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Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
Originally Posted by RRXJeeper71
any update on the BLACK MAMBA LED headlights?
Yea... read back a few pages.. they are a clone of the ebay CREE LED lights except they cost twice as much. The "black mamba" lights that "take a month to build" and the Cree are the EXACT same in every way.
On top of that, they guy is extremely shady. I ordered mine December 5th and they have yet to arrive (tracking says tommorow). The guy is impossible to get ahold of and a rip-off artist. Stay away from them. If you like the lights, just buy the 150$ set off Ebay. Literally the EXACT same. F this guy.
Forgive me for being new, but what's the consensus here? I would not run those lights in the OP. I have HID retrofits in the rounds on my Wrangler, they're boss, but I keep my TJ registered in WI, because no inspection, it would never pass here. Same site is offering these http://www.hidprojectors.com/product...ype=34&multi=0 which are DOT approved. Anyone have experience with these in an XJ? Or another option? Don't really care, just want to see.
I saw those but strayed away because of the odd housing shape... They bulge out quite far in the front. When you say you had a HID retrofit, do you mean projectors? If so I'd look into that... Or honestly, just get trucklites. IIRC you can do trucklites on the stock wiring harness because they don't draw much current.
I saw those but strayed away because of the odd housing shape... They bulge out quite far in the front. When you say you had a HID retrofit, do you mean projectors? If so I'd look into that... Or honestly, just get trucklites. IIRC you can do trucklites on the stock wiring harness because they don't draw much current.
Correct, I have 55W HID projectors in the 7" rounds. Ok, I will do the trucklites. They're not nearly as good as HID projectors but much better than the halogens and fairly inexpensive (say compared to the JW speakers which are 1/5 the cost of my truck). I can't do retrofit HIDs because they wont have the dot stamp on them and thus wont pass inspection.
Correct, I have 55W HID projectors in the 7" rounds. Ok, I will do the trucklites. They're not nearly as good as HID projectors but much better than the halogens and fairly inexpensive (say compared to the JW speakers which are 1/5 the cost of my truck). I can't do retrofit HIDs because they wont have the dot stamp on them and thus wont pass inspection.
Best option for you. I'm doubtful any of the HID retrofits are actually dot approved... I have a hunch they are mostly just stamped that way... It's not cheap to get approved as far as I know so a non-brand name having DOT approval is unlikely. Of course, trucklites are. I do like the cutoff of HID projectors though. Can't speak of that of the Trucklites but they're so well known it's hard to go wrong...
Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
Actually, dot stamp costs nothing because the DOT is not involved. You are correct that most probably just stamp them.
Originally Posted by Ianf406
FYI- They DOT stamp on a set of lights is not issued by the DOT. 90% of the time it is not even checked! It is simply the manufacturer "guarantee" that they produced the bulb according to DOT standards. The only time they ever get tested is if a large number of them are presumed to be not following the standard. If a manufacture is found to be out of compliance, they are forced to recall all of them and or are fined. Basically my point is that the DOT stamp is on thousands of lights that don't meet the regs. (For example, it is illegal to have a light that is over 6000 Kelvin. Most of the blue HIDS you see are over that limit- some as far as 2000 over) Also the maximum is 65W high and 55W low. Also broken a lot. IF you want to know the rules/process, here they are.
The "DOT Approval" stamp costs nothing and means nothing on lights. The DOT does not test ANY lights unless they have had negative attention drawn too them at which point if the company had a DOT stamp and was not in compliance, they would be severely fined. The stamp on the lights is the manufacturer's promise that they are dot approved to both inspectors/policeman and of course their customers. With lights they are checked by no-one initially.
The large companies are probably always within spec with the stamp. The small ones.... maybe/maybe not. Does not get you out of a ticket if you are worried about that.
Exactly, just says the manufacturer stands behind them as being within the specs. If a retrofit glass had the stamp I wouldn't really care as long as they didn't blind anyone, they'd pass inspection and it would never come up beyond that, but they don't. The one I linked does have the stamp, but as mentioned, it looks like it would stick out and also noted on the page is that some modification may be required to fit them. I'll just pick up some truck-lites and if they're not worth the money, back they go.
Well, they don't actually look too bad, but I can only find one picture from a seller on ebay... so who knows how easy they'd be to put in.
I saw those but strayed away because of the odd housing shape... They bulge out quite far in the front. When you say you had a HID retrofit, do you mean projectors? If so I'd look into that... Or honestly, just get trucklites. IIRC you can do trucklites on the stock wiring harness because they don't draw much current.
This is not necessarily directed at you but I believe the reason they bulge out is because the projector assembly is so long. If you do a projector retrofit in a normal "flat" housing you will have to either modify the metal behind the headlight bucket (see pic below), or you can do what I did and just use some spacers (I think about 3/8 to 1/2 inch, can't remember) so that the projector and wiring don't hit the metal. Those "bulged" lenses would allow for true bolt-on installation (only slight modification to the bucket), as shown in BleepinJeep's tutorial on youtube.
Here is the video for those bulged housing projectors. I don't have these lights and I have no involvement in the company. I'm just spreading the word on another option for projector headlights because I wish they were around when I was shopping for retrofits.
Here is the video for those bulged housing projectors. I don't have these lights and I have no involvement in the company. I'm just spreading the word on another option for projector headlights because I wish they were around when I was shopping for retrofits.
Thanks, seems easy enough. Wish he showed a side view to see how far they stick out.
This is not necessarily directed at you but I believe the reason they bulge out is because the projector assembly is so long. If you do a projector retrofit in a normal "flat" housing you will have to either modify the metal behind the headlight bucket (see pic below), or you can do what I did and just use some spacers (I think about 3/8 to 1/2 inch, can't remember) so that the projector and wiring don't hit the metal. Those "bulged" lenses would allow for true bolt-on installation (only slight modification to the bucket), as shown in BleepinJeep's tutorial on youtube.
You are absolutely right. If you google Starr 5x7 you can find pictures of these lights on an XJ and I think they're ugly :/ bug eye! I'd rather chop up the bucket, which is common to the HID retrofits. Not to mention these don't include ballasts, bulbs, or wiring... So you're looking at closer to $500 when all is said and done..
01-22-2015, 10:35 PM
