New TruckLite LED headlights

[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.

[Scheinwerfermann]

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/em...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/f33/201...ml#post2127362

[AnAppleSnail]

Data looks pretty good, AnAppleSnail, what do you think?
http://www.emschem.ch/broschueren/em...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.

[Scheinwerfermann]

Hella New Zealand sounds very enthusiastic about Grilamid. They make good stuff and have a lot of knowledge down there, so that's at least a data point. (and they make an interesting point about polishing, too).

[KarlG]

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

I was impressed enough from your test results to give them a try and have a set on order. I'm also going to try a replacement of the phase 6, (previous), version on the motorcycle.

[Hilldweller]

I was impressed enough from your test results to give them a try and have a set on order. I'm also going to try a replacement of the phase 6, (previous), version on the motorcycle.

You're going to replace a phase 6 with a phase 7 on the bike, right? The phase 6 lights would be good on an offroad bike that was seeing abuse and had supplemental lights ---- but they're horrible as stand-alone headlights.
I'd run the phase 7 by itself on a bike.
If I still had my Concours I'd be trying to fit the 5X7 into it...

Poison Spyder is selling the Trucklites with a pair of Rigid Dualy lights as a package deal. Full retail on the Trucklites but the Rigids come free. Works out to a decent price if you need a set of Dualies...
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f43/p...allys-1343535/

[Hilldweller]

Next project will be to install a set of their 5x7 rectangular LED headlights in an older model Jeep Cherokee (XJ series). These trucks came with 6054 sealed beams and the LEDs should be a huge benefit, both for light and lower amperage draw.

The offroad community has more/different demands on lighting and power than the road community. We drive in the most atrocious conditions on dangerous "roads" and use compressors, winches, and other various electrical farkles. A headlight that only draws 1.8 amps and lights up like a super-nova is a blessing.

[TEEJ]

Next project will be to install a set of their 5x7 rectangular LED headlights in an older model Jeep Cherokee (XJ series). These trucks came with 6054 sealed beams and the LEDs should be a huge benefit, both for light and lower amperage draw.

The offroad community has more/different demands on lighting and power than the road community. We drive in the most atrocious conditions on dangerous "roads" and use compressors, winches, and other various electrical farkles. A headlight that only draws 1.8 amps and lights up like a super-nova is a blessing.

I might a set of those rectangulars on the Xterra.

[wolfcreek]

You're going to replace a phase 6 with a phase 7 on the bike, right? The phase 6 lights would be good on an offroad bike that was seeing abuse and had supplemental lights ---- but they're horrible as stand-alone headlights.
I'd run the phase 7 by itself on a bike.
If I still had my Concours I'd be trying to fit the 5X7 into it...

Poison Spyder is selling the Trucklites with a pair of Rigid Dualy lights as a package deal. Full retail on the Trucklites but the Rigids come free. Works out to a decent price if you need a set of Dualies...
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f43/p...allys-1343535/

Man I wish I had heard about this deal before I ordered... mine should be here in a few days. Maybe I even need to check into a return?

[Hilldweller]

The 5x7 lights worked great for the old Jeep.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1082758

[electromage]

This just shows that it pays to have an older vehicle sometimes! My '07 Corolla will probably never have streel legal LED headlights, but by gosh my '90 Jeep (XJ) will

[Alaric Darconville]

The 5x7 lights worked great for the old Jeep.

*REAL* Jeeps have round headlamps.

[Hilldweller]

*REAL* Jeeps have round headlamps.

No XJ love?

Man, that's cold...

[Alaric Darconville]

Cherokees exempted... The YJ is what bothers me

[Hilldweller]

Cherokees exempted... The YJ is what bothers me

The YJ looks wrong but feels so right...

...did you ever wheel one of the 4-cylinder YJs? It's so light, so easy to maneuver. Easiest vehicle to wheel next to a Samari.

[Alaric Darconville]

Nope. I imagine the lighter front end from the smaller motor would make it a bit more throwable.

The Previa is surprisingly agile, being mid-engine. It's still quite a bit heavier than a YJ or the Samurai, but the balance is really good. (Still waiting on Truck-Lite to make a direct replacement for the composite lamps...)

The original HMMWV *definitely* goes where you point it, though. (And there are T-L lamps for it.)

Reminds me about how I'd kinda like to install blackout lights on the Previa. (For the "JDM"/"2-Fast 2-Furious" types, I am referring to lights that conform to MIL-STD-1179, not lights whose lenses have been tinted to "look kewl, dude").

[electromage]

How are they dealing with the heat? It looks like the housing is entirely plastic, with no heat sink. They say 1300lm output, which figures around 1500 emitter lumens, and 15W at 100lm/W. They're rated up to 50°C, there must be something going on inside. Is the back aluminum? Are they using heat pipes?

[idleprocess]

How are they dealing with the heat? It looks like the housing is entirely plastic, with no heat sink. They say 1300lm output, which figures around 1500 emitter lumens, and 15W at 100lm/W. They're rated up to 50°C, there must be something going on inside. Is the back aluminum? Are they using heat pipes?

Housings sure look like aluminum to me with fins on the backside - even says "aluminum housings" on the manufacturer's site.

[electromage]

Housings sure look like aluminum to me with fins on the backside - even says "aluminum housings" on the manufacturer's site.

I see now that the box says die cast aluminum. I don't see any fins though in this picture. At least it's metal, I thought from the pictures it looked like polymer. Are the LEDs mounted horizontally, reflecting off the top for low and bottom for high?

Also, have they stated whether the low and high can be run at the same time? When I pull on the stick for flash-to-pass, both filaments come on, and when I click it, the lows go out. Most vehicles with these lamps probably do the same since running two tungsten filaments in one bulb could cause issues.

[idleprocess]

I see now that the box says die cast aluminum. I don't see any fins though in this picture. At least it's metal, I thought from the pictures it looked like polymer. Are the LEDs mounted horizontally, reflecting off the top for low and bottom for high?

Also, have they stated whether the low and high can be run at the same time? When I pull on the stick for flash-to-pass, both filaments come on, and when I click it, the lows go out. Most vehicles with these lamps probably do the same since running two tungsten filaments in one bulb could cause issues.

Ah ... the round ones have fins - probably due to the lesser surface area of a ~7" diameter circle vs the larger 5 x 7 (5.62 x 7.90)rectangular housing.

Appears to be a "side-shooter" arrangement with the LED's mounted to the horizontal splitter.

Beamshots I've seen appear to keep both elements active - neither heat nor current draw should be an issue with these.

[Hilldweller]

The cases are metal and the center piece is metal heatsink as well.

See if you can see the orientation of the LEDs in these photos; the lowbeam is angled toward the reflector and the highbeam is just sorta out there. Both are on during highbeam operation.

[Alaric Darconville]

Pretty!

Should I just get a set of these and countersink them into old Previa headlamp housings (not mount them behind the Previa lens)?

[electromage]

The cases are metal and the center piece is metal heatsink as well.

See if you can see the orientation of the LEDs in these photos; the lowbeam is angled toward the reflector and the highbeam is just sorta out there. Both are on during highbeam operation.

Thanks! Those pictures explain a lot. That's an impressive design they've come up with.