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LED headlight replacement options going mainstream
I know that there are many innovative solutions to the light output problem with our headlights Projector lights (Sigfried Thom, Singer, D-ZUG, Bespoke retrofits, etc.) for bi Zenon and bi-LED.
I have been looking for a solution for my project and would love an elegant solution such as the Singer's, but looking at cost, and my limited electrical diy skills, a bespoke retrofit would be out for me right now. There are some sealed beam replacement solutions also on the market, J.W. Speaker, Nolden, Trucklite, etc. but now it seems that the major manufacturers are also turning out solutions.
None of them are as pretty as the bespoke singer solution, however as expensive as they are, they should offer significant light improvement, less power draw and last a lot longer.
I wanted to share the info of what I found below as I haven't seen a dedicated page listing this as of yet. I still don't know what solution will be right for my project, but wanted to share what I have put together.
The Nolden ones look like a nice piece and might actually work well for a conversion. I just did a quick search and they retail for $800 each, hopefully as this technology becomes more common, the prices will drop.
The Noldens and JW Speakers get used quite a bit in Land Rover Defenders. There are also Truck-Lite LEDs which are cheaper. I've been toying with the idea of getting these though http://www.aliexpress.com/item/h4-le...27912.html?s=p
I met a guy with truck-lites. They looked pretty good, and we're plug and play according to him. He bought them for something likem$125/piece on sale from Napa parts. I called using his reciept to see if I could replicate the price but apparently it was a 1 time sale.
At 125 it would be totally worth the flier. At 200, I'm less enthusiastic (I don't particularly mind my OEM's).
I am still exploring building a set of lights also - and would welcome feedback on if anyone has baked their H5's to remove the lens from the reflector?
Last edited by Nylasurf; 08-26-2014 at 01:02 PM.
Reason: double post
The Nolden ones look like a nice piece and might actually work well for a conversion. I just did a quick search and they retail for $800 each, hopefully as this technology becomes more common, the prices will drop.
I find the Nolden the best looking of the bunch although I like the simplicity of the GE Light. They seem to run between 500-800, a bit pricey but I am sure they will start to drop
Originally Posted by Streetdaddy
Are these plug and play? If not, how much work would they take to make them fit?
As these were all designed to update and replace the standard 7" halogen lights of the older vehicles they should be pretty much a plug and play affair, but I haven't looked at them in person yet. As mentioned Earlier, the J.W. Speakers have a strong following among the Mercedes G-Wagon/Land Rover Defender/Jeep Wrangler crowd offroad where light output matters. Wish I had these when I still had my Brute.
I made a thread about a month ago asking why nobody has tried them. The only problem seemed to be the heat generated, especially because the headlight bucket is not vented well.
08-26-2014, 04:47 AM
LED headlight replacement options going mainstream
