Any one using these LED headlights?

[August76]

Saw these on ebay and figured they cant be worse than what i have now.
Ive used hid in the past on other vehicles and ballasts burned out often. They also were just flooding light.
My housings arent terrible but I can barely see at night.not a fan of ricer tail or head lights. So we shall see if these $10 lights work.

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[454cid]

I don't think there is anything currently on the market that is actually a good LED retrofit for the composite headlights. The best I guess are for the sealed beams, and they're a lot more than $10.

If you spend the money, you might want to categorize it as "money spent for entertainment purposes", so you're not too disappointed.

 

[August76]

I don't think there is anything currently on the market that is actually a good LED retrofit for the composite headlights. The best I guess are for the sealed beams, and they're a lot more than $10.

If you spend the money, you might want to categorize it as "money spent for entertainment purposes", so you're not too disappointed.

I figured for $10 if they even work or include everything they just might outperform the old 9006 bulbs. Otherwise ill spend $35 at Wally world on the cheaper silverstars.
So you think reg old hid bs will be better? I have some ballasts and bulbs still i think

 

[454cid]

I figured for $10 if they even work or include everything they just might outperform the old 9006 bulbs. Otherwise ill spend $35 at Wally world on the cheaper silverstars.
So you think reg old hid bs will be better? I have some ballasts and bulbs still i think

I have no idea on the HID stuff. I've used silverstars and they didn't last long for me. I put standard bulbs back in. I think what will help my lights the most would be replacing the composite housings for some that aren't destroyed by the sun. I may give the glass ones a go.

 

[df2x4]

I figured for $10 if they even work or include everything they just might outperform the old 9006 bulbs.

They won't. Even if they are brighter they aren't going to throw light properly due to the fact that you're going to run them in reflector housings designed for halogen bulbs. They're going to put light all over the place and irritate other drivers. Pull up to a wall with the stock halogen bulbs and see what the pattern looks like, then do it again after you install these. You'll see what I'm talking about.

The issue is that a halogen bulb throws light 360 degrees around the filament while these multi sided LED "retrofit" bulbs have diodes on either side. They'll never throw light the same way regardless of what some of these companies will tell you. Like @454cid mentioned, the only decent LED headlight option for these trucks are the $150 per side 4"x6" TruckLite/GE/JW Speaker housings for the W/T grilles. Those are an entire housing designed around the LED emitters, and are the only street legal (and properly designed) option available.

You'd be a lot better off replacing your cloudy headlight housings and installing a good set of clear glass halogens (NOT the blue-tinted SilverStars or any of that other tinted garbage, Sylvania XtraVisions are a good commonly available option). Upgrading your headlight wiring harness and doing the 4-Hi mod will help out a ton as well. If that's not enough, you can always upgrade the high beam bulb to a 9011 HIR.

 

[August76]

They won't. Even if they are brighter they aren't going to throw light properly due to the fact that you're going to run them in reflector housings designed for halogen bulbs. They're going to put light all over the place and irritate other drivers. Pull up to a wall with the stock halogen bulbs and see what the pattern looks like, then do it again after you install these. You'll see what I'm talking about.

The issue is that a halogen bulb throws light 360 degrees around the filament while these multi sided LED "retrofit" bulbs have diodes on either side. They'll never throw light the same way regardless of what some of these companies will tell you. Like @454cid mentioned, the only decent LED headlight option for these trucks are the $150 per side 4"x6" TruckLite/GE/JW Speaker housings for the W/T grilles. Those are an entire housing designed around the LED emitters, and are the only street legal (and properly designed) option available.

You'd be a lot better off replacing your cloudy headlight housings and installing a good set of clear glass halogens (NOT the blue-tinted SilverStars or any of that other tinted garbage, Sylvania XtraVisions are a good commonly available option). Upgrading your headlight wiring harness and doing the 4-Hi mod will help out a ton as well. If that's not enough, you can always upgrade the high beam bulb to a 9011 HIR.

