Headlights, Are you kidding me????

[travelinJ]

The beam aimpoint changed after you installed the LEDs? A change in aim point may be due to the placement of the LEDs on the aftermarket LED bulb.
The headlight reflector is designed around the filament placement of a standard bulb, which I believe OEM manufacturers closely control.
If the LED is emitting light from a different point, which I have found some aftermarket LEDs do, the point of aim and the focus of the beam changes, typically not for the better.
Even 'quality' LEDs from OEMs may be designed around a different reflector than the one in your coach. Apparently this issue is present as you can find LEDs that are designed for halogen reflectors.
Unfortunately changing headlights bulbs is not as simple as just changing a light bulb.

Originally Posted by jpsageusa

So I finally got around to aiming my headlights. So the drop at 25' is 24". No wonder I can't see anything when driving at night. Way to far for the adjusters to compensate. I can't imagine how it got out of the factory that way. But anyway, the lights are screwed into aluminum sheet metal brackets. It should be a simple mater of unscrewing the self tapping screw and moving the bottom of the assembly. But I thought I would throw this plan out to the community before I step into the breech. Any comments?

Second part is that there is space around the light assembly that allows water to come in. I don't believe that water spraying on my new LED bulbs will be a good thing. I am thinking of sealing the crack with some hi-temp silicone.

I am hoping that someone else has had a similar experience with headlights.

Thanks for any feedback.

john.

P.S. Yeah I know, no reason to drive after dark

[jpsageusa]

Originally Posted by JoeHogan

The beam aimpoint changed after you installed the LEDs? A change in aim point may be due to the placement of the LEDs on the aftermarket LED bulb.
The headlight reflector is designed around the filament placement of a standard bulb, which I believe OEM manufacturers closely control.
If the LED is emitting light from a different point, which I have found some aftermarket LEDs do, the point of aim and the focus of the beam changes, typically not for the better.
Even 'quality' LEDs from OEMs may be designed around a different reflector than the one in your coach. Apparently this issue is present as you can find LEDs that are designed for halogen reflectors.
Unfortunately changing headlights bulbs is not as simple as just changing a light bulb.

I am going through this experience with one aftermarket LED replacement and one original bulb for comparison. The OEM assemblies are from a 99 Lincoln Navigator. The original bulb fits into a reflective fixture that focuses the light output. Assuming that the light source (bulb) is close to the same place the mirror reflectors should reflect the light to the same area. I have not been able to get everything set up after dark to continue the test--hopefully tonight. I will take pictures and post them. If I can not aim the LED lights I will go back to the original bulbs. I will also carry spare bulbs with me if there is any problems while on the road.

The big downside to the LED bulbs is the attached electronics that are not sealed into the assembly like the original bulbs. I will have to ensure that the fan and heat sink are protected. No modifications are as easy as the marketeers say.

[jpsageusa]

I finally got compare the motorhome side by side with my pickup. The pickup dropped about 4" at 25 feet and the motorhome dropped almost 12" at the same distance. The original bulb did not drop quite as much but it is still way low. I didn't get any pictures because the skeeters were hungry .

We are about to go on a long trip and I am not sure what I am going to do before we leave. Over the winter last year I only drove at night one time and it was on a rural freeway for about an hour. Hopefully this year I can continue the tradition of being retired with no particular schedule

[CountryB]

How is your headlight housing mounted to the body? Is there a way to remove some mounting bolts/screws and insert a couple of washers to tilt the whole housing up a few degrees?

[jpsageusa]

Originally Posted by CountryB

How is your headlight housing mounted to the body? Is there a way to remove some mounting bolts/screws and insert a couple of washers to tilt the whole housing up a few degrees?

They are fastened with sheetmetal screws to simple aluminum sheets. They can be moved but the problem is that the housings are positioned inside molded fiberglass frames that do not allow them to pivot.

I have decided that this is a job for when we return in the spring. Anchors away my boys--8k miles in 6 1/2 months. Yeah!

Thanks for all the input.

John