New TruckLite LED headlights

[Alaric Darconville]

Have you noticed the rash of new products to "Make Your Headlights Like New Again!"

It's an ever-expanding market. Also, I wonder if people are keeping their cars longer, and so are stuck with trying to keep their old one running longer.

Bonus: Those products will often work GREAT! that first time, but then accelerate the decay of the lens because the protective hardcoat is removed entirely. So it's back to AutoZone to pick up another kit about 6 months later...

 

[idleprocess]

It's an ever-expanding market. Also, I wonder if people are keeping their cars longer, and so are stuck with trying to keep their old one running longer.

Bonus: Those products will often work GREAT! that first time, but then accelerate the decay of the lens because the protective hardcoat is removed entirely. So it's back to AutoZone to pick up another kit about 6 months later...

Probably cheaper to extend the life of a headlight (even if the increment between treatments decreases) than to replace it with something doomed to the same fate.

 

[2000mc]

It's an ever-expanding market. Also, I wonder if people are keeping their cars longer, and so are stuck with trying to keep their old one running longer.

Bonus: Those products will often work GREAT! that first time, but then accelerate the decay of the lens because the protective hardcoat is removed entirely. So it's back to AutoZone to pick up another kit about 6 months later...

depends on how bad they were to start, i re-did mine after about 2yrs, and they weren't near as bad as before the first refinishing. i've done 4 pairs of lights with one 3m kit plus a bottle of the rubbing compound needed in the last step, and could probably do that many again before i'd need another 3m kit.... but yea all about running cars longer, first time i used it, i figured 'oh well' if theyre screwed later i'll be getting a different car anyway, didnt happen.

 

[Hilldweller]

So, ummm, nobody has any report on the new Trucklite LED headlights then?
I thought Scheinwerfermann would have the skinny by now...
The Jeepers are curious.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/2012-led-head-lights-133954.html

 

[TEEJ]

It's an ever-expanding market. Also, I wonder if people are keeping their cars longer, and so are stuck with trying to keep their old one running longer.

Bonus: Those products will often work GREAT! that first time, but then accelerate the decay of the lens because the protective hardcoat is removed entirely. So it's back to AutoZone to pick up another kit about 6 months later...

You can use toothpaste to clear them up....and then wax them with a Si wax to provide some protection. Crud sloughs off better with the wax on them as well.

 

[-Virgil-]

You can use toothpaste to clear them up....and then wax them with a Si wax to provide some protection.

There is no wax or lotion or creme or goop that can provide any protection against UV degradation of a polycarbonate headlamp lens.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

Hmm, what if you applied a thin layer of sunscreen or antiperspirant?

Seriously, though, what is it that the manufacturers use? Or do they use a special kind of polycarb that doesn't degrade as easily? I always notice rainbow swirls (diffraction interference?) in nicer lenses, which makes me wonder if they go through a different process to keep them clearer longer.

 

[-Virgil-]

The manufacturers use any of several crosslinked hard coatings, applied and thermally- or UV-cured under cleanroom conditions at the time of lens manufacture. Even those clearcoat paints that claim to be UV-stable, applied in the field, just can't get the job done.

 

[Hilldweller]

I think that TruckLite has liberated some funds for me to get a set of the new lights to test. I take this as a sign that they're very confident in their product and I can't wait to try it out.

 

[TEEJ]

I think that TruckLite has liberated some funds for me to get a set of the new lights to test. I take this as a sign that they're very confident in their product and I can't wait to try it out.

Sweet!

Looking forward to your conclusions!

 

[TEEJ]

There is no wax or lotion or creme or goop that can provide any protection against UV degradation of a polycarbonate headlamp lens.

Well, not UV protection at least. It does help crud to slough off.



They advertise that the waxes provide UV protection, but, when tested with UV equipment, a coating of wax was not shown to block ANY measurable UV...at least for the 4 waxes used to compare (That had CLAIMED they provided protection...)

 

[KarlG]

I would love to see some objective test data. The previous version was less than overwhelming used in a motorcycle application. I have read multiple discussions by the manufacturer stating the improved "spread" and improved "evenness" and decreased current draw but interestingly there is no mention of "more light output", or "stronger beam" . Does this mean a wider , less choppy beam pattern and still same, (underwhelming), lumen output? Time will tell.

 

[SemiMan]

Plain old acrylic (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA for short .. sp?) actually does not yellow that much from UV and over the typical life of a vehicle would not yellow nearly as much as polycarbonate. However, polycarbonate is very strong, and when you have to stand up to rocks, it makes sense to use. Hence UV stabilized polycarb is what is used.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

So maybe they have polycarb with pmma coating?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

So maybe they have polycarb with pmma coating?

PMMA would scratch to crap before long. Also, my polymer basics tell me that UV-proof polymers are usually UV-transparent - so the things underneath would yellow.

 

[-Virgil-]

Grilamid, but it's not on the list of approved materials for headlamp lenses in the US because nobody's bothered to put it through the 3-year Arizona test and the 3-year Florida test.

 

[Hilldweller]

I'll have a set of the new lights next week and be able to pull some numbers. From what Jerry says, they're willing to keep learning, improving, and want feedback.
I like their attitude ---- and, as bad as the last version was, they were actually better than some OE lights I've seen on Jeeps.

If these are at least a little better than Jeep JK stock lights they'll be a winner. Just the mere fact that you never have to swap bulbs is appealing enough to a crowd that beats the heck out of their vehicles.

 

[Marcturus]

Grilamid

Data looks pretty good, AnAppleSnail, what do you think?
http://www.emschem.ch/broschueren/emsgrivory_de/pdf/e/4007_en_GrilamidTR.pdf

Anybody know if the competing Plexiglas Resist brand PMMA, mentioned here a few years ago, ever made it to headlights?

 

[Hilldweller]

Cool. Not a home-run but they worked quite well and are just what a Jeeper needs on the trail.
Light weight, good spread of light, low amperage draw, no bulbs to replace.

There's room for improvement but they fill an immediate need for the offroad/daily-driver market.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/2012-led-head-lights-133954-4.html#post2127362

 

[AnAppleSnail]

Data looks pretty good, AnAppleSnail, what do you think?
http://www.emschem.ch/broschueren/emsgrivory_de/pdf/e/4007_en_GrilamidTR.pdf

Anybody know if the competing Plexiglas Resist brand PMMA, mentioned here a few years ago, ever made it to headlights?

The data looks good, but that's still a sales brochure. Some of their testing parameters are, erm, "Interesting" choices like the deformation rates. Those give a great advantage to amorphous polyamides over the ones conventionally used in the markets they're trying to enter. In other words, they used a skewed (but legitimate for some purposes) test to look better structurally. The weathering results are fairly impressive for the UV, but I'm curious about the temperatures it will reach (94% transmission 2mm thick = 6% heating) and the effects that will have on those properties. Fortunately UV won't be encountered much while the lamps are hot.