Need opinion on which LED headlight upgrade is the best?

[ShoeSlinger]

I recently installed a set of Bangin' Headlights. Simple install and I used the halo as a daylight runner. I wanted the extra visibility since so many had been pulling out in front of me. They work great.

 

[lars]

Not to side track too much, but while we are dissing the available LED headlights, does anybody have a review of available LED taillight and side marker lights options they want share? I almost dread to ask.

I have Tom's tail light and front turn signal conversions. These:
https://tomsoffroad.com/parts/66-77-ford-bronco-led-tail-light-boards
https://tomsoffroad.com/parts/66-68-ford-bronco-amber-led-turn-signal-boards
The tail/brake lights are *really* bright. The running/turn signal lights not so much, but they are adequate. I would buy them again. I didn't use ballast resistors to get the turn signals to work. Instead I bought electronic flashers. When I installed the latter I realized my ancient electromechanical flashers must've been dying because the replacements flash more evenly, and will probably last forever.

I recently converted every other incandescent non driving light bulb in my Bronco to LED via the superbrightleds.com website. I don't have a record of part numbers at my fingertips but all were drop-in replacements for what I had- marker lights, dash lights, etc. The marker lights were on par as far as output which is to say perfectly adequate. Instrument lighting was a huge improvement. Because I'm superstitious (and all of these bulbs are made out of Chinesium) I bought spares for all the easily replaceable bulbs.

 

[MarsChariot]

I went with the Tom's parking light upgrade. LED lights are amazingly bright. Super simple install but in my case I made new buckets for them that are much shallower. I had to do this for my install. I have pics of how bright they are compared to stock on my build & I'll look for the post #662 on this build thread: https://classicbroncos.com/forums/t...5-wb-stretch-2-floor-lower-p-s.278607/page-34 only shows a pic in my modified housing.

I can't believe that I didn't post any pics of them "lit up". I try to document with pics and all I can think of is it's hard to capture the blinker intensity & brightness when you can't post a video. Gotta be the reason cause I've sent the video to a couple buddies and they used the same Tom's front lights and are impressed with them also.

nvrstuck, thanks that is awesome to know. So at least one LED upgrade is certifiable as good.

 

[MarsChariot]

I have Tom's tail light and front turn signal conversions. These:
https://tomsoffroad.com/parts/66-77-ford-bronco-led-tail-light-boards
https://tomsoffroad.com/parts/66-68-ford-bronco-amber-led-turn-signal-boards
The tail/brake lights are *really* bright. The running/turn signal lights not so much, but they are adequate. I would buy them again. I didn't use ballast resistors to get the turn signals to work. Instead I bought electronic flashers. When I installed the latter I realized my ancient electromechanical flashers must've been dying because the replacements flash more evenly, and will probably last forever.

I recently converted every other incandescent non driving light bulb in my Bronco to LED via the superbrightleds.com website. I don't have a record of part numbers at my fingertips but all were drop-in replacements for what I had- marker lights, dash lights, etc. The marker lights were on par as far as output which is to say perfectly adequate. Instrument lighting was a huge improvement. Because I'm superstitious (and all of these bulbs are made out of Chinesium) I bought spares for all the easily replaceable bulbs.

lars, I guess I need to look at superbrightleds.com again. Last time I looked (several years ago) they spoke gibberish to me.

 

[nvrstuk]

I like many others tried the 1157 bulbs years ago... really a joke.

John Hinz set me up with some tail light boards that work fantastic. The reverse lights are awesome.

 

[lars]

lars, I guess I need to look at superbrightleds.com again. Last time I looked (several years ago) they spoke gibberish to me.

I can dig up part numbers. The ones I bought from them were easy-peasy drop in replacements for the incandescent marker and instrument lights.

 

[sprdv1]

I went with the Tom's parking light upgrade. LED lights are amazingly bright. Super simple install but in my case I made new buckets for them that are much shallower. I had to do this for my install. I have pics of how bright they are compared to stock on my build & I'll look for the post #662 on this build thread: https://classicbroncos.com/forums/t...5-wb-stretch-2-floor-lower-p-s.278607/page-34 only shows a pic in my modified housing.

I can't believe that I didn't post any pics of them "lit up". I try to document with pics and all I can think of is it's hard to capture the blinker intensity & brightness when you can't post a video. Gotta be the reason cause I've sent the video to a couple buddies and they used the same Tom's front lights and are impressed with them also.

Tom's is always a great option

 

[mdm5371]

I recently installed a set of Bangin' Headlights. Simple install and I used the halo as a daylight runner. I wanted the extra visibility since so many had been pulling out in front of me. They work great.

How are they holding up? They look pretty good, but kinda cheap, no offense to the maker...

 

[mdm5371]

I have these in my DD. Led Light

Huge improvement over stock, budget friendly, no complaints from others about being too bright on the road and bright enough I don’t feel the need for additional offroad lighting. They aren’t OEM in appearance but aren’t crazy alien eyes either.

View attachment 888099

How long have you had them? How's the longevity? Still happy with them? They sort of look like knockoff Grote headlights.

