LED Headlights
Discussion
:
Just a thought- have you looked at these that focus on the reflector like all modern cars and not the glass?
http://www.powerfuluk.com/categorylist/other-vehic...
http://www.powerfuluk.com/categorylist/other-vehic...
blitzracing said:
Just a thought- have you looked at these that focus on the reflector like all modern cars and not the glass?
http://www.powerfuluk.com/categorylist/other-vehic...
Yeah, looked at them and rejected them on three counts.http://www.powerfuluk.com/categorylist/other-vehic...
1. If you mount them up front replacing the glass lens and reflector in one go they will be too small (7" not 8").
2. If you hide them behind the existing glass lens you'll have two things doing the same job of focusing the beam, & I cant see that working well at all.
3. In my opinion they look way too modern and chintzy
However!!!
What would work is to take the clear lens of the chintzy ones and combine them with the smooth reflectors of standard 7" sealed beam units, they would then work with the standard TVR lens left in place.
But that would mean cutting up two sets of lights to create a your own hybridised sealed beam unit and that's a faff that will probably cost nearly as much as I'm paying for a new set of Bosch reflectors.
I've decided its far better to work with what I've got and renew the reflectors with the Bosch ones and give them a flash of 2k clear coat in the hope it'll help them last a bit longer.
The big question right now is do I keep or remove the big bulb hoods on the Bosch reflectors, there's been a suggestion that the LED bulb replacement units I'm playing with will work better with the hoods removed??
Fortunately the hood is easily removed & refitted, so I'll probably experiment with one removed and one left in place then temporarily tape the lenses on just to see which one works best.
purpleliability said:
Also, any thoughts on how to seal up the reflector to reduce the impact of dust and grime?
As horrible as it is, its really only practical to follow TVR's Sikaflex efforts for the lens sealing, but actually I don't believe that's the problem end.Obviously if the Sikaflex fails at the front, the reflector won't even last one winter so it is important, but if look at the back there is a 1cm gap all around the edge between the reflector and mounting ring glassed into the body.
This is where moisture and dirt enters, especially if the headlight inspection panels aren't sealed well as they are constantly bombarded by spray from the front tyres. How you close that 1cm gap between the reflector and mounting ring is going to be a challenge as that's where the adjustment takes place.
I had considered lacquering the bowls but that scares me now; the silvering will need de-greasing first and the finish is so delicate it may not even take the prep let alone the clear coat finish. To be honest I can see the silvering pickling up which would be heartbreaking.
I don't have an answer to the reflector tarnishing problem, if anyone has any ideas do feel free to suggest them here.
Edited by ChimpOnGas on Saturday 1st November 15:05
ChimpOnGas said:
2. Touching the headlight lens after an hour of use is odd, the glass is totally cold where it would normally be at least warm with an incandescent bulb
Hmmm - so driving in snow/sleet or even frost will mean ice all over the headlight? Whereas at the moment the inefficient filament H4's put out so much infrared they melt it all off...Otherwise they look like a winner all round. Let us know if the re-aim gets rid of the oncoming flashers (as it were).
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
It doesn't last, though. I had my reflectors replaced about 2 years ago, and they're dotted with little bits of corrosion already.
Also, I suspect Chimpy is talking about light levels a country mile greater than anything the best conventional bulbs can produce.
Indeed, the LED units I'm testing are frighteningly powerful, they are and a league of their own and that's with my current reflectors that are also just a few years old but already showing signs of corrosion.Also, I suspect Chimpy is talking about light levels a country mile greater than anything the best conventional bulbs can produce.
I have a new set of reflectors I'll be fitting soon, at the moment I'm experimenting with 2k clear coats to see if I can seal them against the inevitable rapid corrosion problem.
Three things I can say so far after two weeks of testing:
1. Even with marginal reflectors the units have taken my headlights on Philips Xtremes from adequate to astonishingly good on dip beam
2. Their brightness will instantly reveal any need for adjustment, its essential you adjust your lights fter fitting
3. The jury is still out on the full beam performance, I'm still testing that one
With my new reflectors I can only see these lights getting even brighter & sharper, which if I'm honest scares me a bit given what I've already witnessed with my slightly dull reflectors.
Watch this space
Right, my new reflectors are ready to fit but before we get into that here's a little reminder of what happens to them after just a few years of regular use.
To give you a more accurate idea of how long these reflectors last I'll be taking some snaps of mine when I remove the lenses, they were brand new just four years ago and while not quite as bad as the one above they aren't far off.
Here's the process I adopted in the hope I can make my next set last a bit longer:
1. Intensive three step degrease using U-Pol System 20 panel prep
2. Three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat (1 day between each coat followed by a five day cure)
3. Step one polish clear coat - using Novus 2
4. Step two polish clear coat using - Mer Ultimate Shine Polish
5. Seal using two coats of Prima Epic synthetic wax (apply, leave 2 hours for polymer bond, buff off, x 2 applications on each reflector)
The end result has come out rather well, the HS-496 2k lacquer is pretty much bullet proof if the prep has been done properly and you allow it to cure for a full 5 days before polishing it with very light compounds.
In my experience the Prima Epic synthetic wax is also extremely long lasting if you let it go off for a couple of hours before buffing the haze to a shine, on each reflector I applied two coats of Epic over the 2k clear coat to give an additional layer of protection.
I've also gone for 40mm circular mirrors bonded to the inner faces of the bulb hoods to help throw the light back into the reflector bowls, I'll be experimenting with hood & without to see which suits the super bright LED H4s best.
I'll update my post when I get some time to fit the new reflectors and get the car on a proper beam setter, for the time being I've crudely lowered the beams a touch in respect of other road users and I've not had a single flash since.
So far, so good
To give you a more accurate idea of how long these reflectors last I'll be taking some snaps of mine when I remove the lenses, they were brand new just four years ago and while not quite as bad as the one above they aren't far off.
Here's the process I adopted in the hope I can make my next set last a bit longer:
1. Intensive three step degrease using U-Pol System 20 panel prep
2. Three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat (1 day between each coat followed by a five day cure)
3. Step one polish clear coat - using Novus 2
4. Step two polish clear coat using - Mer Ultimate Shine Polish
5. Seal using two coats of Prima Epic synthetic wax (apply, leave 2 hours for polymer bond, buff off, x 2 applications on each reflector)
The end result has come out rather well, the HS-496 2k lacquer is pretty much bullet proof if the prep has been done properly and you allow it to cure for a full 5 days before polishing it with very light compounds.
In my experience the Prima Epic synthetic wax is also extremely long lasting if you let it go off for a couple of hours before buffing the haze to a shine, on each reflector I applied two coats of Epic over the 2k clear coat to give an additional layer of protection.
I've also gone for 40mm circular mirrors bonded to the inner faces of the bulb hoods to help throw the light back into the reflector bowls, I'll be experimenting with hood & without to see which suits the super bright LED H4s best.
I'll update my post when I get some time to fit the new reflectors and get the car on a proper beam setter, for the time being I've crudely lowered the beams a touch in respect of other road users and I've not had a single flash since.
So far, so good
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