LED sealed lights info

[dr_dobro]

I'm colleting parts to build a rear bumper for my 40 series, and want to eliminate the stock tail light.

I was browsing trough the web and found these :

Trailer LED Lights LED Trailer Lighting Trailer Light Kits_

Now, does any one have a better source/ideas on this?


Daniel

 

[yoopercharged]

LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS I had good luck with this place.

 

[Combat Chuck]

I've been playing with these:

Truck-Lite Model 33 and Super 33.

I have 4 amber 33's in the front of my truck as signal lamps, and 2 clear Super 33's as forward running lights. They're great, easy to play with, and are very bright. They are backwards, though: the black cable is positive, and the white is negative. Shouldn't be much of a problem to those who've played electrician on a Toyota or two, though.

The Super 33's will pierce the retinas on a blind tubeworm.

 

[titanpat57]

I get all my LED's from Paul...their customer service is awesome, and he's very helpful about answering questions!

Lighting- LED, RV and Trailer Trim, Seals items in R and P Carriages Trailer Sales store on eBay!

 

[dr_dobro]

Thanks to all, That definatelly helps as I'm new to this !

I still have to draw my bumper design and figure the space for these lights, and might add two more facing backwards (if I have room for it) for trail repairs, but will see.

Daniel

 

[dr_dobro]

This looks pretty neat. It saves the space and time, but does it need to be DOT approved to be street legal ?

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Daniel

 

[Combat Chuck]

This looks pretty neat. It saves the space and time, but does it need to be DOT approved to be street legal ?

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Daniel

As long as the DMV or local lawmen don't look too close, you can get away with non-DOT approved LEDS, but a close inspection will result in a fix-it ticket.

 

[Bogo]

With non DOT lights you could be in a world of legal hurt if you get in an accident where lighting could even remotely be an issue. Also that goes for using trailer lights on a vehicle even if they are DOT trailer lights.

LED Lights: Available for High Quantity Orders -Waytek, Inc. Not the cheapest, but...

 

[Sc0-]

With a tire rack and cooler rack swingouts on my truck I mounted two 6" oval LED's to the flat part facing rearward. So guess it kinda looks like a LandRover to the untrained eye... I do have my OEM tail lights still but mounted the two extra lights to ensure visibility.

The two that I used look identical to the surface mount version, think they were $19ea. 4 screws under the plastic chrome plated trim piece, and used some washers to space the light out a wee bit for wire clearance.

 

[fieldsken1]

This looks pretty neat. It saves the space and time, but does it need to be DOT approved to be street legal ?

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Daniel

you should use dot approved. what makes you think these are not???

just because they are for a trailer you can still use them in the rear of the vehicle just as long as they are stop/tall/turn. i drive a semi truck and the trailer lights are the same ones that are on the back of the tractor in fact i have swapped them when they burn out till i can get a new one. the lights that i got are around 25 dollars each

 

[dr_dobro]

I was under the impression that they have to be DOT approved. I was going to use the OEM tail lights on that 40 bumper, but I liked the idea of LED's as many of you guys have here.

I don't know how the DOT department creates approval on all these safety components, as my seatbelts are probably not. Most likelly, they all come from China.

I also was contemplating on putting these on the bumper, as they are slick in my opinion, but way too pricey!

2012 Polaris Sportsman XP 850 HO ATV : Photos

 

[Combat Chuck]

I was under the impression that they have to be DOT approved. I was going to use the OEM tail lights on that 40 bumper, but I liked the idea of LED's as many of you guys have here.

I don't know how the DOT department creates approval on all these safety components, as my seatbelts are probably not. Most likelly, they all come from China.

I also was contemplating on putting these on the bumper, as they are slick in my opinion, but way too pricey!

2012 Polaris Sportsman XP 850 HO ATV : Photos

Generally, anything that's DOT approved will say so on the lens, if not on the packaging.
Technically, anything that doesn't meet the DOT's requirements cannot be sold unless labeled for offroad, or industrial use only.
If you buy from a retailer that supplies for road use, they will generally have a warning label, or the salesman will be required to mention if they are non-compliant.
This is because, if you unwittingly buy non-DOT lights, and I hit you; for example, your insurance company could either stick you with the responsibility, or if the insurance company learned a retailer sold you an illegal light wihthout your knowing, you can sue them. It's all liability.

