LED vs Halogen Headlight

Jeep9748

TJ Enthusiast
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Aug 26, 2016
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Ohio
Ok I have reviewed online write-ups and images of the various Headlights. I know that Chris has a post on here about them. I know that most go with the JW speaker LED's. I have recently tried out the Trucklite LED headlights with heater element. They are very crisp and nice. BUT I have put my old upgrades back in. Shortly after getting my TJ I bought a set of JK headlights. They were 20 bucks for the pair. (guy bought the LED HALOS) so I installed them and opted to put in the Sylvania XL bulbs. SO with 20 for the lights and 25 for the bulbs and 8 for the H4-H13 harness adapter I had a great improvement over stock. Now back to my review of Trucklite.....They were bright, but I just can't accept how they look on the TJ. Looks like a weird bug ( almost as bad as an angry bird grill) I have recently put my halogen lights back in. I put the Trucklite Headlights up in the shelves until I can find a use for them. THis is just my opinion.
 
I'll never go back to halogen.... ever. That being said, ANY upgrade is an improvement over the factory TJ headlights (though I hear from the JK crowd that the stock JK lights suck as well.

As for me, I love the way these things look on my TJ:

IMG_0521.JPG
 
LED's are overkill for what my usage is.

Like forest service trails, going off the beaten path, and exploring places where street lights don’t exist? You’re going to have to explain to me how LED headlights would be overkill for that. ;)
 
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Like forest service trails, going off the beaten path, and exploring places where street lights don’t exist? You’re going to have to explain to me how LED headlights would be overkill for that. ;)
lol, I get your point Chris. Two things though. I rarely go over 35 in the backwoods, especially at night. The Halogens throw plenty of light for that. Even when the weather is dismal. My night vision is still pretty good, even for an old fart. You'd be amazed what you run across back of beyond if you turn your lights off and stealth around.

Add to that there's other things that I could spend the cash delta between a nice set of halogens and high end LED'S on that would have a bigger impact in my situation.

Not against them, just don't particularly need them.
 
I know I may be the only one who has not prioritized headlamps (and especially since I don't mind stock even on the trails). Maybe I just have really bad lights on my other vehicles. But all I would really care for is a set of selectable secondary driving/fogs to light up the sides on trails and back roads to see Trailside obstructions or the miserable whitetail deer around here that are set on suicide by vehicle and manage to take out your lights, radiator, fenders and doors. I can do that with a relay, $50 worth of cube lights, and a manual switch. Not many cars here I would have to shut them off for nor any police who would not understand as long as I dont light em up on oncoming traffic.
 
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I know I may be the only one who has not prioritized headlamps (and especially since I don't mind stock even on the trails). Maybe I just have really bad lights on my other vehicles. But all I would really care for is a set of selectable secondary driving/fogs to light up the sides on trails and back roads to see Trailside obstructions or the miserable whitetail deer around here that are set on suicide by vehicle and manage to take out your lights, radiator, fenders and doors. I can do that with a relay, $50 worth of cube lights, and a manual switch. Not many cars here I would have to shut them off for nor any police who would not understand as long as I dont light em up on oncoming traffic.
+1 except I have a couple of old school KC's
 
I'll never go back to halogen.... ever. That being said, ANY upgrade is an improvement over the factory TJ headlights (though I hear from the JK crowd that the stock JK lights suck as well.

As for me, I love the way these things look on my TJ:

View attachment 30808

LED headlights are to me what the "butt crack" is to you from the body lifts. In my opinion, they have no aesthetic value, though I'm sure they work well. But as with everything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Having said that, I gotta say, Chris, your latest acquisition is a beaut! But close the hood before taking a pic, next time. It looks like a displaced body lift with that gap going on... :D
 
I'll never go back to halogen.... ever. That being said, ANY upgrade is an improvement over the factory TJ headlights (though I hear from the JK crowd that the stock JK lights suck as well.

As for me, I love the way these things look on my TJ:

View attachment 30808

I like those. Got any pics of them turned on?
 
ok I am gonna eat my own words....I did put the halogen back in my TJ. Drove for a few weeks and just couldn't do it so I put the LEDs back in my TJ. It is astounding the difference it makes in light output. so I am running the Trucklite led headlights...I will post pics up tomorrow.
 
ok I am gonna eat my own words....I did put the halogen back in my TJ. Drove for a few weeks and just couldn't do it so I put the LEDs back in my TJ. It is astounding the difference it makes in light output. so I am running the Trucklite led headlights...I will post pics up tomorrow.

I could have told you that. A good LED headlight is superior to a good halogen headlight in every way (unless you live somewhere where it constantly snows, and you need the heat from the headlights to melt snow). Even the Cibies my friend has (which are the best halogens you can get for the TJs as far as I know) can't come close to my LED headlights. The light output from LEDs is really fantastic.
 
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I started with Hella eCodes, harness and Osram Nightbreaker bulbs and loved that setup. Actually originally had the Hella eCodes on my CJ5, moved to my 04TJ and then my LJ so I got my investment out of them. Then I found a smoking deal on the Trucklites. Between the two, I'm not sure I'm getting that much more light on the low beam, but the high beam on the Trucklite is BRIGHT. I like the looks too, so that helps.
 
I will say that the trucklites are bright but the stock foglights are now useless to a point. Did you convert your original fog lights to LED or just buy all new fog lights?
 
Yeah, I always recommend those ones to people in cold climates who are worried about snow / ice build up on the headlights.

Granted it doesn't snow much anymore in Denver, but I have driven my unheated TruckLites through plenty of wet sticky blizzards and I haven't felt like the LEDs get blocked any worse than halogens do. I've had the front end encased with ice and snow and the LEDs still seem to melt away whatever is in front of them.
 
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I upgraded to the KC Lites H4 halogens. A lot better than stock but I've not seen, in person LEDs in a Jeep. For me, the decision was based on will the light output of the $100 halogen upgrade be enough to satisfy my needs and I decided that it would be so no need to pay more for the extra light output the LEDs provide.
 
Granted it doesn't snow much anymore in Denver, but I have driven my unheated TruckLites through plenty of wet sticky blizzards and I haven't felt like the LEDs get blocked any worse than halogens do. I've had the front end encased with ice and snow and the LEDs still seem to melt away whatever is in front of them.

I've driven through a number of big snow storms with my LED lights as well and never had an issue. Maybe if you let it sit for a long time in the snow, but it's never happened to me personally.
 
I've driven through a number of big snow storms with my LED lights as well and never had an issue. Maybe if you let it sit for a long time in the snow, but it's never happened to me personally.
I can think of one time when the entire front end was covered, including the headlights, after a good amount of time driving. The LEDs had melted away maybe 1/4-1/2" of the build up in front of them. Every car in the parking lot was in the same situation. Very few had fully exposed headlights. Or cars for that matter. Interesting day... :)

I'm sure there is a place for the heated LEDs, but so far it isn't in Colorado during the last three years.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
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I'm sure there is a place for the heated LEDs, but so far it isn't in Colorado during the last three years.

It's probably Alaska, or somewhere on the upper East Coast. It's definitely nowhere on the West Coast, that's for sure.

I think if it was that big of an issue, more companies would make heated LED headlights.
 
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