Headlight Upgrades
Originally Posted by xjsnake https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/headlights-151196/index2/ - post2069179https://www.cherokeeforum.com/images...s/viewpost.gifhttps://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/headlights-151196/index2/ - post2069179
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/t...nversions.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: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/hea...9/#post1391556 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) For installation of the harness and housings see this excellent write up: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/my-h4-upgrade-114440/ 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... |
Cruiser, you have any leads on upgrading headlights for the Wagoneer (uses 4701 and 4703 separate sealed bulbs for low and high beams)?
I haven't turned up anything in my lookings around... |
Originally Posted by letinsh
(Post 2069998)
Cruiser, you have any leads on upgrading headlights for the Wagoneer (uses 4701 and 4703 separate sealed bulbs for low and high beams)?
I haven't turned up anything in my lookings around... Low beam bulbs have high and low in them and high beams only have highs? |
Nope, low beams are low and high beams are high. Of the 4 bulbs, only 2 are ever on at a time. The wiring I can figure out, but I've had a bear of a time sourcing housings/bulbs that fit...
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Originally Posted by letinsh
(Post 2070062)
Nope, low beams are low and high beams are high. Of the 4 bulbs, only 2 are ever on at a time. The wiring I can figure out, but I've had a bear of a time sourcing housings/bulbs that fit...
Looky what I found: http://www.gmt400.com/forum/showthre...ode-headlights) http://www.eurolamps.com/eurolamps/c...headlights.htm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA0XA0972992 |
Son of a motherless goat! Last time I checked EuroLamps, the had no stock and no plans to manufacture more.... Nice find :-)
Now to find the brackets they mount to.... My adjustment screws are rusted solid.. |
When you re do the wiring harness can you still use OE style head lamps?
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Originally Posted by shawn_00x
(Post 2070146)
When you re do the wiring harness can you still use OE style head lamps?
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Originally Posted by cruiser54
(Post 2070150)
Absolutely. Works great.
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I have to chime in for NorCalMR2-> norcalmr2.com
I've run their projectors for about three years and love them. |
I am trying to install my harness today. I cannot find the plug in behind the battery that you hook the male 3-prong connector in. Can some one post a picture or explain it in a little more detail? Also, do both the red wires on the end of the harness hook directly to the battery?
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Cruiser’s Headlight Upgrade Harness Instructions
Absolutely plug and play. Remove grille and headlamp bulbs. I fed my harnesses from the passenger side starting between the battery and the back of the headlamp housing, over to the driver side. Plug the driver side bulb into the new harness. Attach the new harness's ground wire under one of the small bolts on the radiator support after scraping the paint off under it. Attach the harness to the existing harness behind the grille working toward the passenger side. . Plug the new harness plug into passenger headlamp. Plug original headlamp plug into receptacle on new harness. Attach the ground for the passenger side just like you did the driver side under a radiator support bolt. Attach relays with provided bracket on the passenger side inner fender. Connect power wires to battery. |
I figured it out, just didn't make since to me to plug the new into the old.
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The original is now just a signal to the relays to apply battery voltage to the lamps without running through the switch.
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Had a couple extra bucks ordered my harness today .
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