LED Tail Light Build

[ARAMP1]

Well, I've decieded that I wanted to convert all the lights on Big White to LED. LMC and Dakota Digital both make an LED tail light conversion kit. But, I wanted something a little bit brighter and a little bit more spread out over the area of the tail light. Plus, the aftermarket ones are on a single circuit board. LEDs don't have a very wide viewing angle of light, so this will be spread over four circuit boards that will be at about 20 degrees from each other as to curve with the tail light lense.

Here's kind of what I had in mind. I'll have one circuit of 6 (5 in the middle on then one on the side) for tail lights, one circuit of 31 for brake light/turn signal and then one circuit of 12 for the back up lights.

Here's the mock-up of the center 5 LEDs. I built a voltage regulator so that as long as the vehicle is putting out between 7 and 30 volts, the LED circuit will have 5 volts avaliable. That way, the output will be the same whether the vehicle is off and there is only 12.6 volts or the vehicle is running and there is 14.5 volts.

Here's the circuit connected to a car battery. I wasn't sure how bright it would be, but they're damn bright.

Here's an idea of what it will look like with the lense over it and the lights out.

I'm deploying to the desert in two days and I still haven't packed a thing, so I probably won't get too much more done until I get back. So, there will be updates in a few months. Until then, how about some comments and suggestions.

 

[k20]

I thought about doing this for mine before the aftermarket LED kits came out. The LMC kit, while cheap, only has a few LED's. I just installed the Dakota digital kit in mine. All I can say is WHOA. It is unreal the light difference. Other night it was relatively foggy. Cruising down the road I wondered if I had a fire under the back of the truck because the fog behind me was glowing.....big time. When you hit the brakes it would light up big time. Now sitting on a city street with street lights and all, I can look in my mirror and see it lighting up 3 lanes of traffic.

Also the power draw difference is big too. Used to be with say the heater on full, the radio on and the headlights on, at idle, when you hit the brakes you would see about a 1.5v drop on the voltmeter, now it doesnt even move.

 

[sandracer799]

I thought about doing this for mine before the aftermarket LED kits came out. The LMC kit, while cheap, only has a few LED's. I just installed the Dakota digital kit in mine. All I can say is WHOA. It is unreal the light difference. Other night it was relatively foggy. Cruising down the road I wondered if I had a fire under the back of the truck because the fog behind me was glowing.....big time. When you hit the brakes it would light up big time. Now sitting on a city street with street lights and all, I can look in my mirror and see it lighting up 3 lanes of traffic.

Also the power draw difference is big too. Used to be with say the heater on full, the radio on and the headlights on, at idle, when you hit the brakes you would see about a 1.5v drop on the voltmeter, now it doesnt even move.

Did you have to put a resitor in to make the flasher blink at a normal rate? When I put LED's in my 95 I had to do that.

 

[goalvanny]

i was wondering the same thing.... do theyblink fast if one is out cause that should answer your question.... wheni had my jeep i had to cut a connection in the relay to work

 

[k20]

I didnt add one. It seems to click just SLIGHTLY slower than with the stock bulbs. It is barely noticeable.

 

[diggy]

subscribed

 

[RockinChevy]

Any updates??

 

[ARAMP1]

I'm putting an engine in my truck, so the project is on hold for now.

 

[89GMCK5]

LED tail lights

Has anyone moved forward on this? Wiring figured out? Very interested in the outcome.