LED Headlights

Karl said:
I installed a set of LED bulbs in my 1934 Ford. It appeared that lots more light was being thrown out and they were certainly brighter to look at!

However in this country we do test light alignment -as part of a mandatory 6 monthly safety inspection. Placed on the correct calibrated machine it revealed that although lots of light was coming out it was not focused -Much of it was shooting skywards (or into the eyes of the oncoming drivers) and some was falling onto the road right in front of the car. Very little was ending up on the road where it should.

So unfortunately in support of the above and contrary to the anecdotal evidence often quoted -proper testing with the correct machine reveals that at least in a 1934 that LEDs don't focus as they should . Given the fact that I use the same halogen bulbs in my Model A as I do in my 1934 ( both passing on the same machine ) I am sure that LEDs aren't up to speed in the Model A either.

Karl
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Karl-
Your findings with the headlight focus & aim test machine (not anecdotal assessment) are consistent with my expectations. From the design and layout (position) of the LEDs on these headlight bulbs, I did not expect them to focus properly or to put a proper beam out on the road ahead, especially the dipped Low. I am glad to hear that you did this test for us and to hear the results. :)

When I was growing up in Florida, they used to do an annual safety inspection of our cars that sounds similar to the inspection that your cars undergo. They tested the braking force of each wheel independently (to identify a faulty wheel or overall subpar brakes) and they checked both the brightness and alignment of each headlight, both Low and High beams, to make sure you could see the road and that you were not blinding oncoming drivers (with dazzle). It was thorough. :cool:

The state has since dropped all safety inspections. There are now a large number of unsafe clunkers on the road there. :eek:

I found the once per year inspections we had to do as a kid to be kind of a pain; I can't imagine having to do it every 6 months.
 
Karl said:
Classic Dynamo in the UK -and they're not -Karl
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I have to say I'm surprised - they look good. But then I haven't seen one in the flesh. Thanks for the report, Karl.

As for me, I still have 8 Eveready Mazda #1116's to go through, probably 20 years' worth.

I've always wondered - what kind of girl drives a flatbed?
 
Karl said:
Classic Dynamo in the UK -and they're not -Karl
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Which ones?
The scooter style? the stop-tail style? Or a newer kind?
Because they don't always reflect the same given different reflectors.
Some really 'poor' designs work ok in parabolic reflectors. Such as those 3 sided ones, but those are terrible in the none-parabolic reflectors.

I always thought the scooter style worked ok in old fords.
 
Logo lite update:

To me, a 32/50 bulb does a better job at nite projecting the beam where you want it. The led seemed to provide a scatter approach vs a projected beam. No matter how you try to adjust the bulb.

But with that said, I will stick with the led's, as I think "overall" they are better.

I always drive with my lights on during the day and do very little night driving. The led for day use are whiter and brighter and can be seen easier.

The led's make the generator work less because you can turn the 3rd arm down due to the very small amount of electricity the LEDs use over bulbs whether they be 32/50 or sealed beam or Halogen.

So although a little more expensive than the 32/50's for my driving my vote is LED.

That's my story, and I am sticking to it.
 
I realize this is a older topic but I thought I would update with my findings. I'm running the LED headlight bulbs from Bratton's and lovem. This is how they look for me this morning. Also at idle there is no longer a draw on the generator.
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Does anyone else have trouble with the lights flickering? I have a feeling it might be the poor reproduction sockets but I have no problem with incandescent or halogen bulbs. I even have a dedicated ground from the sockets to the frame and the lights still flicker sometimes. I don't think it's the switch because if I get out of the car and give the headlight bucket a tap the light will come right back.
 
My right light just started to flicker. I swapped led's from right to left and the right side still quickly flickers.

I can not find anything wrong.
 
ryanheacox said:
Does anyone else have trouble with the lights flickering? I have a feeling it might be the poor reproduction sockets but I have no problem with incandescent or halogen bulbs. I even have a dedicated ground from the sockets to the frame and the lights still flicker sometimes. I don't think it's the switch because if I get out of the car and give the headlight bucket a tap the light will come right back.
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Is it possible the flickering is there with the incandescent bulbs too but because the LED bulbs are instant on/off, it is more pronounced or noticeable? My LEDs are like 'instant on' at full intensity when the switch is flipped where the other bulbs are quick but not instant.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
Is it possible the flickering is there with the incandescent bulbs too but because the LED bulbs are instant on/off, it is more pronounced or noticeable? My LEDs are like 'instant on' at full intensity when the switch is flipped where the other bulbs are quick but not instant.
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This probably is the case. I'm not going to blame the lights since everyone is aware of the quality of the repro sockets.
 
ryanheacox said:
Does anyone else have trouble with the lights flickering? I have a feeling it might be the poor reproduction sockets but I have no problem with incandescent or halogen bulbs. I even have a dedicated ground from the sockets to the frame and the lights still flicker sometimes. I don't think it's the switch because if I get out of the car and give the headlight bucket a tap the light will come right back.
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My LEDs flicker some when the steering wheel ring for the lights is moved slightly. I assume the contacts at end of the steering column are slightly worn resistive, and the flickering may be more pronounced due to the previous post about either being on or off, and the fact they use drastically less current. I occasionally notice them flicker once in a while when driving, mostly when hitting bumps, and exercising the ring a little cures the issue.


The real cure most likely is to go in and clean up the contacts, but rarely drive at night, and am a little lazy:)
 
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I too had the flicker. I gutted the connectors between the headlight bucket and the conduit. I connected the wires with a bullet connector. You can't see that I've done this. This morning I did not see the flicker on the way into work. I will update if the flicker shows back up.

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After reading Garagekulture13’s post, I bought the LED bulbs from Bratton’s and installed them this afternoon - just removed the 32 cp bulbs and plugged the new ones in. Turns out that these are the Logo Lites. I am very impressed with the amount of light the headlights now project - huge improvement over the stock bulbs. Current draw is a couple of amps at most.
 
Hi Conaway2,


Did you get good cut off and focus like GarageKulture's in post #66? His look great!


I have quartz halogens in my 32 and can't use the LogoLites, looking at Sealights instead.
 
I bought Logo Lites and think they are great! I did get a flicker on right high beam and contacted the manufacturer. They said it is most likely a poor ground. Here is the exact reply:

Each time this has come up in the past it has been an electrical ground
(chassis) return problem. Since both lights are doing it, it is
probably the headlight cross bar that is not getting a good connection
through the fenders back to the frame and the battery.

The electronics in the LED headlight bulb show up a poor ground return
path much more than an incandescent bulb. You might start by loosening
and then re-tightening any bolts between the lights and the frame. This
should brighten the steel and the bolts a little and provide a better
ground return.

The other possibility is that the high beam switch and wiring has a
high resistance. If that is the case, it can be checked by removing the
bulbs, turning them over 180°, and reinserting them. If the symptom is
that the low beam (high beam switch on) flickers and the high beam (low
beam switch on) then the high beam switch and wiring are the problem.
In other words, the problem stayed with the wiring, not the high beam of
the bulbs.

Best regards,
 
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