GreasemonkeySC Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Finally done with my LED lights.New LED headlights, front marker bulbs, front park\turn bulbs, Rusty's tail light inserts & LEDs. I gotta do the interior lights, dash lights, and figure out a 3rd brake\cargo light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Decided to put some new clear markers & turn housing on it.I also added rear side markers, and reverse lights to the Rusty's tail light inserts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustyballer16 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Holy $#!& those taillights fit horribly! No way I'd spend that much on such a crappy fitting product!Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Holy $#!& those taillights fit horribly! No way I'd spend that much on such a crappy fitting product!Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk There has been some $#!++y body work done on this truck. The OE light didn't fit much better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustyballer16 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 That doesn't look like bad body work lol. Does the other side fit better? Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 That doesn't look like bad body work lol. Does the other side fit better? Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk It does fit a little better.I'm not terribly concerned about it for right now. I'll eventually paint the plates to match. I'll fix the issue at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 This will be a brief review of TruckLite 27450C and the knock-offs you can find on Amazon, eBay and elsewhere. Included in this write-up are the aforementioned TruckLites, Eagle Lights and CREE LED headlight of similar design. I may edit the content with links in the future, but this is the "non-electrical N-guy-neer" (read: average consumer) version of the comparison. If you've looked into these, you know the price point of the TruckLite is well over $300 for a pair, $199 for the Eagle Lights and about $100 for the CREE lights. I found a pair of used Eagle Lights on Craigslist, which in and of themselves were a significant upgrade to any of the sealed beams available. In the past I always ran Sylvania SIlverStar Ultras and the Eagle Light range and overall performance was a noted improvement for my tired night eyes. Apologies for the lack of photographic comparison. The next two pics are Eagle Lights high and low ... For comparison to the Eagle Lights I'm running, I purchased and installed TruckLite 27450C and the CREE 5X7 LED equivalent for comparison. Hate to disappoint you guys who dropped the coin for the TruckLites, but the knockoffs perform equally well. The color, range and appearance are almost identical. The only obvious difference is the components. TruckLite board ... Eagle Light/CREE "board" ... Eagle Light and CREE are essentially identical assemblies (at least in visual examination). TruckLites have heavier gauge wiring, with thicker insulation and the connector quality is better. When I disconnected the Eagle Lights to do the comparison, one of the blades fell out of the connector housing. It did snap back in place, but you would have to use a lot of force to push a blade out of the TruckLite's connector housing. I've run the Eagle Lights since October 2017 and have been pleased with their performance. I paid what CREE lights cost new plus $15 for postage and would have been better off buying CREE with free shipping off Amazon. I don't know what the longevity will be, but I have some back-ups. TruckLite does offer a 3 year limited warranty. Meanwhile, you might find a deal on TruckLites (I paid $240 shipped), but I would suggest buying the CREE lights and putting the $200+ back in your pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Promptly got my money back. Junk. That is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 Promptly got my money back. Junk. That is all. I actually prefer PILOT brand LED bulb upgrades. They have done very well for me, and the prices aren't so bad. Average $15pr for 3057, 3157 likewise. Come in Red, Amber, or White. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 On 6/30/2018 at 10:05 PM, NHMJXJ said: I've run the Eagle Lights since October 2017 and have been pleased with their performance. I paid what CREE lights cost new plus $15 for postage and would have been better off buying CREE with free shipping off Amazon. I don't know what the longevity will be, but I have some back-ups. TruckLite does offer a 3 year limited warranty. Meanwhile, you might find a deal on TruckLites (I paid $240 shipped), but I would suggest buying the CREE lights and putting the $200+ back in your pocket. Out of those, I assume only the TruckLites have a DOT approval stamped on them? I just sold off a set of cheap LED headlights I bought because of that. It's not worth the headache to me, since you're either getting an inspection order (which will cost about $150 even if nothing it wrong) or a ticket for running unapproved headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat1991 Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 On 3/16/2016 at 12:23 PM, mikekaz1 said: the headlight harness is probably the single best light upgrade you could doIMO. I've read this a few times around here. Just finish swapping in the putco harness and I'm underwhelmed, at best. There was only 0.13V difference at the headlight socket between the stock harness and the putco harness. IMO, that means the stock harness performs just fine. I think my next move will be Hella E-codes and some 80/100W bulbs to get better bang for my buck out of the putco harness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 42 minutes ago, DesertRat1991 said: I've read this a few times around here. Just finish swapping in the putco harness and I'm underwhelmed, at best. There was only 0.13V difference at the headlight socket between the stock harness and the putco harness. IMO, that means the stock harness performs just fine. I think my next move will be Hella E-codes and some 80/100W bulbs to get better bang for my buck out of the putco harness. With the lights on? I did it more because I didn't feel like trying to get a burning headlight switch out of my dash on the side of the road in the middle of the night, again. The lights are noticeably brighter now though. Not saying they're amazing, but it made a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 Just my $0.02 here, You know, I grew up and have spent most of my driving career driving highways in Bortle scale twos and ones. One is as dark as the scale goes, in case you were wondering. It doesn't get darker than that, and I'm far enough north that at the end of December, night lasts a solid 18 hours, if not longer. Suffice it to say, I know what driving in the dark is like, on winding gravel roads along river valleys and through mountains, in prime whitetail, elk, and moose habitat. I have never found my MJ's headlights to be inadequate. As Dirty pointed out, the only reason I did the relay harness upgrade was because my headlight switch caught fire. I even made the harness extra stout to better handle extra wattage if I ever felt o needed it. But after doing the upgrade I kicked myself for surfing extra on heavy gauge wires because I knew they were completely unnecessary, and even