ANYONE TRIED LED 7" HEADLAMP UNITS?
Author
Discussion

TRIUMPHBULLET

Original Poster:

711 posts

142 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
Has anyone fitted the 7" led headlamp units to their classic?With the nights drawing in it would be nice to see where I am going.
Something along these lines.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=se...

I know they don't have the aesthetic appeal of the traditional but I own a TR7 which most seem to dislike and you won't see the headlight unlit anyway.
What I would like to know is are they any good?
Are they difficult to fit?
Most importantly,are they legal?
I would not entertain fitting led bulbs to the existing lamps.
Thanks in advance.

InitialDave

15,072 posts

148 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
No, but I've used more modern halogen lights with a clear plastic front, and the beam pattern dictated by the moulded shape of the reflector bowl.

They work, and don't look obviously "off" to people who aren't beardy rivet counters.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
Need to be 'E' marked don't they? The only one I've found that is is far more expensive: https://www.bowerspartsonline.co.uk/lighting/front...

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

155 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
TRIUMPHBULLET said:
Has anyone fitted the 7" led headlamp units to their classic?
Legality...
The FBHVC had a comprehensive article on it in a recent Newsletter.
http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/members-pages/newsletter-ar...

TRIUMPHBULLET said:
With the nights drawing in it would be nice to see where I am going.
H4s in a good-condition round reflector are bloody good, if the wiring is up to scratch. Start with the basics.

spoodler

2,304 posts

184 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
I know a lot of folk who have fitted "daymaker" type headlights to Harleys - normally bought via Amazon. The general consensus is how much of an improvement they are, but the quality seems to be massively variable with lots of reported failures and bad fits etc.
I find with my TR7, like so many of my cars, that one of the main causes of problem night driving is that the car is so low slung and there is not a lot you can do about that.

RenPug

654 posts

197 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
They are a common upgrade on a lot of Caterhams as they fit straight in the headlamp bowls so might be worth asking in that section of PH.

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
TRIUMPHBULLET said:
Has anyone fitted the 7" led headlamp units to their classic?With the nights drawing in it would be nice to see where I am going.
Something along these lines.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=se...

I know they don't have the aesthetic appeal of the traditional but I own a TR7 which most seem to dislike and you won't see the headlight unlit anyway.
What I would like to know is are they any good?
Are they difficult to fit?
Most importantly,are they legal?
I would not entertain fitting led bulbs to the existing lamps.
Thanks in advance.
Do it properly....do it period.

Fit these...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/cibie-7-inch-e-app...

Used to fit these in my Mk1 Escort's.........and if IIRC, these are what were used in the works TR7 V8 rallycars.




Edited by aeropilot on Monday 3rd September 08:17

Yertis

19,707 posts

295 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
quotequote all
I don’t know why people still don’t like TR7s - I think they’re pretty cool.

Faust66

2,407 posts

194 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Fitted new headlights to my Amazon (Volvo) last year: used conventional 7 inch halogen H4 light units and upgraded to Phillips racing vision extreme bulbs.

The difference is night and day, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Might be worth considering before splashing out on pricey LED units.

nurseholliday

179 posts

221 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
TRIUMPHBULLET said:
Has anyone fitted the 7" led headlamp units to their classic?With the nights drawing in it would be nice to see where I am going.
Something along these lines.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=se...

I know they don't have the aesthetic appeal of the traditional but I own a TR7 which most seem to dislike and you won't see the headlight unlit anyway.
What I would like to know is are they any good?
Are they difficult to fit?
Most importantly,are they legal?
I would not entertain fitting led bulbs to the existing lamps.
Thanks in advance.
I have a set of E marked ones from Amazon fitted to my MX5. I think they were about £120 last summer.

They are very easy to fit, they come with a wire with a connector shaped like the 3 prongs on the back of a halogen bulb, so the car's connector attaches straight to the headlamp's connector. The LED headlamp unit itself fits in the same bowl, in the same way as a halogen reflector headlamp, and uses the standard chrome retaining ring to be held in.

They are very, very good. About as good as the "Litronics" on my dad's 996 911, and as good as the LED headlights on my mum's 2015 A4.

I don't know if they're legal, but unlike HIDs in reflector headlamps, these are sealed units with the correct beam pattern, so there's no continuous dazzle, however there might be slight dazzle to oncoming traffic when going over bumps as you won't have self levelling. However, I don't believe that modern self levelling is that quick so on short sharp bumps they won't dazzle any more than a car that came with LED lamps new.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
nurseholliday said:
I have a set of E marked ones from Amazon fitted to my MX5. I think they were about £120 last summer.
I'd be grateful for a link please, they sound just what I'm after. I've searched and searched but can't find them irked

Gemaeden

304 posts

144 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
If you want even more light with LEDs have the dipped beam stay on when the main comes on. Do this with halogen and they burn out sooner and can overheat the single earth wire.

//j17

5,062 posts

252 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Not so relavent if you go LED but if you stay halogen I can't imagine Triumph's wiring ability moved on my between my Spitfire and the TR7 so worth fitting one of the "H4 Headlight Relay Wiring Harness" kits you can get on eBay, e.g. item 202346321025. These have a pair of H4 male connectors, a pair of H4 female connectors and a pair of relays. You plug them in between the car loom's H4 plug and the bulb and then give it a direct (inline fused) battery feed. The original car circuit's (and 40yr old wiring's) now just a low current switching circuit to trigger the relays to pump electrons direct from the battery to the bulbs. Takes out years of built-up resistance, and so voltage loss in the loom, to get as much out of the bulbs as possible.

A kit like that is sub £9 and I doubt you could by the individual parts for that!

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

155 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
//j17 said:
Not so relavent if you go LED but if you stay halogen I can't imagine Triumph's wiring ability moved on my between my Spitfire and the TR7 so worth fitting one of the "H4 Headlight Relay Wiring Harness" kits you can get on eBay, e.g. item 202346321025. These have a pair of H4 male connectors, a pair of H4 female connectors and a pair of relays. You plug them in between the car loom's H4 plug and the bulb and then give it a direct (inline fused) battery feed. The original car circuit's (and 40yr old wiring's) now just a low current switching circuit to trigger the relays to pump electrons direct from the battery to the bulbs. Takes out years of built-up resistance, and so voltage loss in the loom, to get as much out of the bulbs as possible.

A kit like that is sub £9 and I doubt you could by the individual parts for that!
Yes, but don't forget to upgrade the earth, too.

HealeyV8

451 posts

107 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
It is not just the wiring upgraded to relay.required. LED's run extremely hot and the Light unit 7" whole lamp needs to be LED suitable with correct cooling. This is why basic aftermarket units will fail the MOT. Significant chance of melting or catching fire of items around the lamp.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

155 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
HealeyV8 said:
LED's run extremely hot
Compared to halogen...?

//j17

5,062 posts

252 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
HealeyV8 said:
LED's run extremely hot
Compared to halogen...?
Yea, news to physics there.

The OP's looking at LED headlight units so a mute point anyway.