Thread: LED Replacement Defender headlights

Originally Posted by ezyrama

ARB sell a retrofit HID upgrade kit for only a $140.00, a mate of mine fitted it to his Disco (my old one) and they work like a charm, the light output was brilliant, he only had to adjust them down a bit so as not to dazzle anyone. I am looking at fitting the kit to my 2012 Defender.

Do you know if that kit is legal in Australia? Generally speaking, if the lens isn't replaced as part of the kit, then they're not deemed legal, and the light projection patters is different when a HID bulb replaces a standard bulb...

Cheers!

I was looking at JW speaker H/Lghts at TWISTED, think they said 499 quid each. They seem to have come down in price over the last couple of years.

The JW Speaker ones are available for about $370ea in the USA and Canada. But no one wants to answer questions about RHD or LHD versions, availability of old stock (glass lens as opposed to current polycarbonate lens with built in parker) or freight. The best I got was a $500+ freight quote for 2 headlights from Canada. I reasked my other questions, and suggested that Canada Post could do it with insurance for $120, but no one bothered to reply, even though I had inquired about buying more than one set.

Local price I think was about $840ea, so just over double overseas retail.

The Trucklight ones aren't as good as the JW Speaker ones according to my research from reading US Mercedes and Jeep forums.

Originally Posted by nod 130

The truck lites from USA are probably for left hand drive only.
Don.

Truck Lites are not LHD or RHD, They dip straight ahead, Which is why they are popular with Harley Davidsons (which still use 7" round headlights) bikes dont dip sideways.

I cant see anything in the latest ADR's pertaining to lighting that headlights need to be dipped to the left ???

Also the ADR's state that you can have the Low Beam wired to run whilst High beam is on - Thats new to me, that in itself can be a huge lighting improvment.

Im about to order a set of TruckLites but cant decide between the early 27250C ones, or the new 27270C which are optically a better light , the early ones look more like a traditional light & more at home on the Defender, plus they are Literally bullet proof !!

Originally Posted by TeamFA

Do you know if that kit is legal in Australia? Generally speaking, if the lens isn't replaced as part of the kit, then they're not deemed legal, and the light projection patters is different when a HID bulb replaces a standard bulb...

Cheers!

Also, pretty sure you must have self leveling suspension and headlight washers for HID replacements to be legal?

interesting comparison here JW Speaker vs TruckLites but handheld , you still get the idea of JW's awsomeness

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipspFwoW4gk&feature=related]Truck-Lite 7" Round LED Headlights Review and Demonstration - YouTube[/ame]

I decided on a pair of TruckLites 27250c for $390 shipped.

will take before / after video comparing H4 & LED Lighbars with the TruckLites

Apparantly the 27270C's are so much better again but I dont want to blind anybody.

'Scuse my ignorance, but what's the advantage of LED over HID?

Originally Posted by Bavo

'Scuse my ignorance, but what's the advantage of LED over HID?

Instant, solid state, no ballast, no 'bulb', better focal point control.