LED replacement taillights

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SuzukiTom
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LED replacement taillights

Post by SuzukiTom »

I've spent a considerable amount of time looking for replacement taillights for my LJ10. Although it appears to have the taillights that IEC used on the LJ10, they are too large to fit in the stock mounting holes, and interfere with the opening of the tailgate. After much searching, I have found some round LED taillights that will fit in the stock mounting locations with only a little modification. They are being sold by Quadratec, and are for a '46 - '75 jeep CJ. The outside diameter of the lens is 3.75", which is slightly larger then the holes in the back panel, but they are easily sanded down to fit nicely.
DSCF0304.JPG
DSCF0306.JPG
You will be discarding the black plastic housing, and only using the lights/lens assy.
Get the right hand side ones, the left side ones have some additional LEDs for the license plate light that you don't need.
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stevec
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by stevec »

Nice - I can't wait to see them mounted up! :cool:
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by vidar »

:cool: Been looking for these many months on ebay. Have you mounted them yet. And how to wire them would be nice ;)
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by SuzukiTom »

vidar wrote::cool: Been looking for these many months on ebay. Have you mounted them yet. And how to wire them would be nice ;)
I've got some installation pictures and a wiring diagram coming soon. I've only been able to find these with red lenses. In the US, turn signals can be red or amber, but in Europe, don't turn signals have to be amber? I'm using a trailer wiring adapter to convert from the LJs 5 wire system to a 4 wire system to get the lights to function correctly.

Tom
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by SuzukiTom »

Sorry it took so long to back to this :oops:

Here's the mounting adapter I used to go from the the original three screws to the new two screw mounting. I used .120" thick aluminium, but I would suggest using .25" thick instead:
Adapt_plate_small.jpg
With Adapter mounted in taillight opening:
Adapt_installed_small.jpg
View from the backside, installed:
Back_view_small.jpg
Finished:
Finished_small.jpg
The way I wired it. Since the lights are all RED, I decided to alter the way they lit up. I wanted them all to come on as taillights, all to light up bright for brake lights, but only the outer lights to blink bright for turnsignals:
Taillight_wiring_small.jpg.jpg
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vidar
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by vidar »

Very nice, that means i can use orange blinkers and also make them come on when braking ;) Good job!! :beer:
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by dunstan »

Before I buy* some of these lights and try this for myself, does this still seem like a good plan? Or have the intervening 2.5 years thrown up better solutions for getting flush tail lights?

Thanks.

* http://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Ridge-1240 ... 0034KQCW8/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Photos of my LJ10: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCfr8gy
Manuals for the LJ10: http://1976design.com/lj10/
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by SuzukiTom »

Well, I think you can get the three-screw lenses from Steve C, but you can't get the actual light holder/housings anymore. That was the major reason with going with the solution I did.
I did a different fix for the front turn signal/park lamps. I used the available stock lenses, but replaced the bulb/housing assy with a LED insert that was sold as turn signals for custom Harley motorcycles. I glued the LED lamp assys to a round aluminum plate much like the ones I made for the taillights, and put the stock lenses over the top of them. They appear stock when viewed from the front. I did have to add diodes to the input wires, because the front LED lamps I chose to use would back-feed power to the taillights when they were on. I made my own diode adapters, but they are also sold commercially for LED conversions.
Another thing to note when converting to LED turnsignals: they don't draw enough power to operate the stock LJ flasher unit. You will have to replace it with a electronic unit that is designed to work with LEDs.
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Myers
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by Myers »

I have followed his rig with them on it. Very nice. Very, Very Nice and easy to see when lit up.

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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by dunstan »

Great, thank you both. I'll try and copy your solution then, Tom, because I do like the LEDs.

Side note: boy, you fellas know a lot of things about a lot of things. Wiring, body work, mechanicals... all very impressive. I hope some of that rubs off on me after a while! I can't wait to get stuck into this car.
Photos of my LJ10: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCfr8gy
Manuals for the LJ10: http://1976design.com/lj10/
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by Smuz »

dunstan wrote:I hope some of that rubs off on me after a while! I can't wait to get stuck into this car.
You can't get stuck, it's a Suzuki. :))):
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by russmehl »

Smuz wrote:You can't get stuck, it's a Suzuki. :))):
I got stuck once in some deep snow (many years ago). I slid off the snowmobile trail. I got out, picked up the back end and put it back on the hard packed trail...
This is retirement?
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by Myers »

One of my Grandsons and I got balanced in Miss Alice once. Were on a ATV trail across the lake and decided to go cross ways to the very deep trails made by the ATV. After getting high-centered, we got out to push it and it balanced itself, front and rear wheels off of the ground. He laughed when he could make it tilt forward or backward with one hand. The center is about at the point of where the pipe cross brace between the frame rails is located.
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by Tweedy bird »

Came accross a type of LED marker lights that is a better fit(3/16 smaller than stock but still only 2 bolt mt.)dual function(tail, stop)so still use Tom's wireing and adapter plate. Made by United Pacific amber part #39428 red part #39429. Got mine at Big Rig Crome Shop 220 n 9th st,Manitowoc, Wi 54220 bigrigcromeshop.com
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by dunstan »

Thanks Tweedy. I'll look at those too.
Photos of my LJ10: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCfr8gy
Manuals for the LJ10: http://1976design.com/lj10/
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by tomkbruce »

Is very cool.
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by dunstan »

FWIW, while there seem to be very, very few 3.75" LED tail lights out there, there a quite a lot of 95mm ones to be had – those are obviously the same dimensions, but searching for "95mm" gets you a whole different set of results.

I guess that size light is more popular on UK and European cars.
Photos of my LJ10: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCfr8gy
Manuals for the LJ10: http://1976design.com/lj10/
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by dunstan »

Just sharing some findings in the search for other sealed LED units we can drop in...

Our tail light holes are ~95mm in diameter, and ~21mm deep. The Land Rover Defender also uses 95mm rear lights, and there are two sealed units that seem popular:

• Truck-Lite 837 (formerly known as Rubbolite in Europe)
• Wipac LED 6082

Both are the right diameter, but unfortunately both are too deep for us to use without modifying the vehicle:
Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 11.28.00 AM.png
The only sealed units I've found that are shallow enough for our use are by LED Autolamps parts #95RME and #95AME:
LU21095LAUM.jpg
http://www.towingandtrailers.com/traile ... light.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.towingandtrailers.com/traile ... light.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They're both two-hole lights, so you'd need to use an adaptor plate like the one Tom showed earlier.
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Photos of my LJ10: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCfr8gy
Manuals for the LJ10: http://1976design.com/lj10/
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Re: LED replacement taillights

Post by EnriqueQuinn »

dunstan wrote:Just sharing some findings in the search for other sealed LED units we can drop in...

Our tail light holes are ~95mm in diameter, and ~21mm deep. The Land Rover Defender also uses 95mm rear lights, and there are two sealed units that seem popular:

• Truck-Lite 837 (formerly known as Rubbolite in Europe)
• Wipac LED 6082

Both are the right diameter, but unfortunately both are too deep for us to use without modifying the vehicle:
Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 11.28.00 AM.png
The only sealed units I've found that are shallow enough for our use are by LED Autolamps parts #95RME and #95AME:
LU21095LAUM.jpg
http://www.towingandtrailers.com/traile ... light.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.towingandtrailers.com/traile ... light.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They're both two-hole lights, so you'd need to use an adaptor plate like the one Tom showed earlier.
Thanks for sharing the finding.. It is very important information indeed.. I am working on led lights and it will surely help a lot
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