| PM | Quote | Reply | Full Topic |
Do Not Touch The Trim!
Joined: Thu Oct 19th, 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 230
Status:
Offline
Reputation: 
Reputation Points: $user_rep
buggman wrote:
if you like the look of stock housings, check out my latest project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-YeuIa3SAQ
i've also got some really nice red 3157 plugin led's if you want to start small & see how you like the look of plugins before going full led conversion.
i've seen a few sets of "aftermarket" led tails that pale in comparison even to my plugin led's.
Alright Buggman, I'll bite on this..
Couple questions.
- I assume you can fully custom these to some degree?
- Are those sealed boards & hideaway boxes, I have a tendency to find water crossings in the deserts?
- Can you make the reverse lights amber blinkers?
- I would want the red portions LED lights to remain running lights and brake lights?
- 6-8" Pig tails leading out of the hideaway boxes for the reverse light feature rather than going into the OEM harness side?
BTW since I have your attention, you still modifying OEM switches? I have a rather good condition OEM fog switch I'm not going to use from my 94' donor truck, I know you could put it to good use if you are stocking them up as surplus/cores. Otherwise it'll likley be tossed into the bottom drawer of the toolbox
Yup, they started out as a oem (or aftermarket) set of 01-05 tails. I cut the back side to fit my custom aluminum heat sinks & adapters that got epoxied to the housing.
I'm kinda limited on the placement of the led's due to the small space I have to work with & the material I mold to make the adapters to the housings, but I have 12pcs of 1w led's with 90* lenses in each side. For comparison my new 3rd brake light led conversions use 9pcs of the same led's & lenses. The reverse lights only have room for 6pcs of 1w led's with lenses, but the white led's tend to be even brighter than the colored led's.
I can't guarantee 100% they won't leak, but I seal the heatsink to the adapter on the inside & then again on the outside. I may even go around the outside of the lens/housings on the next set with sealer too.
The electronic boxes are "waterproof" but I haven't put them to the test yet. I coat all the internal parts with 3-5 layers of liquid tape so if any moisture does get in there, it isn't going to do any harm. I also seal the wires coming in/out so no critters find their way in there to make a nest lol.
If you don't want the reverse lights, I don't see any reason that location couldn't use yellow led's (I actually have the same led's in yellow). They are setup for the 2 bulb tails (brake/turn & reverse) so I'm not 100% sure if the yellow turns will do exactly what you want unless you have the 3 bulb wiring, in that case a little modding to the electronics should get that done.
The red sections do act as running lights (low setting) as well as brake/turns (high setting)
The connection to the stock wiring couldn't be simpler... I use a 3157 bulb base with my wiring going into it so all you need to do is plug it in your old brake/turn socket & fill the socket with dielectric grease to help prevent corrosion. I have mine hanging so that any moisture will run out of the sockets.
The reverse lights are the same way, a 3156 bulb base that plugs into the bulb socket. This way if you ever want to change something, there's nothing hard wired.
If you have the 3 bulb tail wiring the separate brake/turns (with yellow led's in the reverse section) should work no problem.
If you have the 2 bulb tail wiring or want to tap into the 4 pin trailer connector, you'll lose the separate brake/turn (with yellow led's in reverse) function.
On this prototype set, the base adapter wiring is around 6"-8" long from the box which was plenty for my truck, but I may add a few extra inches of wire to the next set.
I'm always on the lookout for spare parts, fog/defrost switches & pigtails, headlight & 4x4 switch bulb sockets, 3rd brake lights, you name it
____________________
1996 XLT Supercab 4.0L 4x4
Lots of Explorer parts & tons of my custom mods.