Hey guys new to JK's, looking to get some LED headlites and looking for recommendations on brands.

 

JW speaker, Trucklites there are some sponsors on the forum that sell some....almost anything other than stock is a huge improvement.

No issues with my Trucklites

 

Another here with Trucklites! I've had them for a little over 3 years now with no issues. They are without a doubt one of my very top favorite upgrades on my Jeep. They are a night and day (see what I did there?) difference from stock. But really, in all seriousness I love them. If I for whatever reason got another Jeep, they would be the first upgrade I'd make. Trucklites in my opinion the best bang for your buck. JW Speaker may look a little cooler but have very similar light output from what I've seen. Not enough to spend the extra $$$ in my opinion. I'd recommend doing a search too on here as there are literally countless threads about this same topic (like most things on here).

 

Just FYI, the JK does not use DC to power the headlights. It uses a special pulsed voltage instead. Tungsten lights have no problem with this because the glow barely changes as the voltage swings around. However, LEDs are more responsive. Some folks have experienced flicker of the headlights with some brands of LEDs. It can be fixed; suggest you research that before a final decision on what you need.

 

The headlights get pure DC when the engine is off.
They get pulse width modulated voltage when the engine is running. (78% duty cycle; 90Hz)

 

If you have any concerns about winter time, I believe Trucklite is still the only one that offers a heating element. Not sure about Maryland winters, but if snow is an issue, that could be a deciding factor. I have the JW Speaker Evo 2's and love them, but I'm in Texas and cold weather is not a concern. Pay close attention to the locations when you're reading reviews from people. I can't say if that heating element is a deal breaker or not for people up north, but I know I'd be paying attention to that aspect if looking myself.

 

Some people are buying used OEM takeoffs and mounting those with good results. They need to get a dealer to go into the computer to tell it the lights are LED, then no flicker.

 

Another vote for truck lites as I've had mine for almost 2 years now and I love them. In my experience, they do well in all weather and the pattern is ridiculous. I've driven on the highway late at night and they light up all four lanes as well as a little bit of the shoulders. In fact, back in the winter I was driving down a rural road and I was able to see a deer dart out from the woods from a good distance away. I was able to slow down to try to let him by but my driver side toyo caught him as he passed by. No damage to my jeep whatsoever thanks to the lights (and a big mud tire). Guys are always selling their lights so look around to see what's out there.

 

Check out this video as a comparison to what was out there a little while back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZT6QqHHOo I have had the KC lights in this review since 2014 and I can't really complain about them. I have driven through one wet snow storm with them and I did have to get out and clean them. The Heated Trucklights would take care of that issue.

 

I love my JW Speaker 8700 J lights. Easy to install and they look great. Buy them off Amazon, because all the online 4x4 stores have them marked up significantly.