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LED headlight kit

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by robm7, Jan 15, 2018.

  1. Jan 15, 2018 at 4:20 PM
    #1
    robm7

    robm7 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Installed these but cant re-use the rubber moisture barrier cap because of the size. Anyone convert to LED and not re-use them? The lights are brighter
    I’m concerned about moisture but the new bulbs are waterproof

    H4, X1 series

    EF2BE2FF-D483-4FE6-85B9-11FAF2313FDB.jpg
     
  2. Jan 15, 2018 at 5:43 PM
    #2
    robm7

    robm7 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Bump
     
  3. Jan 15, 2018 at 7:54 PM
    #3
    robm7

    robm7 [OP] Well-Known Member

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  4. Jan 15, 2018 at 8:04 PM
    #4
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 Vehicle Design Engineer

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    Go Hawks!
    Regulator7 likes this.
  5. Jan 15, 2018 at 8:25 PM
    #5
    robm7

    robm7 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Dang
     
  6. Jan 16, 2018 at 6:12 AM
    #6
    chadabear

    chadabear Well-Known Member

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    You can run LED's...I did for 2 years. No issues. I loved them, adjusted the beams for my truck. Super bright, and gave me a wide field of view. NEVER had anyone flashing me... Don't get wrapped up in the TW "You can't be in the club if you don't do what I say"
     
  7. Jan 16, 2018 at 11:01 PM
    #7
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 Vehicle Design Engineer

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    Unfortunately putting your head in the sand and neglecting engineering based facts does not make them untrue. I think what you meant to say is to ignore the well informed community knowledge for which you joined this forum and make poor decisions anyway.
     
    Sig45 and inwood customs like this.
  8. Jan 17, 2018 at 6:14 AM
    #8
    redz80

    redz80 Well-Known Member

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    Crashnburn, Headlight revolution did a led headlight video with a Tundra and it had stock halogen reflectors and it worked really well. But they did show how crap the leds would look if installed in the wrong orientation.

    Is it possible that the newer Led kits are designed better to work with the stock reflector housings?
     
  9. Jan 17, 2018 at 7:43 AM
    #9
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 Vehicle Design Engineer

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    There are extreme varying levels of quality in LED kits. The style the OP has selected is about the worst and results will nearly exactly match the thread I linked above.

    Those more expensive kits that try to do a better job by adding low beam glare guards which will do better in reducing glare. However you are still attempting to use a reflector that is designed for an omnidirectional orb of light, and on low beam designed for the light to illuminate the top of the reflector directly above the bulb (opposite of the glare guard) and the LEDs put out directional light to the sides of the reflector, poorly illuminating the most important part of the reflector housing, just above the bulb. You can visually see this as a darker spot in the housing with LEDs installed. This results in poor beam saturation and poor performance which results in being a downgrade over stock. So there is more to the picture than just the glare issue.

    LEDs need a housing designed for their characteristics, not for the characteristics of a halogen bulb.
     
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  10. Jan 17, 2018 at 8:00 AM
    #10
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 Vehicle Design Engineer

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    One other note I forgot to touch on. Headlights bulbs are not “adjustable”. You should not be able to install a headlight in the “wrong orientation”. Manufactures that sell “adjustable” headlight LEDs are giving you a hack solution and hoping the customer doesn’t know any better. Reflectore headlights are prescision tuned insterments, very small changes in bulb position have a big impact on beam pattern. This is not something you “free hand” and attempting to spin your LED bulbs to control glare is comical at best.
     
    boogie3478 likes this.
  11. Jan 17, 2018 at 8:17 AM
    #11
    outxider

    outxider Never stop exploring. Rest in Paradise Big Bro.

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    A few mods here and there and counting....
    I couldn't count the amount of vehicles with pnp hid/led kits in their stock housings this week. I just really really hate it. Blinds the crap out of you oncoming and when they're behind you, your review view mirror is useless. Just because you've never been flashed doesn't mean anything. I am one of those people that doesn't flash drivers if their brights are on. Don't be that guy.
     
    crashnburn80 likes this.
  12. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:15 AM
    #12
    chadabear

    chadabear Well-Known Member

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    Just getting back to this...no, I just choose to not run with the masses of Darwin followers and not act to react. I did my own personal "research" and found it to work...rather or not you agree to disagree, let it be known that you don't have to be an engineer to have common sense and figure stuff out...
     
  13. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:24 AM
    #13
    TegoTaco

    TegoTaco Well-Known Member

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    just buy a set of high quality bulbs, the only good thing about LED bulbs, is the color that it emits, they have very little improvement over stock...imo.
     
  14. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:31 AM
    #14
    TegoTaco

    TegoTaco Well-Known Member

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    Nothing beats a good set of halogen bulbs or a proper retrofit.
     
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  15. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:47 AM
    #15
    chadabear

    chadabear Well-Known Member

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    Have u personally ran LED's?
     
  16. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:48 AM
    #16
    TegoTaco

    TegoTaco Well-Known Member

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    No, rode in a buddy’s car with them and nothing impressive about them.
     
  17. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:51 AM
    #17
    Toyota09

    Toyota09 Well-Known Member

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    Maybe he has a shitty brand. I installed headlight revolution low beam leds in my 16 taco and the difference is unreal. And the fitment was perfect
     
  18. Mar 14, 2018 at 6:54 AM
    #18
    chadabear

    chadabear Well-Known Member

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    My point exactly...one ride and never owned...that's the mentality of the TW "do as I say" followers. I had the best halogen replacements $$ could buy. After buying 4 sets in 2 years, I got sick of them being so hot, they wouldn't last. Went w LED's and noticed INSTANTLY they were way brighyer, adjusted the beams down a little and used same set for over 2 Years, until one of them started fluttering. I knew I was selling my truck and opted for going back halogen, and INSTANTLY noticed how dull and hard it was to see in comparison. My field of view was cut in half, and knew right away that they sucked. And I paid $30 a bulb for the higher end bulbs to try and compensate. .
     

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