Fix / retrofit/ replace Delta off-road light bar

[Hamilton Felix]

Don't obsess over age. I recently pulled some Cibie 5-3/4" H1 headlights off my shelf and installed them on my P71 Crown Vic in Grote buckets, because they are good high beams. I got to thinking back and recalled I was installing the same high beams in Unity buckets on my 1969 Chevy C/10 in the mid 1970's. I ordered the same exact high beams on the 1978 Saab 99 Turbo I bought new. They are STILL good lights. Just an example, my rambling way of saying it's less important how the light is made (halogen, HID, LED, etc.) than where the lamp puts the light.

Sure, HID and LED use less power, but in this age of 100+ amp alternators, look first for optical performance. Does it do the job well? Heck, you might decide you like a retro style on that aging Hummer instead of LED bars like every other kid out there. 😅 Don't give up, just make sure optical performance and safety on the road comes before styling. 👍

 

[Alaric Darconville]

I understand going for best function when warranted.

You say that.

However coming from my 17-year old stock GM headlights, might there not be a product that would be BETTER in performance (again, low bar here with stock H2 headlights) with aesthetics that I like (since it is MY truck), without having to go all the way to the BEST performance product with aesthetics I don't like?

We've given some links to high-performance products. They might not always look cool but they perform well.

Wouldn't pretty much any random (legit brands) modern product would be an improvement over my stockers just because of how headlight technology has progressed in SEVENTEEN YEARS? If the answer is not true, or not really, then I shall be content to keep driving with the stock.

If by "driving with the stock" you mean purchasing brand new ones from GMPartsDirect, sure. But if you mean to keep the exact ones your vehicle came with, those will have degraded quite a bit from lens *and* reflector degradation. You can easily polish and recoat the lenses to eke a little more life out of them, but the reflectors are another story.

i sincerely very much appreciate everyone's advice. But I think this thread has reached the end of productive discussion. Thank you again to all who shared their knowledge with me!

You're welcome!

 

[Hilldweller]

I understand going for best function when warranted.

However coming from my 17-year old stock GM headlights, might there not be a product that would be BETTER in performance (again, low bar here with stock H2 headlights) with aesthetics that I like (since it is MY truck), without having to go all the way to the BEST performance product with aesthetics I don't like?

Wouldn't pretty much any random (legit brands) modern product would be an improvement over my stockers just because of how headlight technology has progressed in SEVENTEEN YEARS? If the answer is not true, or not really, then I shall be content to keep driving with the stock.

i sincerely very much appreciate everyone's advice. But I think this thread has reached the end of productive discussion. Thank you again to all who shared their knowledge with me!

I've seen JWS knock-offs with a full halo but they scare me. The halo is programable to a rainbow assortment of colors "for offroad use only".... Jeeps are rolling around with red, pink, green, blue forward-facing halos. Not cool, not safe, not legal.

There are other players in the field that I tested a while back. Trucklite makes a decent LED headlight, not too hard on the eye. And Peterson had one that was similar and even tickled my light meter a little better. I think both products are available rebranded. KC also made something funky looking but I never got around to getting a unit to test.

KC® LED HeadLights - Aftermarket HeadLights - Jeep HeadLights | KC HiLiTES®

LED and Halogen headlights give you a huge upgrade over the stock OEM headlights on your vehicle. KC HiLiTES® headlights are your go-to headlight replacement solution!

www.kchilites.com

 

[Alaric Darconville]

I understand going for best function when warranted.

But it is warranted. This is a road-going vehicle that you and any passengers need to be safe in, and others that share the road with you also need to be safe.

Headlight technology HAS progressed in 17 years, and that's why we have these amazing lights from J.W. Speaker. Yes, the price tags can be high. No, they don't always have the aesthetic you want.

We've given recommendations of products and you've dismissed them as not looking good enough. I am having a hard time finding a product you think meets your appearance standards AND our performance standards, unless you want to go with some replaceable bulb sealed beam form factor products, such as a 7" round lamp by (Tier 1 supplier to Toyota) Koito which uses the H4 (which Daniel Stern may have). It looks like a normal sealed beam, isn't particularly stylish or artistic and has no light rings, it doesn't change color, nor does it play music or whiten your teeth while you drive. It's designed from the ground up to be a headlamp.

