Enlighten me
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,165
Likes: 4,239
From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Enlighten me
Question, maybe someone can point me in the right direction ? What's the difference between replacing the headlight and the spot lights and turn signals with LED lights apposed to just replacing the bulbs with LED bulbs ? I see kits from Custom Dynamics ,Paradise lights and others on the market what's the difference between the bulb repayment kits and buying all new led lights ?
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 307
From: Houston, Texas
I'm no expert but I believe the difference has to do with the reflectors inside the fixture. The LED and halogen are two total different style bulbs and project light differently. A reflector made for a halogen may or may not give you the light pattern or distance you are looking for with an LED bulb in it. Will it work? yes. Will it work well? Maybe, maybe not. It might be brighter up close but if it doesn't throw the beam down the road, what good is it?
Also putting an LED bulb in a halogen assembly can make "DOT approved" questionable.
Also putting an LED bulb in a halogen assembly can make "DOT approved" questionable.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 493
Likes: 92
From: NJ
^^^ what he said!
Retrofitting reflectors with LED bulbs will result in a lot of the light being dispersed in the wrong direction, blinding oncoming traffic and waisting the light that should be on the road... but is not.
Retrofitting reflectors with LED bulbs will result in a lot of the light being dispersed in the wrong direction, blinding oncoming traffic and waisting the light that should be on the road... but is not.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,447
Likes: 463
From: USA
Another feature offered is the projection LED design. Offered for the headlight and driving light replacement like the JW Speaker for example IS a DOT approved LED sealed beam replacement. The HD daymaler another example of this design. They do exactly what the name states. Light from the led element is projected through the lens covering it.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 836
From: KMHT KFMY
as others have said, it has to do with the design of the reflector, and that is contingent upon where the filament of the bulb is.
An aftermarket generic LED is not going to be the same as a incandescent bulb, and the reflector is going to be inefficient. The focal points are not going to be close.
I have the Sunpie LED knock off's of the Daymakers, Outside of it aiming high, which I need to address, the LED throws a ton of light, even more than the 2013 vintage HD daymakers I took off ( that hopefully will fit my 03)
Projector headlights are far superior to reflector headlights
An aftermarket generic LED is not going to be the same as a incandescent bulb, and the reflector is going to be inefficient. The focal points are not going to be close.
I have the Sunpie LED knock off's of the Daymakers, Outside of it aiming high, which I need to address, the LED throws a ton of light, even more than the 2013 vintage HD daymakers I took off ( that hopefully will fit my 03)
Projector headlights are far superior to reflector headlights
HDF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7,821
Likes: 4,381
From: Texas
as others have said, it has to do with the design of the reflector, and that is contingent upon where the filament of the bulb is.
An aftermarket generic LED is not going to be the same as a incandescent bulb, and the reflector is going to be inefficient. The focal points are not going to be close.
I have the Sunpie LED knock off's of the Daymakers, Outside of it aiming high, which I need to address, the LED throws a ton of light, even more than the 2013 vintage HD daymakers I took off ( that hopefully will fit my 03)
Projector headlights are far superior to reflector headlights
An aftermarket generic LED is not going to be the same as a incandescent bulb, and the reflector is going to be inefficient. The focal points are not going to be close.
I have the Sunpie LED knock off's of the Daymakers, Outside of it aiming high, which I need to address, the LED throws a ton of light, even more than the 2013 vintage HD daymakers I took off ( that hopefully will fit my 03)
Projector headlights are far superior to reflector headlights
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,165
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From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Enlighten me
Thanks for explaining it, now I have a better understanding of why folks are changing out the whole light assembly over replacing just bulbs. Thanks again.
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Tourer
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 493
Likes: 92
From: NJ
The way oncoming traffic is affected by your light for example, varies from just a nuisance to a very dangerous blinding moment depending on the other driver's eye condition, and may cause them to veer of their course and slam into you.
That's why that stuff bothers me so much, ppl do it without giving safety a single thought.
Spend the money on good lamps and keep yourself (and others) safe
HDF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7,821
Likes: 4,381
From: Texas
Because the lamp isn't made for LED bulbs. Your lamp is dispersing light in every which way, which is not safe for road use. That's why optics in headlamps are engineered and designed the way they are. It's not about lighting up the forest lol. We complain about what others do wrong on the road all the time, and ywt some feel that it's ok to do stuff like this.
The way oncoming traffic is affected by your light for example, varies from just a nuisance to a very dangerous blinding moment depending on the other driver's eye condition, and may cause them to veer of their course and slam into you.
That's why that stuff bothers me so much, ppl do it without giving safety a single thought.
Spend the money on good lamps and keep yourself (and others) safe
The way oncoming traffic is affected by your light for example, varies from just a nuisance to a very dangerous blinding moment depending on the other driver's eye condition, and may cause them to veer of their course and slam into you.
That's why that stuff bothers me so much, ppl do it without giving safety a single thought.
Spend the money on good lamps and keep yourself (and others) safe