LIGHTS...

Does any one have any experience with PIAA "Xtreme White" bulbs? Looking to buy a set but I can never really tell how much brighter bulbs will be based off of "30% brighter". Or is there even something better out there? Any help would be great help!

I had a set of them, lasted 6 months.
The color is awesome, virtually no blue, and bright as hell.
The sylvania silverstars are just about as bright....lasted about 8 months.
I'm now running some no name -parts store brand H4's.... not quite as bright, but going on over a year now, and not one burnout.

If you can get the PIAA's at a discounted rate, I'd say go for it, but they usually run 60-80 for a set around here.
Also be prepared for them to not last very long.
So to sum it up....as far as performance, they're top of my list....
As far as longevity, ....not so much.
(your results may vary)

These are the ones I had:


OEM Sealed Beams:


PIAAS (in H4 housing):


Difference (before aiming - stock on Left, PIAAS on the Right)

NW99XJ said:

I had a set of them, lasted 6 months.
The color is awesome, virtually no blue, and bright as hell.
The sylvania silverstars are just about as bright....lasted about 8 months.
I'm now running some no name -parts store brand H4's.... not quite as bright, but going on over a year now, and not one burnout.

If you can get the PIAA's at a discounted rate, I'd say go for it, but they usually run 60-80 for a set around here.
Also be prepared for them to not last very long.
So to sum it up....as far as performance, they're top of my list....
As far as longevity, ....not so much.
(your results may vary)

These are the ones I had:

OEM Sealed Beams:

PIAAS (in H4 housing):

Difference (before aiming - stock on Left, PIAAS on the Right)

Click to expand...

Well here is my situation... I have a BAD astigmatism in my right eye like Coke bottle glasses bad! With that being said I have a really hard time seeing at night. So if I have to shell out 60 bucks for a vast improvement in my headlights but for only about 6 months... That is fine by me! Those photos are exactly what I am looking for btw real world pics! Not PIAA's marketing photos. Thank you sir!

Glad to help!
One other thing...taking into consideration your astigmatism....
To get the most out of these (or any H4 upgrade/bulb) you'll want to install the headlight harness upgrade.
Seriously, like a TRUE 15%-20% increase in performance.
If you havent done this already, I would highly recommend it.
Also, think about investing in a decent set of driving lights.....
A wide dispersal, sharp cut-off driving light with a good set of H3's in them, will do wonders to compliment the headlights, and really light up the road making it a TON easier for you to drive safely at night.

NW99XJ said:

Glad to help!
One other thing...taking into consideration your astigmatism....
To get the most out of these (or any H4 upgrade/bulb) you'll want to install the headlight harness upgrade.
Seriously, like a TRUE 15%-20% increase in performance.
If you havent done this already, I would highly recommend it.
Also, think about investing in a decent set of driving lights.....
A wide dispersal, sharp cut-off driving light with a good set of H3's in them, will do wonders to compliment the headlights, and really light up the road making it a TON easier for you to drive safely at night.

Click to expand...

Well that brings up another series questions. Is a set of PIAA or hella or who evers driving lights street legal? And is the harness upgrade quick and easy? With the harness upgrade could I run a 100+ watt bulb? Wiring is a whole different language to me.

They should all be street legal, up to a certain point...usually wattage is the determining factor there.
You'll need to check your states regulations as to what you can get away with for wattage. Having them on your rig isnt going to be illegal, but having a too high of wattage bulb in them will be.,
Same applies to your headlights.
Usually 55-60 watts is the max allowed on the street.
100 watt bulbs ARE Available, but usually aren't going to pass an inspection, and COULD get you pulled over.
The upgraded harness WILL allow you to run higher wattage bulbs...but will also provide REAL voltage to the bulbs you have.
When I did mine, I was measuring somewhere around 10volts at the bulb thru stock wiring.
After the harness install I saw whatever the alternator was putting out...somewhere around 13-14 volts.
You can imaging the difference in bulb performance.
The harness is easy to install (virtually just plug and play)
You'll have to make two connections, Power and Ground.

I did a full write up in my build thread, along with a TON of pics.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1077604&page=2

The harness and the h4 conversion was the best upgrade that I have done. It took me about a hour to do. here is a good write up on the harness and how the install goes.

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/headlight-upgrades-151217/

Ok cool I figured that the power would be the legal factor. What do you recommend in the way of driving lights? I found a cool set of PIAA led driving lights... Im in the same boat as I was with the bulbs lol. All I see is the PIAA pictures that of course are going to look bitchen. Any thoughts or tips?