stopped using the brights as often, because they seemed almost too bright to me sometimes, just with stock h6054's or whatever they are. Why is this? Could be any reason I guess, but two things stand out to me: 1. I haven't "upgraded" my dash lights to something brighter or with a spectrum that kills my night vision. My dash still dims to the edge of visibility, just how it should be in the dark. 2. I haven't installed some garish stereo with ridiculous lighting that doesn't dim and causes all the problems of #1. A while back I was riding in my roommate's Fucus at night, and he asked me if I knew about any sort of upgraded headlights that would be good for his car. I gave him a funny look, which he could see because it was so bright in his interior, then stuck my hands over his crazy double-din deck. The interior went dark, and he just sorta sat there dumbfounded for a bit, because suddenly he could see out about a million times better. Now he drives around with a sheet of cardboard taped over it at night. My advice is to make sure you're not blinding yourself. Keep interior light to a bare minimum, keep your windows clean inside and out to reduce reflections, Keep your headlights clean as well, replace them if the lenses are chipped and scratched. Make sure they're aimed correctly too. Newer vehicles are pretty awful to drive at night I find, cause there's waaaay too much light in the cab with backlit LCD screens and LED lights for a bajillion buttons and switches for features I don't want. Then the headlights are so bright to compensate they're almost blinding on their own, not to mention killing the vision of oncoming traffic. I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but it's definitely something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 8 hours ago, DesertRat1991 said: I've read this a few times around here. Just finish swapping in the putco harness and I'm underwhelmed, at best. There was only 0.13V difference at the headlight socket between the stock harness and the putco harness. IMO, that means the stock harness performs just fine. I think my next move will be Hella E-codes and some 80/100W bulbs to get better bang for my buck out of the putco harness. It's current you want to measure, not volts. Just like CFM, you can get 150lbs from a small compressor, no volume and you won't run a DA. Same principal applies to electricity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat1991 Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 10 hours ago, DirtyComanche said: With the lights on? I did it more because I didn't feel like trying to get a burning headlight switch out of my dash on the side of the road in the middle of the night, again. The lights are noticeably brighter now though. Not saying they're amazing, but it made a difference. Yes, lights on, engine running. It was like 14.14V at the battery, 14.12V at the Putco socket and 13.9V at the stock socket. 2 hours ago, Jeep Driver said: It's current you want to measure, not volts. Just like CFM, you can get 150lbs from a small compressor, no volume and you won't run a DA. Same principal applies to electricity. I changed only the harness. Still running stock headlights for now so the load is the same and there shouldn't be a change in current draw. But I do agree that there should be a little less heat generated through the conductor -- which is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 On 7/29/2018 at 7:11 PM, GreasemonkeySC said: I actually prefer PILOT brand LED bulb upgrades. I agree. The PILOT price point is better and they have LEDs at the end of the cylinder, not just wrapping it. The latter relies on the reflector to project the light instead of a beam. On 7/29/2018 at 7:24 PM, DirtyComanche said: Out of those, I assume only the TruckLites have a DOT approval stamped on them? Actually, they all have DOT approved on the lens. The top one is a TruckLite, the bottom a CREE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Actually, they all have DOT approved on the lens. The top one is a TruckLite, the bottom a CREE. I've actually got a pair of $99 knock off LEDs from Amazon. They are DOT stamped, and have been going strong in my son's YJ for a year now. I just put the newer version in my MJ about a month ago. The issue we have with DOT compliance here local is the wording of the law. Some police officers are using it to suit their need for tickets. The officers here won't accept the stamped light, they want the letter of compliance from the manufacturer. Guess what you'll never get from a knock off lighting company, but Truck-Lite will supply upon request. I have a copy in the glove box of my Rubi, it's got the Gen 2 Truck-Lites.The law states the allowed wattage, and number of lights per intent. (No more than 4 headlamps, maximum low wattage of 65w, high of 85w.) The issue is in the conversion of wattage to lumens. There are many different conversion charts online, and the police use that. They also use a passage in the law that states it is unlawful to modify a vehicle from its original state. It doesn't matter that it's a replacement part, the LEDs were not OE.I stay out of those small towns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I’m new and I apologize for the ignorance, but I just bought some LED lights and it came with a DRL wire. Which wire and where would I splice it to for those to work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 hour ago, dixie_d said: I’m new and I apologize for the ignorance, but I just bought some LED lights and it came with a DRL wire. Which wire and where would I splice it to for those to work? Do you have DRL's installed now? If so, factory or aftermarket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 My understanding is the factory DRL module is basically a fancy relay that sends a reduced voltage to the high beam circuit, and disables the dash high-beam indicator. I don't know that even if I had functioning DRL's that I'd want to try tapping into that. If it were me I'd put them on a relay triggered either by parking lights or an ignition-switched 12V source, depending on how I wanted them to work. Or possibly two relays and turn signals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I do, and they’re factory. The ones I bought have a lonely red wire with the LEDs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasemonkeySC Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I've got knock off LEDs in me MJ and in my son's YJ. We didn't have factory DRLs, so I'll hook them up to a basic toggle under the dash, and to ignition. That will allow me to run the DRLs, or go dark when I want. Mine are kinda bright...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I feel like I’m making this more difficult than it really is haha. All the wires are so intimidating, but thanks all for the help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 The DRL module lives on the right inner fender in the back corner of the engine bay. You might be able to figure out which wire is the output from the module, and just tap in there. My thoughts though are that the modules aren't hugely reliable, so you may be better off just wiring it in separately if you want to use it. But to do that you'd also need to disable the factory DRL's, otherwise you'd just have your lights on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now