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/he...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...

 

I'll add this to muddy the water a bit further...

Ecode has become a bit of a generic term referring to lenses with sharp cutoff lines that keep the light focused where it needs to be, which did begin in Europe. Most people simply look at the horizontal cutoff line but neglect the vertical cutoff, which is what can make these illegal and dangerous in the US. The vertical cutoff is designed to keep light out of oncoming traffic but still allows it to illuminate the shoulder of the road. Being that one of us drives on the wrong side of the road, if you had true ecode lights in America you would have the vertical cutoff on the wrong side and blind oncoming traffic. So if the particular company/dealer/manufacturer you are dealing with uses the term ecode in the generic sense, then yes you can get "ecode" or "euro style" lenses that are US legal.

 

Umm pretty much the UK is the only European country (I know it's not exactly a country) that has left hand traffic (the rest are island nations like Cyprus). So standard Ecodes are for right hand traffic just like the USA.

 

Here is the link where i baught them. I also didn't want to go with any standard silverstar or off brand type sealed beam since the stock ones were so bad..... I am really satisfied with these. they don't seem to get too too hot or anything. just my $0.02...
They weren't too expensive either $89.00 plus shipping. I didn't think that was too bad compared to some others. Especially when you have to replace them because a buddy shoots up a rock from this tires & they shatter........

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_501.htm

 

Rampage H4

 

wired in relays for the high/lowbeam, and replaced with 14 gauge wire. let there be light!



and it cost me maybe $20 to make. thats about 35-40 feet from my house.

 

Well I guess the cracker jack box where I read all that info was full of crap man! Haha wow, thought I had that one figured out, thanks for setting me straight.

 

I was able to take a few minutes to install my new headlights.
I removed the bulbs that came with them and replaced them with Sylvania's ZXE's H4's
I removed the Blue accent light at the bottom and put in an amber LED that I will wire into my turn signals.
I did not have time to wire the turn signal lights but here is what I have:

 

One of the best upgrades I did. Brighter than the Silverstars. I am using a 100/80W Hella H4 bulbs tho

 

thats exactly what i bought.. i love it. so much brighter