LED -HID headlights in Libertys etc

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tommudd

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Thinking of converting your halogen headlamps to HID or LED? ITs A BIG NO NO

Good HID and LED headlamps are terrific; they can offer excellent safety performance and driver comfort, but only if they're designed and built from the start as HID or LED headlamps. Installing an "HID kit" or "LED bulbs" in a halogen headlamp isn't an upgrade, it's a large and serious safety downgrade.

So you've read about HID and LED headlamps—maybe you've driven a car equipped with them—and now you want to convert your car. A few mouse clicks on the web, and you've found dozens of outfits offering to sell you an "HID kit" or a set of "LED bulbs" that will fit right in place of your car's halogen bulbs. Sounds great, right? It's not. STOP! Put away that credit card.

This article primarily discusses the problems with "HID kits", but the concept and most of the issues apply equally to the "LED bulbs" now flooding the market. Like "HID kits", they are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, they are a fraudulent scam. They are not capable of producing the right amount of light in the right distribution pattern for the lamp's optics to work. The particular details of the incompatibility are different for LED vs. HID, but the principles and problems are the same overall. In one sentence: halogen headlamps must use halogen bulbs or they don't—can't—won't work effectively, safely, or legally.

An "HID kit" or "LED conversion" consists of HID ballasts and bulbs (or "LED bulbs") for retrofitting into a halogen headlamp. Kits for replacement of standard round or rectangular sealed-beam headlamps usually include a poor-quality replaceable-bulb headlight lens-reflector unit that's not safe or legal even when equipped with the intended (usually H4) halogen bulb. Often, these products are advertised using the name of a reputable lighting company ("Real Philips kit! Real Osram kit! Real Hella kit! Real Cree LEDs!", etc) to try to give the potential buyer the illusion of legitimacy. On rare occasion, some of the components in these kits did start out as legitimate HID headlight bulbs made by reputable companies, but they are modified (hacked) by the "HID kit" suppliers, and they aren't being put to their designed or intended use. Reputable companies like Philips, Osram, Hella, etc. never endorse this kind of hacked usage of their products. Nevertheless, it's easy to get "HID kits" from China bearing the (unauthorised, counterfeit) brands of major, reputable companies. See this page for just a few examples of the many packaging options offered by just one Chinese maker of "HID kits".

Halogen headlamps and HID headlamps require very different optics to produce a safe and effective—not to mention legal—beam pattern. How come? Because of the very different characteristics of the two kinds of light source.

A halogen bulb has a cylindrical light source: the glowing filament. The space immediately surrounding the cylinder of light is completely dark, and so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is along the edges of the cylinder of light. The ends of the filament cylinder fade from bright to dark. An HID bulb, on the other hand, has a crescent-shaped light source -- the arc. It's crescent-shaped because as it passes through the space between the two electrodes, its heat causes it to try to rise. The space immediately surrounding the crescent of light glows in layers...the closer to the crescent of light, the brighter the glow. The ends of the arc crescent are the brightest points, and immediately beyond these points is completely dark, so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is at the ends of the crescent of light.

FROM danielsternlighting
 

Brendon Holt

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I'm not sure what it says about my previous cars but driving the KJ at night with stock halogens was a pleasant surprise for me. Much nicer than my fiancees 2016 Cherokee.
 

Oweneson

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You might want to check out 4WheelOnline. They have a huge variety of headlights for Jeeps and trucks.
 

tommudd

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You might want to check out 4WheelOnline. They have a huge variety of headlights for Jeeps and trucks.


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Must not of read the article
 

Act78danger

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I've recently picked up a 2006 KJ, and I badly need brighter headlights. I do not know, what's wrong with my light bulbs, headlights, or what... everything looks ok, but the headlights are dim. I even picked up a new set of Osram bulbs - no difference. Yet, I hoped they would solve the problem. Now I seriously consider a set of Hikari Ultra LEDs installed into my stock headlights:
I've read the post above and hope you can tell me how these LEDs work in KJs? I am aware of the 'legal' aspect of the LEDs, yet I badly need brighter light, and before I go and buy new headlights, I think of giving them a try.

