Another LED tail light question

[jeryst]

69 Road Runner. I was in Autozone today and noticed they have LED 1157 bulbs by Sylvania. One pacage is regular, the other package says "Super Bright". Both say "For offroad use only". They both also say "Load balancer may be required". They also have 1157A, whatever that is.

Any body use these? Are they just plug in and go? What is a load balancer and is it needed?

Sorry, tried to search but just couldnt come up with anything relevant.

 

[69Bee]

Load balancing could be required due to circuit resistance differences between side and will affect brightness between them. As far as the 1157A goes, the yellow incandescent version was an 1157NA, so I assume that this could be the LED yellow equivalent. The yellow bulbs were used when the lens for the housing was clear.

 

[Mike67]

They make a flasher that is rated for LED bulbs. The LED bulbs do not draw enough current to activate a regular flasher. I plan on running them.

 

[Xp29h]

When I rewired the charger, I went led in many places, including tail lights but it went digital-tails (link below)

Mike is 100% correct on flasher. Led will need their own special one. Also unless there have been upgrades in last couple years, each will need its own ground and possibly the load balancer..

here’s a sight where I got some bulbs and flashers

https://www.superbrightleds.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1t_X--z96gIVWP3jBx2UdgJzEAAYASAAEgLmQvD_BwE

digitalis
https://digi-tails.com/

 

[Larrry B.]

I used the Putco Plasma led bulbs for the taillights and back up lights, direct replacement and much brighter with less heat.

Putco on left, stock on right.

Not cheap but a definite improvement.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Made my own for my '69 Super Bee. Turned out much better than the aftermarket bulb type.

Tail lights - top is the stock incandescent bulbs, and bottom is the custom LED's. LED's are much brighter and fill the entire lense versus the stock bulbs.

Backup lights - Top right is the stock incandescent bulbs, bottom left is the LED's. LED's are again brighter and a little whiter than the stock bulb. (Higher Kelvin temp of the emitted light).

 

[dadsbee]

Not sure what I'm missing on the desire for LED's. My stock OE housings, NOS lenses and regular Sylvania 1156 and 1157 bulbs.

 

[Larrry B.]

There's really nothing wrong at all with the stock setup, I wanted something brighter and have looked at the Putcos for a while.

While still a "bulb" they overall look visibly brighter and more red with stock housings and lenses. I can see better with the backup lights as well. It's a relatively easy upgrade for those looking for more.

They make a flasher that is rated for LED bulbs. The LED bulbs do not draw enough current to activate a regular flasher. I plan on running them.

I also tried the amber ones for the parking / turn signal light, bight and looked great but only very faintly blinked. Stuck with the regular bulbs which are brighter with a headlight relay harness. I may try a work around at some point...

 

[bm02tj]

The off road use only is because they do not wish to spend the money for DOT or SAE compliance to sell as on road use
Or they are not good enough to pass

 

[origcharger]

I have installed Phillips 1157R LED bulbs in my 66-67 Charger tail lights. I like to put the LEDs in the two inside positions on each side and leave the standard bulb in the outside position, doing this gives a bit of a sequential effect on the turn signals as the LEDs go full bright much quicker.
Only thing I had to do was replace the flasher but its all plug and play, no modifying of original harness in any way.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I drove past a LED storefront, and it was a "commercial" LED light store.
Told them what I had, there is a personal connection as the owner is the son of a guy in the MOPAR car club I belong to. He sold me some replacement LED tail lamps to try, and they work fine, without changing the flasher or anything.

 

[jeryst]

I drove past a LED storefront, and it was a "commercial" LED light store.
Told them what I had, there is a personal connection as the owner is the son of a guy in the MOPAR car club I belong to. He sold me some replacement LED tail lamps to try, and they work fine, without changing the flasher or anything.

Any idea what brand or part number?

 

[Hemirunner]

Digi-Tails here and LED bulbs everywhere else.

 

[Hemirunner]

LED Trunk lights because finding stuff in the dark sucks

 

[Hemirunner]

Not sure what I'm missing on the desire for LED's.

For me, it was wanting the sequential tail lights, the much lower power draw, nearly no heat output, and the fact that the LEDs will probably outlast me...

 

[biomedtechguy]

Any idea what brand or part number?

I'll see what I can find out. My car is in the shop, not around me.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

....He sold me some replacement LED tail lamps to try, and they work fine, without changing the flasher or anything.......

Usually if you just replace tail lights with LED's the stock flasher will still work OK, but it might flash a bit slower than before. BUT, if you replace rears AND fronts with LED's then you will need to use the electronic flasher with the ground wire to run the LED's.

The reason is there is still enough of a resistive load in the circuit with half LED's and half incandescent filiment bulbs to operate the stock flasher unit. But with LED's all the way around, there is no resistive load left in the circuit so the newer style flasher is needed in that case.

 

[dadsbee]

For me, it was wanting the sequential tail lights, the much lower power draw, nearly no heat output, and the fact that the LEDs will probably outlast me...

Fair enough, but I replaced my working bulbs during the restoration assembly that were at least 32 years old, probably older. I won't be around when the new set burns out, will be #1 Son's problem! lol

 

[Larrry B.]

Usually if you just replace tail lights with LED's the stock flasher will still work OK, but it might flash a bit slower than before. BUT, if you replace rears AND fronts with LED's then you will need to use the electronic flasher with the ground wire to run the LED's.

The reason is there is still enough of a resistive load in the circuit with half LED's and half incandescent filiment bulbs to operate the stock flasher unit. But with LED's all the way around, there is no resistive load left in the circuit so the newer style flasher is needed in that case.

Good bit of info, thx. My taillights are solid and blink as good as ever, front turn signals only barely.