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Thread: LED Headlight Upgrade Question

  1. #1
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    LED Headlight Upgrade Question

    I have a question. I want to upgrade the headlights on my '57 to LED (brightness) but do not want the 'halo' feature so any of these lights have. What is the best way to wire up LED lights? And because the lights I have found are 150W total, will I need to add a relay or heavier gauge wiring? (My '57s wiring is stock now)......

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-7Inch-Ro...-/222734456769

    Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am more comfortable turning wrenches than wiring things......

    Thanks,

    Harry

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    Just wanted to add that as the LED lights should draw less current than say halogen bulbs, I was hoping that would make the changeover to LEDs easier.

    Thanks,

    HB

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    Putting relays on your stock lights would wake them up a little bit

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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma57 View Post
    Just wanted to add that as the LED lights should draw less current than say halogen bulbs, I was hoping that would make the changeover to LEDs easier.

    Thanks,

    HB
    Yes, LED's take less amperage/lumen. A lot of people think halogen lights create a lot of heat, the truth is that a 100 watt incandescent bulb will generate the exact same amount of heat and take the same exact amount of power as a 100 watt halogen bulb, and a 100 watt LED will also be the same heat and power. The difference lies in the light output. Now if the bulbs are different wattage's, that's a whole different story. Choose your lights according to lumens, then compare the wattage, or the amperage if you like since the will all be operated at the same voltage. I think there are a lot of LED headlights on the market, to me, those look a bit goofy. Maybe not quite as weird as the led circle ones, but odd when they are turned off. Maybe they really belong in a jeep like it shows. They also have a top and bottom row of lower output led's that can be used for parking lights or turn signals, but I didn't see what color they are, I would hope amber?

    Back to your question, I'm certain no matter what led headlights you choose, they will draw less power. So you don't need to upgrade the wiring such as adding a relay. If your current bulbs are dim, you can try running a wire from the battery to the one light and see how much brighter it is. This will simulate how bright they may be with a relay.
    Last edited by 55 Tony; 07-15-2018 at 06:02 AM.
    Tony

    1955 Bel Air Sport Coupe

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    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 55 Tony View Post
    Yes, LED's take less amperage/lumen.
    And LEDs use less POWER per lumen. LEDs use about 10-15% of the power of an incandescent bulb for the same amount of light (lumens).

    A lot of people think halogen lights create a lot of heat, the truth is that a 100 watt incandescent bulb will generate the exact same amount of heat and take the same exact amount of power as a 100 watt halogen bulb, and a 100 watt LED will also be the same heat and power.
    That depends on how they're spec'd. A "60 Watt" LED bulb is really a 60-watt "equivalent" bulb. It will draw about 10% of the power as an incandescent. I think they spec them as "60 watt" because people don't know what "lumens" are.

    Also, not all bulbs are equally efficient at turning electrical current into light. A halogen bulb will emit more light for a given wattage than an incandescent bulb will. The halogen bulbs run hotter because they draw more current at the same voltage. So they DO run hotter when you replace incandescent headlights with halogen headlights.
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    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    I bought a set of H4 Hella headlights years ago for my Nomad but I'm kinda liking the "halo" headlights. Anyone know of the best/coolest (not as in heat) brand out there?
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


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    Cnut's comment about how the LEDs are rated is very important. Most of the non-LED "performance" headlights draw 55-65 watts. I find it hard to believe that a DOT legal LED headlight draws 75 watts - but I don't doubt they can be the "equivalent" of a 75 watt headlight that's not LED.

    So this is a matter of doing your homework.

    From what I've seen, most of the LED headlights out there are quite expensive too. And the cost of a relay does not make up for the difference.

    All this is a moving target as prices on LED stuff are getting better, or will be in the future.

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    Thanks, guys! Much to think about. Laszlo, the great majority of 7" round LED headlight conversions I have looked at on e-Bay drew less wattage than these and they have the 'halo' feature you like.

    I do not want halo lights on my '57. Just want brighter lights for night driving. So I was looking for LED lights without the halo feature that had highest wattage. Figured they would be the brightest.

    Rick, I have no idea if these lights are DOT legal. The description indicated that each light was 75 watts and both drew 150 watts. Short of mounting some aircraft landing lights in the grille, those seemed like a good choice.

    I'll do some more research before buying lights. Will also check with seller to verify whether 150 watts is actual current draw or is equivalent of 75 watt non-LED bulb.

    Haven't been able to get around very well following the wreck (re-injured lower back that was operated on 21 years ago). So I've been busy scrounging hard to find bits for my carburettor rebuild. Its been quite a scavenger hunt thus far.

    Best regards to all,

    Harry

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    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Harry, ANY LED will draw less current for the same light output than a halogen or incandescent bulb. So ANY LED headlight you get will not require relays. In fact, current draw is typically about 85-90% less for LEDs. The "watts" rating is only so you can attempt to compare them directly with conventional bulbs. Let's say that a halogen bulb uses 55 watts of power so an LED will use around 6 watts for the same light output. That's confusing for some people and from a marketing perspective it would be a disaster....who would buy a 6 watt headlight?

    One more thing. I had 60 watt incandescents in my garage and I replaced them with "60 watt" equivalent LEDs. They're quite a bit brighter. Note also that LEDs run a lot cooler than other bulbs, because of the low power consumption.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

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    I've not researched LED headlights much. What I do know is that they are rather expensive, and that many of them have those goofy haloes and other features. Maybe a half day of googling would find you an honest and direct explanation of amp draw and lumens on a straightforward 7" replacement. I'd be looking at truck stuff before I finished.

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