What do you folks think of these LEDs? Any experience with Hikari in the KJs? Maybe there is something special I need to know before starting the installation?
Any help is appreciated!
 

tommudd

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I've recently picked up a 2006 KJ, and I badly need brighter headlights. I do not know, what's wrong with my light bulbs, headlights, or what... everything looks ok, but the headlights are dim. I even picked up a new set of Osram bulbs - no difference. Yet, I hoped they would solve the problem. Now I seriously consider a set of Hikari Ultra LEDs installed into my stock headlights:
I've read the post above and hope you can tell me how these LEDs work in KJs? I am aware of the 'legal' aspect of the LEDs, yet I badly need brighter light, and before I go and buy new headlights, I think of giving them a try.

What do you folks think of these LEDs? Any experience with Hikari in the KJs? Maybe there is something special I need to know before starting the installation?
Any help is appreciated!
If you install a LED bulb into the KJ headlights, light will scatter everywhere due to shape of the headlight itself
can not get a good area to light up and will blind everyone coming at you
they were designed for halogen only
 

Johnny O

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Thinking of converting your halogen headlamps to HID or LED? ITs A BIG NO NO

Good HID and LED headlamps are terrific; they can offer excellent safety performance and driver comfort, but only if they're designed and built from the start as HID or LED headlamps. Installing an "HID kit" or "LED bulbs" in a halogen headlamp isn't an upgrade, it's a large and serious safety downgrade.

So you've read about HID and LED headlamps—maybe you've driven a car equipped with them—and now you want to convert your car. A few mouse clicks on the web, and you've found dozens of outfits offering to sell you an "HID kit" or a set of "LED bulbs" that will fit right in place of your car's halogen bulbs. Sounds great, right? It's not. STOP! Put away that credit card.

This article primarily discusses the problems with "HID kits", but the concept and most of the issues apply equally to the "LED bulbs" now flooding the market. Like "HID kits", they are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, they are a fraudulent scam. They are not capable of producing the right amount of light in the right distribution pattern for the lamp's optics to work. The particular details of the incompatibility are different for LED vs. HID, but the principles and problems are the same overall. In one sentence: halogen headlamps must use halogen bulbs or they don't—can't—won't work effectively, safely, or legally.

An "HID kit" or "LED conversion" consists of HID ballasts and bulbs (or "LED bulbs") for retrofitting into a halogen headlamp. Kits for replacement of standard round or rectangular sealed-beam headlamps usually include a poor-quality replaceable-bulb headlight lens-reflector unit that's not safe or legal even when equipped with the intended (usually H4) halogen bulb. Often, these products are advertised using the name of a reputable lighting company ("Real Philips kit! Real Osram kit! Real Hella kit! Real Cree LEDs!", etc) to try to give the potential buyer the illusion of legitimacy. On rare occasion, some of the components in these kits did start out as legitimate HID headlight bulbs made by reputable companies, but they are modified (hacked) by the "HID kit" suppliers, and they aren't being put to their designed or intended use. Reputable companies like Philips, Osram, Hella, etc. never endorse this kind of hacked usage of their products. Nevertheless, it's easy to get "HID kits" from China bearing the (unauthorised, counterfeit) brands of major, reputable companies. See this page for just a few examples of the many packaging options offered by just one Chinese maker of "HID kits".

Halogen headlamps and HID headlamps require very different optics to produce a safe and effective—not to mention legal—beam pattern. How come? Because of the very different characteristics of the two kinds of light source.

A halogen bulb has a cylindrical light source: the glowing filament. The space immediately surrounding the cylinder of light is completely dark, and so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is along the edges of the cylinder of light. The ends of the filament cylinder fade from bright to dark. An HID bulb, on the other hand, has a crescent-shaped light source -- the arc. It's crescent-shaped because as it passes through the space between the two electrodes, its heat causes it to try to rise. The space immediately surrounding the crescent of light glows in layers...the closer to the crescent of light, the brighter the glow. The ends of the arc crescent are the brightest points, and immediately beyond these points is completely dark, so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is at the ends of the crescent of light.

FROM danielsternlighting
And in the fine print you will find none are DOT approved or for “Off Road Use Only”
 

tommudd

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…and these bright lights make me grouchy as none yinze bother to aim them properly so bind us old farts at night…:wink:
They can't so they just shine them in everyones eyes
NOW my Vision Light Cannons when I hit them for just a second, they understand quickly
 

Johnny O

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They can't so they just shine them in everyones eyes
NOW my Vision Light Cannons when I hit them for just a second, they understand quickly
<evil laughter> Got a pair of Oz spots mounted on each end of the light bar that have proven useful for the same.
 