Also, you will be sold stories by sleezy retailers that something might be "as good as DOT approved" or "would be DOT approved, but the manufacturer hasn't had time (or some such lame excuse)" this is a steaming pile of first-rate bull crap used for an underhanded sale.
There is no "almost DOT" certification. the part either passes or fails, and usually part that fail do so because they use cheap components.
I played with some non-DOT LED lamps recently, and they had poor-quality resistors in them that burned up with regular use within two months. Those kind of failures are hard to cover up, and many cops will see dimmed lights, fogged lenses, or burned-out sections of LEDS, and give you a warning (if they're friendly) or a fix-it ticket.

Been there, done that, done with getting sold down the river by untrustworthy sources.

That said, I trust Truck-Lite products, exclusively, because they will disclose that information on either the item, the package, or the MSDS.

 

[dr_dobro]

Awesome information !. I guess I little Naive on my end with the DOT Department on my end !

 

[Bogo]

If I remember correctly, the DOT mark MUST BE ON THE LENS. That is so the police can easily check compliance.


Where the lights must be for trailers, buses and trucks.
Trailer rules: Trailer Poster Table for Website
Truck rules: Truck/Bus/MPV Poster Table for Website
I haven't found the car one. I had a link to it in the past, but they changed the URL yet again. I used the string "dot automobile light marking requirements" search for the pages.

Wikipedia now seams to have a good writeup: Automotive lighting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Mace]

DOT does not approve anything. They set standards that the manu "agrees" on. The manu is the one with the "DOT stamp". You can have the worst quality in the world and still conform to the DOT standard.

I can put a HID light in a DOT lens.

Have you ever heard of someone getting in trouble for having taillights too bright? (and no, I do not mean the idiot that mounts a 3,000,000 off road light pointing backwards).

I'd love to see the ticket for that.

 

[fieldsken1]

DOT does not approve anything. They set standards that the manu "agrees" on. The manu is the one with the "DOT stamp". You can have the worst quality in the world and still conform to the DOT standard.

I can put a HID light in a DOT lens.

Have you ever heard of someone getting in trouble for having taillights too bright? (and no, I do not mean the idiot that mounts a 3,000,000 off road light pointing backwards).

I'd love to see the ticket for that.

if you mean me the lights on top of the bumper are for off road the lights mounted in the bumper are tail/running/brake lights. anything that has DOT on it means the company paid alot to someone for that stamp it does not mean the lights are better, just approved

 

[Mace]

if you mean me the lights on top of the bumper are for off road the lights mounted in the bumper are tail/running/brake lights.

Huh??

anything that has DOT on it means the company paid alot to someone for that stamp it does not mean the lights are better, just approved

No, it means the company represents the item as meeting DOT standards. Which still does not change the fact that I can take a Halogen H4 headlight and put a HID light bulb in it. DOT will still be written on the lens.

 

[fieldsken1]

Huh??



No, it means the company represents the item as meeting DOT standards. Which still does not change the fact that I can take a Halogen H4 headlight and put a HID light bulb in it. DOT will still be written on the lens.

thats what i said. someone paid alot of money to someone so that can say its dot approved. and of course you can change it. i did not say you cant. its just like the ul rating sticker. the company pays alot to get the ul rating on an item but that does not mean the item is better or worse and once again yes you could change it. to have the dot rating or the ul rating its just a matter of paying alot. thats why some things like beadlocks and some shoulder harness and other things are not rated they dont want to pay the money. i am sure if they paid they would pass also. once again its all about money

 

[Mace]

It's not about money spent on the testing. A company could easily just put DOT on whatever they are building. It's about liability after the fact.

 

[fieldsken1]

It's not about money spent on the testing. A company could easily just put DOT on whatever they are building. It's about liability after the fact.

yes it is about money. to get dot approval they must meet certain specs and they charge for that. you just cant build something that meets those specs and put dot on them they have to be approved first