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Old 12-13-2021   #13
Paul Workman
 
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Squires (near Ava MO in the Mark Twain N'tl Forest) - Missouri
Posts: 6,493
Default Re: LED or better head light options questio

I converted to LEDs a few years ago (and wrote an article for HOTB). I changed everything except interior lights (they were bright enough for me).
However, because there were a flood of such lights (primarily made in China where there was often no apparent concern for USA DOT restrictions, etc) without the appropriate cut-off for use on vehicles used on public highways, on-coming traffic could be/were being blinded by LED lights: became a large (and justified) complaint.
Making matters worse, not all LED lights had cut-off; intended for highway usage in low-beam mode. Add to that, not everyone installing the lights w/ cut-off feature were taking the time to properly aim them so that the cut-off line was below the eyes of on-coming drivers.
As result, many of the outlets for LED headlights have suspended offering them. However, the GE/Hawk LED lights were approved by most highway DOTs, and therefore are still available at some outlets (with some provisos in some locations) .
WORTH NOTING: The closer the headlights are to the pavement, the less likely the lights will bother on-coming drivers eyes (because if the cut-off line is angled down even slightly, it will always be below the eye level of on-coming eyes - even when the distance between cars is near zero!. And! The angle of the cut-off can be tweaked so as to illuminate the road a bit further out w/o blinding on-coming traffic. And, this provides an advantage for the Corvettes, and our C4s especially, as the headlights are closer to the pavement than many other cars and trucks. So, as long as the cut-off is parallel or slightly lower, a C4 (and other Vettes) can benefit from the low position of the LEDs, relative to the pavement.
DISCLAIMER: Check on local laws before installing any non-stock headlights to avoid possible encounters with local authorities.
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