I've never had a problem with a vehicles stock lighting.It helps if one pays attention.Of course it's a black and white issue. You're either blinding people or you can't see ahead of you at speed. Or not.
Speed is rarely higher than 75mph.
Headlight “Look” Showdown: Stock vs LED
- Thread starter mynamesrickgrimes
- Start date
Speed is rarely higher than 75mph.
Rubicon John
TJ Enthusiast
I’m not sure why you are so against superior lighting that is brighter and more efficient. The stock headlights on the TJ are some of the poorest lights of any vehicle on the road. I have wonderful vision and still wouldn’t want to put myself in the position of relying on them when there are so many affordable options that are superior in every way.
When properly aimed there really are no negatives to better headlights
In Lake Tahoe for a week in the high 20s with it snowing every day followed by heavy snow/rain on the drive home and zero fogging up. The brand I purchased seems to vent well and the LEDs get warm enough to keep the lens clear. I think this was an issue in earlier models.
Good to know, the only LEDs I run are my side by side head lights and they didn't produce enough heat to melt the snow off the lenses..
Southtowns27
Member
I really don't like the look of LED headlights...I guess I'm just traditional. I went with the Hella H4 conversion. Looks nearly stock and they're twice as bright as the originals
This has def turned into an "to each their own" thread.
I live in a place that get's so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face and it also gets foggy as shit.
I've own vehicles w/ (true) HID and love it, except in the rain/ fog. I'm all for modern lighting for safety's sake.
My wife drives an Accord w/ factory projectors, she drives 15 miles of switchbacks w/ near 2000 feet of elevation variance daily. She had been complaining of the factory light output so I switched her to Silverstars, helped a little, but she was still having issues. So I went to LED bulbs, she loves them. Never once been flashed because they are aimed correctly. I also put amber bulbs in her fogs to help cut through rain/ snow/ fog.
Ever come around a switchback at night and not see a 400 pound black bear in front you until you're 6 feet away because your lighting was so shitty? Or not see it at all and almost hit it? Or actually hit it?
The lights on my and my son's TJ's were hovering around the 1000 kelvin, did bulb switches and it also helped a little. We since have both gone to LED, and personally, I won't go back. We also run separate amber bulbs for fogs as well.
I also run 55w ambers on my Tacoma and only turn the projectors on when it's "officially" night time.
Like others w/ modern lighting have stated, it's all in the aiming.
A good projector lens will have a tight cut-off line. When I had my S2K I couldn't understand why my cutoff line wasn't straight until I researched it...the factory builds the (US) cut-off line lower on the left side of the beam and higher on the right side, why?
As not to blind oncoming traffic on the left, and to better see road signs on the right...ahhhh, makes sense.
WOW this got long! Sorry!
I run 5000K on all our vehicles (headlights), and personally feel anything above that is a waste (and also research has shown blue light creates eye fatigue rapidly, and it really, really sucks in the rain).
Just my 02.5
I live in a place that get's so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face and it also gets foggy as shit.
I've own vehicles w/ (true) HID and love it, except in the rain/ fog. I'm all for modern lighting for safety's sake.
My wife drives an Accord w/ factory projectors, she drives 15 miles of switchbacks w/ near 2000 feet of elevation variance daily. She had been complaining of the factory light output so I switched her to Silverstars, helped a little, but she was still having issues. So I went to LED bulbs, she loves them. Never once been flashed because they are aimed correctly. I also put amber bulbs in her fogs to help cut through rain/ snow/ fog.
Ever come around a switchback at night and not see a 400 pound black bear in front you until you're 6 feet away because your lighting was so shitty? Or not see it at all and almost hit it? Or actually hit it?
The lights on my and my son's TJ's were hovering around the 1000 kelvin, did bulb switches and it also helped a little. We since have both gone to LED, and personally, I won't go back. We also run separate amber bulbs for fogs as well.
I also run 55w ambers on my Tacoma and only turn the projectors on when it's "officially" night time.
Like others w/ modern lighting have stated, it's all in the aiming.
A good projector lens will have a tight cut-off line. When I had my S2K I couldn't understand why my cutoff line wasn't straight until I researched it...the factory builds the (US) cut-off line lower on the left side of the beam and higher on the right side, why?
As not to blind oncoming traffic on the left, and to better see road signs on the right...ahhhh, makes sense.
WOW this got long! Sorry!
I run 5000K on all our vehicles (headlights), and personally feel anything above that is a waste (and also research has shown blue light creates eye fatigue rapidly, and it really, really sucks in the rain).
Just my 02.5
I prefer the stock look, but recently went with LEDs in lieu of driving blind. The ones I got have a reasonably
stock look,
Mumblewood
TJ Enthusiast
I like night wheelin so the more lights the better. Right now I have IPF housings and HID’s but one just blew so I’m going to LED’s
I like those. Looks similar to the JL LED headlights. Would you share more info?
C.J. Roberts
TJ Addict
Where did you get 5000K LEDs? Everything I see advertised is either 6000 or 6500K. Bright as all get-out, but I can't see because of the color.
If I could find 5000K LEDs that properly fit an h4 or h3 housing I'd try them. I might try 5000K headlights if they weren't too costly.
FYI -
"Trucklite Knockoff" LED headlamps on Amazon - 5600K
PIAA Xtreme White Plus H4 - 4000K
Philips X-treme Vision +130 H4 - 3700K
Hella Long Life 60/55W H4 (standard Halogen bulb) - 3200K
Wagner Britelite 60/55W sealed beam (OEM) - 3200K (it is a standard Halogen bulb inside sealed housing)
Daylight - 4500-6200K
Incandescent Interior Household Lighting - 2800-3400K
Although LED headlamps are often said to look brighter than halogens, some lighting experts are adamant that it is easier to see the roadway with headlamps more toward the yellow than blue range of the light spectrum, particularly in dust or inclement weather, thus, they say, halogens in the 3200-4000K range are actually more effective than 5000K+ LED headlamps.
In the end it boils down to personal preference. I like the classic look of the lens and the light pattern of my Hella E-Code housings and their reach with 60/55W 3700K "+130" H4 bulbs, which is a substantial improvement over the OEM sealed beam headlights. I have no compelling reason to change again.
For reference:
"Trucklite Knockoff" LED headlamps on Amazon - 5600K
PIAA Xtreme White Plus H4 - 4000K
Philips X-treme Vision +130 H4 - 3700K
Hella Long Life 60/55W H4 (standard Halogen bulb) - 3200K
Wagner Britelite 60/55W sealed beam (OEM) - 3200K (it is a standard Halogen bulb inside sealed housing)
Daylight - 4500-6200K
Incandescent Interior Household Lighting - 2800-3400K
Although LED headlamps are often said to look brighter than halogens, some lighting experts are adamant that it is easier to see the roadway with headlamps more toward the yellow than blue range of the light spectrum, particularly in dust or inclement weather, thus, they say, halogens in the 3200-4000K range are actually more effective than 5000K+ LED headlamps.
In the end it boils down to personal preference. I like the classic look of the lens and the light pattern of my Hella E-Code housings and their reach with 60/55W 3700K "+130" H4 bulbs, which is a substantial improvement over the OEM sealed beam headlights. I have no compelling reason to change again.
For reference:
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Sorry wasn't clear on that. My wife's are not H4's. My kid and I both have after market housings.
Another funny thing, this thread is titled "the look" of the headlights 
C.J. Roberts
TJ Addict
I just installed mine. Here's an old vs new comparison. I got KC Gravity Pro.
Anyone who installed after market lights have tips for getting the bezel screws back in? These ones are longer than the factory lights. I'm waiting on a big set of assorted screws and bolts to come in. I should be able to find a shorter one in there.
One of my old lights was a super old Wagner Halogen
Anyone who installed after market lights have tips for getting the bezel screws back in? These ones are longer than the factory lights. I'm waiting on a big set of assorted screws and bolts to come in. I should be able to find a shorter one in there.
One of my old lights was a super old Wagner Halogen
Not the exact ones I got my wife but similar:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QSVLF1J/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Whether or not they are a true 5000k is a different story, but she likes them and they seem close enough for me.
...and she likes them.
I used all the factory screws for my JW Speakers. Only thing I changed was I bought black bezels.
C.J. Roberts
TJ Addict
Aloha Joe
TJ Enthusiast
I don’t like how LEDs look so I’m also running stock, but with black bezels. Once I properly aimed the headlights I stopped thinking about upgrading.