need new Headlights

[G.P_XJ]

im growing tired of not being able to see jacksh*t because of the stock headlights on my '92, so ive been searching around and put together a list of what i think would work pretty well.

Can you guys give me some input on how you think these parts will work together or even suggest other parts?

Wiring:

either this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...viewitem=&_trkparms=clkid=6227663173289346803

OR

http://www.eautoworks.com/product-eAutoWorkscom-189849.htm


Housings:

some autopal EURO 200mm H4's

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/79-0...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Bulbs:

IPF fat boy 2's

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97018_2200.htm

 

[GrimmJeeper]

if you are keeping halogen bulbs don't bother changing the housings, just get some "Tru-View" 6054 sealed beams from NAPA and upgrade your wiring. they're almost as bright as silverstars and half the price, plus they give you a much whiter light. The upgraded wiring will make the biggest difference.

Or throw an HID kit in those autopal housings and be done with it. The reason HID conversions throw light all over the place is because of the housings not being designed for the amount of light output the HIDs produce, super bright halogen bulbs are going to do the exact same thing.

Also worth mentioning if it matters to you, as far as i know 55w is the maximum for headlights to remain legal, those IPF fatboy2's are 80w bulbs that put out the lumens of a 195w bulb. you're still going to blind the hell out of people if they aren't aimed right, and that pair of bulbs costs as much as an HID kit. you're spending the same amount of money for less light.

 

[cruiser54]

Do the wiring harness from www.eautoworks.com for sure. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much of an improvement the harness upgrade makes.

 

[cruiser54]

BTW, I've got the harness upgrade with the Autopals and 60/55 bulbs like you're thinking of doing. Not as good as Hellas but still pretty darn good. I just wish I had upgraded to higher wattage bulbs from the vendor I purchased them from on eBay. It was only $6 or so to upgrade to 90/100 H4s.

 

[CherBear]

Hmmm, for the money you are spending, why dont you just throw in some HIDs?

Is there a reason you are staying away from them in particular?

As Grimm said, this setup will probably throw more light into peoples eyes than a budget HID setup.

 

[G.P_XJ]

I guess the reason ive been sticking to halogens is because i dont know much about the HID kits and i dont want to buy a kit that ends up sucking.

Do you know of any kits and housings for HID's that people have had that end up working well?

 

[CherBear]

Well I run bajahid.com's kit on my jeep. I highly recommend their company, customer service is top-notch.

Tcm GLx is Naxja's contact to them. You can send a pm here.

Like nearly any product, you are going to get what you pay for. For the money, this type of kit is going to be your best value, however some people, such as Urban Yan, have invested an untold amount of money into their HID kits. For your average user, this kit should be fine.

Installation is very simple, if you feel confident in changing your headlight housing, this should be a no-brainer.

Trust me, once you drive with HIDs, you will never go back to halogens.

 

[G.P_XJ]

Well I run bajahid.com's kit on my jeep. I highly recommend their company, customer service is top-notch.

Tcm GLx is Naxja's contact to them. You can send a pm here.

Like nearly any product, you are going to get what you pay for. For the money, this type of kit is going to be your best value, however some people, such as Urban Yan, have invested an untold amount of money into their HID kits. For your average user, this kit should be fine.

Installation is very simple, if you feel confident in changing your headlight housing, this should be a no-brainer.

Trust me, once you drive with HIDs, you will never go back to halogens.

I really wish i could get on their website but it keeps giving me a 404 forbidden page insted

 

[G.P_XJ]

so something like this would be better than the halogens?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/6000...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336400ec0a

 

[in4aride]

no...

 

[XJLI]

what you posted is great. i run hella DOT housings with hella bulbs (like 85/105 i think..) and the light output rocks. i see no reason to go hid, i the hate light scatter you get without projectors.

 

[cruiser54]

what you posted is great. i run hella DOT housings with hella bulbs (like 85/105 i think..) and the light output rocks. i see no reason to go hid, i the hate light scatter you get without projectors.

I agree. That setup should work great. I've got the Hella DOTs on my Miata with the 90/100 bulbs and it's great.

Have you done the harness upgrade with your present setup?

 

[XJLI]

yup, went from stock to the eaatuoworks one and the lights definitely got whiter.

 

[in4aride]

link takes me to the black housings that sucked :dunno:

 

[GrimmJeeper]

i the hate light scatter you get without projectors.

you get the same amount of light scatter from the halogens, they just are nowhere near as bright. That has to do with the reflectors in the housings and the fluting in the lens, not the light source. they housings aren't designed with the intent of putting a light source as bright as the HID arc in them, they design them good enough for halogen light output and call it done.

Projectors are definitely the way to go, but I can't stand the bug eye look of the 6054 projector housings that stick out from the front of the jeep. FWIW I do not have HIDs in my XJ headlights, I have the NAPA Tru-View sealed beams and that's plenty for me, I have big off road lights converted to HID for when I'm wheeling in the dark. On my daily driver (99 saturn) I have HID conversions in the headlights, but they are separate bulbs for the high and low beams, I get almost no light scatter and the beam stays nice and low so I don't blind people.

The plain and simple fact is it is the housings that are the problem, not the HIDs. You can compensate for the light scatter by aiming the headlights down a bit more than you normally would, they are plenty bright to still light your way for a long distance, and you won't blind people. If your jeep is lifted you should aim your headlights down a bit anyway, chances are you are shining your stock headlights into people's eyes.

 

[XJLI]

there is barely any scatter from my headlights.. at least compared to throwing an hid in a halogen housing.

 

[qbert2500]

I would go with hid for sure. I had a set from vvme, it was one color whiter than stock lumen. The thing is one bulb turned more blue after a year and a half of mostly night driving but it was reliable. I put a lot of hours on those bulbs. H4 hi and low in one bulb. I'm thinking about getting a euro housing and a hid kit. I sold the vvme for $60 when I sold my old car. I want to do more research on the aftermarket companies but I would get a factory lumen next time. Anyone have any suggestions on a brand for aftermarket hid that is not too expensive? In business for a while that offers replacement bulbs.