werewoulf3
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- havelock, nc
Do they make any better headlights? i miss my HIDs in my mustang
Not looking for HIDs, just a very bright light
Not looking for HIDs, just a very bright light
-
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Better headlights
- Thread starter werewoulf3
- Start date
Just to make you aware that you can upgrade to HID. Several manufacturers build kits to make this work. Attached is a review of one:
http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/electrical/154_0901_jeep_hid_headlight_install/index.html
http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/electrical/154_0901_jeep_hid_headlight_install/index.html
- Location
- WA state
Best route, upgraded headlight harness (eautoworks, etc) and some H4 (I prefer IPF) headlight housings and bulbs of your choice.
Glyphic
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
!!!1
xjsnake
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Nashville, TN
Upgraded headlights the legal (ish) way...
1) Get a new headlight harness.
You can make your own http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm
Or you can buy one: http://www.eautoworks.com/Putco-H4--...s-PRD7540.aspx
The eautoworks harnesses used to be quite cheap until everyone on this forum started recommending them and the price was raised accordingly.
You can pick them up for $29.99 here http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/csd/full.aspx?Page=48 part number 36-3580. It says it fits a chevy blazer but it's the same as the eautoworks harness and I'm running the LMC harness in my XJ.
There are other more expensive options for pre-made harnesses but I'm not super familiar with those.
2) Upgrade to H4 housings
There are two types of regulations pertaining to headlight housings. There are DOT approved housings which are legal in the US and there are Ecode lights which are European housings and aren't legal in the US although many people use them as they are considered superior housings due to the light pattern.
DOT
Rampage http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_501.htm
IPF http://www.quadratec.com/products/97017_1600.htm
Delta http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_121.htm
Hella http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_02.htm
Ecode
Autopals (look on ebay for Autopal 200mm H4 housing)
Hella http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=744
Cibie http://www.clearcorners.com/products/cibie/
Personally I won't buy housings that have plastic lenses, I much prefer glass but your mileage may vary.
3) Get good bulbs
Some of the above housings come with bulbs included with them. I tend not to recommend bulbs as the choices are extremely vast and everyone has their own preferences as to color and wattage.
4) Aim your headlights properly!
I can't say enough how much improperly aimed headlights annoy me on the road plus you are wasting all that time and effort to upgrade the lighting if you don't aim the light where it does the most good... http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78017
5) On HID Lights
I do not recommend HID's for use in XJ's... People will show links to cheap HID kits and "Projectors" off of ebay and other sites which will give you a lot of light and will also throw a lot of light in all directions making you very visible to police and possibly blinding other drivers.
Read http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html for a well written description of the problems with HID kits.
When using HID's you need a true projector housing. I'm sure people will chime in and say they run HID's and ebay housings and have had no problems but I'm describing the legal (ish) way.
If you want to go down the road of HID's, take a look at what true projector housings cost http://www.kbcarstuff.com/6054-200mm...-p/xd-6054.htm
http://www.brightheadlights.com/hid-upcoming.htm
or you can buy the projectors and retrofit them into existing housings if you are so inclined
There are a myriad of options available to consumers with the limiting factor being cost. One can spend under $100 and have significantly upgraded their lighting or they can spend $1000 and upgrade their lighting more. It's all in how much money you want to spend.
For those wanting to do some of these upgrades but not necessarily all I would do them in the following order:
1) Headlight Harness (major improvement even with sealed beams)
2) Housings and Associated Bulbs
3) Hid and Projectors (Cost prohibitive to do correctly)
Disclaimer: Always check your local and state laws as some places have more stringent lighting laws than others... I am in no way associated with any of the above companies and none of what I say should be taken as the absolute truth or only way to do things. Flame on...
1) Get a new headlight harness.
You can make your own http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm
Or you can buy one: http://www.eautoworks.com/Putco-H4--...s-PRD7540.aspx
The eautoworks harnesses used to be quite cheap until everyone on this forum started recommending them and the price was raised accordingly.
You can pick them up for $29.99 here http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/csd/full.aspx?Page=48 part number 36-3580. It says it fits a chevy blazer but it's the same as the eautoworks harness and I'm running the LMC harness in my XJ.
There are other more expensive options for pre-made harnesses but I'm not super familiar with those.
2) Upgrade to H4 housings
There are two types of regulations pertaining to headlight housings. There are DOT approved housings which are legal in the US and there are Ecode lights which are European housings and aren't legal in the US although many people use them as they are considered superior housings due to the light pattern.
DOT
Rampage http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_501.htm
IPF http://www.quadratec.com/products/97017_1600.htm
Delta http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_121.htm
Hella http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_02.htm
Ecode
Autopals (look on ebay for Autopal 200mm H4 housing)
Hella http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=744
Cibie http://www.clearcorners.com/products/cibie/
Personally I won't buy housings that have plastic lenses, I much prefer glass but your mileage may vary.
3) Get good bulbs
Some of the above housings come with bulbs included with them. I tend not to recommend bulbs as the choices are extremely vast and everyone has their own preferences as to color and wattage.
4) Aim your headlights properly!
I can't say enough how much improperly aimed headlights annoy me on the road plus you are wasting all that time and effort to upgrade the lighting if you don't aim the light where it does the most good... http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78017
5) On HID Lights
I do not recommend HID's for use in XJ's... People will show links to cheap HID kits and "Projectors" off of ebay and other sites which will give you a lot of light and will also throw a lot of light in all directions making you very visible to police and possibly blinding other drivers.
Read http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html for a well written description of the problems with HID kits.
When using HID's you need a true projector housing. I'm sure people will chime in and say they run HID's and ebay housings and have had no problems but I'm describing the legal (ish) way.
If you want to go down the road of HID's, take a look at what true projector housings cost http://www.kbcarstuff.com/6054-200mm...-p/xd-6054.htm
http://www.brightheadlights.com/hid-upcoming.htm
or you can buy the projectors and retrofit them into existing housings if you are so inclined
There are a myriad of options available to consumers with the limiting factor being cost. One can spend under $100 and have significantly upgraded their lighting or they can spend $1000 and upgrade their lighting more. It's all in how much money you want to spend.
For those wanting to do some of these upgrades but not necessarily all I would do them in the following order:
1) Headlight Harness (major improvement even with sealed beams)
2) Housings and Associated Bulbs
3) Hid and Projectors (Cost prohibitive to do correctly)
Disclaimer: Always check your local and state laws as some places have more stringent lighting laws than others... I am in no way associated with any of the above companies and none of what I say should be taken as the absolute truth or only way to do things. Flame on...
cruiser54
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Prescott, Az
That^^^ sums it up very nicely. I happen to have Autopals on one Jeep with 100/90 bulbs and the eautoworks harness. My other 2 Jeeps just have the harness upgrade. All work very well, one better than the others.
Glyphic
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
Harness itself does make a huge difference, I use the silverstars which are nice, but the autopals are about the same price, I'll probably get some of those next.
cruiser54
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Prescott, Az
The harness is a "hafta".
iwannadie
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Az
I am running an eautoworks harness, IPF housings and phillips night guide bulbs, great combo I think.
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
AutoPal's E-Code are big improvement over stock and are inexpensive.
werewoulf3
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- havelock, nc
WOW, i didnt think i would get this much of an in-depth response but thank u and i appreciate it........it'll prolly be awhile but ill do the mod and take pics
i too recomend E code light housings 100/80w h4 bulbs in em and upgraded harness.
for a tad cheaper and easier for plug and play IF you can find them i highly recomend the sylvania cool blue sealed beams.
i personally do not like the silverstars. yes they are bright but i was lucky to get a year of use out of them before the bulb glass would melt (gm 9005/9006 style) literally have a buldged part of the glass and have a melted hole in part of it. NOT worth the 40-50 bucks...
also clean the headlight grounds(and all vehicle grounds) with a wire wheel in a drill (take them off and clean the sheetmetal underneath the lugs) i find on all cars that the factory just screws the lug straight to the paint with those star washers and bolt threads grounding it...AKA get a few years of rust and it has a poor ground...
and i too wonder how some people drive when one headlight is trying to blind ufo's and the others trying to set anthills on fire...
for a tad cheaper and easier for plug and play IF you can find them i highly recomend the sylvania cool blue sealed beams.
i personally do not like the silverstars. yes they are bright but i was lucky to get a year of use out of them before the bulb glass would melt (gm 9005/9006 style) literally have a buldged part of the glass and have a melted hole in part of it. NOT worth the 40-50 bucks...
also clean the headlight grounds(and all vehicle grounds) with a wire wheel in a drill (take them off and clean the sheetmetal underneath the lugs) i find on all cars that the factory just screws the lug straight to the paint with those star washers and bolt threads grounding it...AKA get a few years of rust and it has a poor ground...
and i too wonder how some people drive when one headlight is trying to blind ufo's and the others trying to set anthills on fire...
cruiser54
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Prescott, Az
The headlight grounds are located on the driver's side inner fender and indeed need to be refreshed as comics22 suggests.
The harness upgrade has it's own grounds though.
The harness upgrade has it's own grounds though.
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
100/80 creates excessive glare. 60/55w or 70/65w using a quality brand name bulb and an upgraded wire harness will perform great in an H-4 housing. When more of the light output is directed by the H-4 housing onto the roadway, you don't need brighter bulbs.
Good to know. I don't wanna be the doucher that blinds everyone and seems like they're running around town with brights on.
The lights I've got now are substantially better than any I've had in the past which is nice but a harness upgrade and the Autopals should be even better.
The lights I've got now are substantially better than any I've had in the past which is nice but a harness upgrade and the Autopals should be even better.
cranesrule
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Arkansas
Sylvania Silverstar Ultras are a good solution if you want plug and play... They gave me a tremendous increase in light output on both high and low and provide a nice white light.
xjsnake
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Nashville, TN
I used to run Silverstars and got a good amount of light out of them but they burn out quite quickly compared to other solutions that don't cost much more.
JoeShmo
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Roselle Park, NJ
AutoPal's E-Code are big improvement over stock and are inexpensive.
Just FYI, that's a stock harness. Don't know who put the text on there, but that's my picture from a few years back.
cruiser54
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Prescott, Az
Harness alone is a good upgrade. I've done it both ways. Harness with stock bulbs and harness with Autopals.
A word of warining and a suggestion. Do the harness before anything. The stock headlamps , with their crappy stock wiring, could draw enough amperage to cause headlamp switch/connector meltdown. Don't risk adding higher output bulbs without the harness. The cost of the harness and the time it takes to install are a bargain compared to having to replace the switch/plug. I can install the harness faster than you can install the headlamp switch and you know when that switch is gonna fail, don't you? At night somewhere when you really need headlights!!
A word of warining and a suggestion. Do the harness before anything. The stock headlamps , with their crappy stock wiring, could draw enough amperage to cause headlamp switch/connector meltdown. Don't risk adding higher output bulbs without the harness. The cost of the harness and the time it takes to install are a bargain compared to having to replace the switch/plug. I can install the harness faster than you can install the headlamp switch and you know when that switch is gonna fail, don't you? At night somewhere when you really need headlights!!
