Anybody replace the stock bulbs with LED's? Any recommendations? They draw less power, right so they'll be easier on the electrical system, especially the headlight switch, yes?

School me please.
Andy
 
The first thing to do is get the headlight switch out of the circuit with a relay. Connect the relay to the battery and actuate it with the headlight switch. This will give the headlights full battery voltage and only pass a small current through the headlight switch. A six-terminal 20-30 amp Bosch-style relay is about $5 on Amazon.

Here's some instructions on how to do it--


Better yet, you can buy a complete headlight relay harness for about $20 on Amazon.

A direct connection of the headlights to the battery may be all you need.

I don't have any direct experience with LED headlights, but I did consider them but elected to go with Cibie sealed beam halogens on a relay. I bought the Cibies on ebay for about $40. Really good LED headlights are expensive, but the last generation of halogens are pretty reasonable and 'almost' as good, IMO. I'd avoid anything HID because they're complicated and fussy, and like LEDs, good ones are expensive and not that much better than halogen.

Sylvania, Wagner and a bunch of others make halogen sealed beams for between $10-20. A good set of these and a relay is likely to do the trick. Look for H6024 size.

The problem with cheap LED headlights is the light 'cut-off'. The design is usually poor and you can potentially blind oncoming drivers. They are almost always plastic instead of glass lenses (and it is just my opinion, but they look 'ricer' and out of place on an AD truck)

There's very few vehicles in recent production that use round headlights anymore, with one notable exception - Jeep. I'd suggest looking at some of the Jeep forums for LED and halogen reviews and see if there's something that'd meet your neeeds
 
OK, (finally) something I have "experience" with... and an opinion of: Stock lighting...

Just not a fan.

Backstory: On one of my previous vehicles, a 52 Hudson Wasp (hence my screen name), I replaced the 6V sealed beams with a set of Hella "housings", that is to say a glass-faced metal housing (reflective on the inside) with a 6V halogen "burner" (lamp- or bulb). RAZOR sharp cutoff, and significantly more illumination. Fast forward a few light-years (pun intended), and my '14 GMC had just plain pathetic (albeit halogen) stock lighting. In the GMC I did an HID-upgrade in the stock housings with a Morimoto HID conversion kit (from The Retrofit Source). The result? EPIC, GAME-CHANGING FORWARD ILLUMINATION. Same pattern as the original halogen setup, same sharp cutoff, but just an amazing amount of light. Fast forward some more. An HID upgrade on both low- and high-beams on my Pontiac G8, again with Morimoto stuff. Another epic game changing illumination upgrade, again from The Retrofit Source. Now, slow-forward (because it certainly isn't FAST forward), and I have this old AD truck-her name is Penny (maybe you've heard her story), and she is going to need nothing short of the EPIC, GAME-CHANGING ILLUMINATION that my GMC and G8 benefited from. Well, I just happen to have those Hella housings from the Wasp-and they fit the AD truck. And Morimoto just happens to make an H4 HID conversion kit to fit them. And The Retrofit Source carries it. Your choice of light "color" (temperature), as well as ballast wattage (35w standard, 50w optional- all of mine are 50w), with a well-built relay harness.

Sorry if you may have detected a slight HID-bias... but for the "inconvenience" of having to find a place to conceal (or not) the "computers" and the "ballasts", I cannot think of one single "vehicle upgrade" of such consequence as an HID upgrade. I have seen vehicles with an LED upgrade, in the original housings (referring to some late-model stuff here)- the problem is the way the LED lamp emits light. Totally different from the way an incandescent (or HID) lamp emits light. The result is a LOT of illumination, albeit poorly "focused" (Phil's "poor cut-off" comment) . Not what you want in your headlights.

So, with that having been said, if you want to take baby steps, order two of these HL79562 Hella 7" Round H4 E-Code Headlamp, Each | Rally Lights (not sure if this will come thru as a link from Rallylights.com) (bulbs not included). Pick your wattage and color. A relay to bypass the headlight switch, as Phil suggested, is a good idea. If you are still 6V, reach out to me, and I will send you the 6V lamps from the aforementioned Wasp, for a stage-1 upgrade. If you then decide "stage 2" (an HID conversion- in those Hella's, but will need to be 12v) seems like natural progression, I will be happy to offer guidance on product selection from The Retrofit Source. Disclaimer: I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with The Retrofit Source (or Morimoto Lighting), beyond being a VERY satisfied customer.

