H4 Headlights

One of my silverstars burnt out and Im looking into upgrading with some headlight housings with H4 bulbs. Any body have any laying around?

I've got some 55/60 watt IPf H4 bulbs i just replaced with higher wattage bulbs when i upgraded the wiring harness. These are the recommended highest wattage to use with the stock wiring harness. The bulbs are in very good condition. If interested i'd sell them for $20 plus shipping.

Do they include the housing?

just the bulbs, I switched to an 85 watt bulb

BBeach said:

One of my silverstars burnt out and Im looking into upgrading with some headlight housings with H4 bulbs. Any body have any laying around?

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Somehow, I don't think anyone here with the H4 conversion is going to part with their housings... So, let me try to help.

1) DO NOT buy those damn "diamond" or "diamond cut" or whatever housings off of ebay for ten bones - they're not even worth that much. More "bling" than "sting" - you're not going to get enough useful light out of them to make it worth the upgrade. If they're not made by a "name brand" lighting manufacturer, they're not worth the bother.

2) That being said, DO get them from Hella, CIBIE, or PIAA - I prefer Hella for lighting, but I've been dealing with their stuff for 20 years or so. I've got Hella H4 housings in two of my rigs - their Vision Plus (DoT approved) are a significant improvement, their "E-code" (no DoT approval) are probably better than sealed beams by an order of magnitude.

3) Ditto bulbs - don't bother with cheap crappola. I use Hella Super White bulbs - they cost about what replacements do locally (including shipping from PA - which is cheaper than CA sales tax!) and they're better than anything I can get locally anyhow. If you deal with a lot of rain/snow/fog, get the Yellow Star bulbs, since they have an amber cast that will help you in foul weather like that (I don't get much of that around here, so I've got amber fogs that I cut in when I need them.)

4) Just because the "E-codes" don't carry DoT approval doesn't mean they suck. They are significantly better than DoT-approved units, and their high beam is nearly a "pencil" beam! You do have to put a little more effort into aiming them to not annoy oncoming drivers, but I've posted "how-tos" to do so. I've been running E-codes for about six years now, and haven't had any trouble with traffic or John Law - and that's with 90W/130W Super White bulbs!

5) If you plan on uprating your bulbs, you're going to want to upgrade your wiring. The RENIX-era XJ (1990 and earlier) will handle up to 80W in a bulb, but not the ChryCo (1991 and later.)

6) If you're going to work out lighting, you'll also benefit from dealing with someone who specialises in lighting for your initial setup. I get my stuff from Susquehanna Motorsports (www.rallylights.com) in Pennsylvania - not only do they know what they're about, but it's a small outfit (I often have the owner his very self answer the phone) and it's still cheaper than dealing with anyone local in CA - including shipping!

And, as always, if you've got any questions about anything I have to say - just ask! Either out in the open or PM me - I'll explain what I can.

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thanks for the info on the eBay lenses. I was curious about those. Off to Quadratec when I have the money then. Or maybe I'll see of 4WheelParts in town can get them.

BigG said:

thanks for the info on the eBay lenses. I was curious about those. Off to Quadratec when I have the money then. Or maybe I'll see of 4WheelParts in town can get them.

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I think the Sylvania Silverstars ive got right now are pretty nice. I got 2 of them for around $30 at auto zone when they had a sale. Bright white, not blue like id want but for the price its not bad. I ended up buying a replacement for one of them last week.

BigG said:

thanks for the info on the eBay lenses. I was curious about those. Off to Quadratec when I have the money then. Or maybe I'll see of 4WheelParts in town can get them.

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Try Susquehanna Motorsport (www.rallylights.com) - a bit cheaper than Q-tec, easier shipping, and a better selection (for "upgrade" purposes.) I've been dealing with them for two owners now, and don't have any complaints...

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