LED drop in replacement bulbs

[KISMIF]

Hi Folks!

Could use some help.

I would like to replace my backup lights and brake lights with LED's.

Anybody already done this?

Who sells good ones? (none on JK's site) :(

Does anybody make a replacement for the 2003 Fog light?

Thanks!

-KISMIF

[Hammer Down]

I have the Jam Strait LED's tail/brake lights. Check out stylin concepts, that's were I got them.

[VWLURE]

I don't know about the L.E.D. light but on the fog lamps I replaced them with PIAA bulbs(got mine @ ORW in Escondido). Your sould be aware of the heat that builds up in there. I took a screwdriver and pushed away the tabs about 1/2" away.I put Piaa's in all the lights upfront and did the JK light harness and it GREAT!

[GBurton]

KISMIF
I do NOT recommend the LED replacement lights. I purchased several to replace the brake lights, taillights & turn signals. They came from a highly recommended supplier called JamStrait. The good news is JamStrait did take the back for a full refund.
I sent them back because while I could see the light from the LED's when directly behind the vehicle there is a very noticeable decrease in brightness of the total lens assembly. The light from an LED is directly out the front of the LED assembly and while it may be brighter, you do not get light spread out to the sides of the bulb assembly. The light that is provided by a standard bulb is used by the factory lens assembly to light up the complete lens assembly. Put another way, if you are not directly behind the vehicle, the vehicle lens assembly is much dimmer. I wanted a much brighter total light from the lens not just a bright spot out the rear of the lens. I was using the stock taillight assembly, if you replace the taillight lens assembly you may have different results.

As far a using them as a backup light - don't bother. I installed a duel bulb Hella back up light and I can really see to back up. Where I live there are no streetlights and my driveway is curved. Before the Hella I had to be very careful backing up. With the Hella lamp I can really see behind me.

My $0.02 worth

I know there are those who have installed the LED replacements. I also have been behind trucks that have the new LED amber and red lights and they are very bright. They are not a replacement for a standard bulb but a complete assembly using larger LED

[TxDoc]

http://www.gm-trucks.com/ART_LED.shtml

I do not have LED's, but this link is a review of some. Apparently, they vary in construction and this goes into that difference.

[GBurton]

Thanks to TxDoc I called LEDtronics. It was a very informative phone call. On some LED replacement units all of the LED are pointing in the same direction. Because of that the stock lens does not light up like it does with the stock lamp. What you get is a bright red light about the size of the LED replacement unit but the rest of the stock lens is not lit up.
This is the result that I had with the JamStrait replacement LED units.

LEDtronics on the other hand, told me that most of the LED's in their unit point straight away from the socket but (and this is the big difference) there are several (6 or 8 I think) LED's that point towards the side to light up the stock lens assembly.

I just went back to their web site, all I can say is WOW. They make a whole bunch of different LED replacement unit. They also list the light output and color. I am impressed!

I'm going to order one of their replacement units but it will be awhile since they are $48 each for the wedge version.

George

[KISMIF]

Thanks for all the GREAT input.

Most other units have an output of 15-22 degrees and a few wide angles that are 45 degrees.

LEDtronics does look like the best unit, with the additional LED's pointed sideways from the base.

At $48 apiece they

[Buck]

I had LED tail light bulbs in my Euro tails (see pics) They were so bright that there wasn't much difference between running lights and brake light brightness :eek: I returned all 4 bulbs the next day. They looked really cool but I didn't want to take the chance of getting rear ended :(

I put 50 watt backup bulbs (not LED) in and WOW what a difference! smile.gif I think they work so well 'cuz the lense is clear on the Euros. The factory tail lights are ugly :rolleyes: