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Hi - I had a rear tail light LED burn out, and am looking for a better replacement.
Picture attached. Can I do better? I think this is from SuperBright LEDS but I'm not sure. Flasher relay for LEDs already installed.
(This is for the Brake lights only. I'm thinking of buying RED LEDS to improve things but would like to hear other's experience.)
Overall just looking to improve safety. Will even install MORE brake lights if necessary.
Thanks for any help!
Chairster
1976 White C3 Corvette
Having tried Superbright LEDs (which are very good), I changed to Philips which in my opinion are much better and noticeably brighter. The color output of your LEDs is meant to match your lenses.....red for red lenses, white for white lenses. White LEDs do not shine well through red lenses. These are what I use (red for brake and tail, white for back-up lights)........
These create a shadow out to the side from the white plastic post on either side of the LED. I used to run these but tossed them because of the issue.
Originally Posted by C3 Stroker
Having tried Superbright LEDs (which are very good), I changed to Philips which in my opinion are much better and noticeably brighter. The color output of your LEDs is meant to match your lenses.....red for red lenses, white for white lenses. White LEDs do not shine well through red lenses. These are what I use (red for brake and tail, white for back-up lights)........
Probably not what you're looking for but I buy the Regular Wagners like THESE. About a buck a piece. Each one lasts years, or has for me.
The LED bulbs I've used ended up costing me a LOT more over time so I quit using them. But they are brighter...which could be an important safety factor.
FWIW, the 80-82 lenses have the bulb come in straight, while the 79 and earlier lenses have the bulb mounted at an angle.
I don't know how easy it would be to change that in an earlier car, but the orientation can really affect the light pattern. There are also several threads on the Forum where folks have used LED arrays and completely replaced the 1157 and 1156 bulbs.
I just bought whatever bulbs were available, and didn't worry about it too much, but my 80 has noticeably better taillights than my 79, with similar LED bulbs.
I think they do last longer in general but I think their MTBF is over rated. I have LED's on my VW daily driver and with only 65K miles, 2 of the tail lamp LED's were already replaced.
I think I will keep the old reliable light bulbs that our reliable cars came with from the factory.
Yes, LED's are bright, some Halogen Bulbs are brighter but all come with some compromises. The factory headlights work better when they actually have full battery voltage going to them. In an effort to enhance my headlights I used relays that send full voltage to the bulbs gaining up to 30% more light from the factory bulbs.
I have removed the lenses and cleaned the contacts in the sockets and wiped out the silvered area to get the most light out of each bulb. The dirty contacts are a big one, they reduce the light output when dirty, using a pencil eraser you can clean the contacts. I use DeOxIt as it chemically cleans all the corrosion off in a simple wipe. I use it on every connection to keep the connections good
new LED lights
