2000 NBS Blue Steel Burban Build

[Rocket Man]

You ain’t kinding, I spend more time fighting the exterior lighting then anything on my truck. I would love to buy a set of custom headlights and taillights that were like plug and play and would work right without constant fiddling. But I am going to keep pushing forward with the LEDs and get something figured out cause it’s what I want.



Wonder if there is a way to put resistors inline to lower the voltage of the running light stage but allow the brake light stage to still be 100%. That would increase the difference between the light output.

My experience has been the actual bulbs that make the difference. Sometimes the cheap ones just don't have good circuitry. It's not like regular 3157 filament bulbs- 3157 LED have actual circuits built in. Pull one apart and you'll see.

 

[05Single]

My experience has been the actual bulbs that make the difference. Sometimes the cheap ones just don't have good circuitry. It's not like regular 3157 filament bulbs- 3157 LED have actual circuits built in. Pull one apart and you'll see.

It depends on the diode. Some have 5630, some 5050 chipsets, also there's smd, cob, cree. On course the circuits support each designated chip style. Most common you'll see are 5050 smd

 

[00'BlueSteel]

My experience has been the actual bulbs that make the difference. Sometimes the cheap ones just don't have good circuitry. It's not like regular 3157 filament bulbs- 3157 LED have actual circuits built in. Pull one apart and you'll see.

It depends on the diode. Some have 5630, some 5050 chipsets, also there's smd, cob, cree. On course the circuits support each designated chip style. Most common you'll see are 5050 smdView attachment 199532

Do either of you have any idea which brands and chipsets actually work properly?

I’m going to review the wiring diagram tonight and see if I can mod it in any way to make these work, I saw where one guy put the stock bulbs in behind the housing and wired them inline and it made the car think it still had normal bulbs (because it tedchinally had both at that point) and everything worked as should, that’s why I thought just some simple resistors would probably work. Anything to mimic the load of the original bulb. But now I see that it could be the internal LED circuit which I knew they had circuits I just didn’t know they effected that much. Other then that my next step was going to be to get some plug and play 3157 resistors so I can move them around to different sockets easily and try to find a combination of the LED flasher I have and resistors that will work. Besides that all I know to do is send them back, get the other taillights now and order the original JDM 3030 LEDs I bought last year, but I’m being stubborn and dont want to do that right now lol.

 

[Rocket Man]

I've had good luck with Amazon's house brand, Endpage. Plus if I buy with my Amazon Prime and anything doesn't work as advertised, I just send them back for a full refund. Here's specs for their 3157:
"This 3157 dual-contact bulb has 21 LEDs (2835 SMD) that create a 360°viewing angle for better, allover light emission to upgrade your car with super
bright light to alert other divers earlier.

Dual function: 0.9W on Dim mode for Tail/DRL lights and 4.4W on Bright mode for Turn Signal lights, which make a big difference from low to high.
Please note that the bulbs are in bright mode when installed for only one function."

So the difference between running lights and brake lights is huge. I have these in the tail lights of my Silverado and they work great, when the brake lights come on you sure as hell know it. Same with turns.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

A 5050 is about 3 times brighter than a 3528. A 2835 is about 4.6 times brighter than a 3528. Just for lumen output comparisons.

 

[00'BlueSteel]

I've had good luck with Amazon's house brand, Endpage. Plus if I buy with my Amazon Prime and anything doesn't work as advertised, I just send them back for a full refund. Here's specs for their 3157:
"This 3157 dual-contact bulb has 21 LEDs (2835 SMD) that create a 360°viewing angle for better, allover light emission to upgrade your car with super
bright light to alert other divers earlier.

Dual function: 0.9W on Dim mode for Tail/DRL lights and 4.4W on Bright mode for Turn Signal lights, which make a big difference from low to high.
Please note that the bulbs are in bright mode when installed for only one function."

So the difference between running lights and brake lights is huge. I have these in the tail lights of my Silverado and they work great, when the brake lights come on you sure as hell know it. Same with turns.

A 5050 is about 3 times brighter than a 3528. A 2835 is about 4.6 times brighter than a 3528. Just for lumen output comparisons.

Thanks for the info guys, you sparked my curiosity and since I’m home from work now I jumped on and started educating myself using your info to branch my google searches off. Started by looking up Endpages stuff, I found them in no time on amazon and I have prime as well, so I might send these back and try those. I still have a couple days to issue the return for a full refund.

