Spyder headlamps.....my take on 'em...and LIGHTING in general

[shovelbill]

seems GM is at it again making **** fu@k headlights.....even on these new star wars things.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/10/gmc-hit-lawsuit-sierras-new-headlights/

my guess is these headlights do manage to just pass the standard, much like ours.......but people are used to their other cars with quality headlights..........WAAAAAAAAA, call the lawyer

 

[shovelbill]

i found what looks like a good company in the UK.......they have quite a few things that are very hard to find here.....and shipping seems reasonable, considering we can't get this stuff readily......i put stuff in the "cart" and saw it just gave options to ship to US addresses...cool. have some cool bulbs too

http://www.jjcraceandrally.com/race/drive-lamps

 

[shovelbill]

Very addicting lol if I could find a way to put more lights on my truck and keep a relatively clean look I would. I'd like to put a set of spots behind the grill, just not sure if the grill is strong enough to cut an inch out of the back side of it

i've seen a few folks here put LED light bars in there...pretty unobtrusive and i'm sure throw some task type lighting.

 

[drewcrew]

i've seen a few folks here put LED light bars in there...pretty unobtrusive and i'm sure throw some task type lighting.

I know you already posted this info but what bulbs did you end up using in the Spyders ?

 

[Brother Al]

The links on LED conversions... Yikes!, more lighting "****", ...but a lotta great info. Been reading a bit there too, thanks to your earlier links guys.

"sportyaccordy" had a good idea, in theory, but fruition of a legitimate & safe LED headlight conversion seems to be a Unicorn for the home gamer... Therein is the biggest rub, technology is under-pacing the capabilities of the home shop tinkerer's mind. At some point, we might move forward, with some cool invention, ...like the realization of how truely incredible a 3D printer is for Joe Six-Pack, once he/she/it discovers that practically anything can be made from scratch....Ooooh Yeah! (Think Randy-RIP)
All provided you have the time, equipment, $$$, patience, and materials to jump into the magical world of 3D design. I want to but my Wife would kill me, & revive me long enough to kill me again.

"argleargle" seems to be spot on... lotta great responses in that thread. I found his point about "Off Road Use" and the follow-up info quite interesting. Putting 16 years and going, into the Mass Court System, another 14 or so to go before retirement- hopefully- (& no, Im not on Death Row or Bubba's bedmate)... I see the legalities, but "the Government" would have a hard time prosecuting a case where "Company X" made "Off-Road Use Only" products, sold them to a private party or business, and then that person or business knowingly chose to ignore the "Off-Road"/ Illegal for use on a public ways" disclaimer. If such were true, there would be a very, very small aftermarket industry and we wouldnt see 2/3rds of the ricer-mods we do now. (The other 3rd would still exist because you cant eliminate stupidity.)

More complicating is the complex spaghetti of individual State laws for lighting and "Off-Road Use" vs Public Way... a simple example could be taken from vehicles legally-definition, in each State, under "Farm-Use Vehicle", "Kit Car", or "Construction-Use Equipment"... but anyway...

Also, speaking of polycarbonate, cataracts, and Anzo aftermarket Chinesium... I noticed that my headlights are yellowing... saw it yesterday as I was clearing snow during the Nor' Easter... (about 30" in 4 days, from the 2 Nor' Easters... cant wait to see how bad the snowdrifts are when I get home in a bit.)

On that last note, I first got into LEDs with my Bolens ST120 lawn tractor... looked to replace the crappy stock lighting, them decided to add LEDs to my 1974 Ransomes Bob-caT Snowthrower... (those 2 projects started a huge learning curve for me).

Will post pics of yellowing later.

 

[shovelbill]

i can tell you one more thing about big brother......in the Harley world Drag Specialities is one of the biggest aftermarket suppliers in the game.....they CAN"T even mail any "non-OEM or stock replacement" replacement engine parts to californika....dealers will NOT mail them and customers can't BUY them from what i've been told by my Drag rep......and what cali gets, a few years later the country gets..like emissions in NY....fu@kin CARB compliant....****** ******* motherfukkin tree huggin shytbags cuntz.

i had to get my hi-flo mandrel bent Magnaflowcat setup from Canada....NY won't even let you buy the "federal" mandted catalytic converters....couldn't believe Jeggs told me they couldn't send it to my NY addy.....these gubmint fu@ks need to GO.

rant off.

