LED Recommendation

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Phillyrube

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Replacing the headlights on my 2008. Staying with the single headlight. Any good led high low beam bulbs?
 

Smokeybear01

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Led's have come a long way in just the past year. The latest don't require anything special except for proper clocking (positioning inside the housing) so you don't blind oncoming vehicles. I got some off the bay for less than 20 bucks and they were plug and play and I love them. I needed something brighter than the stock bulbs because I converted to smoked lenses on all my lights. If you decide to do your running lights, brake lights, etc, you will need the resistors (6ohm/50watt) for the turns and brakes, even the ones that say you don't (that's not the case on our trucks unless you can live with the 'light out' on the dash). Running lights and backup lights work fine without the resistors. The difference is amazing, especially in the backup lights. LED should be mandatory there haha. Good luck,

I should add that if you do a search here, you'll find all the part numbers that you need.
 

JeffffeJ

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Led's have come a long way in just the past year. The latest don't require anything special except for proper clocking (positioning inside the housing) so you don't blind oncoming vehicles. I got some off the bay for less than 20 bucks and they were plug and play and I love them. I needed something brighter than the stock bulbs because I converted to smoked lenses on all my lights. If you decide to do your running lights, brake lights, etc, you will need the resistors (6ohm/50watt) for the turns and brakes, even the ones that say you don't (that's not the case on our trucks unless you can live with the 'light out' on the dash). Running lights and backup lights work fine without the resistors. The difference is amazing, especially in the backup lights. LED should be mandatory there haha. Good luck,

I should add that if you do a search here, you'll find all the part numbers that you need.
Thank you for this. This is exactly what I'm looking for, an LED that is affordable and plug-n-play, no other lights needed just the headlights. I did search and it led me to your thread. Would you mind sharing a link to the product you purchased? Much appreciated!
 

Smokeybear01

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Hey JeffffeJ, I'm not sure if this link will work, but I got them for $9.95 at the time. They've gone up a lot so you might want to do some online research. I will tell you this, you don't want the ones with multiple sides of leds. They're impossible to clock and will blind oncoming traffic. You want ones that direct the light similar to the stock halogen so they mimic the reflection pattern inside the housing. There are some great videos on utube that you might want to check out before you buy so you know what you're getting and how to use them to best advantage. Good luck,


Amazon had some good prices, not sure anymore.
 

MK82

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There is a lot that goes into lighting, a lot more than folks think. Your halogens have a "hot spot" your factory housings were designed to reflect this "hotspot" giving you the best lighting possible. HID bulbs have a different Hotspot, as do LEDs. If that hot spot isnt in the same palce as your halogen bulb your not getting any benifit out of it as the brightest part of the bulb isnt being refected down the road. Just cause it will fit in your housing doesn't mean you'll actually get better visibility. Sure it's brighter appearing but it's not putting light further down the road where you need it. If you decide to go with LEDs in your headlights, please don't just throw In the cheapest thing off Amazon. Just cause its got a chip on a plastic stalk that goes into your headlight doesnt mean its in the same place as your halogen.

Granted it's your call, your budget, your decision at the end of the day. I have a friend who does this and sure it's pretty, but the light scatter is ridiculous and the forward visibility is about the same as my halogens. It blinds the crap out of everyone else on the road. Do your homework, and buy the best bulbs your budget will allow. They'll put the research and engineering in and put the LED hotspot where your halogen hotspot was and You'll be a lot happier with the results. I agree with @Smokeybear01 , stay away from multiple LED bulbs.

Hope this helps.

Matt
 

Johnny_B-Good

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There is a lot that goes into lighting, a lot more than folks think. Your halogens have a "hot spot" your factory housings were designed to reflect this "hotspot" giving you the best lighting possible. HID bulbs have a different Hotspot, as do LEDs. If that hot spot isnt in the same palce as your halogen bulb your not getting any benifit out of it as the brightest part of the bulb isnt being refected down the road. Just cause it will fit in your housing doesn't mean you'll actually get better visibility. Sure it's brighter appearing but it's not putting light further down the road where you need it. If you decide to go with LEDs in your headlights, please don't just throw In the cheapest thing off Amazon. Just cause its got a chip on a plastic stalk that goes into your headlight doesnt mean its in the same place as your halogen.

