Road rage over LED lights?

[Samm25]

What you need is LED high beams also. Flip those on if you get cut off, they'll get the hint.

Haha, I’ve got LEDs in my fogs, low beams, and high beams. I even have two LED aftermarket fog lights mounted to my bull bar along with two 12” LED light bars. All those come on if I get cut off for no reason at all. They usually tend to just get out of my way when that happens. Looking in the direction of my vehicle is hard when all those lights are on.

 

[Samm25]

I can tell the difference between LED's in a reflector housing and misaligned/too bright headlights. The LED "dazzle" will make me grumble a bit but not as much as the people that drive with their high beams on... or have poorly adjusted headlights... or just put an obscenely bright head lamp in their low beams. I did a fair bit of searching before I found LED lights at the appropriate lumen count for the low beams.



I haven't noticed any change in other drivers behavior since I made the switch, but I have projectors. I would be more inclined to check if I was doing something else to draw ire... like camping in the passing lane, or pacing. Not saying you are, just saying that people that do those things get to see MY high beams... and my high beams are really. effen. bright.



Seriously though, LED dazzle is annoying but it's not the worst offense and I would be surprised if it was the sole cause of a change in attitudes, unless they've significantly changed the focus of your beams.

Thanks for your input. I’ll definitely check out some LEDs that might not have the intense output of lumens that mine have.

When I drive I honestly don’t care much about other drives (of course being aware of them) but I’m never really one for confrontation especially when operating a motor vehicle. I usually mind my own business and have paid more attention to my habits wondering if I’m pissing people off in general and nothing really triggers it besides the headlights that I can imagine. But I don’t know, my thoughts are the headlights or the fact that guy had a stock 4Runner and was jealous haha

 

[Ducks & Trucks]

Haha, I’ve got LEDs in my fogs, low beams, and high beams. I even have two LED aftermarket fog lights mounted to my bull bar along with two 12” LED light bars. All those come on if I get cut off for no reason at all. They usually tend to just get out of my way when that happens. Looking in the direction of my vehicle is hard when all those lights are on.

Judging by this, I’d say you tend to deserve the negative reactions from other drivers.
You flip on full light bars and LEDs while street driving? And it sounds like you do this on the regular?

...if you ran into an ******* in the morning, you ran into an *******. if you run into *******s all day, maybe you are the *******.

 

[NinjaOne]

I've been tempted to a couple times.

If I'm being blinded in a lifted truck, I can only imagine how bright it is for most other drivers.

Safety works both ways. I'm all for increasing how much of the road you see, but not at the expense of other drivers

 

[Samm25]

Judging by this, I’d say you tend to deserve the negative reactions from other drivers.
You flip on full light bars and LEDs while street driving? And it sounds like you do this on the regular?

...if you ran into an ******* in the morning, you ran into an *******. if you run into *******s all day, maybe you are the *******.

Notice how I said I only flip the lights on when I get cut off for no reason. I'm not one of those dicks that runs with all those lights on while driving down the freeway for no reason. I'm only running headlights and my factory fogs while city driving.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[RonJR]

Just a comment on "DOT approval". Just because a light says DOT on it, doesn't mean it's approved for the particular application in which you've installed it. DOT approval means the light is legal for the application for which it was designed. My red tailights say DOT on them, but that doesn't make them legal as front turn signals.

The fact is, you're running illegal headlights, and you should change them out, or be busted for it. And, if you decide to use (or even show) that handgun in an altercation, you will be on the local news, count on it.

Your low beams need to play nicely with others, period. On your dark road by yourself, run what lights you need so you can see, but shut them down when traffic is going or coming in front of you.

 

[CookieRoe]

I'm not going to lecture on road etiquette. If you don't want to be a considerate motorist, expect others to continue to brake check you, give you the finger, etc etc.

OP, as you said before, you plan on having retros in the future anyway, go back to stock (it's not going to kill you) until you have your setup running.

 

[Samm25]

Just a comment on "DOT approval". Just because a light says DOT on it, doesn't mean it's approved for the particular application in which you've installed it. DOT approval means the light is legal for the application for which it was designed. My red tailights say DOT on them, but that doesn't make them legal as front turn signals.

