mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
First off I have to give credit where credit is due. Robert(Oilworker) first turned me on to these Nolden bi-LED's after he fitted them to his Defender; http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37713-An-expedition-truck-on-portals/page75
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37713-An-expedition-truck-on-portals/page76
I had briefly looked at the other options available like JW Speaker and Trucklite(and OEM Mercedes bi-xenon which are $$$), but once I saw Robert's review, I knew the Nolden's were the ones for me based on light output and quality construction; plus they're less money than I've seen the JW Speaker 8700 Evolution's sold for!
I contacted Nolden in Germany, who put me in touch with their top worldwide distributor, and I ordered up a set in black chrome finish/12V/DOT SAE/left hand drive/position city light(the position light makes them actually a triple LED lamp) to test for the US market. Nolden has a myriad of different configurations for worldwide use. I figured the black chrome finish would be the best look for my G. They also have chrome and black(which is what the Army is using).
Features of the Nolden's;
Innovative design with the latest automotive approved Osram LED technology
White road Illumination compatible with HID/Xenon
One of the brightest LED high and low Beam 7“ Headlights available
Lifetime > 30.000 hrs
Low power consumption saving both fuel and energy
Vibration and shock proof design
Integrated electronic driver
H4 connector for 'Plug & Play' installation
Standard fixing as 7“ Sealed Beam Headlights (PAR56)
UV resistent PC hard coated front lens
Rigid Aluminium Housing
Voltage range 12-24V
480h salt spray tested and fully water proof to IP6K9K
ECE homologation. SAE on request.
EMC tested and homologated
Left hand drive and right hand available
Development and Production according to ISO TS 16949
Warranty: 2 years
I finally had time to get the lights fitted...and thankfully it wasn't as much of a headache as I originally anticipated it might be(my biggest concern was how the Nolden stainless adapter ring would fit and affect the aiming of the lights).
Their stainless adapter ring for the G fits very well(they have an adapter ring specific for each vehicle application, as these 7" round lights are also used on other applications like Mercedes Unimog, Rover(Series, D90, D110/130), Jeep Wrangler, Toyota FJ(40/55/60. NewFJ may be actually slightly larger than 7" I'm told, but I'm helping them confirm fitment), Hummer, VW(T2/T3, Mk1&2 Golf), etc). Eventually, after figuring out with the first lamp that I wouldn't need to use their supplied round white insert clips(for the ball socket adjuster screws) for the adapter ring, I just popped the 3 black clips(circled in green in picture below) out of the factory headlight and then moved the entire black plastic "bucket" w/ 2 headlight adjusting screws and 1 mounting stud from the factory Mercedes light onto the Nolden stainless adapter ring and light. This way the aiming wasn't affected. I double checked the aiming of course; ~38.5" off the ground.
The biggest hurdle for my specific application, which wasn't even such a big hurdle, was securing the factory Mercedes rubber headlight trim rings--these fit around the very edge of the headlights so that when the body-colored headlight surrounds(left and right of center grille) are re-fitted, there is no gap between them and the light itself. I ended up using gaffers tape to secure the rubber rings to the backside edge of the body-colored headlight surround as they are just a tad bit too large to fit securely on the Nolden's. (FYI I did have the tint shop we use add 6mm clear protection film to the Nolden's to protect from potential rock damage).
Lighting output and cutoff pattern is excellent; these things are bright!! There is a very distinct cutoff line. I thought that the bottom "halo" (circled in green in picture) would take some getting used to, but I've already quickly gotten used to it. I assume this is present because of the parabolic "eye" in the headlight.
Pics of the Nolden bi-LED on left side, factory Mercedes/ZKW H7 halogen w/ PIAA NightTech bulbs on right side;
Low beam(yes, I know I was too close to the door but I was just using it as a before/after line of reference using the masking tape, as my OEM lights were already aimed correctly);
High beam;
Since these 7" lamps themselves are "universal"(ie unique fitment for a G-Wagen vs a Rover is based on the stainless "bucket" ring which is supplied w/ high quality stainless hardware), the position light wiring may need to be modified a bit. Their connector is a very high quality "weatherpack" connector whereas the Mercedes factory uses a lower quality blade-style connector. Since their wiring lead mentions warranty being void if tampered with, I spoke to their technicians and they instructed me to cut off the weatherpack connector and just use two male spade connectors. I chose to modify the light vs the truck in case a future buyer of my truck wants to go back to OEM halogen's for some reason(dunno why they'd want to do that but to each their own).
Up close shots Nolden vs ZKW halogen as fitted;
A few night time pics...
Low beams(they're now aimed a bit higher, back to the 38.5" off the ground where I originally had them in the pics above);
High beams;
Along with my Autohome RTT and Nat'l Luna fridge/freezer, the Nolden bi-LED's are the best mod I've made to my vehicle. My eyes are thanking me!
