This is a silly project I've been figuring out over the last few weeks. On more than one occasion I have wanted brighter reverse lights, but didn't want the added clutter of more lights bolted to the Jeep. I got this solution recently from someone on the forums who briefly mentioned that he put LED projectors in the stock taillight housing. Sorry, I don't recall the thread to give proper credit. This is my version.
You need a pair of Socket Wires Connector Base Adapters
A pair of Turn Tail Wired Light Socket Housings
A pair of 41mm flashlight reflector cones.
And finally a pair of 1156 base LED projectors measuring 1.75" in length.
Use a stepped drill bit to drill the flashlight reflector out to to the size of the 1156 light socket. Insert the LED. I used superglue to hold it in place.
Connect the socket housing and socket adaptor together.
Our light housing is about 2.25" deep from lens to back. Because the projector needs to point straight back, the LED and socket housing needs to stack to stack up to less than that. I re-routed the wires in the new socket to come out the side of the socket to save space. The socket gets epoxied to the back of the tail light housing. The adapter is inserted into the factory socket.
That's it.
LED projector with reflector cone is on the left. Factory incandescent is on the right.
I don't know the lumens of the $15 Chinese LEDs I bought, but with the flashlight reflector cone, all 16 LEDs are shining straight back,, rather than filling the housing and relying on the small and not-very-shiny factory "reflector" to push the light backwards.
You need a pair of Socket Wires Connector Base Adapters
A pair of Turn Tail Wired Light Socket Housings
A pair of 41mm flashlight reflector cones.
And finally a pair of 1156 base LED projectors measuring 1.75" in length.
Use a stepped drill bit to drill the flashlight reflector out to to the size of the 1156 light socket. Insert the LED. I used superglue to hold it in place.
Connect the socket housing and socket adaptor together.
Our light housing is about 2.25" deep from lens to back. Because the projector needs to point straight back, the LED and socket housing needs to stack to stack up to less than that. I re-routed the wires in the new socket to come out the side of the socket to save space. The socket gets epoxied to the back of the tail light housing. The adapter is inserted into the factory socket.
That's it.
LED projector with reflector cone is on the left. Factory incandescent is on the right.
I don't know the lumens of the $15 Chinese LEDs I bought, but with the flashlight reflector cone, all 16 LEDs are shining straight back,, rather than filling the housing and relying on the small and not-very-shiny factory "reflector" to push the light backwards.
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