Side note: I did figure out today on the way home that the cruise control still works as long as the lights are all off. If you use the knob on the dash and turn the running/parking lights on while the cruise control is engaged it disengages the cruise. If you turn the lights back off you can turn the cruise back on. Sooooo I can use cruise control as long as its sunny enough that the auto headlight doesnt kick in. I made this face when I figured it out and then laughed for a good 2 minutes straight.

Back to research, found this chart and a website that explains what the numbers mean. Cool to know that those numbers are the physical size of the LED in mm. I have 3030s in the front and they are super bright. The new ones in the back are 2835s but I’d guess they are the (b) version cause they aren’t as bright as the 3030s.

 

[Rocket Man]

Thanks for the info guys, you sparked my curiosity and since I’m home from work now I jumped on and started educating myself using your info to branch my google searches off. Started by looking up Endpages stuff, I found them in no time on amazon and I have prime as well, so I might send these back and try those. I still have a couple days to issue the return for a full refund.

Side note: I did figure out today on the way home that the cruise control still works as long as the lights are all off. If you use the knob on the dash and turn the running/parking lights on while the cruise control is engaged it disengages the cruise. If you turn the lights back off you can turn the cruise back on. Sooooo I can use cruise control as long as its sunny enough that the auto headlight doesnt kick in. I made this face when I figured it out and then laughed for a good 2 minutes straight.

Back to research, found this chart and a website that explains what the numbers mean. Cool to know that those numbers are the physical size of the LED in mm. I have 3030s in the front and they are super bright. The new ones in the back are 2835s but I’d guess they are the (b) version cause they aren’t as bright as the 3030s.
View attachment 199557

Don't forget there's the number of each LED in the light, so the lumen output is the total of all of them as well as wattage. The Endpage show 4.4 watts on bright output so if you take the (21) 2835 LED's and look at the chart, the 2835a shows .2 watts which works out. 21 x .2 = 4.4. So in that case the lumens would be 21 x 29 = 609. I want to see what 21 of the 2835c's would look like at 2,730 lumens. Too bad it would melt fuses at 27 watts per bulb.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Thanks for the info guys, you sparked my curiosity and since I’m home from work now I jumped on and started educating myself using your info to branch my google searches off. Started by looking up Endpages stuff, I found them in no time on amazon and I have prime as well, so I might send these back and try those. I still have a couple days to issue the return for a full refund.

Side note: I did figure out today on the way home that the cruise control still works as long as the lights are all off. If you use the knob on the dash and turn the running/parking lights on while the cruise control is engaged it disengages the cruise. If you turn the lights back off you can turn the cruise back on. Sooooo I can use cruise control as long as its sunny enough that the auto headlight doesnt kick in. I made this face when I figured it out and then laughed for a good 2 minutes straight.

Back to research, found this chart and a website that explains what the numbers mean. Cool to know that those numbers are the physical size of the LED in mm. I have 3030s in the front and they are super bright. The new ones in the back are 2835s but I’d guess they are the (b) version cause they aren’t as bright as the 3030s.
View attachment 199557

Are the numbers printed on the leds? I've never noticed before.

 

[Rocket Man]

Are the numbers printed on the leds? I've never noticed before.

I don't think so; you need to look at the description when you order them.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Are the numbers printed on the leds? I've never noticed before.

No, but it's not too tough to tell just by looking. 3030 and 5050 are square, the 5050 a bit larger ( 5.0 x 5.0 mm to be exact). 2835 and 3528 are a little trickier because obviously they are both the same size and shape.

 

[00'BlueSteel]

Don't forget there's the number of each LED in the light, so the lumen output is the total of all of them as well as wattage. The Endpage show 4.4 watts on bright output so if you take the (21) 2835 LED's and look at the chart, the 2835a shows .2 watts which works out. 21 x .2 = 4.4. So in that case the lumens would be 21 x 29 = 609. I want to see what 21 of the 2835c's would look like at 2,730 lumens. Too bad it would melt fuses at 27 watts per bulb.

Sounds like the Endpage ones will not as bright as what I have now, but I feel like I am missing something. The ones I have installed right now claim to be 33 SMD pieces 0.5W AX-2835. So that’s 2,079 lumens, 16.5 watts, at 12v that’s just a little over 1.375A. Even the configuration you mentioned at 27watts would not melt wiring or fuses based off current draw, 27w/12v=2.25A. But like I said maybe I am missing something?

