[AT] tractor hauler a pain to install headlights.

[Steve W.]

Ken Knierim wrote:
> I've got an LED retrofit experiment going on my 86 Blazer. I upgraded 
> the sealed beam lamps to the Hella H4 housings (think 7X5 Chevy 
> squarebody lights) and put in some Amazon H4 LED bulbs. The Hella 
> housings are glass, not plastic which was a requirement I decided on for 
> longevity in the Arizona sunlight. I have the original Hella 
> incandescent bulbs onboard for if/when the fan-cooled Amazon bulbs get 
> tired of me crashing through the desert. I'll know more when summer 
> arrives but for now I have to say the light control on the Hella 
> housings is amazing and the pattern is as good as some of the Sylvania 
> halogens I was getting tired of. I DID have to use some sealant to seal 
> the housings as the Hella's have some vents in them which would allow 
> dirt and water into them so a touch of RV sealant on those should 
> fix the problem. We'll see.
>     The amount of light emitted on low beam is plenty for most driving, 
> and I haven't had them out to the wilds where I can use the high beams. 
> I had someone in a Lexus or BMW the other night heading at me with his 
> brights on and I considered flashing him. Figured it was not kind to the 
> other drivers if I did that and just let it pass. The high beams are 
> DeathStar planet-buster bright, and aimed so they can light up down the 
> road. With the higher profile of the vehicle, it would be in many 
> drivers' faces too. I haven't measured light intensity yet but they seem 
> to be questionable. Are they "legal"? Can't find anyone willing to say 
> they are or aren't so Steve's comments on "Wild West" are spot on... 
> DOT, SAE, and manufacturer dance around this question. I need to ask my 
> neighbor who's a gearhead and police officer, but I suspect it depends 
> on your attitude. :)
> I've also upgraded the dash lights and dome lights to LED (use the 
> high-brightness ones for the dome lights. it really makes a difference). 
> Between that and the Atomic EFI kit replacing the tired Quadrajet, this 
> is a different vehicle. And I can still beat the hell out of it and not 
> worry about paint. (it's my old tractor-towing rig).  
> 
> We'll see how it goes. If it goes well I will probably find a similar 
> upgrade for my 6-volt Case tractor.
> 
> 
> Ken in AZ

Depends on your state for enforcement but ANY light source other than 
the OEM approved and DOT listed fitment is illegal.

If the Hella lights don't have a DOT approval stamp they are illegal as 
well.

That's under Federal law. It comes down to the way the vehicle was built 
from the factory. If it has Halogen, they are the only legal bulb.
As a weird item, ALL of the HID lighting out there is actually under a 
federal DOT waiver for each make and model built.

-- 
Steve W.