LED tail lights
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,167
Likes: 1,667
From: Long Island
I got mine for my 71 from Wall Mart for $15, they are brighter than the stock bulbs. My truck at a show $12.
Some of the bulbs will not fit into the socket, the flange hits.
Just take a file and lightly file the top of the lower bump / tit on the bulb to allow the bulb to drop in to the socket 1/16 deeper and turn.It will then look like a D, with the flat toward the leds... I had to do it on the left rear on the 71 and both bulbs on my 80 Chevy.
Both are original sockets. Same with my friends 69 Camaro...
Some of the bulbs will not fit into the socket, the flange hits.
Just take a file and lightly file the top of the lower bump / tit on the bulb to allow the bulb to drop in to the socket 1/16 deeper and turn.It will then look like a D, with the flat toward the leds... I had to do it on the left rear on the 71 and both bulbs on my 80 Chevy.
Both are original sockets. Same with my friends 69 Camaro...
Instructor
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 152
Likes: 9
Philips makes the only DOT approved LEDS that I know of. I bought them them just for that reason.
I also got the white 1156 For the reverse as well.
I also got the white 1156 For the reverse as well.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,167
Likes: 1,667
From: Long Island
Philips makes the only DOT approved LEDS that I know of. I bought them them just for that reason.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-1157-X.../dp/B00HWS7XGW
I also got the white 1156 For the reverse as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-1157-X.../dp/B00HWS7XGW
I also got the white 1156 For the reverse as well.
Just wondering why you went with red LED's. I went with "bright day light white" and they are really bright, from Walmart. The lense is red? White bulb worked well.
Last edited by BLUE1972; Jan 7, 2016 at 09:17 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 128
Likes: 3
Red LED generates red light. So most of that red light goes through the red brake light lens. If you put a white LED behind a red light lens then only the red wave length light pass through while other color wave length light gets filtered out by the red light lens.
So should choose red LED for red brake light and white LED for white reverse light lens.
So should choose red LED for red brake light and white LED for white reverse light lens.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,009
Likes: 240
From: Toronto Ontario
Toronto Events Coordinator
Red LED generates red light. So most of that red light goes through the red brake light lens. If you put a white LED behind a red light lens then only the red wave length light pass through while other color wave length light gets filtered out by the red light lens.
So should choose red LED for red brake light and white LED for white reverse light lens.
So should choose red LED for red brake light and white LED for white reverse light lens.
This is correct; most don't know this fact.
For best results the LED color should be the same as the lens color or if bulb is behind a clear lens, use the appropriate color for turn and brake light functions.
As an example: a red lens will filter out all but the red portion of the light so if the light is all red, none or very little light will be blocked by the lens. The light from a White LED contains very little light in the red portion of the visible spectrum so most of the light would be filtered out by a red lens.
Last edited by 7t2vette; Jan 8, 2016 at 04:11 PM.
