mrfajita

They don't give off any heat...here in CO we almost only get dry snow which doesn't affect them at all. When they ice over the cutoff gets a little wonky, and when driving in heavy wet snow they get covered in a few miles

NewKindOfClown

Mine get warm to the touch. Not hot, but warm enough to stay clean.

It's possible we have different generations. They added housing heaters at some point

mrfajita

I wish mine did lol. Got mine in march of 2013

MoparNJeep

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-2001-Jeep-Cherokee-Bright-LED-Halo-Projector-Head-Light-W-Clear-Signal-/231329892715?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACherokee&hash=item35dc56096b&vxp=mtr
Theses are cheaper less than trucklite

NewKindOfClown

And they aren't LED. They're projector lenses with a halogen bulb and LED halo rings and turn signals. In addition to that, they aren't a whole lot cheaper than TruckLites if you shop around.

And personally, I'd rather run Euro taillights than those headlights. I think their hideous, but it's a matter of preference

Edit: Furthermore, those aren't DOT legal. The spread is almost definitely terrible, and they aren't allowed in some states even if they do meet DOT requirements because they aren't stamped.

macgyver35

I'm also VERY happy with my projector retrofit. I ran the Autopal/Putco/Philips Xtreme bulb combo for two years. It's a lot better than stock. But the bi-xenon projector setup is way better than that.

I got my housings, harness, ballasts, and bulbs for less than the cost of a set of Trucklights; about $300 in total. I'm an LED light fanatic. I'm a member of www.candlepowerforums.com, I own about 40 high-end LED flashlights that are military/search and rescue quality, and I'm about to install a 15" LED light bar on the front bumper and 5 LED lights on the roof rack. While I like LEDs, I don't care for the Trucklights because of the polycarbonate lenses. I also don't like the look of the "half and half" light output with the housing being split into two halves.

Also, it's easy to carry an extra HID bulb and ballast somewhere in the XJ. A spare Trucklight would be bulky to store. I know that LEDs will last practically forever (arted at 20K to 100K hours depending), but you have to keep in mind that the ELECTRONICS that run the LED (converting the 12v input to a usable voltage and amperage for the LED) may not last forever. Having owned dozens of LED flashlights, I can tell you that I've never had one of the LEDs burn out, but I've had several that had the driver circuitry fail. And a Trucklight has to be replaced in it's entirety. And given how old/scratched/yellow your Trucklight polycarbonate housings are when one goes out, you may want to replace them both even if just one goes out purely for appearances sake. Using HID with glass-faced housings avoids the hazing/yellowing issue, and only requires that the bulb and maybe ballast be replaced, which is about a $10-$12 issue either way. How much will it costs to replace a Trucklight?

Given some time, I think the H4 LED retro bulbs will be a viable option, especially when combined with a glass-faced housings that can take some abrasion and handle scraping ice and snow off of them.




Bi Xenon 004

NewKindOfClown

I erased some of the advertisement fodder, but they answer most of that on the product page.

- DOT compliant product out of the box
- Clean, white light, resembles daylight, has a very crisp, clean cutoff
- LEDs are solid state. Vibration, bumps, and jumps doesn't affect them because there's no bulb or filament to break
- As I said earlier, this is a military company. These headlights are MIL-spec. They aren't gonna chip, crack, break, or yellow under any conditions that your Cherokee should see. The polycarb lens is very thick
- Housing is completely sealed. No moisture or contamination
- Overvoltage protection to prevent damage

- Works on 12V or 24V. Will retrofit any 5x7 light in any civilian, military, or specialized vehicle if you decide to put them in something else
- Minimal amp draw. I've left mine on for over 6 hours with my 30" light bar and my stereo (and sub) playing at campsites. DieHard Platinum battery for reference

I'm not saying there's one right answer, but the TruckLite LEDs don't suffer from the issues you've mentioned. As for driver circuity failure, they come with a 3 year manufacturer warranty.
One final note: I got mine for $245 shipped cause I was patient, shopped around, and found a sale

macgyver35

Polycarbonate, regardless of thickness, will yellow and haze from abrasion and scratches over time. I also have MIL-spec LED flashlights made by government suppliers that have had driver circuitry failure. Epoxy encapsulation helps against vibration and moisture, but does not guard against all component failure scenarios. The three year warranty is great, if you can wait days or weeks to go through the RMA process and get a replacement.
I'm not saying they make a bad product. I'm just saying that like any other option, it has its limitations, and should not be considered a fail-proof option. I actually applaud them for making a great product and being innovators in the field, but for my considerations I like a simple and cheap bulb change option.

NewKindOfClown

Yellowing can be prevented/managed by cleaning and polishing the lenses at reasonable intervals. I clean them to get bugs and debris (summer) and salt (winter) off them anyway, so I find that to be an opportune time.

These headlights aren't a lowest bidder contact. They're made to be durable, and they won contracts because of it. I'm not saying they can't or won't break, but they are well made.

The rest of what you pointed out is a matter of weighing pros and cons for each person's preference and application. I don't have a reason to disagree with any of it

Dumajones

I agree with Clown on being patient , I was patient also and found a set for 280, that still look brand new.
Here are the ones I grabbed. So you can get Trucklite LEDs for a good deal if you look around.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f73/tr...kee-xj-198053/