ZB Commodore LED Upgrade

[MattSAU2XR8]

Sorry, I think you are right. So must bevsome other reason VE lights were better, most likely bigger and better reflectors I suppose. But as a general theme, older designs that so use the H4 system should still have a potential advantage...?

 

[stooge]

Sorry, I think you are right. So must bevsome other reason VE lights were better, most likely bigger and better reflectors I suppose. But as a general theme, older designs that so use the H4 system should still have a potential advantage...?

the ve is probably just a better design.
normally h4 is used in single reflector housings but there are probably lights out there that have h4 backed up with something like a h1 when switched to high.

it is strange how headlights can differ between vehicles, my wife had a holden trax for a short while and to this day that thing had the best stock headlights i have ever used, the highs were like spotties and the low was really good to the point where you didnt need high in most situations.
jump into a barina of the same year and those things were horrible lol.

 

[Anthony121]

the ve is probably just a better design.
normally h4 is used in single reflector housings but there are probably lights out there that have h4 backed up with something like a h1 when switched to high.

it is strange how headlights can differ between vehicles, my wife had a holden trax for a short while and to this day that thing had the best stock headlights i have ever used, the highs were like spotties and the low was really good to the point where you didnt need high in most situations.
jump into a barina of the same year and those things were horrible lol.

Was the Trax a LTZ model?

 

[stooge]

Was the Trax a LTZ model?

it was an LT or LS it was a pre facelift of the trax my15 i think

 

[Skylarking]

it is strange how headlights can differ between vehicles, my wife had a holden trax for a short while and to this day that thing had the best stock headlights i have ever used, the highs were like spotties and the low was really good to the point where you didnt need high in most situations.
jump into a barina of the same year and those things were horrible lol.

Which in part is why we have regulators….

If the market won’t move itself to improve safety quick enough, and IMO lights are a safety issue, then the regulators should make the market move. Standards should improve so that lighting systems get better and better as new tech becomes available. Lighting shouldn’t get better, then worse, then a little better, etc… Such profit motive games shouldn’t be tolerated by regulators. After all, the tech exists, the manufacturing skill exists, many patents have expired… but for regulatory capture we’d all have better lights.

As is, the lights on my VF are piss poor and bettered by my B.I.L’s (less than $20k) Korean shitbox. That’s sad… An easy fix using quality LED globes inserts but in that car it’s illegal so there is that.

 

[Lex]

the ve is probably just a better design.
normally h4 is used in single reflector housings but there are probably lights out there that have h4 backed up with something like a h1 when switched to high.

it is strange how headlights can differ between vehicles, my wife had a holden trax for a short while and to this day that thing had the best stock headlights i have ever used, the highs were like spotties and the low was really good to the point where you didnt need high in most situations.
jump into a barina of the same year and those things were horrible lol.

My old vt 1998 wagon has h1 & h4 headlights. H1 low beam, h4 hi beam combined with the h1.

 

[MattSAU2XR8]

After a bit more consideration I think I would recommend the narve LED low beam conversion since this does work quite well.

But the high beam spreads too much which is probably due to rhe reflector itself being pretty ordinary, and possibly the led light source not being ideally placed. So not recommended. Better than the original setup, but not as good as a VE Commo with Osram Nightbreakers.

So I'm now considering HID for the high beams.

As far as light bars go the narva 14 inch bar that I have is not that great. It adds a little bit of spread but no useful distance (as might be expected from 1 lux at 245 metres) and creates a bright spot 50 m in front of car that 'distracts' from distance vision.

So for distance I am giving serious consideration to a set of old school pencil beam driving lights that give a nice pool of light maybe 400 metres out. I used to have Narva 175s on a previous car and they weren't bad as I recall..l

 

[lmoengnr]

So for distance I am giving serious consideration to a set of old school pencil beam driving lights that give a nice pool of light maybe 400 metres out. I used to have Narva 175s on a previous car and they weren't bad as I recall..l

Need a pair of 'old skool' Cibie Super Oscars...

 

[MattSAU2XR8]

Finally sorted my high beam issue properly. Installed a 20.5 inch Bushranger light bar behind the grille.

Chose this one because:
- About as long as will line up with the slot if only one grille slat removed
- Not very deep at about 60 mm
- None of the reflectors are a ‘flood’ pattern which just puts a hot spot about 20 metres in front of the car
- It is supposed to generate 1 lux at 600 metres so probably good for 4 lux at 300 metres which is where my eyes are if driving quickly

In terms of installation cost:
- Paid $300 for the bar at ARB Which is a little high but was convenient, can probably get online for $260 delivered. Comes with a loom too.
- About $10 for some aluminium flat bar to mount it to
- About $20 for a 300 by 6mm drill bit which is need to drill a few holes in the crash bar to attach the alloy mounting tabs, these also pass through bottom of grille since too much work to remove bumper
- About $20 for 4 by 25 mm M6 bolts and 2 by 75 mm M6 and some nuts and washers, get about 30 washers in case need to space mounting tabs to adjust beam... oh, and some loctite
- If site lets me I’ll upload some pics of the mounting tabs, the back of the light bolts directly to these, with the mounting holes being about 1 cm above top of crash bar assuming that the slot on back of light bar is in line with the leds

All in all pretty happy with result although probably not as good as the best stock headlights:
- Its essentially a beam madee up of two parts (a) a spot beam off the reflectors that is allegedly only 34 m wide at 600 m, so say 17 metres at 300 m, and (b) a broadish flood from light that does not hit the reflectors, which is bright, but not enough to create a distracting hotspot.
- Did not need to adjust aim at all since top edge of crash bar must be perfectly vertical
- Can definitely see far enough on long straight roads to travel safety
- No hot spot right in front of car
- Only thing remaining is to make is a lastic blank off plate to fill in the area under the bar, theres a bit of a gap there as the grille curves forward

 

[stooge]

Finally sorted my high beam issue properly. Installed a 20.5 inch Bushranger light bar behind the grille.

nice!
i will guess that dont have adaptive cruise control.

it should be noted that if someone looks at doing that type of install that the radar module for adaptive cruise is behind the grille and the bar being there will probably screw with its detection.