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37713-An-expedition-truck-on-portals/page76
I had briefly looked at the other options available like JW Speaker and Trucklite(and OEM Mercedes bi-xenon which are $$$), but once I saw Robert's review, I knew the Nolden's were the ones for me based on light output and quality construction; plus they're less money than I've seen the JW Speaker 8700 Evolution's sold for!
I contacted Nolden in Germany, who put me in touch with their top worldwide distributor, and I ordered up a set in black chrome finish/12V/DOT SAE/left hand drive/position city light(the position light makes them actually a triple LED lamp) to test for the US market. Nolden has a myriad of different configurations for worldwide use. I figured the black chrome finish would be the best look for my G. They also have chrome and black(which is what the Army is using).
Features of the Nolden's;
Innovative design with the latest automotive approved Osram LED technology
White road Illumination compatible with HID/Xenon
One of the brightest LED high and low Beam 7“ Headlights available
Lifetime > 30.000 hrs
Low power consumption saving both fuel and energy
Vibration and shock proof design
Integrated electronic driver
H4 connector for 'Plug & Play' installation
Standard fixing as 7“ Sealed Beam Headlights (PAR56)
UV resistent PC hard coated front lens
Rigid Aluminium Housing
Voltage range 12-24V
480h salt spray tested and fully water proof to IP6K9K
ECE homologation. SAE on request.
EMC tested and homologated
Left hand drive and right hand available
Development and Production according to ISO TS 16949
Warranty: 2 years
I finally had time to get the lights fitted...and thankfully it wasn't as much of a headache as I originally anticipated it might be(my biggest concern was how the Nolden stainless adapter ring would fit and affect the aiming of the lights).
Their stainless adapter ring for the G fits very well(they have an adapter ring specific for each vehicle application, as these 7" round lights are also used on other applications like Mercedes Unimog, Rover(Series, D90, D110/130), Jeep Wrangler, Toyota FJ(40/55/60. NewFJ may be actually slightly larger than 7" I'm told, but I'm helping them confirm fitment), Hummer, VW(T2/T3, Mk1&2 Golf), etc). Eventually, after figuring out with the first lamp that I wouldn't need to use their supplied round white insert clips(for the ball socket adjuster screws) for the adapter ring, I just popped the 3 black clips(circled in green in picture below) out of the factory headlight and then moved the entire black plastic "bucket" w/ 2 headlight adjusting screws and 1 mounting stud from the factory Mercedes light onto the Nolden stainless adapter ring and light. This way the aiming wasn't affected. I double checked the aiming of course; ~38.5" off the ground.
The biggest hurdle for my specific application, which wasn't even such a big hurdle, was securing the factory Mercedes rubber headlight trim rings--these fit around the very edge of the headlights so that when the body-colored headlight surrounds(left and right of center grille) are re-fitted, there is no gap between them and the light itself. I ended up using gaffers tape to secure the rubber rings to the backside edge of the body-colored headlight surround as they are just a tad bit too large to fit securely on the Nolden's. (FYI I did have the tint shop we use add 6mm clear protection film to the Nolden's to protect from potential rock damage).
Lighting output and cutoff pattern is excellent; these things are bright!! There is a very distinct cutoff line. I thought that the bottom "halo" (circled in green in picture) would take some getting used to, but I've already quickly gotten used to it. I assume this is present because of the parabolic "eye" in the headlight.
Pics of the Nolden bi-LED on left side, factory Mercedes/ZKW H7 halogen w/ PIAA NightTech bulbs on right side;
Low beam(yes, I know I was too close to the door but I was just using it as a before/after line of reference using the masking tape, as my OEM lights were already aimed correctly);
High beam;
Since these 7" lamps themselves are "universal"(ie unique fitment for a G-Wagen vs a Rover is based on the stainless "bucket" ring which is supplied w/ high quality stainless hardware), the position light wiring may need to be modified a bit. Their connector is a very high quality "weatherpack" connector whereas the Mercedes factory uses a lower quality blade-style connector. Since their wiring lead mentions warranty being void if tampered with, I spoke to their technicians and they instructed me to cut off the weatherpack connector and just use two male spade connectors. I chose to modify the light vs the truck in case a future buyer of my truck wants to go back to OEM halogen's for some reason(dunno why they'd want to do that but to each their own).
Up close shots Nolden vs ZKW halogen as fitted;
A few night time pics...
Low beams(they're now aimed a bit higher, back to the 38.5" off the ground where I originally had them in the pics above);
High beams;
Along with my Autohome RTT and Nat'l Luna fridge/freezer, the Nolden bi-LED's are the best mod I've made to my vehicle. My eyes are thanking me!
Last edited:
