Truck-lite's new LED headlight for XJ's

[Hilldweller]

JW Speaker model #8900 5x7 LED headlights in an XJ
Stock wiring

Markers are at 25yards L/R, 50 yards L/R, 75 yards L/R -- ~25' apart.
Vehicle is on the right side of a 2-lane road, driver's tire ~21" from curb; camera on hood in front of driver. All photos are on full auto "night mode" but ambient light varies greatly.

2 additional readings at 25' center and 109 yards center.

Lux readings Lowbeam/Highbeam:

25Right-68/ 113 * 25Left-6/ 5

50Right-13/ 42 * 50Left-0/ 20

75Right-1/ 20 * 75Left-0/ 9

25 feet dead center 680/ 1545

109 yards Highbeam only: 6

Lowbeam

Highbeam

 

[Hilldweller]

Cibie E-code 5x7, old, user-built bypass harness with 14ga wire, 55w H4 bulbs (old too)
Stock XJ, good battery, no alternator flux

Markers are at 25yards L/R, 50 yards L/R, 75 yards L/R -- ~25' apart.
Vehicle is on the right side of a 2-lane road, driver's tire ~21" from curb; camera on hood in front of driver. All photos are on full auto "night mode" but ambient light varies greatly.

2 additional readings at 25' center and 109 yards center.

Lux readings Lowbeam/Highbeam:

25Right-50/ 55 * 25Left-5/ 1

50Right-5/ 24 * 50Left-0/ 2

75Right-1/ 14 * 75Left-0/ 3

25 feet dead center 423/ 788

109 yards Highbeam only: 8

Overall very impressive considering the nature of the bulb. Charles has since replaced the bulbs and intends to upgrade the harness.
I believe these buckets deserve a retest at that time.
The light pattern was outstanding.

LOW

HIGH

 

[N8N_99xj]

Same here, but it was in a snow storm where I would expect it. I know where Breezewood is too. Heating elements in the glass would be idea. IIRC some stop lights aren't LED for this very reason too. But the amber and green are.

Cleaning nozzles aren't old school anymore. Most stock HID lights have them to reduce glare produced by dirt/ice/snow on the lenses. IIRC its a law. I remember Volvos had them years ago, but I think the first car I saw them on were brushes on a RR. I know that Mercedes had a small engine coolant bypass into a coil in the windshield reservoir.

I meant that wrapping the hose or a piece of copper tube around a heater hose was old school. Works, though Just don't wrap too much or you run the risk of getting your fluid too hot and thermal shocking your lenses (or windshield, if you do that hose too.)

 

[5-90]

I meant that wrapping the hose or a piece of copper tube around a heater hose was old school. Works, though Just don't wrap too much or you run the risk of getting your fluid too hot and thermal shocking your lenses (or windshield, if you do that hose too.)

Interesting idea. I'd probably do a perimeter wrap (just one!) of the lense - make take a few minutes to work, but so does the windscreen defog...

 

[jeepdreamer]

Round TL LEDs wiring help?

Sorry to barge in on the thread but I could use some wiring help please. Any of you that's installed the round TL LEDs know which wire is high, low, or ground??? :helpme: Mine came all alone in a box, no instructions. And the three wires out the back are labeled:
(top to bottom with light oriented as installed/upright and seen from the engine side)
Top- 18 (has a red tag on it)
Middle- 91 (has a white tag on it)
Bottom- 17 (has a blue tag on it)

 

[merdock69]

Should be able to test for continuity between the 3 wires one pair at a time and reversing wires if you don't get circuit one way. You should be able to pick out which two are + and which one - then from there just hit it with 12v to identify Which + is high and which is low.

 

[merdock69]

I installed my truck-lite's last week and am very happy with them. There are, of course, some led related visual artifacts at cutoff, but a small price to pay to avoid having to do the wiring harness upgrade, hid's or ordering hella/cebie lenses and doing an H4 conversion that will require bulb replacement. The shear amount of light these produce is amazing given the dot approved status. Had them a week now and wife says they aren't blinding to oncoming traffic or when following.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Did yours have only three wires coming out of the back? If so, which was your ground? Electrical is far from my strong point.
Here is the back of mine.

 

[merdock69]

Yeah, 3 wires.

Red was High Beam.
White was Ground.
Green was Low Beam.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Thanks for the input! SO when you mounted yours correctly/up position, was the ground/white one in the middle? With mine it puts the blue on the bottom and the red up top....Wonder if they are the same as yours?

 

[Lake919]

DAMN!!! Now I have to decide what I want? Truck-Lites or the Speakers. I kind of like the crazy look of them as they remind me of the headlights in my 04 Termi Cobra. Any thoughts?

 

[merdock69]

@jeepdreamer

My connector was horizontal I believe. But white was in the middle.

@Lake919 - The pricing on the JW Speaker is what made up my mind. I just couldn't swing $1,000+ for my headlights. So I settled for the Truck-lite.

http://www.oviedosafetylights.com/JW-Speaker--HID-&-LED-Lights/JW_Speaker_Model_8900_LED_High@Low_Beam_Headlight

 

[Lake919]

Yep that def makes up my mind as well since I am going to be looking for 60's in the very near future for full axle swaps

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I'm a little confused. I know the Truck-Lites are OE replacements, but are the JW Speakers also an OE replacement? I thought the JW Speakers were off-road lights?

 

[merdock69]

My understanding is the JW Speakers are also OE replacement and DOT approved for highway use.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

My understanding is the JW Speakers are also OE replacement and DOT approved for highway use.

Thanks, that clarifies. I'm really interested in the Truck-Lites.

 

[Hilldweller]

I'm a little confused. I know the Truck-Lites are OE replacements, but are the JW Speakers also an OE replacement? I thought the JW Speakers were off-road lights?

They both comply with DOT regs --- the Trucklites to an earlier version but both are totally legal, totally drop-in.

I prefer the Trucklites for slower, more technical driving. The foreground illumination is suited for it.
For faster highway, the JWS product is better since it doesn't constrict your pupils.

Stump is really liking his Truckies although he says he prefers the highbeams on the Speakers.

 

[Hilldweller]

Re: Round TL LEDs wiring help?

Sorry to barge in on the thread but I could use some wiring help please. Any of you that's installed the round TL LEDs know which wire is high, low, or ground??? :helpme: Mine came all alone in a box, no instructions. And the three wires out the back are labeled:
(top to bottom with light oriented as installed/upright and seen from the engine side)
Top- 18 (has a red tag on it)
Middle- 91 (has a white tag on it)
Bottom- 17 (has a blue tag on it)

You should've had a terminal on the lights, not bare wires...
What generation of light did you buy? Are they the older ones maybe?

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I prefer the Trucklites for slower, more technical driving. The foreground illumination is suited for it.
For faster highway, the JWS product is better since it doesn't constrict your pupils.

Stump is really liking his Truckies although he says he prefers the highbeams on the Speakers.

Decisions, decisions! My birthday is two weeks away! Truck-Lites vs. Speakers, that’s the question……

 

[stumpXJ]

I must say that now I have spent a little more time with the JW Speakers, I am liking the lowbeam just fine, which may make it a slight nod to the JW's instead of trucklights since the JW's high beams are phenomenal... Still, both are awesome, and we are talking about splitting hairs here. I definitely prefer the low-key styling of the Trucklites, but thats an opinion thing.

~ Stump