 

[Blitzen72]

I went with a generic glass housing that looks like a 7" sealed beam original headlight (~$25 each), and 'Tiny Monster" brand LED emitters - that were plug and play with the original Bronco headlight wiring. I did fab up a pair of thin sheet aluminum 'buckets' that sit between the back of the glass housings and extend through the core support to protect the emitters from any errant raindrops, I have yet to field test those buckets out in the rain. A red solo cup bottom was the pattern I used for those buckets.

All in cost was ~ $250. And WAY better lights that look totally stock - until I flip them on. Then I look like every other 2020-era car with LED headlights. No 'halos', no trendy colors, just clean bright white light out in front.

 

[Madgyver]

Amazon 7" LED set went down to $79. shipped w/prime

 

[nvrstuk]

There is such a HUGE difference in light patterns, brightness, etc.

I did a quickie comparison between my 2018 F150, 2018 Honda and my Bronco with Grote LED's. This is after trying 4 different LED lights in my Bronco and sending them all back. Yes, they were bright when you stood in front of them at looked them. Yes, they were bright against the shop roll up doors. Those two "tests" are garbage. You need to be on a dark highway, LONG driveway etc to see the side beam patterns, the cutoff patterns and how far it actually reaches.

You look on line and you see many tests just like the ones above. When you do run (from a deal) because they aren't showing them in real life comparisons because they most of them disappoint!! Looks like the ones Steve found on Amazon are good too!

IF you don't check them out carefully, then you get what you pay for-sorry if you're offended but... I looked at many on line and tried those 4 sets of lights and most are good for backup lights. Bright blue/white scattered beam patterns...

I couldn't find a thing that was close to these unless I went with $500+ dollar LED's. Remember 70mph you are traveling over 100ft/second. Nice to have that beam pattern so you can see the deer when it's 50' farther away so it doesn't come crashing thru your hood. The Grotes look very close to stock as I wanted that look and no silly halo look on a Classic EB (least for many of us).

I went with Grotes for keeping the cost at a reasonable amount and the best beam pattern by far of anything I tested. Equal to or better than my two newer 2018 vehicles.

Post #552 on my build thread.
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/t...2-floor-lower-p-s.278607/page-28#post-3337585

 

[ba123]

I did a bunch of research on this and ended up going with Oracle 7” LED, based on the brightness. Can’t say anything about them since I’m not at the headlight part of my build yet but I’m pretty sure I got 20% off when I bought them somewhere on some holiday sale, which helped.

 

[Yeller]

How long have you had them? How's the longevity? Still happy with them? They sort of look like knockoff Grote headlights.

I’ve had them 2-1/2 years on my daily driver/car camping adventure truck still delighted.

 

[chris]

Pretty happy with the Grotes here as well. Found a few people that tested them and were happy so I gave them a go.

 

[Madgyver]

top box $79. bottom box $109. free shipping to Hawaii.
Taz's optima battery blew its vent and took out a bunch off electrical components including his LED headlights. He ordered another set for his rig. I just bought a set because of price drop. They both came in today. i didn't know he ordered a set.

Top set is what Yeller shared..

 

[nvrstuk]

top box $79. bottom box $109. free shipping to Hawaii.
Taz's optima battery blew its vent and took out a bunch off electrical components including his LED headlights. He ordered another set for his rig. I just bought a set because of price drop. They both came in today. i didn't know he ordered a set.

Top set is what Yeller shared..

From an electrical standpoint I am still trying to figure out how a battery blowing could take out anything except from the acid getting all over "stuff".

I still think the alternator was overcharging and spiked or similar and generated a very high voltage that took out the items you listed before. The accessories have to be on (unless they were all suddenly directly being shorted to ground) to draw current to enable it to burn up, or fry whatever was ruined. If the engine was running and the lights, amp, and other accessories were on when they blew AND the battery blew from being overcharged (seen it happen in person) when it was running then it's the alternator and the battery was part of the carnage, not the cause.

 

[Madgyver]

the amp shorted out on a always on circuit. it took everything out on that rail. Taz though it was a fused key on circuit, it wasn't. fishing and camp gear tossed around in back of rig and found its way to a live wire.

 

[72bahama]

I have the most expensive option known to man......ICON. But, I do like them a lot.

Love the headlights, what did you use for the grill lights? I would love to add that exact look but can't seem to find anything good.

 

[LSUpete]

Love the headlights, what did you use for the grill lights? I would love to add that exact look but can't seem to find anything good.

I got those from superbrightleds.com
They are miniature license plate bolt lights and the product number is MAL-B-A2. here is a link:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/veh...ail-connection+color-Amber+housingcolor-Black

I used some aluminum bar stock (Home depot) for an anchoring/mounting rail, and powder-coated it. I mounted the bolt lights to that and mounted the assembly to my grill/core brackets. Wired the assembly into my parking lights. Then I covered the entire setup with the grill closure plate from Wild Horses.

IF you don't want to mess with your headlight wiring harness, you could wire the assembly to an independent toggle switch.