truckdriverguy

Plain and simple, give me the brightest plug-and-play headlights (low and high beam) and the brightest plug-and-play backup lights for a 2011 Lariat...

To say the least, I am not too impressed with the headlights or the reverse lights on my truck...

Tom_with_a_Truck

I have the factory LED headlights - they're great. I would think that there's a direct replacement LED bulb that can be used for the headlights, but I don't know for sure. Someone will chime in. As for the backup lights, I am thinking the same as you - brighter would be very helpful. This truck is pretty big and I have to back into my driveway in order to pull straight into the side-facing garage. Any help I can get in lighting would be great.

longbedbob

I have the Diode Dynamics XP80s which are rated at a true 510 lumens each. Although noticeably brighter than stock, I don't think they are $90 better. It's still difficult to back up my long bed in the dark.

As for headlights, I'm not sure that just replacing bulbs will help you out much. Typically one needs to swap out entire assemblies because of scattered light and such. What it might do, however, is blind oncoming traffic.

Tom_with_a_Truck

Thanks, Longbed. Myself, as for fog lights, I'm torn between replacement bulbs and just getting the Ford LED fog lights (I have to wonder why Ford would sell a truck with LED headlights and then put the relatively weaker fogs up front with them). There's a thread discussing the swapping of the fog lights out, and it doesn't look hard at all.

For backup lighting, I'm still considering options, including even putting a motion detection light on the wall above the garages so that it can light up the driveway area for me. I also have to fiddle with the brightness of the instrument panel. I turned it way down because I don't like the excess light overshadowing the brightness outside. But when using the backup camera, I might be hurting myself with it turned down too low.

asdaven

I have a pair of Claralux CL90s in my backup lights and I love them. They're basically the same or very similar as an XP80 bulb from Diode Dynamics. As far as LED headlights and Foglights, yes there are good ones but don't just buy the "brightest" bulb. You want a bulb that uses it's light and the housing as efficiently as possible. That means you want a bulb that creates a "cutoff" similar to the halogen and throws light down the road as far as possible. You can get bright lights but it won't throw. You need ones that efficiently throws the light. You wanna make sure to test them and you may have to adjust your headlights and fog lights a hair down to avoid glare and you'll be good. Id look at Claralux or Diode Dynamics.

truckdriverguy

I was looking at these today. Does anybody run them?

http://www.opt-7.com/fluxbeam-led-headlights/

asdaven

Haven't heard of them. Id reccommend searching around the forum and see what lights people are successfully running. I'm leaning towards the Claralux and Diode Dynamics brand because people on here run them in our trucks and have been tested with our trucks.

truckdriverguy

To be honest, I am now looking at Sylvanias or Philips... If I could get just a little more light, they would be fine....

asdaven

Id reccomend Phillips over Sylvania if your talking about Halogens. Just better....harder to find tho. Probably have to purchase off Amazon.

With that said, id still highly consider Leds. It's a big investment and it still down the road for me. I'm converting all the bulbs in the rear to LEDs right now cause it's cheaper. Cause the front id reccommend everything at once if your gonna do it. Fog lights, high beams, low beams, and blinkers. The last three involve pulling the whole headlight assembly to change, so I'm only gonna do it once. Also got your front indicators, but they're done from the top, easy to get to.

The lights that bothered me first were the tag lights and cargo lights, def in need of LEDs there. Then came the reverse lights. And threw in Amber led front indicators while I was at it. Now I'm gonna do the taillights. Then on to the front. I understand the headlights. But for the tag lights and cargo lights, I can't believe Ford is still using standard bulbs on a modern vehicle. Everything on the interior is LED from the factory! Looks out of place to me.

Tom_with_a_Truck

I think that the housing/reflector system plays a huge role in how the light pattern hits the road, and how it cuts off at the top like fog lights and low beams should. The closer the LED mimics the light pattern of the original bulb, the better it can achieve the beam pattern of the original. I'd want a brighter light too in come cases, but as you noted, it really HAS to be a useful beam pattern.