Edit: I did miss per bulb. The brake light has its own 10A fuse, 2 LEDs total 4.5A and a halogen CHMSL, not blowing that fuse. Turns seem to have a 20A fuse, so 2 LEDS in the back 4.5A and 4 in front at 9A, small 194 corner LEDs draw 1.5A for both, 15A current draw for turns. Fuses would be fine, also most vehicles sit around 14v when running which would decrease the current needed to still output the same wattage.

 

[Rocket Man]

Sounds like the Endpage ones will not as bright as what I have now, but I feel like I am missing something. The ones I have installed right now claim to be 33 SMD pieces 0.5W AX-2835. So that’s 16.5 watts, at 12v that’s just a little over 1.375A. Even the configuration you mentioned at 27watts would not melt wiring or fuses based off current draw, 27w/12v=2.25A. But like I said maybe I am missing something.

No you're right. I was thinking amps not watts. I'm an idiot lol.

 

[00'BlueSteel]

No you're right. I was thinking amps not watts. I'm an idiot lol.

Lol its all good, I had to recheck Ohms law right quick to make sure I remembered correctly.

Looks like the JDM ones I have are 3.4x brighter then the endpages ones. But I wonder if we are getting into the whole not all companies label their stuff the same. Like speakers, most people think you need hundreds of watts to get loud but you really dont, they just think that because almost every mainstream company advertise MAX not RMS, the average car stereo gets loud enough to block out all other sound around you and they are only 10-25watts RMS per speaker. First time I put an actually 150watts through a door speaker I was like HOLY CRAP that’s loud.

 

[05Single]

I didn't realize how many different options there are for LEDs till like a year ago when I was doing some research. Lots of info out there and many different options and they're only going to keep making new styles

 

[00'BlueSteel]

I didn't realize how many different options there are for LEDs till like a year ago when I was doing some research. Lots of info out there and many different options and they're only going to keep making new styles

Seriously, I have made it to reading about COP vs Flip and then learning what sets Cree, Philips, and others apart. I think I am going to order some Philips Flip LEDs for my high beams the HIDs I have are ok but I dont like the warm up time for hi-beams.

 

[05Single]

Seriously, I have made it to reading about COP vs Flip and then learning what sets Cree, Philips, and others apart. I think I am going to order some Philips Flip LEDs for my high beams the HIDs I have are ok but I dont like the warm up time for hi-beams.

Yea I stick with hids for now because although LEDs are most definitely a step up from halogen they still don't touch hids as far as output coverage and lumens. I have LEDs for the highs plus the fleece all on chip so warm up really wasn't an issue , but that's all changed since I put in bixenon lights. Also I get my hids locally that are made in house and have a lifetime warranty.
Phillips is one of the top brands for a reason and worth the money if one goes that route.

 

[00'BlueSteel]

Yea I stick with hids for now because although LEDs are most definitely a step up from halogen they still don't touch hids as far as output coverage and lumens. I have LEDs for the highs plus the fleece all on chip so warm up really wasn't an issue , but that's all changed since I put in bixenon lights. Also I get my hids locally that are made in house and have a lifetime warranty.
Phillips is one of the top brands for a reason and worth the money if one goes that route.

Yeah, I have HID hi and low beams, the lows have a projector so I will keep HIDs in there but the Hi-beams are just regular housings. I did the 4 hi mod by adding the extra ground wire, I can’t use the Fleece chip fuse box has a different layout. The warm up switching back and forth is fine since the low never cuts off, my dislike is because the HI takes so long to heat up I can’t really flash my lights at anyone and seems like by the time the Hi beam HIDs heat up a car is coming and I have to turn them off again. I want to swap my low beam 10k HID for a 6k HID for better color match and swap the Hi Beam 6k HID for a Hi Beam 6k LED. I originally did 10k low and 6k hi because I liked the blue of the 10k but they dont put out as much light as a 6k so I figured if I had a 6k Hi beam I could just use that whenever I need more light. At the time didn’t think about how it’s near impossible to match LEDs to a 10k HID.

 

[00'BlueSteel]

When people ask, “so what’s it like daily driving a lifted 18 year old truck with 265k miles on it?”

 

[00'BlueSteel]

Love the smell of fresh parts, machining oil and sweat!

 

[Tonyrodz]

When people ask, “so what’s it like daily driving a lifted 18 year old truck with 265k miles on it?”
View attachment 199837

You must've been a boy scout. Always prepared! Lol