LED headlights for LJ

I run the Holley's as well. I really like them, but I'm in the northeast and realized when it's snowing hard the LEDs don't put out enough heat to melt incoming snow. It packs in the headlights. This is a pic from my install of KC halogens to offset on the rare occasion they are needed.
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FYI - I just got an email that the Holley RetroBrights are 10% off until 6/21.
 
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buyer beware whether they are actually any good or DOT legal.
To keep at this until it makes it into our common knowledge base, but there is no such thing as DOT legal or illegal. DOT designs and publishes specifications and rules that must be followed by vehicle modifiers, vehicle manufacturers, and those that supply them parts. It is up to the supplier to adhere to the specs and make them DOT compliant. Correctly, a manufacturer can say their parts are compliant, not legal or illegal.
 
In range of price:
Amazon knock offs ~$100
Holly retro brights ~$400
Baja designs lp6 dot ~$700
 
The Toyota mod plus some Auxito H4 to LED bulbs on Amazon are a great way to get really bright headlights for like $70.

I am using the Sylvania H4 LEDs with the Toyota mod and I am very happy. I never get flashed, you got to aim them correctly.
 
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To keep at this until it makes it into our common knowledge base, but there is no such thing as DOT legal or illegal. DOT designs and publishes specifications and rules that must be followed by vehicle modifiers, vehicle manufacturers, and those that supply them parts. It is up to the supplier to adhere to the specs and make them DOT compliant. Correctly, a manufacturer can say their parts are compliant, not legal or illegal.

Corrected, poor word choice on my end.

I would add that, as the compliance boils down to a statement by the manufacturer, it's important to have some level of trust in the manufacturer that it's accurate.
 
I run the Holley's as well. I really like them, but I'm in the northeast and realized when it's snowing hard the LEDs don't put out enough heat to melt incoming snow. It packs in the headlights. This is a pic from my install of KC halogens to offset on the rare occasion they are needed.
View attachment 693303

Good point, luckily I no longer need to consider that, lol. No experience but I remember seeing some options with heated lenses (JWS maybe?)
 
Corrected, poor word choice on my end.

I would add that, as the compliance boils down to a statement by the manufacturer, it's important to have some level of trust in the manufacturer that it's accurate.
My litmus test for such things is if the MFG advertises it as DOT legal, it probably does not meet the standards.
 
My litmus test for such things is if the MFG advertises it as DOT legal, it probably does not meet the standards.

Interesting. I’m running Vision X headlights and they claim to be DOT approved. Wouldn’t be the first time a mfg claimed to meet a spec that perhaps they don’t or have weasel worded their way around.
 
In case any of y'all want to play automotive engineer for a day, all the rules about vehicle design, testing, and manufacturing are codified in 49 CFR 571 - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Specifically, vehicle lighting is covered in Standard Number 108. Welcome to my (former) world. It's super-exciting to read those and understand them. If you do read them - congratulations, you've done more than most aftermarket manufacturers to understand the regs. :ROFLMAO:
 
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Interesting. I’m running Vision X headlights and they claim to be DOT approved. Wouldn’t be the first time a mfg claimed to meet a spec that perhaps they don’t or have weasel worded their way around.

Looks like some resellers say approved, but VisionX's site states "compliant"

For the LP6s BD does reference "DOT Road Legal" but backs it up with the compliance statement:
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EDIT:

Scratch that, VX does say approved on the single page:
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Compliant on the pair:
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DOT designs and publishes specifications and rules that must be followed by vehicle modifiers, vehicle manufacturers, and those that supply them parts. It is up to the supplier to adhere to the specs and make them DOT compliant. Correctly, a manufacturer can say their parts are compliant, not legal or illegal.

To play color commentator to Mr. Blaine's play-by-play announcer, there's only a marking requirement to certify compliance:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-571/section-571.108#p-571.108(S6.)(S6.5)

That requirement to put a "DOT" marking on it is what, I think, causes all the confusion. The DOT does not play a role in verifying that compliance. They are reactive, not proactive (meaning, they investigate complaints/crashes via the NHTSA, which is part of the DOT.) People assume that the DOT approved it if that marker is there, but that's not at all the case.

Are we enjoying our day as an automotive engineer? :ROFLMAO:
 
To play color commentator to Mr. Blaine's play-by-play announcer, there's only a marking requirement to certify compliance:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-571/section-571.108#p-571.108(S6.)(S6.5)

That requirement to put a "DOT" marking on it is what, I think, causes all the confusion. The DOT does not play a role in verifying that compliance. They are reactive, not proactive (meaning, they investigate complaints/crashes via the NHTSA, which is part of the DOT.) People assume that the DOT approved it if that marker is there, but that's not at all the case.

Are we enjoying our day as an automotive engineer? :ROFLMAO:

I’ve been selling semiconductors to automotive OEM’s and Tier 1’s for many many years. Almost all the 8D failure analysis reports would be avoided if engineers just read our datasheets and integration manuals.
In their defense these can be thousands of pages LOL
 
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Interesting. I’m running Vision X headlights and they claim to be DOT approved. Wouldn’t be the first time a mfg claimed to meet a spec that perhaps they don’t or have weasel worded their way around.
The DOT does not approve anything. That is on the manufacturer if they get their tit in a wringer.
 
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Even your halogen driving lights are way too bright! I can't even read your license plate. :rolleyes:
p.s. Please don't look at my avatar pic until I block the letters out. I keep it covered when I drive too. I also wear an aluminum foil hat so the government can't track me. 🤫

Ha, That pic was taken for a different site that I had stored in my phone a while ago. I wasn't going to walk back out to my Jeep to take it again. I'm nice but not that nice.
 
Until all roads are flat there is no such thing as

I disagree, like every other late model vehicle, there's a procedure in the TJ FSM.

I tend to erre a little on the low side since all my vehicles are pretty high and to allow for loading. While, absent levelers, there will always be times when your lights point up from terrain, it should be common courtesy to have your low beams be aimed as low beams. I also prefer not to blind the big rig driver coming at me at 60 mph on a two lane road purely for survival.

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I'm happy with the Holley Retrobrights, stock aesthetics, solid performance, and middle of the road at $400 a pair.

Step up price wise from those is the JW speakers with more of a futuristic look.

On the high end if you want relatively stock look, KC and Trucklite (not sure they are still available). Futuristic look BD LP6s.

There's probably amazon knock off of all of those, buyer beware whether they are actually any good or DOT compliant.
I've been running the Holley's for a few years and have had zero complaints. TJ is my daily driver and I'm in the NE so plenty of snow.. never had a problem with snow freezing on them.

I had tried a few cheap Amazon LEDs and all were epics fails.

Last month I let boredom get the better of me and ordered a set of KC HiLights Gravity LEDs to match the 6" aux lights out front. Thought it would be good move but I returned them a few days later. I'm sticking with the Holley's
 
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