Custom OEM LED Tail Lights

You do some bad ass work.

 

Prelim testing for fitment, seal, etc.





I do need to make some minor changes to it before I consider it finished.

 

Very nice!!!!

 

def makes the brake light output stand out more by the looks of it. Any night pics on the reverse light output?

 

These are headed off to the body shop to be very lightly tinted along the edges and re-cleared. They should be back next week.

 

Looks great, and the truck as a whole is fantastic. I like the clean look of everything, same look I would like to shoot for.

As much attention as you seem to pay to detail, and as much as you clearly value clean, crisp looks, i'm very surprised you have scuffs on your bumper! Unless it's just dirty in these pictures...even that would surprise me haha.

 

It was clipped in the parking lot here at work. Got it appraised yesterday for the person who did the damage to pay for it (well their insurance). With how picky I am, it's going to be a pricey repair--about $1,200.

 

You are lucky to have the culprit. My bumper has the same marks, but I couldn't tell ya who did it.

 

About $1200 for a little scuff?

 

Andrew... I couldn't separate the chrome center cap over the LED's from the housing. Looks like its factory formed? How did you separate it?

 

3 screws in the back of the housing. Then 4 screws to take the LED assembly and red lens apart. The clear lens is glued to the chrome reflector surrounding the LEDS. I had to cut into the back of the housing to cut away the glue that holds the lens on. At first I tried to use a flat tip screwdriver to gently pry the lens off, but it was going to break. So I had to cut. Don't cut too deep, just barely enough to take most of the glue out.

have a pic around here somewhere, I'll try to find it...

 

Here.

The clear stoplight lens is glued to the chrome housing in 3 spots. I just flipped it over and very carefully cut the backside of the housing a little and then gently pried on the lens with a screw driver. The lens is brittle and cracks easy, be careful. I only cut at the bottom corners, the lens came off easy after that. Once everything was all painted up, the little cuts can't be seen. I suppose that if one was painting a different colour other than black you could put some putty in the holes and then paint. Just to make sure that the cuts can't be seen.

 

Sounds like he has it covered. Lol

 

Ha. Sorry to mow you lawn there Andrew.

 

Yes, this. I used to work at North Americn Lighting. We made Toyota OEM taillights, both standard and LED Tacoma rears at my plant. You guys would freak out at the number of lens and assemblies I've seen roll down the line. Also the number of rejects we just scraped, with flaws that most people couldn't even find if told they were present.

Looks great OP.

 

Thanks to both you guys...I appreciate it, but I've already completed the first light and resealed. I tried the prying technique you mentioned and after cutting the clear fronts off...what a bitch...lol I didn't wanna cut anymore after that as I wasn't sure about the chrome LED housing. In the end, I'm not sure I like the end product as the fissures along the edges when resealing pretty much have to be painted over (border method) to hide the stresses from the original cut. It looks ok in the end, but I'm OCD about perfection and it didn't meet my standards... I just ordered the "Spec-D" tails to finish up the project...lol Good luck with the rears guys! Wish they were as easy as the fronts...

 

im excited to see this done.

 

Sweet work Andrew.
Those lights come in okay?

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...344751-fs-opened-oem-led-tails-no-lenses.html