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11-09-2021, 04:07 PM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 415
Year: 2008
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Engine: CAT C7 300hp w/retarder
Rated Cap: 46 + 1 36,200 lbs
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Any Recommendations for DOT Legal LED Headlights?
I am thinking more specifically of the possibility of using the 7 inch round headlights that can be found in the late-model Jeep Wrangler. I want.to replace the factory units in my 2008 Thomas Saf-t-liner. Has anyone done it? Or have some useful info?
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11-09-2021, 04:20 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,678
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 1753
Engine: 6.9 International
Rated Cap: 65
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I've done it on a bluebird. Left the stock 4656 for the low beam, but replaced the 4651 high beam with an led unit from phillips. No idea on legality or dot certs, but it brightened up the brights considerably, and since it's only the brights, I didn't think there would be trouble from anyone so long as they're turned off against oncoming traffic. Those were square sealed beam bulbs.
What bulb number does your bus use stock?
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11-09-2021, 05:15 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 415
Year: 2008
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Engine: CAT C7 300hp w/retarder
Rated Cap: 46 + 1 36,200 lbs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Booyah45828
I've done it on a bluebird. Left the stock 4656 for the low beam, but replaced the 4651 high beam with an led unit from phillips. No idea on legality or dot certs, but it brightened up the brights considerably, and since it's only the brights, I didn't think there would be trouble from anyone so long as they're turned off against oncoming traffic. Those were square sealed beam bulbs.
What bulb number does your bus use stock?
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I will have to check it out. I just assumed it was a Sealed beam unit.
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11-09-2021, 06:09 PM
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#4
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,771
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
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I purchased
Tuck lite 7" LED for my 1954 ford/wayne, also my 1988 porsche 924 and my 1970 3/4 ton chevrolet.
dot certified.... think it was about $90 for a pair two years ago
william
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11-09-2021, 07:29 PM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Good luck making 7" round headlights work here.
__________________
I Thank God That He Gifted Me with Common Sense
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11-09-2021, 10:51 PM
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#6
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 415
Year: 2008
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Engine: CAT C7 300hp w/retarder
Rated Cap: 46 + 1 36,200 lbs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc
Good luck making 7" round headlights work here.
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Do you know anybody who’s trying to do that? I’m working on this.
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11-10-2021, 07:31 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,678
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 1753
Engine: 6.9 International
Rated Cap: 65
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You have a round sealed beam, but it will still have a number on it or for it. I have 6014 on the shelf, which is 7" round sealed beam, but I'm not sure if that's compatible with what you have.
Highly recommend the led upgrade though......
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11-10-2021, 08:39 AM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 632
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126b 210hp
Rated Cap: 48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrenchtech
Do you know anybody who’s trying to do that? I’m working on this.
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Truthseeker449 has a build thread on here and he discusses headlights for his HDX. He provides before and after pics of what he bought.
I will be going back to review this myself. I just returned from a trip and I discovered that my factory sealed beams suck! They seemed OK driving close to home where I’m familiar, but…
[emoji3522]
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11-10-2021, 09:25 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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I assume you mean the JEEP headlights like the ones in my Miata? If so, they should be a direct plug and play replacement. Only difference is how you wire the halos, directions will easily lead you.
__________________
I Thank God That He Gifted Me with Common Sense
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11-20-2021, 03:42 PM
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#10
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Baja often, Oregon frequently
Posts: 427
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Our hot little grubbies...
Chassis: Ford CF8000 ExpeditionVehicle
Engine: Cummins 505ci mechanical
Rated Cap: Five Heelers
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Nope.
We quit driving at night.
Too many idjits -- apparently suffering from night-blindness -- traveling with their high-beams blazing.
.
Some idjits are so night-blind, they mount a second set of high-beams.
At some point in the degradation of their vision, for their safety and the sanity of travelers around them, they need to just call a taxi.
.
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An aside:
My 70th birthday is in a few weeks.
I noticed I do two odd somethings -- seemingly utterly without correlation -- while operating the rig.
.
Show of hands... how many turn down the radio to see better?
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11-20-2021, 10:44 PM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 271
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Amazon has all the LEDs you could need. Most have the DOT stamp of approval. You can get the round lights with the extra lights around the edge and multi colored LEDs too. Just get them aligned so your not blinding the on coming traffic.
Cheers!
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11-21-2021, 06:54 AM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirtdoctor
Amazon has all the LEDs you could need. Most have the DOT stamp of approval. You can get the round lights with the extra lights around the edge and multi colored LEDs too. Just get them aligned so your not blinding the on coming traffic.
Cheers!
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not all DOT seems to be equal.. the lights on ,my Redbyrd are DOT approved as are the lights on my DEV bus and recently the ones i put on my Superior are all DOT approved. . the only set ive been able to align with a really good light pattern and cutoff has been the ones on my DEV bus.. the set in my red bus are '4 sided' and apparently that causes a lot of light pollution.. ive got decent cut off but the pattern is still much wider than I like..
the ones on my Superior are round and they look like they are pointed at the ground but still seem to toss light way up and out..
so i would definitely read the reviews on all the lights you look at as DOT approved doesnt seem to be very uniform .. some of the Big players (read that as melt your credit card spendy) like truck-lite and JW speaker apparently have very good light patterns.. I havent tried them but have seen them in use on Guys' jeeps of various years and they are fantastic.. just pricey..
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11-21-2021, 08:10 PM
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#13
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Motor City
Posts: 146
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Relative the the DOT part of this discussion: https://wagan.com/blogs/news/dot-approved
Just one of the first hits when I searched. It seems to agree with my understanding as an automotive engineer.
From the link:
"What if the item has a DOT symbol on it?
On regulated items, the manufacturer places a "DOT" logo on it to state that it meets all of the regulations set forth by the DOT. This is simply the manufacturer claiming that it meets the DOT standard."
Many of the aftermarket LED lights are manufactured offshore. Not a big chance they'd ever be tracked down if their product said "DOT" on it and didn't meet the standards.
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11-21-2021, 08:58 PM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NM USA KD6WJG
Posts: 1,324
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE 40 FEET
Engine: Cummins 8.3
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If they do as good a job on the reflector and lens as they do the DOT logo they may work real good.
__________________
Why can't I get Ivermectin for my horses?
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11-22-2021, 05:27 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ennonne
Relative the the DOT part of this discussion: https://wagan.com/blogs/news/dot-approved
Just one of the first hits when I searched. It seems to agree with my understanding as an automotive engineer.
From the link:
"What if the item has a DOT symbol on it?
On regulated items, the manufacturer places a "DOT" logo on it to state that it meets all of the regulations set forth by the DOT. This is simply the manufacturer claiming that it meets the DOT standard."
Many of the aftermarket LED lights are manufactured offshore. Not a big chance they'd ever be tracked down if their product said "DOT" on it and didn't meet the standards.
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judging from the variations in my 3 sets I can surely say with erxperience this is true.. theres no way US DOT allows for that much variation in approved beam patterns..
I suppose theres probably a non-manufacturer youtube site to see which ones have been tested but the few videos I watched seemed to be tied to a seller or manufascturer so I took them wit ha grain of salt..
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11-22-2021, 08:45 AM
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#16
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NM USA KD6WJG
Posts: 1,324
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE 40 FEET
Engine: Cummins 8.3
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I have E code halogen h-4 in my MBZ 300d and they are very nice. Good flat beam with a right side up kick on low and very straight and narrow high beam. They are made by Hella. One of the premier lighting manufactures in the world. I used the 60/55 watt bulbs. These are not DOT code so technically not legal. The 2 main things to keep in mind is 1 NOT to blind oncoming drivers hence the flat low beam pattern and 2 place the light on the road in front of you. All the lumens in the world are no good if they are going in the air lighting airplanes up.
__________________
Why can't I get Ivermectin for my horses?
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11-22-2021, 11:42 AM
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#17
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s2mikon
I have E code halogen h-4 in my MBZ 300d and they are very nice. Good flat beam with a right side up kick on low and very straight and narrow high beam. They are made by Hella. One of the premier lighting manufactures in the world. I used the 60/55 watt bulbs. These are not DOT code so technically not legal. The 2 main things to keep in mind is 1 NOT to blind oncoming drivers hence the flat low beam pattern and 2 place the light on the road in front of you. All the lumens in the world are no good if they are going in the air lighting airplanes up.
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thats exactly it!!
and the most popular LED';s that i see are those damn squares with 3 rows of bulbs.. i had those for a short time.. all they did was throw light in the air.. street signs looked like LED TVs at night.. but the road was a black hole.. LOL
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11-22-2021, 12:44 PM
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#18
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NM USA KD6WJG
Posts: 1,324
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE 40 FEET
Engine: Cummins 8.3
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The 7 inch units were real popular on motorcycles for many years. Think BMW R series. I have Bosch H-4 units on my CJ-5. I don't think they are as good as my Hella's but the Jeep won't run as fast so not a problem. I highly recommend the H-4 E-code lights.
__________________
Why can't I get Ivermectin for my horses?
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11-22-2021, 01:27 PM
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#19
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NM USA KD6WJG
Posts: 1,324
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE 40 FEET
Engine: Cummins 8.3
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Here is something to think about. When driving into snow and ice, will the led headlights produce enough heat to keep it melted off the surface of the lens? I know that my halogen lights do.
__________________
Why can't I get Ivermectin for my horses?
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01-10-2022, 05:31 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 12
Year: 1997
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
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I have the stock headlights and they just aren’t bright. What is a GOOD LED headlight brand? I have H6054 headlamps. They are sealed units.
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