Wow- it's like you hit a nerve!

But, if the demographic of this forum is like ME... "getting older" and needing MORE LIGHT, all of this is pertinent.
 
My MAN!!!
You are officially a lighting nerd and I love it. Think I'm going to go with the halogens to start. Bill Hanlon put up a good description of a headlight relay install in our trucks years ago based upon a much earlier request by me on headlights. I'm probably going to do the same conversion on my Model A coupe hot rod as well but I'm going to do the truck first. Thanks so much for your rather exhaustive and informative post. I hope you are all doing well up there in NH.
Andy
 
52wasp said:
OK, (finally) something I have "experience" with... and an opinion of: Stock lighting...

<SNIP>

So, with that having been said, if you want to take baby steps, order two of these HL79562 Hella 7" Round H4 E-Code Headlamp, Each | Rally Lights (not sure if this will come thru as a link from Rallylights.com) (bulbs not included). Pick your wattage and color. A relay to bypass the headlight switch, as Phil suggested, is a good idea. If you are still 6V, reach out to me, and I will send you the 6V lamps from the aforementioned Wasp, for a stage-1 upgrade. If you then decide "stage 2" (an HID conversion- in those Hella's, but will need to be 12v) seems like natural progression, I will be happy to offer guidance on product selection from The Retrofit Source. Disclaimer: I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with The Retrofit Source (or Morimoto Lighting), beyond being a VERY satisfied customer.
Click to expand...

I am at Stage One, and interested in Stage Two... got those notes handy?
Thanks.
 
So, you have a set of Hella reflectors already? And you are 12V? OK then. I will assemble a series of links and post them here, with recommendations.

But to start, you will need to know what "temperature" (color) light you want. The human eye sees light in the around-4300K range most efficiently, and since our goal is USABLE light, something around 4300K is what I would suggest. Your options are 4300K, 5000K and 6000K (K is Kelvin).

The 4300K's are a slightly yellowish light, halogen-ish. 5000K is pure white, and 6000K is starting to approach a bluish tint. But... those values are when using a 35W ballast. When the 50W ballast is selected, the temperature drops by 1,000K. So, on vehicles I have retrofitted, I have ordered 5000K bulbs, with a 50W ballast, giving me around 4000K. My brother and I both HID-converted identical trucks, and mine 5000K/50W was visibly brighter than his 6000K/50W.

Links to follow!
 
OK, RidesWithYah,
Here is the Link to what I suggest: 9003/H4: Elite HID System | The Retrofit Source BL11
Now, as I alluded to in my previous post, you have choices regarding Ballast wattage and bulb temperature. I would suggest 50W Ballast/5000K Bulbs. Or 35W Ballast/4300K Bulbs. Your choice. Given that this system has relays, 1. Your stock headlight switch will see only "relay-switching" current. 2. You will need to make a connection to the battery.

Let me know how it goes!
upload_2025-3-17_16-7-4.png
upload_2025-3-17_16-7-4.png
 
But what is he going to mount the bulbs in? And are the cables long enough to reach from the bulb, through the underside of the fender where all kinds of water and debris exist and on into the engine compartment? Also, will the wire connectors fit through existing holes in the fenders? Not trying to be a downer here, just want Andy to consider everything before plopping down $252 for this harness.
 
Last edited:
Bill,
As I mentioned in a previous post, this is a Stage 2 option. Stage 1 meaning (RidesWithyah in this case) already has a pair of Hella reflectors. Presumably with halogen bulbs. The supporting "hardware" (ballasts and "computers") will need to be located (mounted) near the headlights. The original connector which plugged into the sealed beam plugs into this harness, telling it High/Low beam. All this stuff is weatherproof.

And the $252 is for the harness/relay cable assembly AND a set of HID bulbs.

Hope this helps- and Thanks for your input.
Mike
 
Hey RidesWithYah,
Awesome link Thanks! The Hella reflectors are the "next generation" from sealed beams... a stopgap between them and "composite" headlamps that virtually ALL modern cars utilize. Keep us informed of your progress.
Mike
 
Thanks Bill,
I remembered that thread and searched it. Thanks for posting the link on this thread. I'm definitely going to do that this spring now that it's starting to warm up.
Andy
 
I love my LED headlights from Delta. Not cheap at $400 but they have been running 8+years in the ol 51 with no issues. I like that they have a classic looking lens instead of modern smooth style and throw light way down the road. The most surprising thing is how they light up reflective signs on the highway long distances away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top