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LED headlights on fleabay

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FuzzFace2

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Dyn Blin wrote

Dave- can you point to a write-up you did on your front bumper fab?

I did not do a write up on just the bumper mod but kind of did it in my truck build.Sorry I did not see this earlier
It starts here and may run a few pages
http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/81-F100-flare-side-custom-with-300-six-T18-tp15348p23129.html
I should have made the opening just a little larger to give the light more room for adjustment, I thought I did when making it.
What it looks like done

Dave ----

Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

Dave, I'm following this with interest, as I'm right there in my fog light quest.
The epoxy on my relay box fuse holder is hardening and the primer on my bumper brackets is drying...
Though I'm using the stays behind my bricknose bumper to mount the lights.

If some of the mud is gone maybe I will pull the bumper and weld them in tomorrow.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

FuzzFace2

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Dave, I'm following this with interest, as I'm right there in my fog light quest.
The epoxy on my relay box fuse holder is hardening and the primer on my bumper brackets is drying...
Though I'm using the stays behind my bricknose bumper to mount the lights.

If some of the mud is gone maybe I will pull the bumper and weld them in tomorrow.

Looks like you took a clue from the newer trucks as they use brackets to bolt the lights to and not the bumper, look good.
Dave ----

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

My gigantic bricknose bumper has a diagonal brace on either side.
Otherwise, it's just a piece of 10 or 8Ga. tinfoil compared to a Bullnose bumper.

This is one reason I'll have to mount them so far outboard.
I'm just providing a flat surface, normal to the direction of travel.
Hope I don't have to do too much tweaking when I weld them in.

Put one of the lights to my battery today.
They weren't kidding about the lumens these things put out! 😲

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Danny G

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

ArdWrknTrk wrote

My gigantic bricknose bumper has a diagonal brace on either side.
Otherwise, it's just a piece of 10 or 8Ga. tinfoil compared to a Bullnose bumper.

This is one reason I'll have to mount them so far outboard.
I'm just providing a flat surface, normal to the direction of travel.
Hope I don't have to do too much tweaking when I weld them in.

Put one of the lights to my battery today.
They weren't kidding about the lumens these things put out! 😲

yea led tech is pretty darn awesome, and a fraction of the power draw. I get flashed now and again even though my lights are cut to the right height etc. So I flash back with the LEDs on "surface of the sun" setting.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

Danny G

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

speaking of a fraction of the power. I wonder if anyone has added up what all the lighting would draw in the 1980's vs now with the LED tech. Easiest way may be to multiple the number of each type of bulb on the build sheet by its wattage rating.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

Gary Lewis

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

So, what about I create an interactive spreadsheet and put it on a page under Documentation/Electrical/Lighting? I could put in the wattage of the tungsten bulbs and have a column for whatever bulbs you want to put in, and there will be auto-summed totals at the bottom.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

In reply to this post by Danny G

You could measure load off the battery with them all switched on.
It's a more pragmatic and real world approach.
The milliwatts that memory uses are less that rounding error.

LED's are about 1/8 (12%) the wattage for same lumens.
But there has been noticed an effect where everyone from governments and industry to apartment dwellers add more light because it's cheaper and easier to maintain.
(And "because they want to")

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Danny G

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

ArdWrknTrk wrote

You could measure load off the battery with them all switched on.
It's a more pragmatic and real world approach.
The milliwatts that memory uses are less that rounding error.

LED's are about 1/8 (12%) the wattage for same lumens.
But there has been noticed an effect where everyone from governments and industry to apartment dwellers add more light because it's cheaper and easier to maintain.
(And "because they want to")

Definitely an easier approach, and gets all the bits and pieces you may miss.

What I like about where Gary is going, if he feels up to it, is it could evolve to where you could basically do a build on paper combining standard and LED bulbs to see how much power you need, say to size an alternator or something. Granted, going for the largest you can fit generally solves that problem without playing around.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

I don't think changing out all the bulbs in my dash saved too many watts, but it sure is brighter!

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

In reply to this post by Danny G

What I had in mind was something like this, which started life as a page from the 1981 owner's manual. So, as I fill in the wattage behind the spreadsheet will automagically have the calcs. Then I add it to the above-mentioned page, and y'all can play.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Danny G

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

probably not lol.

Head lights, markers, tail lights then all running lights and interior lights together may scrap you few watts.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

Gary Lewis

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

Check out the new page: Documentation/Electrical/Lighting/Lighting Specs & Calculations.

But that's really just a draft. We can change it as desired.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

82F150I6

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

In reply to this post by RenoHuskerDu

Back to the original topic of LED headlights, does anyone have an idea how these plastic lenses will hold up over time? I live in Arizona where the Sun delights in transforming clear plastic into a cloudy, milky mess.

82F150I6
1982 F150 4x4 Styleside, Dana 44 front axle, New Process 208 transfer case, 4 spd manual xmission, 4.9L engine.

2nd owner, purchased in 1986. Best damned truck, ever!

old55pete

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Most of the ones I have seen here in the Prescott Valley AZ area that are over a year old or so have become white or milkie looking in that short amount of time.

Steve
86 Bronco, XLT, 5.0 EFI, EEC IV, AOD, IFS, limited slip front and rear, 3.08 gears, Tilt steering, factory AC

82F150I6

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Steve,

I was afraid of that. Guess I'll stick with the ol' incandescent headlights.

BTW, I'm in Chino Valley.

-Walt

82F150I6
1982 F150 4x4 Styleside, Dana 44 front axle, New Process 208 transfer case, 4 spd manual xmission, 4.9L engine.

2nd owner, purchased in 1986. Best damned truck, ever!

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

Walt, don't they have glass shells intended for H4 bulbs?

I know there are LED replacements for those.
You just have to be careful the heatsinks the back will clear the battery.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

There are glass shells intended for the H4 bulbs. But, I do not think LED H4 replacements will work properly in them. I've tried to explain that in the Lighting Upgrades thread, but let me try again, briefly, here.

If you look at the reflector and H4 bulb from the side you'll see that the reflector is a parabola such that light from a single point, called the focal point, reflects horizontally. And the filament of the H4 bulb lays horizontally so it is a dot, right at the focal point.

But LED's are not configured that way. There are multiple LED's in an H4 replacement and therefore they aren't at the focal point. So their light doesn't reflect horizontally. Instead, it comes off in all sorts of angles and the result is that you don't get a focused beam of light. Yes, the lens tries to focus it, but there are limitations to what it can do.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

Well, you're right on that count....

But what kind of geometry do you think the plastic replacement reflectors have?

With the LED bulbs like I have I doubt you could even shape the reflector to focus it and still fit in the mount.

I'm looking for diffuse light, so it's all good.
But this thread is about replacement headlamps.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: LED headlights on fleabay

Administrator

I would hope that a complete LED headlight replacement that has the DOT certification has worked out the geometry/lens combination. But that would be a very complex thing unless they can put the LED at the focal point.

But if you are looking for diffused light, like for your fog light application, maybe an LED replacement works. But which one? From what I've seen there are many different configurations. However, that's not the topic of this thread, as you said.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

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