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Aftermarket LED headlights and fogs

srt20

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Is it a big deal to put aftermarket LEDs in on a Rubicon that has halogens OEM? Plug and play or is there any monkeying around? I would buy some good reputable LEDs.
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Arterius2

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Is it a big deal to put aftermarket LEDs in on a Rubicon that has halogens OEM? Plug and play or is there any monkeying around? I would buy some good reputable LEDs.
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It’s possibly the easiest deal you can make to your Jeep. And it’s the first mod I’ve done on mine.
 
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srt20

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It’s possibly the easiest deal you can make to your Jeep. And it’s the first mod I’ve done on mine.
What brand did you use? What do you think of them?

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ChrispyJL

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I put beamtech LEDs in my sport S with halogens, much better light, cutoff seems ok, haven't been flashed or pulled over.

IDK if I am blinding people, but I get blinded by OEM LEDs on other vehicles if I look directly into the headlights.
My brother said they are pretty bright, but as long as you don't stare right at them, which you shouldn't do anyway...sorry if I blind you, but wth are you looking at my lights and not the road?

Not spending $900 on LED headlights just because DOT says I can use them...if beamtech or any other LED bulb paid the money to get DOT approved, they would cost 4x as much.

I may adjust them down a smidge to be a courteous driver
 

roaniecowpony

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My Rubicon was bought off the lot and has halogens. I'm still on the fence about what to do, if anything, about the headlights. I won't NEED any upgrade until the fall when bird hunting seasons start and I take trips in the Jeep. So, I'm patiently looking at what others are doing and the new products that come along.

I have been reading that Mopar has plans to release a plug-n-play kit for the factory LED headlights sometime this spring. I believe some retailers are stating late May.

Other options available now that I've been eyeing, are the JW Speaker 8700 dual burn and the Morimoto Sealed7. I believe the JW Speaker has all the anti-flicker circuitry built in to the housing. I think the Morimoto does this externally with a harness. I'm not particularly impressed with The Retrofit Shop (Morimoto) harness/connectors I've used on other vehicles as they seem to not fit perfectly on my truck. I had to modify the connectors to get them to lock all the way in. But the upside to the Morimoto Sealed7 is their output and beam pattern, which seems to be better than the JW Speaker. Of course, both are 7" units, which a lot of people seem to dislike, since the OEM housing has been touted as a 9" light. The OEM light reflector and grill opening is actually closer 7" than 9". So, a 7" light in the JL will have a very small reveal of whatever housing is used.

My requirement for headlights is reliability first, a legal and courteous beam next, more visibility third. The thing that keeps me from going with the Morimoto is long term reliability concerns about the connector seal, leading to corrosion and loss of function. I've experienced it with other Morimoto connectors. If the lights don't come on, they aren't worth squat, IMHO.

So, if/when the Mopar OEM kit is released, it's my first choice.

Meanwhile, this video comparison of some of the options is worth the time. The Sealed7 V2 is impressive.
 
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I went with Inspired Engineering Halos with the adapter setup. Got them on their Black Friday sale, along with the LED fogs.

I am more than pleased, and I don't think I can ever go back to halogen. When I drive the mustang with halogens, its like the lights lack power, and I can't see as much. Install was easy, and they have worked flawlessly since.

Took me a couple of adjustments over the first month to get them where I really liked them, mostly spreading the light apart, as initially I had them too narrow. Never been flashed by anyone, and notice when I pull up behind a car, that the light shows up on their trunk and stuff but does not flood their interior.
 

BWWJL

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I went with Inspired Engineering Halos with the adapter setup. Got them on their Black Friday sale, along with the LED fogs.

I am more than pleased, and I don't think I can ever go back to halogen. When I drive the mustang with halogens, its like the lights lack power, and I can't see as much. Install was easy, and they have worked flawlessly since.

Took me a couple of adjustments over the first month to get them where I really liked them, mostly spreading the light apart, as initially I had them too narrow. Never been flashed by anyone, and notice when I pull up behind a car, that the light shows up on their trunk and stuff but does not flood their interior.
I did the same (inspired eng Black Friday). I don’t love the gap the 7” creates vs 9” and if a mopar option came avail to reuse the 9” I’d be selling my IE LEDs!
 

MikeLewisMusic

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I put beamtech LEDs in my sport S with halogens, much better light, cutoff seems ok, haven't been flashed or pulled over.

IDK if I am blinding people, but I get blinded by OEM LEDs on other vehicles if I look directly into the headlights.
My brother said they are pretty bright, but as long as you don't stare right at them, which you shouldn't do anyway...sorry if I blind you, but wth are you looking at my lights and not the road?

Not spending $900 on LED headlights just because DOT says I can use them...if beamtech or any other LED bulb paid the money to get DOT approved, they would cost 4x as much.

I may adjust them down a smidge to be a courteous driver
I spent $210 on aftermarket lights which are DOT approved. Very happy with them, have never been flashed, but have great coverage...huge improvement over factory halogens.

The two points of complexity are the adapter, assuming you would be using quality 7" aftermarket lights, and also tapping into wiring for blinker/running lights. I used an early adapter, so the beam adjustment involved stacked washers on the mounting bolts...there are much better adapters on the market now with built-in beam adjustment. DRL and blinker support required tapping wiring in the fenders...not a big deal, but for those that aren't comfortable withe electrical, it could be disconcerting.
 

weeitsmikelee

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I vote for led headlights: Morimoto Sealed 7v.2 one of the best looking imo and have switchback turn signal functionality or ProComp explorers which have lifetime warranty. There are better bracket/ bucket options available on amazon now for better fitment.
 

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srt20

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morimoto fender lights, 30 dollar ebay fogs, and some kong style headlights with morimoto adapters... I'm really happy with them.
What do you mean "kong style"? IDK what that means. Or maybe a link?
 
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srt20

srt20

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Are these headlight housings much better than putting in a led bulb? I get the whole led in a reflector thing, and would only do it if I could get a good cutoff.

Im not trying to be cheap, just looking for some good quality lighting. I have HID projectors in another vehicle and love them. I also have OEM led reflectors in an f150 and think they are ok at best.
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