Led headlight bulb recommendations

LeeMajors

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I realize this horse has been beaten to death but here goes anyway. Looking for led bulbs for an 11-16 f250.

What is the consensus
 
You should not use LED bulbs in reflector housings and based on my search, 11-16 F250’s only came with reflector housings. Projectors allow you to retain a good cut off whereas reflectors will shine everywhere with a ton of glare to other drivers. Some will argue that current LEDs have the light in the same spot as an incandescent bulb therefor eliminating the glare issue but I do not believe that is universally true.

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Edit: If you do get LEDs anyway, park in front of your garage door or a wall, about 15’ away, mark on the wall where the top of your lights shine and make note of the sides. Install the LED and see if you can replicate this light pattern. If not, I would not use them. With projectors it can be as simple as adjusting the aim of the lights and/or adjusting the base of the LED if they’re an adjustable base type bulb.
 
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I have reflectors in the '14 passat and maintained a nice crisp cutoff line.

@LeeMajors is it a single bulb for hi-low or dual bulbs? What are the bulb types? I just did this to Jenny's suburban after a lot of research. I'll recommend what I know is good.
 
I have reflectors in the '14 passat and maintained a nice crisp cutoff line.

@LeeMajors is it a single bulb for hi-low or dual bulbs? What are the bulb types? I just did this to Jenny's suburban after a lot of research. I'll recommend what I know is good.
They are a h13 which is a hi/low Ina single bulb and fogs are 9145
 
They are a h13 and fogs are 9145

What you want to look for is a LED bulb that has the same filament locations as the original. You also want something with active cooling, a fan, vs just cooling fins. If you can, check for any obstructions behind the bulbs, the fans take up more room than a stock bulb and you'll need some clearance to get them in. I ran into this with the Suburban. I bought the high dollar GTR Ultras and they simply wouldn't fit due to a structural support behind the headlight assembly....but when I had them in the assembly and on they were the brightest things I'd ever seen.

Watch this. I'll look for a bulb for you.

 
I've had good luck with this brand.


HR's recommendation are most likely better, but considerably more expensive. And that's the rub, it's a spendy crapshoot. When reading reviews keep in mind that most people are idiots and most likely didn't index the bulbs properly.




For the fogs I've got this brand in my car and am VERY happy with them. I had to install some kind of box inline to keep the car from throwing a code that the bulb was out.

 
+1 for Hikari. I have these in 2 vehicles and they have adjustable bases which allows you to tune the beam pattern a little bit, and in some vehicles, like our 4Runner, this is required.
 
Replace the whole housing with led headlights. Check out Morimoto, they make black & gray housings. If you want to keep the oem chrome housing look, check out Alpharex nova headlights. I have installed both brands on Ford trucks. Nothing will compare to the cutoff line on full led replacement headlights. You will also get led daytime running lights and turn signals.





 
Went with this brand but the next step up for headlight and driving lights.

With the Adjustable base I could replicate the beam 95% I had to adjust the headlight itself but so far I'm pretty pleased with the results.
 
While you’re at it, you might consider LED backup bulbs. Put a pair in the other day and you could play night sports behind the Ford now. :cool:
 
What you want to look for is a LED bulb that has the same filament locations as the original. You also want something with active cooling, a fan, vs just cooling fins. If you can, check for any obstructions behind the bulbs, the fans take up more room than a stock bulb and you'll need some clearance to get them in. I ran into this with the Suburban. I bought the high dollar GTR Ultras and they simply wouldn't fit due to a structural support behind the headlight assembly....but when I had them in the assembly and on they were the brightest things I'd ever seen.

Watch this. I'll look for a bulb for you.



+1 to Les’ comments. I’ve got the bulbs the company in the video recommended for my 16 F250 and have been happy with them for the past two years. Pretty sharp cutoff and markedly brighter than stock. I’d check out that vendor and probably go with whatever they recommend for that model now.
 
I used 194 LED replacements in both my '99 cars, side markers, dome and plate lights.
 
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While you’re at it, you might consider LED backup bulbs. Put a pair in the other day and you could play night sports behind the Ford now. :cool:

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I got the Hikari LEDs for my Dakota, bright as hell but getting a little bit of flickering after I turn off the lights.
Ordered the resistor cables, hopefully that will clear it up.
Also got replacement fog lights, both had cracked lenses.
 
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