Anyone Upgraded to LED Headlights for the First Gens?

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have spent all day working on a tech article discussing the different ways to add LED headlights, and what I quickly realized is that all of these companies are full of crap when they list the lumen ratings for their LED bulbs. The only company that I have found that rates their lights truthfully is LASFIT.

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For an LED, Lumens = Watts × Luminous Efficacy (lm/W)

Standard LED: ~80–100 lm/W (Example: 50W x 100lm/W = 5,000 Lumens)
High-Efficiency LED: 110–150+ lm/W (Example: 50W x 150lm/W = 7,500 Lumens)

In the ad below, it's not possible for a 40W light (or dual 40W lights) to put out 46,000 Lumens. You'd need 460 watts to put out 46,000 Lumens. Even a really highly efficient LED would still require 306 Watts. Two 153-watt High-Efficiency LED's might do it.

I saw ratings for 9004 LED bulbs that ranged from 30,000 Lumens to 70,000 Lumens.

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When I did mine a couple years ago people were still rocking candlepower ratings too, that may have been me cross shopping vs halogens at the time. It was really annoying trying to compare things.

That seems to be the case with a lot of things. I run R/C crawlers, and you have to look past the hardcore brand-loyal individuals, paid ads, and marketing documentation. You start to see that, while a lot of companies claim to have an edge, really they're just repackaging batteries, or buying from the same suppliers. All their C rating claims are false, with one or two outliers.

When looking at aftermarket stuff you have to sit back and think "this company isn't big enough to actually make this part themselves"

 

[Jim Oaks]

I really like some of the 6054 LED Headlights that are available. You could rebuild a 1st Gen ad give it a modern look, but I also like the idea of using a glass housing that looks like the original headlights but using an LED bulb in it to keep the retro look.

Finally finished what I was working on for anyone interested:

LED Headlight Upgrade Guide - The Ranger Station

Learn how to upgrade your vehicle’s headlights with LEDs. Compare lumens, beam patterns, and safety considerations in this complete guide.

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Hoosierman]

I will also add it might be time to do some small electrical projects/upgrades.

I'm running the original alternator and external voltage regulator. I would like to upgrade that.

I do think it will likely be worth while to wire in relays for the lights. I noticed when I turned the heater fan on high I could see the lights dim ever so slightly.

It will be worthwhile, but you may as well just put in a whole new harness that runs from the battery to the headlights with the new relays. Also, I believe a headlight harness can also take some of the strain off of the headlight switch.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Plastic lenses will yellow on you over time no matter what. So unless you like replacing them or doing the whole sanding and polishing thing, it makes sense to spend the money up front and buy the glass H4 housings. Plus the glass lens design is far superior to any LED housing on the market. Most of the sealed LED housing also take on moisture over time.