Led light bar for E 450

[sgoharley]

Who has installed an LED light bar in lower grill of your E450 chassis
Looking for easy fit and good quality light

[Azzy1016]

Great for some back roads at night. But they are not DOT approved for road use. They blind oncoming traffic.

[BehindBars]

I was blinded by a work van that came at me last night with an incredibly obnoxious LED light bar. I couldn't believe how inconsiderate they were of other drivers.

Are any of these LED light bars DOT approved?

[sgoharley]

Sorry but i am only asking for advice from those that have installed a light bar. I am not trying to create a debate on legality of them

[emm-dee]

I’m not concerned about the “debate” but very interested in real life experiences upgrading the 450 lighting. As it is now it is totally inadequate. But, it is a 1965 vintage Ford product.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

I’m not concerned about the “debate” but very interested in real life experiences upgrading the 450 lighting. As it is now it is totally inadequate. But, it is a 1965 vintage Ford product.

On our last E-450 I replaced the stock bulbs with Sylvania H13 SilverStar Ultras and that was a huge improvement. See Here. A fairly simple, cheap and legal way to improve the lighting.

That swap will bring your lighting up from 1965 to at least 1990 vintage...

[jimmoore13]

There are many choices for LED "driving" and "fog" lights. Both designs are DOT approved and can do wonders for "reach" without dazzling oncoming drivers. One needn't invest in Hella and other premium brands. If you want 'really good' quality, CREE LEDS in the fixture are typically a good indicator of quality and performance. These add-ons do wonders for picking out deer grazing along the road and improving visibility in foul weather. As with the old halogen systems, the design of the reflector (and sometimes the lens) dictates the reach, spread, and upper cut-off to keep them legal for highway use...assuming they are aimed properly.

As for the "off road" light bars, they, too, can be a worthwhile investment for off-road work...especially if you like to boondock and must drive long distances on unpaved roads or through the bush. Best location for these is in the roof because they have better reach and spread when mounted high. These have little or no control over the light. Instead, multiple LEDs project an essentially "round" cone of light (like a flashlight), with as many as 40 to 60 LEDs just blasting out light indiscriminately.

Finally, if they are plastic, you may need to polish the lenses on your primary headlamp fixtures. If your rig goes back to the days of "sealed beams", just refresh them, preferably with halogen replacements. But if you have yellowed, cloudy plastic lenses, clean them up with a kit like this: https://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Head...95993833&psc=1
If the interior of the fixture is dirty, and if you can open it to clean it, do that. A filthy reflector and dirt on the inside of the lens will substantially reduce light output.
Then replace the old bulbs with new. As the bulbs age, performance declines. Forget the "blue" bulbs. Just use top-notch replacement bulbs.

Bear in mind that as your TV squats in the rear under load, all lights point skyward. If you can't level out the squat, and if you tow often, then you must aim all lights when loaded. This is an important courtesy to other drivers, but it also substantially improves your view. High beams don't help much if they're pointed at the sky. Unloaded, your lights will aim too low, but you can use a set of fog lights and driving lights ONLY when unloaded...aimed to fill in the gaps when unloaded. But don't use them when loaded or they'll be aiming at the sky and blind oncoming drivers.

Be sure your alternator can handle all this extra load. LEDs sip power lightly, but if you put 120 watts or more of extra lighting on the front bumper, your ancient, low-spec alternator might not be up to the task of providing continuous output adequate to support all the loads.

Good luck.

[Pathfinder75]

I did NOT. But saw this before on You Tube. search for (
Von Scheller Family Experience) "RV Jayco Greyhawk LED Bar install Bumper Ford E450" May 22, 2018 (he mounted in the long hole of bumper above Lic. plate)

[sgoharley]

I know where to mount it. But there are many different brands etc. i know that water and moisture is an issue so I wanted to see if anyone had a good or bad experience with any particular brand/model thanks

[Philkaty]

I want to do this also

[FrankMor]

Change your headlight bulbs to Cree LED replacements. You may not need the light bar.
For the 1965 Ford get replacement bulb housing that use the replaceable bulbs, then get the Cree LED to fit.

Frank

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder75

I did NOT. But saw this before on You Tube. search for (
Von Scheller Family Experience) "RV Jayco Greyhawk LED Bar install Bumper Ford E450" May 22, 2018 (he mounted in the long hole of bumper above Lic. plate)

Curious how much that setup affects cooling air since it appears to completely block the air inlet.

[Bezzola]

Costco sells one that is hooked to the battery and is run of your phone
Very simple set up

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

Change your headlight bulbs to Cree LED replacements. You may not need the light bar.
For the 1965 Ford get replacement bulb housing that use the replaceable bulbs, then get the Cree LED to fit.

Frank

I have read that LED bulbs in non-LED housings don't focus the light well and blind oncoming drivers. I occasionally see cars and trucks where I believe this is the case. The lights are obviously LED but the housings look like they were made for the old fashioned bulbs. I think it would be best to put some proper LED driving lights on and use the better Sylvania bulbs for the headlights.

[FrankMor]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

I have read that LED bulbs in non-LED housings don't focus the light well and blind oncoming drivers. I occasionally see cars and trucks where I believe this is the case. The lights are obviously LED but the housings look like they were made for the old fashioned bulbs. I think it would be best to put some proper LED driving lights on and use the better Sylvania bulbs for the headlights.

I switched from the best Sylvania bulb to LED in the wife's truck, a Suzuki Equator, and my Jeep Liberty. The LEDs are much better and no oncoming traffic has shown any problems with blinding or glare. It could be that those you have identified do not use DOT approved bulbs.

Frank

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

I switched from the best Sylvania bulb to LED in the wife's truck, a Suzuki Equator, and my Jeep Liberty. The LEDs are much better and no oncoming traffic has shown any problems with blinding or glare. It could be that those you have identified do not use DOT approved bulbs.

Frank

How would you know the oncoming traffic had no problems with blinding or glare?

[FrankMor]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

How would you know the oncoming traffic had no problems with blinding or glare? Simply because they didn't run off the road or run into you?

No one has ever flashed there lights at me. I have used LEDs for over 2 years now. If they are as bad you seem to think, SOMEONE would have given some sign that they were bothering them.

Frank

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

No one has ever flashed there lights at me. I have used LEDs for over 2 years now. If they are as bad you seem to think, SOMEONE would have given some sign that they were bothering them.

Frank

It would be great if I can get replacement bulbs because my Honda CR-V is terrible. Especially after putting LED lights on my Jeep Wrangler. But those are full replacement lights, not drop-in bulbs. They have a nice cutoff that you can see when you shine the lights on the garage door.

Do your replacement lights look like the attached photo?

Thanks.

[FrankMor]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

It would be great if I can get replacement bulbs because my Honda CR-V is terrible. Especially after putting LED lights on my Jeep Wrangler. But those are full replacement lights, not drop-in bulbs. They have a nice cutoff that you can see when you shine the lights on the garage door.

Do your replacement lights look like the attached photo?

Thanks.

Yes 100% cut off in a line just like yours. That could be a photo of the Jeep or the Zuki.

Frank

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

Yes 100% cut off in a line just like yours. That could be a photo of the Jeep or the Zuki.

Frank

Awesome. I have wanted to get LED bulbs for the Honda but didn't think I could. Will definitely check into it now. Since putting LEDs in my Jeep I feel like I don't even have lights on the Honda.