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What three alignment Nubs? If you are speaking of the screws to align the headlights they are a part of the housing in the jeep that hold those headlight assemblies. And you are right, i don't think they are DOT approved but it was stated that they meet DOT regulations. I don't think any cop would pull you over for these headlights though. They are not bad for on coming drivers.
I think the three nubs he's talking about are the things in the top center of the light and bottom corners
(Don't worry I don't use these headlights I got new headlights and was just wondering how much that stuff affected headlights)
Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
I did the putco upgrade- made it noticeably better but still lacking on the completely lightless highways around here... think I'm going too add this to my wish list. thanks for the info! No matter what I do though, my bumper blocks some of the light...
I was wondering about these when I first saw them and now I see why they are not DOT approved, and you get high beamed with them not because they are bright but because they have no vertical cutoff.
This is the vertical cutoff on a set of Truck-Lite LEDs.
What Black Mamba doesn't state is that these are illegal for street use for that exact reason. No DOT approval and nonexistent vertical cutoff. They are basically an offroad LED bar stuffed into a 5x7 housing.
Their website may claim they are DOT approved, but any DOT headlamp has to have DOT molded into the lens. Those do not, and there is no way they would be legal for the exact same reason why aftermarket HIDs in non projector housings are illegal. They throw light everywhere and blind oncoming drivers. And to say these are higher quality than Truck Lites is just silly, Truck Lite has been making lighting for years for Semis, military, and other severe duty applications.
Final nail in the coffin, these cost over $100 a pair more than Truck-Lites (assuming that $260 on their site is per light)
They throw light everywhere and blind oncoming drivers.
+1
That's what I thought when I first saw this thread with the pics. "Brighter" means nothing without the ability to properly align the beam. These lamps don't have a beam pattern at all it's no more than a flood light. Plus the Chinese have already back stabbed them on the price. For my hard earned cash it's impossible to beat a harness & a pair of autopals but some will never believe it.
I was wondering about these when I first saw them and now I see why they are not DOT approved, and you get high beamed with them not because they are bright but because they have no vertical cutoff.
This is the vertical cutoff on a set of Truck-Lite LEDs.
What Black Mamba doesn't state is that these are illegal for street use for that exact reason. No DOT approval and nonexistent vertical cutoff. They are basically an offroad LED bar stuffed into a 5x7 housing.
Their website may claim they are DOT approved, but any DOT headlamp has to have DOT molded into the lens. Those do not, and there is no way they would be legal for the exact same reason why aftermarket HIDs in non projector housings are illegal. They throw light everywhere and blind oncoming drivers. And to say these are higher quality than Truck Lites is just silly, Truck Lite has been making lighting for years for Semis, military, and other severe duty applications.
Final nail in the coffin, these cost over $100 a pair more than Truck-Lites (assuming that $260 on their site is per light)
These are 260 for a pair.
But like I said in some my other posts they are not blinding do the on coming drivers.
I did some tests having my buddy drive my jeep. It was no worse than normal headlights.
I don't believe the cut off is necessary with these lights. But you are 100% correct, the cut off is a MUST for HID's and I was not aware the trucklites had that clean cut off. That is a definite plus!
And they claim they meet DOT standards not that they are DOT approved.
As far as quality, these things are so far beyond anything I expected in quality. I would love to be able to do a direct comparison.
These lights are actually built by the company per order. Not mass produced.
+1
That's what I thought when I first saw this thread with the pics. "Brighter" means nothing without the ability to properly align the beam. These lamps don't have a beam pattern at all it's no more than a flood light. Plus the Chinese have already back stabbed them on the price. For my hard earned cash it's impossible to beat a harness & a pair of autopals but some will never believe it.
You are right about the beam. There is no clean cut off, which is definitley a downside.
But like I have said before, I have done some drive by tests with my buddy driving my jeep and these lights are not blinding. They are no worse than normal halogen headlights.
But like I said in some my other posts they are not blinding do the on coming drivers.
I did some tests having my buddy drive my jeep. It was no worse than normal headlights.
I don't believe the cut off is necessary with these lights. But you are 100% correct, the cut off is a MUST for HID's and I was not aware the trucklites had that clean cut off. That is a definite plus!
And they claim they meet DOT standards not that they are DOT approved.
As far as quality, these things are so far beyond anything I expected in quality. I would love to be able to do a direct comparison.
These lights are actually built by the company per order. Not mass produced.
Do you have trucklites? How do you like them?
I do have Trucklites. I love them. And if you are getting high beamed like you said in your first post, they are at least mildly annoying to other drivers. A cut off is necessary with any sort of headlamp, that is exactly what distinguishes high beam from low beam. Without it, highs are simply brighter, not actually projected further than the low beam.
Ideally the cutoff should be around two inches lower than the centerline of the headlamp as per DOT standards. I have mine aimed a little lower just because I'm lifted, and because my other car is a Miata and most stock trucks' low beams blind me in that.
I haven't seen the Black Mamba lights in person so I can't judge quality but based on their light pattern and lack of DOT stamp, they do not look like a product that should be sold without at minimum a disclaimer stating "off road use only". It doesn't happen often enough, but I have heard of people getting tickets for running illegal headlamps on the street, and somebody who is not well-informed about lighting could buy these, get a ticket, then get pissed at or try to sue Black Mamba for selling them an illegal product without stating so.
You are right about the beam. There is no clean cut off, which is definitley a downside.
But like I have said before, I have done some drive by tests with my buddy driving my jeep and these lights are not blinding. They are no worse than normal halogen headlights.
Representative pic of 7" e-codes as I have pair of SEV Marchals on a 280Z.
I couldn't tell you how they're alignment nubs, but according to him they are.... I don't know
The nubs are there to locate an alignment tool, basically a special bubble level with three legs on it. You could set the beam height in daylight in seconds. Back in the day, every corner garage had one. I haven't seen one in 30 years.
Even so, every DOT sealed beam still has them and every cop will know in an instant that it isn't DOT if they aren't there.
I do have Trucklites. I love them. And if you are getting high beamed like you said in your first post, they are at least mildly annoying to other drivers. A cut off is necessary with any sort of headlamp, that is exactly what distinguishes high beam from low beam. Without it, highs are simply brighter, not actually projected further than the low beam.
Ideally the cutoff should be around two inches lower than the centerline of the headlamp as per DOT standards. I have mine aimed a little lower just because I'm lifted, and because my other car is a Miata and most stock trucks' low beams blind me in that.
I haven't seen the Black Mamba lights in person so I can't judge quality but based on their light pattern and lack of DOT stamp, they do not look like a product that should be sold without at minimum a disclaimer stating "off road use only". It doesn't happen often enough, but I have heard of people getting tickets for running illegal headlamps on the street, and somebody who is not well-informed about lighting could buy these, get a ticket, then get pissed at or try to sue Black Mamba for selling them an illegal product without stating so.
I'm happy you made your case, lol, cause reading this thread from the beginning was starting to **** me off. There is no way these are safe for city driving. Even his park shots just show the light being thrown forward. It may not "seem" to blind driving because its nothing more than a large Led pod light. I give them credit for doing something different but what about lighting up ditches like a normal headlamp does. I would rather save up for a truck lites because of its like scatter and cut off. Rant over. Also, I never understand why people go to battle for someone else's product like this. I love alot of products I own but if people don't like it then oh well.
10-10-2014, 03:05 PM