What is the 4-hi mod? My truck shows to have daytime lights but they dont come on. But the icon lights up on cluster. Also shouldn't my keyless entry flash my running lights or something ? Only my dome lights up . No horn chirp either.

 

[df2x4]

What is the 4-hi mod?

Adding a relay to your headlight wiring so that your low beams stay on when you engage the high beams. In factory configuration the lows shut off when you turn the highs on. There's a stickied thread on it at the top of the electronics subforum.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/4-hi-headlight-mod.122/

Also shouldn't my keyless entry flash my running lights or something ? Only my dome lights up . No horn chirp either.

I honestly don't remember, sorry. Both of my trucks are running aftermarket keyless/remote start systems and I can't remember how the factory systems behave.

One more note on headlights... I kind of glossed over it by saying "upgrade your headlight wiring harness," but I probably should have explained why a little more. From the factory all the current to run the headlights runs straight through the headlight switch. This combined with less than optional wiring can introduce a ton of resistance into the circuits. Installing/making a heavy duty headlight harness with relays that pull power straight from the battery will give you a lot more voltage at the headlight sockets, and therefore much brighter light output. Test results and instructions are in the giant headlight thread somewhere, but I don't remember what page.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/spyder-headlamps-my-take-on-em-and-lighting-in-general.36647/

 

[August76]

Adding a relay to your headlight wiring so that your low beams stay on when you engage the high beams. In factory configuration the lows shut off when you turn the highs on. There's a stickied thread on it at the top of the electronics subforum.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/4-hi-headlight-mod.122/





I honestly don't remember, sorry. Both of my trucks are running aftermarket keyless/remote start systems and I can't remember how the factory systems behave.

One more note on headlights... I kind of glossed over it by saying "upgrade your headlight wiring harness," but I probably should have explained why a little more. From the factory all the current to run the headlights runs straight through the headlight switch. This combined with less than optional wiring can introduce a ton of resistance into the circuits. Installing/making a heavy duty headlight harness with relays that pull power straight from the battery will give you a lot more voltage at the headlight sockets, and therefore much brighter light output. Test results and instructions are in the giant headlight thread somewhere, but I don't remember what page.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/spyder-headlamps-my-take-on-em-and-lighting-in-general.36647/

Yeah. Ill see if i have time to add a relay tomorrow since i have the day off. I have everything on hand.
I just want better low beams. The 4hi mod is usless for me. I cant drive with them on much and they work well actually

 

[df2x4]

The 4hi mod is usless for me. I cant drive with them on much and they work well actually

That was the main reason I expanded on upgrading the harness and adding relays in my last post. The boost in voltage at the 9006 socket from adding relays and bypassing the factory circuit through the headlight switch is the biggest gain you're really going to get for your low beams. I want to say Shovelbill picked up nearly a full volt at the sockets in that thread I linked earlier.

The 4-Hi mod is great, but you're right about it not being helpful in situations where you can't run the highs.

 

[upper_tanker]

I have bought and used both JDM AStar 8th generation and the Opt7 Fluxbeam X. A friend of mine told me to try the JDMs in my tahoe, so I did. I spent the money to put them in the low and high beams. The spread is actually pretty nice for being a PnP. I only drive the truck about once a month or so. They're bright as ****, and with the 4hi mod, it's even better. I've never been flashed. The light mostly shines down like the halogen lights that it did have.

I tried the Opt7 lights in my 97 Lesabre with stock housings. These were GARBAGE. I had so much light scatter, it was ridiculous.


It has been proven plenty of times that Phillips Racing Vision lights are the brightest halogen bulbs currently on the market (this was as of a year or so ago). I bought a set of these to put in the low beams on my Buick, and I'm happy with them. Everybody always rags on the LED / HID PnP into stock halogen housings, and usually for good reason. I'm good with, and surprised at the output in my Tahoe, though. Maybe it's a fluke, but they're pretty focuses and damn near simulate stock halogen lamp patterns.