ron45

Are there kits to accomplish this sort of thing? Or can you just get the lights and sockets to fit the XJ's attachment points?

Tried three searches and got too many answers that didn't seem to fit.

Getting sockets to mate up w/preexisting holes could be a hassle. I got to thinking about this after removing the tail lights to look for rattle sources. The back up lights and headlights seem pretty under powered to my old eyes.

Ron

investinwaffles

For head lights, you need to get the entire housing to switch to LED because of the reflector/optics design.

Truck Lite makes a popular model in the standard 5x7 headlight and there are tons of knockoffs. Just search Amazon for 5x7 LED Headlight and you should find plenty of options.

For the reverse light you need a standard 3156 bulb, just get them off Amazon
​​​​​​
Search for 3156 White LED and you will find plenty

extrashaky

You'll find a lot of crap Chinese 5x7 light bank headlights for sale for our Jeeps, the kind that have rows of little LEDs set back in reflective holes. Beware of those. They tend to have bad cutoff patterns that spray light everywhere, and a lot of people have issues with them staying on when turned off, glowing when turned off and simply failing after a few months because of cheap Chinese drivers.

If you want to go LED, do yourself a favor and shell out the money for good reflector LEDs (Truck Lites) or lensed LEDs (JW Speaker). Some less expensive Chinese knock-offs of both of those are getting pretty good reviews, but you generally get what you pay for.

ron45

Well that's good to know, time for a karma check, I'll go back to Azon and see if I can find out what the one's I ordered are.... still time to back out I think...

The pair was 64.00 OLS is the brand from online LED store or Quang Fop's closet anyone's guess.

Ron

4WD4EVER

Ron,

Just FYI, LED's don't generate enough heat to melt snow or ice.

ron45

At 7k ft. in central new mexico that may come in handy. Thank you.

Ron

Martlor13

it doesn't snow there? He meant that led is not good in snow conditions

wizardpc

For the love of god, don't get these. Just don't.

First off, let's address the problem.

It's not your eyes. It is widely known that the headlights and reverse lights are, in a word, terrible. You have two options, really. Option one is to upgrade the wiring, then the lights themselves if necessary. That's the cheapest way to solve your problem. Option two is to just bite the bullet and spend several hundred dollars on LED headlights.

To upgrade the wiring, you'll want to buy a wiring harness. From the factory, the wiring goes from the under hood fuse box to the headlight switch and then back to the headlights. There are no relays involved and all that power goes through the headlight switch. Eventually, that causes to headlight switch to fail because it's too much power. It fails faster if you try higher-wattage lights.

And when does if fail? Why, when you need your lights, of course! My 93 failed at 10pm on a Sunday night when I was 100 miles from home and had to be at work at 8am the next morning.

A wiring harness will alleviate all that by adding relays, bigger wires, and shorter runs into the mix. They are very easy to install and easily reversible--though theres not a reason to do so. You can buy one from a guy on the forum who makes them or from Amazon. I have the amazon one, but it uses weird honda relays which is a bit of a downside because you won't have spares sitting around. They are very easy to wire.

That easy upgrade by itself will improve your stock headlights merely by providing more power. If you still don't like your lights (which is possible), then it's time to move up. The cheaper way is to go with H4 conversion 5x7 housings and 55W Hella bulbs. Cheaper is relative. Two years ago, you could do that entire conversion for $100 including the harness. Now, not so much.

I ran those housing and lights for about a year and I was pretty happy.

Then we have LED lighting. Again, for the love of all that is holy, don't get these. They look dumb and they don't light the road as well as I'd like. Personally, I have Morimoto Sealed7's in mine today, but the only reason I do is because there was a manufacturing problem and I was able to get them for $75 each. The supplier I bought them from ran out quickly, but I was able to get a pair. They required fitting to shoehorn them in--angle grinders and dremels were required. TheRetrofitSource occasionally will have them in their closeout section.

I must admit to being underwhelmed after I installed them, but only because I felt like they were $300 headlights I got for $150 rather than $700 headlights I got for $150....if that makes sense. Now that I've had them for a while I really dig them.

For me, headlights are a lot like the rubber floor mats issue: There is no way I would have considered spending that much money on something like that on purpose, but now I can't go back.

ron45

people think of dyslexia as reversing some letters or numbers when you type. That how starts. Hope I don't find our where it stops. But this is my first complete idea that I dyslexed.... if I may construct my own verb.

Ron

ron45

Where does this 5X7 number come from? I happened to be a eye level with my headlights a few minutes ago and had to go for the tape. Mine seem to be more like 4 by 8. But it depends on what you think is part of the light and add or subtract some of the mounting foo foo.

Ron

extrashaky

The actual spec is H6054. Buy housings that are H6054 replacements, and you'll be fine.

investinwaffles

Crap, I forgot they even produced those

Definitely get the Truck-Lite style knock-offs, or the JW Speaker style ones with the projector optics.


The standard ones with the visible emitters are literally flood lights. Must be designed for tractors or OHV only vehicles, not even close to DOT legal

EDIT:

Buy These


or These

ron45

Thanks Guys, Wish I'd seen this sooner, the 64.00 set is on the way, but I can exchange for the ones you suggest Azon is pretty good about that. The first link is only 20 bucks more IIRC.

Ron

Rogue4x4

You do realize that price is for one only, right? Not a pair.

FWIW, I have the TruckLites...like the second link provided, but originals, not a knock off. LOVE THEM. Pricey, but got them used from a member here, for the price of 2 new.

ron45

Thank you roninofacko MY POST AVALANCHES OFF TOPIC Yea..... took a while but I finally snapped to the missing "s". Being a card carring Cynic for most of my 73 years, that page is a lot like "Some Settling May Occur" Or pumping almost 10% salt water into meat and calling it flavor enhanced... how is this not lying and stealing?????? Ever wonder how those things could happen in every store all at once? Often on the same day. I know how exactly how, but I'm stepping into a mine field as it is.

Anyone ever visit alecwatch.com? None of those guys drive XJ's
Ron