LED Taillights!

[CoasterKev06]

Re: LED Taillights!

yeah silicon will work... I'm wanting mine to be suspended and not directly touching the lens... so that's why i'm opting for the foam and fiberglass... if you just want something brighter... you can just get some LED bulbs... lux LEDs are much brighter but even some good LED bulbs will me quite a bit brighter than standard filament bulbs... but if you're an electrical buff then go ahead... you'll have a ton of fun with all the freaking wiring...

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

I think we are doing the same general thing. I'm going to build a board that contours the taillight, and fill the entire thing with LEDs soldered into place.

You're going to have to rip the tail light apart in order to do this, so just be ready, that little bulb hole is no where near big enough. If you get some bright LEDs like the ones shown, you will definitely have brighter than stock. You can also buy arrays of LEDs with the connector already hooked up, but you said you know how to wire them, so might as well save some money and just buy parts.

Kev would know better but i believe 30,000+mcds is brighter than an incandescent, maybe even lower than that i'm not sure. IIRC he said the caddillacs use somewhere around 25,000mcd bulbs and those seem brighter than other tails.

[CoasterKev06]

Re: LED Taillights!

looks like i'm going to go ahead and pick up two orders of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-LED-Set-of-1...QQcmdZViewItem

that's where i bought mine from... they do good business...

[CoasterKev06]

Re: LED Taillights!

it depends on brands and colors... but yeah incadescents usually range from 4,000 to 20,000 mcd

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

Just bought them. I figure i can make 100 LEDs for each tail light work without looking sparce. If i decide against my original idea of two lines of LEDs for running lights and full illumination for the rest, I should be able to do a kind of real cadillac style of having two different brightnesses by using different resistors for the different conductors on the bulb socket right?

Also, it's been quite a while since my electronics classes, and i can't seem to think right now. Would it be possible to just use one resistor and wire all of the LEDs in parallel to the resisted 12V input?

[CoasterKev06]

Re: LED Taillights!

i probably would just do it the way the wiring wizard does it... there probably isn't a single resistor that has the correct value in order for it to work... or heat may come into play if you just use a single resistor... just like the resistors used for the bulbs... those get incredibly hot... hot enough to melt plastic... and you would need a resistor with a higher resistance value than the resistors that are made for the bulbs...

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

Yeah okay. I can get some ceramic resistors that should stand the heat, but i'll probably just stick to the single per. I have access to some really cheap resistors so if the ones that it comes with doesn't work, i can get different ones, probably even do a straight trade.

[RadRacer]

Re: LED Taillights!

I think we are doing the same general thing. I'm going to build a board that contours the taillight, and fill the entire thing with LEDs soldered into place.

You're going to have to rip the tail light apart in order to do this, so just be ready, that little bulb hole is no where near big enough. If you get some bright LEDs like the ones shown, you will definitely have brighter than stock. You can also buy arrays of LEDs with the connector already hooked up, but you said you know how to wire them, so might as well save some money and just buy parts.

Kev would know better but i believe 30,000+mcds is brighter than an incandescent, maybe even lower than that i'm not sure. IIRC he said the caddillacs use somewhere around 25,000mcd bulbs and those seem brighter than other tails.

Well, I've got Altezza's, and the actual lenses are round and cover alot less area than stock lights do, so I think the original mounting holes will works just fine.

[dmw319]

Re: LED Taillights!

www.superbrightleds.com if you havent checked out that website yet, do it! i just bought 42 dollars worth of LEDs.

[CoasterKev06]

Re: LED Taillights!

www.superbrightleds.com if you havent checked out that website yet, do it! i just bought 42 dollars worth of LEDs.

yeah... that's pretty easy to do there... autolumination.com is not bad either... i got all my LED bulbs from superbright though...

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

since i got a new tail light, when i installed it i didn't feel like cutting the hole to fit the LED bulb in, so i put a normal bulb in and i can compare them head to head. and even with 42 leds at 6,000 mcds it is WAY duller than stock and i didn't realize til i compared head to head. LED direct replacement bulbs FTL..still waiting on my 200 60Kmcd LEDs..

[96greenmachine]

Re: LED Taillights!

i coulda told u leds isnt good for tailights...i done tried led bulbs and they suck...plus the turn signal wouldnt even work :mad:

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

my turn signals work fine, and at night they look really cool, but just aren't as visible in the daylight. Can't wait to get started on this project..

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LED Taillights!

I'm planning on using all 60,000 mcd LEDs for running and stop light, so i'm planning on doing some diffusing for the running lights. what would you suggest using?

[mloaks]

Re: LED Taillights!

www.superbrightleds.com if you havent checked out that website yet, do it! i just bought 42 dollars worth of LEDs.

I am considering this for all my 194 side markers and tail lamp; how'd yours turn out? pix?