There's also the (older) Truck-Lite 27275c; an LED lamp with heated lenses. It looks pretty decent (again, no light rings and such) and it's a good performer. There's also the unheated 27270C.

 

[idleprocess]

Jeeps are rolling around with red, pink, green, blue forward-facing halos. Not cool, not safe, not legal.

Nearly standard issue on anything Wrangler-esque in the parts of the DFW metro I haunt last ~2 years. The color fade setting must be the default since most of them roll through the typical LED RGB spectrum on a ~10s loop.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Nearly standard issue on anything Wrangler-esque in the parts of the DFW metro I haunt last ~2 years. The color fade setting must be the default since most of them roll through the typical LED RGB spectrum on a ~10s loop.

Maybe they like generating revenue for the city with their inevitable fix-it tickets, or even better, emergency vehicle impersonation tickets.

 

[idleprocess]

Maybe they like generating revenue for the city with their inevitable fix-it tickets, or even better, emergency vehicle impersonation tickets.

Given their seemingly increasing prevalence I'm not sure the local constabulary much cares.

 

[Hilldweller]

Given their seemingly increasing prevalence I'm not sure the local constabulary much cares.

My friends in law enforcement say they don't have the time, the priorities, or the backing to go after them.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

My friends in law enforcement say they don't have the time, the priorities, or the backing to go after them.

Hopefully, they revisit that before a confluence of tinted lamps, green front turn signals, position lights, and sidemarker lamps; and HID kits results in a spectacular fatality accident somewhere.

We got RULES for a reason!

But we're venturing a bit away from the topic which is sensible, legal upgrades for a particular vehicle.

 

[H2Finally]

I will look at the other (non JW 😅) recommendations thank you all!

I have a more immediate problem — I replaced the taillights housing back to stock H2 & replaced all the bulbs with the appropriate amber, red & white Zevo 3157 LEDs — which is causing my turn signal to hyper flash. Is using a replacement LED thermal flasher relay like this my best solution?

I also read that LED brake light bulbs will interfere with cruise control (which can't sense current from the LED brake lights). Can anyone recommend a solution? (H2 3rd brake light on top is LED from factory).

I also replaces all my roof marker light bulbs with 194 Zevo LEDs — which surprisingly are quite a bit dimmer than the incandescent bulbs it's replacing. Does LED require break-in period before they get brighter? Or am I missing a resistor or something?

Thanks again!

 

[Hilldweller]

....

I also replaces all my roof marker light bulbs with 194 Zevo LEDs — which surprisingly are quite a bit dimmer than the incandescent bulbs it's replacing. Does LED require break-in period before they get brighter? Or am I missing a resistor or something?

Thanks again!

LEDs aren't magic, aren't all created equal, aren't all of good quality, despite marketing claims.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

I have a more immediate problem — I replaced the taillights housing back to stock H2 & replaced all the bulbs with the appropriate amber, red & white Zevo 3157 LEDs — which is causing my turn signal to hyper flash.

Either a "towing" flasher module or a load resistor (which will negate the electrical savings from LEDs somewhat).

I also read that LED brake light bulbs will interfere with cruise control (which can't sense current from the LED brake lights). Can anyone recommend a solution? (H2 3rd brake light on top is LED from factory).

Similarly, load resistors for the stop lamps would simulate a filament bulb. I'm not sure why the cruise control doesn't just sense the service brake switch instead of looking at load on the braking circuit. A car with burned out stop lamp bulbs would never deactivate cruise control! I guess that's why it won't allow it to be activated in the first place-- and I hope it deactivates it if the filaments break even if the brakes weren't applied at the time.

I also replaces all my roof marker light bulbs with 194 Zevo LEDs

They market it as replacing the 194 and is "compatible" with the 168, but for the filament bulbs, but they offer a 168 version as well. I haven't tested to see if there is a real difference in their output, but the 168 should be brighter. There's a distinct difference between the original filament bulbs.

These Zevo bulbs may appear to be brighter if you look directly at it on axis instead of from the side, so depending on how they are oriented in the identification lights, you might be losing some oomph.

Looking again at your pictures, I have to ask: You do realize that those identification lights would probably look a lot brighter if they were not tinted, right? You can't complain that your Ex-Lax isn't working if you're taking Imodium along with it! Untint them! The H2 is over 80" wide, so those identification lamps aren't decoration, they are Federally-required-and-regulated lights and your tint has rendered them inoperative.