The fact is, you're running illegal headlights, and you should change them out, or be busted for it. And, if you decide to use (or even show) that handgun in an altercation, you will be on the local news, count on it.

Your low beams need to play nicely with others, period. On your dark road by yourself, run what lights you need so you can see, but shut them down when traffic is going or coming in front of you.

Correct. But if the headlight bulbs are designed for a headlight application (which they are) regardless of if you're using them in a projector or a housing, that is the legal application for where the bulbs belong on the vehicle.

As for the whole handgun thing, I'm not threating anyone nor would ever want to use it in a situation. But if I'm defending my property, which my car is, then it's a legal force of action that I have to defend it if someone we're trying to hurt me or my property.

And again, I agree. I don't go running all my lights when there are oncoming cars or even ones in front of me. When I'm alone on the road I run all the lights I have, but when there's another car even near me, I'm only running headlights and factory fogs

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Samm25]

I'm not going to lecture on road etiquette. If you don't want to be a considerate motorist, expect others to continue to brake check you, give you the finger, etc etc.

OP, as you said before, you plan on having retros in the future anyway, go back to stock (it's not going to kill you) until you have your setup running.

It won't kill me. But the deer might if they come running out of no where and I don't see them. Haha

I see you have a retrofit on your 4Runner. Which kit did you use if you don't mind me asking?

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Ducks & Trucks]

Notice how I said I only flip the lights on when I get cut off for no reason. I'm not one of those dicks that runs with all those lights on while driving down the freeway for no reason. I'm only running headlights and my factory fogs while city driving.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Again. It sounds like you do this consistently. Sometimes people are just not very aware. Sometimes they need to get over in a hurry. Whatever it may be, lighting them up with light bars is a dick move and very dangerous.

Huge thumbs down for that shit.

 

[CookieRoe]

It won't kill me. But the deer might if they come running out of no where and I don't see them. Haha

I see you have a retrofit on your 4Runner. Which kit did you use if you don't mind me asking?

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

My retros were done by Lightwerkz b/c, 1) I dont have the proper tools, 2) don't have the time, 3) don't have the skills. Big money though, worth it to me, but I JUST might try. Retro "kits" are getting better and better AND more user friendly. Typical costs (not including hardware) is $800-1000 labor. Of course, they depends if you want halos, the shroud painted, etc etc.

I have TL-Rs, clear lens and high beam mod (not sure what they do to the projector). 35W Denso ballast, 5000K CBR bulbs (the box says 6000, or something like that, but they are fu##ing bright).

If you can, go that route or find G5-EXL projectors (bixenon). They are said to be quite epic. link: https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/components/hid-projectors/bixenon-g5exl-projectors.html

Retrofting HID is an expensive game, but done correctly, you get rewarded for years to come.

Hope this helps.

 

[Samm25]

Again. It sounds like you do this consistently. Sometimes people are just not very aware. Sometimes they need to get over in a hurry. Whatever it may be, lighting them up with light bars is a dick move and very dangerous.

Huge thumbs down for that shit.

If I'm in the middle lane of a three lane road and they swerve over to me with about 2 feet of distance between me and them with no car in front of them and no turn even remotely close to them that they need to make, I'm gonna light them up all night

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Samm25]

My retros were done by Lightwerkz b/c, 1) I dont have the proper tools, 2) don't have the time, 3) don't have the skills. Big money though, worth it to me, but I JUST might try. Retro "kits" are getting better and better AND more user friendly. Typical costs (not including hardware) is $800-1000 labor. Of course, they depends if you want halos, the shroud painted, etc etc.

I have TL-Rs, clear lens and high beam mod (not sure what they do to the projector). 35W Denso ballast, 5000K CBR bulbs (the box says 6000, or something like that, but they are fu##ing bright).

If you can, go that route or find G5-EXL projectors (bixenon). They are said to be quite epic. link: https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/components/hid-projectors/bixenon-g5exl-projectors.html

Retrofting HID is an expensive game, but done correctly, you get rewarded for years to come.

Hope this helps.