Johnny O

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Thinking of converting your halogen headlamps to HID or LED? ITs A BIG NO NO

Good HID and LED headlamps are terrific; they can offer excellent safety performance and driver comfort, but only if they're designed and built from the start as HID or LED headlamps. Installing an "HID kit" or "LED bulbs" in a halogen headlamp isn't an upgrade, it's a large and serious safety downgrade.

So you've read about HID and LED headlamps—maybe you've driven a car equipped with them—and now you want to convert your car. A few mouse clicks on the web, and you've found dozens of outfits offering to sell you an "HID kit" or a set of "LED bulbs" that will fit right in place of your car's halogen bulbs. Sounds great, right? It's not. STOP! Put away that credit card.

This article primarily discusses the problems with "HID kits", but the concept and most of the issues apply equally to the "LED bulbs" now flooding the market. Like "HID kits", they are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, they are a fraudulent scam. They are not capable of producing the right amount of light in the right distribution pattern for the lamp's optics to work. The particular details of the incompatibility are different for LED vs. HID, but the principles and problems are the same overall. In one sentence: halogen headlamps must use halogen bulbs or they don't—can't—won't work effectively, safely, or legally.

An "HID kit" or "LED conversion" consists of HID ballasts and bulbs (or "LED bulbs") for retrofitting into a halogen headlamp. Kits for replacement of standard round or rectangular sealed-beam headlamps usually include a poor-quality replaceable-bulb headlight lens-reflector unit that's not safe or legal even when equipped with the intended (usually H4) halogen bulb. Often, these products are advertised using the name of a reputable lighting company ("Real Philips kit! Real Osram kit! Real Hella kit! Real Cree LEDs!", etc) to try to give the potential buyer the illusion of legitimacy. On rare occasion, some of the components in these kits did start out as legitimate HID headlight bulbs made by reputable companies, but they are modified (hacked) by the "HID kit" suppliers, and they aren't being put to their designed or intended use. Reputable companies like Philips, Osram, Hella, etc. never endorse this kind of hacked usage of their products. Nevertheless, it's easy to get "HID kits" from China bearing the (unauthorised, counterfeit) brands of major, reputable companies. See this page for just a few examples of the many packaging options offered by just one Chinese maker of "HID kits".

Halogen headlamps and HID headlamps require very different optics to produce a safe and effective—not to mention legal—beam pattern. How come? Because of the very different characteristics of the two kinds of light source.

A halogen bulb has a cylindrical light source: the glowing filament. The space immediately surrounding the cylinder of light is completely dark, and so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is along the edges of the cylinder of light. The ends of the filament cylinder fade from bright to dark. An HID bulb, on the other hand, has a crescent-shaped light source -- the arc. It's crescent-shaped because as it passes through the space between the two electrodes, its heat causes it to try to rise. The space immediately surrounding the crescent of light glows in layers...the closer to the crescent of light, the brighter the glow. The ends of the arc crescent are the brightest points, and immediately beyond these points is completely dark, so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is at the ends of the crescent of light.

FROM danielsternlighting
As an addition to this important topic (and a bit of a bump). Nope your expensive LED "bulbs" don't work for cra.p in your reflector halogen headlamp assemblies. This article (outside link) does a good job of doing what my kids informed me is called an "explainer"

A $150 Reminder That LED Headlight Bulbs Don’t Work

As a reminder your fresh from Amazon LED pods are NOT D.O.T approved in any state or country and for off-road use only.

In Nebraska for instance, even the D.O.T approved LED halogen replacements are illegal- they seem brighter, but actually reduce your headlamp effectiveness and are a significant hazard to other drivers. When you go to the autoparts store here, that part of the Sylvania rack is empty...and that is unusual for a state that basically lets you do anything you want with your vehicle. Safety people, Safety.

Also, to the je.rk that tried to bli.nd me with his cra.ppy LED highbeams in his lifted Ford last night- You got what you deserved when I released the full glory of my excessive and overpowered offroad lighting at the stop light. LEARN TO ADJUST YOUR HEADLAMP POSITION, knucklehead.

An additional reminder, only white headlamps are legal. Those blue and green ones are a serious no-no. And if Mr. Officer is in a bad mood, you are gonna get a fix-it ticket.
 

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