LED bulbs are usually a downgrade in this application. It's not the space shuttle, needing limited solar panel energy to light a few bulbs and if they lasted this long, not only would the potentially longer life of LED bulbs be unlikely to matter, on the contrary many aftermarket bulbs run hot to use cheaper/smaller LED dies and may have only a fraction of the lifespan of major brand, "long life" incan replacement bulbs.
This just isn't an application where LEDs have much benefit, unlike when an OEM puts them into a vehicle design and have tested lifespan as implemented, and did it because an LED is cheaper on the BOM when designing the entire assembly, than a separate bulb and mechanical holder for it.
Plus, if it's a colder color temperature from the LED, it decreases your night vision and causes in-****pit glare which is a bad thing.
It's not that I'm anti-tech or anti-LED or anything like that. I have done lots of custom LED non-vehicle projects, and love my LED flashlights and have even retrofitted LEDs into some that started out as incan flashlights because there was a clear benefit from brightness and runtime, but it just isn't the case with dash lighting, where several times brighter is a bad thing, and runtime is not a factor when there's an ICE and alternator to recharge the battery for lights that only need to be on when the engine is running.
I do not disagree with your comments, but have a different conclusion. Certainly, incandescent bulbs, which emit light as a result of being heated, perform acceptably in the dash, as was designed. Incan bulbs are far less expensive. Incan bulbs are easier to install, as polarity does not matter. And a more than adequate supply of 12 volt power is available in these trucks. For these reasons, the Incan bulbs are more practical and economical.
However, I have found that the LED dash cluster lights, which convert electricity to light through a semiconductor, are one of my most enjoyed modifications. My initial two sets of LED bulbs were short lived … these LEDs looked awesome at first, but flickering and burning out was annoying and unacceptable. The technology and/or quality control seems to have significantly improved. My current set has been working flawlessly for more than five years. The LED bulbs function with the dimmer, but do not fully turn off with the lights on. But I do not recall ever not wanting the dash cluster lights off when the head lights are on, and never even used the dash lights at the very low range of light
The first reason to pursue LED cluster lights was heat reduction… after long term age and use, the incan bulbs had burned or melted many plastic connections and plastic sockets throughout the truck. Even the dash cluster bulbs were sort of permanently melted into the dash cluster. Heat and plastic just aren’t friends. I am sure you could figure that they lasted about twenty years, and that this was more than adequate. You could even figure that replacing plastic electric connections and plastic sockets would not be that bad, or that over time it would become someone else’s problem. But after removing and replacing many plastic connections and plastic sockets, and maintaining this truck as transportation and as a hobby, I wanted something better.
Admittedly, the second reason pursue this LED modification is simply the appearance. These LED light is very pleasant. I find that night travel with LED bulbs is easier on my eyes. And have the OCD satisfaction of knowing that the dash bulbs are not slowly melting the plastic connections and plastic dash cluster anymore. And this modification combines electric function and artistry; to me, it does look nice.
Certainly, there are pros and cons here. To each his own.