Be sure to use amber Zevo 194As/168As in the front (you can use white ones there but the light may be more yellow than amber and may still fall in the legal range, but for a more-pleasing amber color, use the amber ones).

Definitely 194Rs/168Rs in the rear; the color temperature of the white ones is far too high and will result in a weird pinkish-brown, and very dim, light. (If they started making the white ones with a color temp at 3000 or below, it'd be fine, but the Zevos are 6000K.)

 

[Mr. Merk]

I know on the 99-06 Silverado/Sierra, an LED CHMSL will cause the cruise control to not function.

I chose not to use LED turn signals in my 2005 Sierra to avoid the necessary modifications associated with hyper-flashing. In fact, the only LEDs on my truck are the two brake lamp bulbs. I've installed best quality incandescent bulbs everywhere else as recommended by this forum.

 

[H2Finally]

I haven't tested to see if there is a real difference in their output, but the 168 should be brighter.

Ugh does anyone else know if the 168 Zevo will be brighter than 194 Zevo LED?

They're $19 a pack for 2, and my truck uses 5 Red & 5 Ambers which means I have to buy 3 packs each. Hate to do another $120 experiment 😂

 

[H2Finally]

LEDs aren't magic, aren't all created equal, aren't all of good quality, despite marketing claims.

View attachment 15642

Yeah quite disappointed. I might put back the incandescents. Thankfully I didn't chuck em!

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Yeah quite disappointed. I might put back the incandescents. Thankfully I didn't chuck em!

You still need to untint those identification lights.

 

[H2Finally]

Back to the Deltas, the rubber grommet is rotted & falling apart. I checked Amazon under "rubber grommet", and can't pull any products resembling the ones on the back of the Deltas. Is is known by another name? Any clue where I can get replacements? Tried emailing Delta in the past and they didn't bother replying for such an old product I guess (Which was why I found this forum!)

 

[H2Finally]

You still need to untint those identification lights.

At night (on the incandescents), they appear very similarly lit to the stock amber & red marker lights.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

At night (on the incandescents), they appear very similarly lit to the stock amber & red marker lights.

The human optical system is easily fooled. They may appear "very similarly" lit, but they aren't. Remember, it takes a 15% difference in intensity to be a "just noticeable" change, so you've lost at least 15% of the intensity if you are seeing them as "very similar". Over distance, the difference will be more obvious; the warning to other vehicles will be lessened.

We have photometric standards for vehicle lighting for a reason. The vehicle was built with this is Federally-mandated (and regulated) vehicle lighting, and those identification lights have very specific performance requirements, which will not be met thanks to this immature tampering.

You are endangering yourself, your passengers, that very vehicle, as well as others that share the road with you, by making the ill-informed and childish decision to treat your vehicle's lighting like fashion accessories.

Again, STOP with the immaturity. It impresses noöne and is tiresome.

Stop demanding the answers you think you want, and instead learn to accept the answers you need. It's not just for you, it's for everyone else that shares the road with you. It's part of being a decent and grown-up human being in a society.

 

[H2Finally]

Well I was hoping the Zevo would be 15% brighter to compensate. But since it's actually dimmer, I will put back my brighter incandescent bulb (they're way brighter than the stock bulbs that came with the truck).

I asked specific questions about light bulbs. And I appreciate the replies. Tried the Zevos, and they don't work for me. Asked about lightbulb for my stock headlights, was told the OEM are junk and should be replaced asap. Was given recommendations on 2 products. I don't like the JW. I liked the South Korean Weldex but was not willing to be guinea pig.

Asked about Morimotos & was told they're junk, so I stopped looking there. This weekend was given more brands to look at (KC, Trucklights, Koitos, etc), and I will.

So I'm perplexed where I "demand" any answers?

I understand car mods in this forum is not popular — but do realize I did NOT ask any advice on any of my other mods (in hindsight, I should have cropped them out from the pics I posted). I will & actually do give them good considerations (such as replacing my taillights back to stock, and no, of course i'm not going to put rainbow halo lights on). However if not agreeing on ALL of the unsolicited opinions is considered immature, well that's yet another unsolicited opinion which I'm happy to say, I'm certainly old enough to cheerfully ignore!