LED bulb comparison

[robert_hollis]

I've decided to upgrade the exterior lights in my 79 Cherokee Chief to LED bulbs. Best I figure it, I'll need:
4 - 1157 (front turns, rear turn/brakes)
2 - 1156 (reverse)
4 - 194 (f/r side markers)

Eventually I'll do my license plate light as well, but I need to replace the whole assembly, and I forgot to order a new one with my last order from BJ's. I'm not asking about headlights, foglights, interior lights, etc.

Anyhow, I went to looking and there are around a dozen different brand and style LED bulbs for these, and I don't know which brand or style would be best for my application. I'm not talking about where to order from, but which ones to order.

Any suggestions?

[robert_hollis]

Really? No one has any input on this?

[Mohawk]

Links to the bulbs in question?

[serehill]

I bought all of mine from these guys there is no doubt you can get cheaper bulbs that are CHINESE JUNK. I bought all of mine from these guys. Before everyone freaks out you can get them on ebay & they last about 6 months that's what I initialy did then I went to these guys. I like them much better. Remember go buy an elctronic flasher if you don't have one you'll need it with these bulbs.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...FdcJ2godSGyoyg

[joe]

I've tried LED's on bikes with mixed results. I've got a gizmosomethingorother brand (gizmoil??) as a tail/brake light on a BMW oilhead and it's been great. I've tried the little 1156/1157 size replacements on other bikes and not impressed at all. The LED idea is great and has a future but IMHO the technology and quality control has a long way to go before they become everyday vehicle/household replacements.
The 'superbright' link posted above has a pretty good rep with the MC crowd but I've never bought from them but if I ever do try LED's again I'd give them a shot based on their rumor reputation.
Also as mentioned above if you use them for blinkers you "will" need to buy a compatible flasher unit.

[robert_hollis]

Ok, fine. For arguments sake, lets narrow it down to JUST the lights offered on superbrightleds.com...

Any suggestions on which ones? I mean, I can read the comparisons, and see they have a 220 lumen light that has 360 degree coverage for $25. But is there really any need for 360 degree output for a brake/turn signal light on an SJ? I mean, the bulb's recessed, so would I be better off buying the 180 or 200 lumen light that's substantially cheaper (remember I gotta buy multiple bulbs), and 'may' actually put out more light in one direction?

Sorry, I guess I wasn't overly clear in my original request for info.

[serehill]

Originally Posted by robert_hollis

Ok, fine. For arguments sake, lets narrow it down to JUST the lights offered on superbrightleds.com...

Any suggestions on which ones? I mean, I can read the comparisons, and see they have a 220 lumen light that has 360 degree coverage for $25. But is there really any need for 360 degree output for a brake/turn signal light on an SJ? I mean, the bulb's recessed, so would I be better off buying the 180 or 200 lumen light that's substantially cheaper (remember I gotta buy multiple bulbs), and 'may' actually put out more light in one direction?

Sorry, I guess I wasn't overly clear in my original request for info.[/quote

I have mine they are 360's & I'm satisfied with them they dim enough for ME. So no matter what someone elses needs or expectations are I'm happy. Better cost more. But does it? I don't have the fancy dimmer to put more crap in. You can go overboard try it without the dimmer first. Make up your own mind. It's rumored you have to have them. Why would you need them to dim to 0?? These dimmers New technology you know. tend to fail regularly BTW.
Sorry, I guess I wasn't overly clear in my original request for info.

You can get Opinions all over the place on anything on this site. I used the 360's the other will work thay are simply not a bright. Lumens = brightness. these housings all depend on 360 reflective bulbs anything less is less light.
If it's what you can afford the the lesser light is key.
Led technology has been around for years & it is perfected if you want to pay for it. Just like any other technology there's goodwich cost more & Chinese junk which works & have a drasticly shorter life. A good high quality LED Has an extremely high chance of being the last bulb you'll but for that housing.
These are cheap when compared to the led p/c board type.

Don't spend a penny on the dimmer. It's rumored you have to have them. Put your bulbs in & see what you have. No need over complicating the project.
Mine dims not to zero. What exactly is the value of dimming to zero?? The dimmers have lots of issues themselves. BTW the LEDS use less power they are less strenuous on the dimmer. The 360's are the way to go. Don't wish you had. THIS WORKED FOR ME.

[suzq044]

I had the superbrights on my neon. I wish I had kept them. I did it without the flasher, and consequently had 'ricer-flash' blinkers.. I had intended to do the same with Levi, because it needed faster blinkers anyways. I might talk terry into doing it with Max.

[robert_hollis]

Yeah, I get that lumens is total light output, but what I'm wondering is would a light that's less total output, but more directional output (18 diodes pointing straight vs 9 diodes pointing straight) be better? Yes, more total light, coupled with a good reflector means more all around visibility, but what about a stronger focused beam for being seen from further away, or in the case of reverse lights, seeing further behind my Jeep?

Then again... Maybe I'm over thinking this, or it's just been too long since I took a science class...

[serehill]

Originally Posted by robert_hollis

Yeah, I get that lumens is total light output, but what I'm wondering is would a light that's less total output, but more directional output (18 diodes pointing straight vs 9 diodes pointing straight) be better? Yes, more total light, coupled with a good reflector means more all around visibility, but what about a stronger focused beam for being seen from further away, or in the case of reverse lights, seeing further behind my Jeep?

Then again... Maybe I'm over thinking this, or it's just been too long since I took a science class...

This is simple you have to remember there is no such thing as direct beam when your lenses are diffusers dependant on diversidfication of light reflected by the housing.
Even if you could use the direct approach the lense diffuses it. The reason they are is to make the most out of the light & not blind anyone. So the lense would do their best to defeat the direct beam because they are expecting 360 light the way they were engineered to work right?

[robert_hollis]

Dangit... Defeated by logic yet again!

[Brizio]

I tried a bulb LED once on my XJ, an it was worse then the regular bulb.

[serehill]

I try not to be the naysayer but my down side is I won't jest tell people what they want to hear. My answers certainly are from my specific experiences & needs. So the answers aren't always your solutions. I fooled with this for a while & there's one thing for sure there are so many contradictions, opinions , theories & needs. There's no right answers. Like to some it's a big deal if they don't dim all the way down. Mine dim down to as low as I would ever dim them to be honest I don't dim them. Dash lights that is. So what works for me is different. Mine do drop off barely before they get to barely seeing them, without the electronic dimmer. The oscillating would bother me much more. I bought the ebay ones & was changing them out in a few weeks. I bought the cheap HID & found out the low beam wasn't good & light dispersion was real bad I could see the highway signs but I only had HID in the high beam & bad halogen in low. Which no one tells you by the way. If you decide to go HID investigate carefully. As you can tell I certainly didn't save any money but I did the homework. Good technology in always expensive. Cheap technology is just that.
It's getting what you don't pay for that jacks you. You have to think about that one a second. AT any rate I hope that helped.

[robert_hollis]

Yeah, I may do LED dash lights at some point in the future, but I'm not sure. My dash needs a good bit of work to make me happy, and I haven't decided if I wanna pull it, and just make my own flat panel dash, or simply modify the factory one. If I didn't have to pull the windshield to do the dash, I'd probably just pull it...

As to exterior lights... well, dimming isn't an issue. I know I like LEDs as I swapped my taillights on my TJ to the Savvy LED ones a year or so ago, and love 'em. Granted, that was like $200 or $300, and still required some soldering on my part...

So, I'm gonna try plug n play. If I don't think they're bright enough, I may make my own boards in the future. I just wanna be lazy, and not make my own lights, though.

The SJ is just a toy for me, and I'm not gonna spend tons on lights for a rusted out old Jeep, when I could spend it on other goodies like armor or new paint!

Thanks folks

[serehill]

[Rod2]

I have LED 1157's in my taillights; got 'em from A--Zone more than 2 years ago for $17 a pair. They plug and twist right in. They are bright (don't know lumens), instant on and off, and they work fine with the stock flasher. They complement the LED third light (semi-trailer clearance light) over my back glass quite nicely.
I haven't tried to find orange front replacements.

[Tripwire]

Hi robert - do you have an update for us?

i want to switch to led's as well for all the blinkers and brake lights -

trip

[drlocke]

At Autozoned I FINALLY found a pair of LED subs for the 1157s in my Waggy's taillights. But for reasons known only to the folks in charge of merchandising they opt only to carry them in red, so my front ambers are still Edisons. Truck drivers are constantly on the lookout for these LED subs for both red and amber apps, and will grab what they can find and happily pay cash. Yet the stores still have their heads in the clouds. What gives....?

[serehill]

Originally Posted by drlocke

At Autozoned I FINALLY found a pair of LED subs for the 1157s in my Waggy's taillights. But for reasons known only to the folks in charge of merchandising they opt only to carry them in red, so my front ambers are still Edisons. Truck drivers are constantly on the lookout for these LED subs for both red and amber apps, and will grab what they can find and happily pay cash. Yet the stores still have their heads in the clouds. What gives....?

I could find them or the mutiple lamp mini's for the side markers either. The link on the previous post of mine has them all. In Dallas a lot of the custom car places are starting to stock them. But beware a lot of them are chinese junk. I like mine & will never go back to incadescent. I bought all nesw lenses & am happy to know the heat will never screw up another one.

[drlocke]

Originally Posted by serehill

I could find them or the mutiple lamp mini's for the side markers either. The link on the previous post of mine has them all. In Dallas a lot of the custom car places are starting to stock them. But beware a lot of them are chinese junk. I like mine & will never go back to incadescent. I bought all nesw lenses & am happy to know the heat will never screw up another one.

The ones I installed seem to work OK, and are consistent in quality of light produced from one to the other. The only complaint I have is that they emit light from a planar surface, which gives good illumination as viewed from straight behind but leaves little light to emanate from the side section of the wraparound taillight lenses on the older Wagoneers. Passes inspection, so I'm not gonna carp too much. I must have replaced my flasher with an electronic one at some point in the past, as I have no issues regarding the different current draw of these subs; the flashing action is normal.