For sure, thanks for the info! I owned a '99 3rd Gen and did a retrofit with The Retrofit Source and loved the outcome of it. I'm thinking I'll go the same route this time around due to the semi-inexpensive cost and I've got a little bit of time on a weekend or so that I could do it. But I'm glad you like your retrofit. It looks good.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[RonJR]

Correct. But if the headlight bulbs are designed for a headlight application (which they are) regardless of if you're using them in a projector or a housing, that is the legal application for where the bulbs belong on the vehicle.

Nope. The approval that a car manufacturer goes through is for the headlight as a system, bulb plus reflector or other focusing mechanism (e.g., housing), for a particular application. A hi-beam headlight system is DOT approved, but you can't put it in a low-beam application.

When you start randomly mixing bulbs and housings, you are outside the approval process that the manufacturers go through, and you may or may not meet the DOT standards. The only reason you get away with it is that local law enforcement is typically very lax on this stuff. But, as you are finding out, other drivers do notice and complain, some in fairly unfriendly ways. That's your cue that something is not right, and a conscientious owner would address it constructively.

 

[Ducks & Trucks]

If I'm in the middle lane of a three lane road and they swerve over to me with about 2 feet of distance between me and them with no car in front of them and no turn even remotely close to them that they need to make, I'm gonna light them up all night

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Overly bright headlights, illegal.
Flashing off-road lights, illegal.
Gun in the car.
Hardo attitude.
=
Recipe for disaster.

Good luck to ya.

 

[Samm25]

Overly bright headlights, illegal.

Flashing off-road lights, illegal.

Gun in the car.

Hardo attitude.

=

Recipe for disaster.



Good luck to ya.

Hardo attitude [emoji23] first time I’ve ever heard that. People say I’m too nice.

Flashing off-road lights was the only one you got correct there with being illegal. My cousin is a cop and even said my lights aren’t illegal. Maybe it’s a Texas thing

 

[asdfman7]

op2:

 

[AuSeeker]

As for the whole handgun thing, I'm not threating anyone nor would ever want to use it in a situation. But if I'm defending my property, which my car is, then it's a legal force of action that I have to defend it if someone we're trying to hurt me or my property.
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Just an FYI under Texas law, if you shoot someone and it's justified, you will most very likely, I would say 95% of the time go to jail, have to post bond, have to go to court and prove you were jusified!!

https://blog.uslawshield.com/castle-doctrine/

"Criminal Prosecution Even If You Were Justified.

Just because Texas law affords you a legal justification for using deadly force when someone attacks you or enters or removes you from your occupied habitation, vehicle, or workplace, does not mean you are immune from being arrested or criminally prosecuted – even if you are completely in the “right” as far as the law is concerned. Your right to assert legal justifications is just that: a legal justification. It is not a get out of jail free card, or an “I get to skip the entire legal process” card. In fact, always remember, there is a high possibility that you will go to jail and have to post bond to get out long before the issue of justification is considered by the government. We see cases like this commonly under the firearms program"

 

[Atlanta_man]

San Diego is not like San Antonio when it comes to guns in cars.

They issue us one with the DL here in San Antonio.

 

[Samm25]

Just an FYI under Texas law, if you shoot someone and it's justified, you will most very likely, I would say 95% of the time go to jail, have to post bond, have to go to court and prove you were jusified!!

https://blog.uslawshield.com/castle-doctrine/

"Criminal Prosecution Even If You Were Justified.

Just because Texas law affords you a legal justification for using deadly force when someone attacks you or enters or removes you from your occupied habitation, vehicle, or workplace, does not mean you are immune from being arrested or criminally prosecuted – even if you are completely in the “right” as far as the law is concerned. Your right to assert legal justifications is just that: a legal justification. It is not a get out of jail free card, or an “I get to skip the entire legal process” card. In fact, always remember, there is a high possibility that you will go to jail and have to post bond to get out long before the issue of justification is considered by the government. We see cases like this commonly under the firearms program"

I gotta admit. I didn't even read but just the first sentence of that. But with a license to carry, I'm legally allowed to carry a firearm and protect myself and my property from any type of threat. Again, I hope to never ever have to use a firearm in any of those types of circumstances, but if someone is threatening my or my property, you better believe I'm going to defend it. But this isn't a firearm conversation, this was about headlight bulbs.