[Hummer]

While researching LED lights I have learned they need to be mounted so they emit light more or less parallel with the road surface as they are restricted to about 10 degrees of maximum viewability. Found this out when I looked at LEDs mounted on truck cap at 30 degree angle to the road surface. You don't get the full effect till you get on a ladder and look at them from a higher position. Thusly I am not rigging a angle adaptor to mount these to where they and aimed slightly down toward the road. I talked to one of the lighting companies and they gave me the 10% angle figure.

 

[Crawdaddy]

There are working angles for LEDs as you discovered. Generally, the working angle is about 30 degrees from straight forward. They also make LEDs that have a 120 degree viewing angle. That's why you start seeing arrays of LEDs that are angled in different directions, to provide a more uniform light and to be brighter.

 

[Hummer]

I have seen the replacement bulbs for 1156/1157 bulbs mounted to give 360 degree. The ones I have don't seem to have 30 deg but then again don't have any easy way to measure such.

Just eyeballing it with angle level I think they will be angled down very slightly as they are about 6 1/2 feet above the ground so this will give a better display to a car following closer.

Guy at truck parts place said he was told when LEDs are manufactured they are all either RED or AMBER and to make one white they have to be subjected to a bleaching process to produce white light which makes them more expensive. Then again that doesn't seem to wash because of the large number of very cheap LED flashlights floating around. For instance I have bought flashlights for 2.00 with 8 or 9 LEDS in them and the red ones I am mounting are like 20 bucks for I think it is 11 bulbs and they same light in white is like 36.00 with 19 lights.

One thing for sure is they are bright and don't draw much current to operate them.