Granted it's your call, your budget, your decision at the end of the day. I have a friend who does this and sure it's pretty, but the light scatter is ridiculous and the forward visibility is about the same as my halogens. It blinds the crap out of everyone else on the road. Do your homework, and buy the best bulbs your budget will allow. They'll put the research and engineering in and put the LED hotspot where your halogen hotspot was and You'll be a lot happier with the results. I agree with @Smokeybear01 , stay away from multiple LED bulbs.

Hope this helps.

Matt
This is a great addition to any LED questions throughout this forum... TY!!!
 

MK82

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Lol no problem, I do A LOT of homework before I buy something, and I try to go with quality over quantity when I can afford it. It irritates my wife cause i cant just go buy something lol

When I was looking at LED bulbs for one of my vehicles a few years back it ended up being a rabbit hole and I learned ton about forward lighting. Way more than I even understand lol. Just try to pass what I do understand along where I can.

Matt
 

Johnny_B-Good

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Lol no problem, I do A LOT of homework before I buy something, and I try to go with quality over quantity when I can afford it. It irritates my wife cause i cant just go buy something lol

When I was looking at LED bulbs for one of my vehicles a few years back it ended up being a rabbit hole and I learned ton about forward lighting. Way more than I even understand lol. Just try to pass what I do understand along where I can.

Matt
Learning about products is free, and you obtain valuable info on what to look for, and avoid. My wife, sees something she likes, and she buys it. Then has to hear all about it being junk from me when I have to build or install it. lol Me, I'll compare dozens of products, learn every minor detail that I possibly can, then go with the best of the bunch. Thus far, it has worked out more than just well for me.

Vehicle lighting, You can know a ton about this stuff, there is always a new detail or facet to be learned along the way. Having people share experiences, or information is a fantastic asset to anyone looking to modify a vehicle. So keep it up Matt, I appreciate it, I know others will as well...
 

JeffffeJ

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Hey JeffffeJ, I'm not sure if this link will work, but I got them for $9.95 at the time. They've gone up a lot so you might want to do some online research. I will tell you this, you don't want the ones with multiple sides of leds. They're impossible to clock and will blind oncoming traffic. You want ones that direct the light similar to the stock halogen so they mimic the reflection pattern inside the housing. There are some great videos on utube that you might want to check out before you buy so you know what you're getting and how to use them to best advantage. Good luck,


Amazon had some good prices, not sure anymore.
THANKS a ton. Those are no longer for sale. Anyone else have a hi/lo beam plug and play recommendation?

I appreciate all the feedback and you are all spot on. The thing is I have 5 cars and the Ram just gets used about one day a week. I've done LEDs in so many cars and the research process as you know can be exhausting. That's why I was hoping for an easy recommendation to save me the trouble. I did order some new housings yesterday which will help. I restored my OEM ones a few months back with a very nice Sylvania kit but they were just too far gone to look right.

Anyhow any other links would be really appreciated.

PS I need to update my avatar I've done a ton of nice subtle appearance mods like some custom vinyl stripes and tint and such, it looks much different!!!
 

Johnny_B-Good

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Jeff, that listing has "buyer beware" written all over it. 1500 watts? 225000 lumens? And achieve those numbers with no name diodes.

While you look at what LED to jump to. Your preferences will come into play. Fanless design, or fan? Plug and play? Direct fit? Canbus friendly. There are a lot of things you're gonna want, and not want. Kelvin rating, stick between 5500 and 6500K and you won't have too yellowish, or too bluish of an emitted light. Lumens, I learned a while back, just not say a word cause it offends more than it helps. But one could easily look up what the lumen ratings are for the high end street legal/DOT approved halogens, and make a wise decision from there.

Good luck...
 

JeffffeJ

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Jeff, that listing has "buyer beware" written all over it. 1500 watts? 225000 lumens? And achieve those numbers with no name diodes.

While you look at what LED to jump to. Your preferences will come into play. Fanless design, or fan? Plug and play? Direct fit? Canbus friendly. There are a lot of things you're gonna want, and not want. Kelvin rating, stick between 5500 and 6500K and you won't have too yellowish, or too bluish of an emitted light. Lumens, I learned a while back, just not say a word cause it offends more than it helps. But one could easily look up what the lumen ratings are for the high end street legal/DOT approved halogens, and make a wise decision from there.

Good luck...
Thank you. Sorry if I keep repeating myself here.

All I'm looking for is a good plug and play one piece hi/lo LED that I can install in 5 minutes. Don't want to blind others. Don't want colors. Simple, I drive the truck once a week, just want something that allows better vision at night. Just need a link to something that a sensible adult person installed in their Ram. Not looking for anything fancy.

With all my other cars I've done extensive research to find the perfect affordable bulb that fits my needs. I often recommend the same to others. Now I'm looking to be the one on the receiving end, I just need a link and I'll trust the wisdom of the experts here who've done the research.

Hope that helps.
 

Johnny_B-Good

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Keyword on these bulbs? DOT approved!

A lot of folks have had a good run with these fanless plug and play LED's.

There are a lot of various LED's out there. You gotta figure out what your application all involves. Do you have a dust cap? Will you need a decoder? Fan, no fan. That's a lot of stuff that all comes down to you... Me, I could post links galore. Most will be useless unless they suit your application, and needs...
 

JeffffeJ

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Keyword on these bulbs? DOT approved!

A lot of folks have had a good run with these fanless plug and play LED's.

There are a lot of various LED's out there. You gotta figure out what your application all involves. Do you have a dust cap? Will you need a decoder? Fan, no fan. That's a lot of stuff that all comes down to you... Me, I could post links galore. Most will be useless unless they suit your application, and needs...
Thanks a ton. I ordered the BEAMTECH, they sound like exactly what I need. Can't wait to try them out. Much appreciated!!!
 

JeffffeJ

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Good luck, and keep us posted...
Thanks again for all the help here, I started a new thread specific to the products I purchased/installed to serve as a guide to others on a good headlight housing + LED combo, linked below:

 

AquaJeff

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Thanks a ton. I ordered the BEAMTECH, they sound like exactly what I need. Can't wait to try them out. Much appreciated!!!
How'd you make out?
I'm amazed how difficult it is to find a simple plug and play LED bulb.I have a 2011 1500 and in the rain the other night i could hardly see compared to the headlights on my Tesla Model Y. Please let us know how well these worked out for you.
 

burkdog

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I recently purchased and installed some led's in my 2004 (in the rear brake light housing). I am now getting they hyper-flash on the turn signals, and the lamp out warning on the dash.

I understand that it's the resistance, and that there are options for installing resistors that could solve the issue. I'd prefer to spend more and get a plug and play option, but I'm not sure how that will work, or if it will work, since there are 3 bulbs in each housing.

Will I need to install a resistor for each bulb?

I also read about AlpaOBD, but I checked the website, and it doesn't look like it works with 2004 models. Does anyone know different?

Thanks,
Greg
 

Smokeybear01

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Hey Burkdog, I tried the 'plug and play' bulbs in my '05 and they didn't work as promised. Later I was told it's because my truck is too old to have the right brain. Later ones, not sure of the year, I am told you can reprogram. Long story short, you will need to install resistors on the brake light bulbs and the turn signal bulbs. 4 in the rear and 2 up front. 6 ohm 50watt resistors. You also want to really follow the wiring schematic that comes with them or they will not work. You also want to install them on a metal surface behind the housing because they will get hot if you sit at a light with your foot on the brake for a while. I'll see if I can find the pics of my installation and attach them. If you search on this forum you'll find them as I've posted them several times already. On a side note, since you're doing the LED thing, I highly recommend you put some in your backup lights. No resistors needed on them and the difference is literally like night and day. I converted my entire truck, running lights, cab lights, interior lights, everything to LED. What a difference. Good luck,DSCF2130.JPGDSCF2163.JPG
 

Lyle Longboat

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