led lights

I want to put led lights on but they say there for off road driving only. I dont do off road. can I use them?

 

When a manufacturer puts those words on a lighting product, it can mean several things. For instance, it can mean that the lights exceed federal requirements for wattage / brightness. It can also mean that the beam pattern is inappropriate for on-road use. (Highly focused "pencil beam" pattern lights for instance are so sensitive to aim that even a slightly misaimed beam can blind oncoming drivers.)

Unfortunately, for many Chinese LED lighting products, it simply means they're so poorly engineered and built that they don't even come close to meeting DOT specifications. Of course some folks think that "If they're not approved for on-road use, they must be awesome." Not likely.

And I should probably add that if a lighting product is not approved for on-road use, the police can give you a ticket for using them on-road.

 

I’ve used two different led kits for my 2017 sport. The lights are bright but they do not project down the road far. I’m looking to replace with a hid kit.

 

I think you're going to find that Chinese HID's are just as bad at putting light where it matters (and not putting it where it doesn't belong - like in other driver's eyes) as Chinese LED's. Remember, "bright" is not always the same as "focused."

 

What are the “good” LED kits?

 

No.

 

This is only one man's opinion, but I honestly don't think there is any such thing (yet) as a "good" plug and play LED replacement headlight bulb kit. And by "good" I mean:

- Puts more usable light on the ground than OEM bulbs
- Doesn't increase glare for oncoming drivers
- Lasts at least as long as OEM bulbs
- Doesn't damage the vehicle's wiring or lamp housings

 

Is that because no company has developed a LED setup similar to what is being used on some OEM LED headlights?

 

I guess my real question is LED headlights are awesome imo and a lot of new vehicles have optional LED setups. Why isn’t there an equivalent option for us 2nd gens?

 

Because there is no perceived profit margin, based on potential sales, to engineer and produce a proper lens/reflector fitment to support LEDs in a vehicle that ended production 3 model years ago.

85+% of the existing market of survivor trucks don't even keep their lens clear/polished, much less fret over the latest trinket.

If you want actual quality on road lighting, consider @crashnburn80's well developed mod.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-not-led-or-hid.398066/

If you overdrive this upgrade, odds are you're way over the speed limit anyway.

For off road lighting you have dozens of aftermarket options.

 

Awesome, thanks @Clearwater Bill

Sometimes I think every taco owner is like us and wants to upgrade everything lol. Except the granpas out there. They dont change nothin but the oil.

 

Vehicle enthusiasts tend to stay that way throughout life. Drag racing, dune buggies, 3 wheel dirt bikes, GT cars, sports cars, auto-x, HPDE, trucks........ it's all motorsport.

Interests in vehicle types and purposes may change over the years. And often function will trump form as experience builds.

But don't be too hard on the oldsters. All 6 of my grands dug my race prepped drop top street ride and my truck just fine.

 

I don't know about that. I'm 62 and have made many modifications to my Tacoma - including quite a few lighting mods. But when it comes to a safety item like lighting, I only consider mods that actually increase safety or performance. Many of the aftermarket lighting products - particularly when it comes to headlights and bulbs - are more for looks than performance. In fact many of them perform far worse than OEM parts.

Now that you mention it, I do change my oil regularly though ...

 

You’re right @Clearwater Bill once its in the blood it tends to stay there.
There definitely are some cool grandpas out there. I meant it more metaphorically .