The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 1157 drop-in LED lights (51 half-ton)

I'm in the process of installing 1157 bayonet style light sockets in my front parking lights and would like to use new drop-in LED bulbs - assuming that's possible.

Problem is, no one around here sells them in WHITE... only red. I want white in the front, not red.

Can anyone recommend a source for these. I'm running a 12v system with generator if that means anything... Sorry, I'm electronically illiterate.

THIS is one of many that I found on THIS yahoo search....joe

White are very difficult to find, I've never seen them in an actual 1157 style bulb, only as a panel with an 1157 style plug in and as single led panel lights. Obviously, red will be no good up front, as that would be illegal, best improvise I can suggest would be to use the amber illumination LEDs. You may have to special order them if you're soucing them locally, APC does make them. My local speed shop had a hard time getting them as the supplier kept sending red ones. I doknow that Harmons has them in amber 1157s, in boht 9 and 21 LED bulbs. I recently swapped my 9 LED APCs for the 21s, not a direct fit, some alteration was needed to make it fit right due to the much larger diameter of the lighting part. They are considerably brighter, though.
BTW, when off, they do not show through the clear lenses, so it still maintains a stock look.

Hey Joe,

Australia's a long way to go for a light bulb but I checked out Playlist and THANK YOU for posting that link.

My dilemma is what exactly to buy that will fit my stock housing. I want a stock looking truck and need a bulb that will fit. There are a lot of different configurations that claim to be 1157 compatible but I need one the same physical size as the regular filament 1157 and was hoping someone here bought one that fit my description and could help with a specific part number and supplier.

If I could find a place with these things on the rack, I could see the size and be off to the register.

Good find Tiny... very comprehensive site with detailed dimensions and all. I like the way these guys do business... thank you.

Thanks Tiny, you've just solved my L.E.D flasher dilemma!
Jock

Another source is to visit any trucking supply store. Most Class 8 rigs now run primarily LED's and the electronic flashers were developed a while ago for them.

`I checked out Advance Auto today when I delivered parts from eight till noon and they have the ll57 and 1034's hanging in the bulb section. They come two to a pack and are about the same price as the ones in the link above....and no shipping. Although I have good lights on the back of the 37 I'll think I'll try a couple of them since I get a 20% discount.
I would think Auto Zone, O'Riellys and other FLAPS would have them. Save the shipping!

Are the ones at Advance Auto WHITE? They are easy to find in red but not white... I checked with NAPA, CarQuest and AZ.

EDIT: Let's back up a second here, I'm confused. Advance Auto in my area does not carry them in white in the store display rack or special order... I asked. I haven't looked at Auto Zone but will call.

It was suggested that I try custom bike shops or truck accessory shops. Still looking.

Have any of you guy found a chart, a just plain application chart that list the bulb numbers and their voltage. I've messed with this stuff all of my 66years, worked the Chevy parts counter and in auto parts stores when I was a young lad in the 50's & 60's and have always had a problem remembering the numbers and application. I've googled it this morning and can't find a decent complete chart.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

like this? or maybe this

Bill

Great bulb sites, thanks Bill.
Bill S.

No. You'll be hard pressed to find white, especialy in an 1157 style. Like I saud, I've seen them as a panel with an 1156 style base wired to it, and I did see a vendor at a meet once that had 1156s in a regular bulb type in white, but otherwise, they're not available. You should be able to get them in Amber illumination (clear when off) but they will be special order from Advance or 'Zone.

Nope Bill, there aren't any 6v listings in any of those.
I'm looking for a listing that has all of the old 6v and 12v listings.
Denny Graham

First: I actually had the Led's in my hand and THINK they are white.....BUT I am going to deliver parts for 4 hours tomorrow and will take a look for sure.

Denny, I'm not sure but I believe it was Mike (Dakota) that posted a list once of all the part numbers from the 6/12 Volts.
Dakota, you out there??

I may be late tomorrow night getting on here though. Its usually around 10pm.....I been knee deep in the panel project this week!

well geez Denny, you still using flashlight bulbs?
try here or maybe here, or maybe here, and how about halogen substitutes?

longbox Bill & czechman - clear 1157 LEDs

Bill

I'll be darned. Funny thing, that's the site where I saw the panel type with an 1156 base wired to it, not sure how I missed those. I've never seen white at any parts store, though.

Yeah, that’s what I’m looking for Bill; man I must have spent a couple of hours the other day Googling bulb sites and never did find what I wanted. Thanks

As soon as the newness wears off, the price of these should drop like a rock. LED's are dirt cheap to produce and all you need is a dropping resistor for the voltage that you’re using them with. Compared to an incandescent bulb the process to make LED’s is simple. Now that you’re seeing them used everywhere, i.e., almost standard on big rigs, traffic signals and in signs everywhere the prices should start to come down. Problem is with the old style bulbs the production is limited so the prices might not move much. I would expect to see the size of the clusters getting smaller also in the future as they develop ways to integrate multiple elements in to a single unit.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Bill's first link does have the 6v bulbs in it. They're just mixed in with the 12v bulbs instead of being listed alone.

OK guys. I'm wrong. Advance does NOT have the white LED's. I went to deliver parts today and thats the first thing I checked on. They are AMBER and RED. No white ones as of yet.

I looked at the link above and if I remember right the 1157's were $5 each. In Advance they come two to a pack and are $16. In the link above I didn't check to see how much shipping is. Anyway, if I choose to get them I can get 20% off so my cost would be around $13 for two of them but no shipping.
I'll keep watching for the white ones to come in stock though.

Now, wouldn't the red ones help out with pale shining tail lights?
I sprayed my 37's housing with the silver/mirror paint and with the regular 12 volt bulbs I think they do OK> Would it be an advantage to use the RED LED's as for as brightness goes for me?

Alvin,

I'll definitely be switching my tail lights to LED... We need all the help we can get in the brake-light-visibility department.

I'm in no rush to get the white ones for the front and might just go with the amber... I mean it's not like people are going to point and make fun of me if I don't have white parking lights

When they're off, no one will ever know what color the lamp shines in. They're clear when off. That's the reason I went with them in the front of mine, I wanted amber illumination, but be able to use the clear lenses without seeing an orange bulb in it. Still looks stock.

I would like to install the 1157 type LED in the GMC parking lights, but the socket is made for an single filament 1156 type. Does anyone know if there is a special dual pigtail that can be used that would allow the 1157 type bulb in the parking light socket?

Tom

You don't mention what year, but you might try THESE

My truck uses 37 ford tailights. I tried the new led bulbs and was very unsatisfied. I went to the led conversion that is a direct copy of the 37 but wiith about 40 leds, costs about 80$ a pair Bright as heck now.

You can buy the universal 1157 sockets Czechman linked to at any FLAPS.