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need LED turn signals

Since I can't always ignore those who ingore me on on road, I would like to eliminate the possible excuse that maybe they did not see my turn signal when they pulled in out front of me. I am a safe, defensive driver who always uses my signals.

But my front turn signals are placed inset the Smitty Built tube-style bumper thereby pehaps only 90% visible, possibly providing a legal excuse for an ignorant and careless driver.

What is required to install bright LED turn signals in the front? Are the electrical requirements different than stock on an '89 pickup? My uneducated guess would be than resistors might be required.....are any LED bulbs made with built in resistors?

Also thought about modifying front quarter-panel running lights to be dual-function lights: running lights and blinkers like newer vehicles. But first priority is to make my front turn signals hard to miss!

TIA

AG2

Reply to
ag2
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Go to a good auto parts store, where they serve a lot of truck and auto repair shops and ask to look through the catalogs from Grote, TruckLite, Dietz or Petersen Manufacturing. You'll find something that works for you.

All the major lighting makers have LED versions of their stop tail turn lamps, and they have all the needed resistors built in. Just wire them to the 12V circuits of the car and go. For a tube bumper you can weld the stock open metal bracket to the bumper (or 'skin over' the light cavity with sheetmetal and cut the hole yourself) and use the gasket-mounted round or oval lights.

Oval grommet mount:

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4" round:
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grommet mount:
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You can get oval, round, or rectangular side-marker lights with turn signal built in, and install them in your fender. All you have to do is find a fairly flat spot with no obstructions behind it, cut a hole, paint the raw edges of the fender to prevent rusting, and pop in the mounting gasket and the light. Wire it to the existing side-marker and turn signal circuits.

But stick with one manufacturer and series line of lights, because there are minor differences. Functionally they're all the same, but the optics are different and it looks odd when they are mixed.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

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-- Roger

Reply to
Roger Brown

Check out this.

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The "PT Series Truck Stop/Tail/Turn Lights" are super bright. I have 4 I installed in the back door on the shell on my Toyota. 2 yellow for turn, and 2 red for stop. I am very impressed with them and I plan to add more "hidden" ones under the body and bounce the light off the ground.

As for replacing the normal bulbs with the LED type that have like 6 LEDs in them, I have not found the LED ones to be brighter. I found that my tail lights are quite dim so I replaced the bulbs with brigher versions from any auto part store. I also painted a reflective silver inside the tail lights. They are quite bright now. This combined with the LED lights, lights up everything behind me in a flood of red when I hit the brakes. (or yellow when I siginal) I have not had to get a new rear bumper since.

With a little skill, I bet you can do the same to your fronts.

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Reply to
Eddie

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