 

[michael hurd]

The links on LED conversions... Yikes!, more lighting "****", ...but a lotta great info. Been reading a bit there too, thanks to your earlier links guys.


"argleargle" seems to be spot on... lotta great responses in that thread. I found his point about "Off Road Use" and the follow-up info quite interesting. Putting 16 years and going, into the Mass Court System, another 14 or so to go before retirement- hopefully- (& no, Im not on Death Row or Bubba's bedmate)... I see the legalities, but "the Government" would have a hard time prosecuting a case where "Company X" made "Off-Road Use Only" products, sold them to a private party or business, and then that person or business knowingly chose to ignore the "Off-Road"/ Illegal for use on a public ways" disclaimer. If such were true, there would be a very, very small aftermarket industry and we wouldnt see 2/3rds of the ricer-mods we do now. (The other 3rd would still exist because you cant eliminate stupidity.)

More complicating is the complex spaghetti of individual State laws for lighting and "Off-Road Use" vs Public Way... a simple example could be taken from vehicles legally-definition, in each State, under "Farm-Use Vehicle", "Kit Car", or "Construction-Use Equipment"... but anyway...

Not really hard to sort through the chaff to get to the wheat. The phrase "off road use" carries literally no legal weight, although it is commonly tossed around by companies.

If used solely for "competition", "track", "contest" or "show" use, then pretty much anything goes. Purple flashing headlights? Great... but only for the car show.

Regarding on highway use, FMVSS 108 in the US, CMVSS 108 in Canuckistan.

Want to wrap your brain around definitions? Search out the legal definition of an "self propelled instrument of husbandry", and compare it to the definition of 'motor vehicle'.

Read a fantastic court case a while ago, the synopsis was: person charged with operating a motor vehicle, no insurance under our Highway Traffic act. Officer observed, then charged a fellow operating an "E-bike" with his feet on footrests, and noted the pedals had been removed. ( pedals are needed to provide muscular power, a key component of the definition of 'bicycle' or 'motor assist bicycle' )

Bike operator installed pedals while the officer was writing the certificate of offence, and pedaled away after receiving the certificate of offence.

Learned Justice presiding over the hearing "An INCOMPLETE, or DEFECTIVE E-bike does not make it a motor vehicle. "

 

[shovelbill]

hey deejaaa......some more thought to prime the pump.....LOL

http://www.speedmotoco.com/product-p/223-318.htm

easy peasy side mount "L" bracket deal....and they come in black......
https://spieglerusa.com/lights-indicators/headlights/close-out-headlights/twin-headlight.htm

https://spieglerusa.com/lights-indicators/headlight-type/twin-headlight.html

 

[shovelbill]

http://www.polo-motorrad.com/en/led-scheinwerfer-hr-fernlicht-87c259.html
http://www.polo-motorrad.com/en/led-scheinwerfer-hc-abblendlicht-498351.html

 

[michael hurd]

http://www.polo-motorrad.com/en/led-scheinwerfer-hr-fernlicht-87c259.html

Looks like a Carclo $1.50 three up optic with who knows what emitters.

http://www.ledsupply.com/led-optics/10507-carclo-lens-3-up-narrow-spot-led-optic
http://www.ledsupply.com/led-optics/10507-carclo-lens-3-up-narrow-spot-led-optic
Combine with something like this, in '3 up, 4000K $18.99

http://www.ledsupply.com/leds/cree-xlamp-xp-l-high-density-led-star

Add a driver and an enclosure.

Voila~

EDIT: If they are using the Carclo optic, measured with the Cree XP-E ~ 88.7 percent optical efficiency with 16.4 degree angle, in the data sheet above.