Any suggestions on a headlight upgrade for a 97 XJ?!?

 

Im running H4 bulb and Autopal housings with upgraded wire harness..

Upgrading the wiring harness for the headlights will improve the stock headlights a lot. then get Sylvania silverstar H6054.
The wiring harness is the key.. Our Jeeps came with bad wiring for the headlights


If you want to do the H4 then do some reading here.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/hea...grades-151217/

 

I have the putco harness, vision x housings, and some PIAA extreme whites I haven't installed yet but I will post a review when I get the chance.

 

If you're wanting to get a bit crazy, I suggest doing an HID retrofit.



And here's the h4 conversion with the putco harness

 

I have a set of LEDs that I am pretty sure I got over charged for by black-mamba offroad. The lights are awesome... they really are. But ive since seen ones that look the exact same on ebay for much cheaper. They are ugly but by far the brightest thing I've ever seen on a cherokee and Ive tried a bunch of them.

 

What did you do to upgrade the harness?

 

Most people use this


But you could make your own there with a couple relays and some wire, There are a few write-ups on here

 

I had Putco harness, AutoPal Headlights, and generic bulbs in my Daughters Cherokee, it was an improvement but I was not happy, I had an issue with the AutoPal losing the chrome reflection material after they got water in them once.

I now have the Rampage Headlights, Putco Harness, and plan on going with the Hella 130/90 watt bults (65/55 is stock I think)

I am also going to order a set of these LED's for $110, or get a set on eBay for $100 - http://www.farmerjohnsonoffroad.com/...ight-110-pair/ but mine is a trail rig that only will be driven to the trail and back. If I like the LED's I will keep them and give the Rampage's to my daughter for her new trail jeep, if not she will get the LED's, and if I love the LED's we will both end up with them.

 

Mine look similar to those (LED lights). Slightly different pattern. On low beam, only the top light up (which are angled slightly down), On high beam the output is ridiculous.. much brighter than any of the new cars I have owned.

I dont get flashed unless it's something really low... like super low. I have always been flashed by them sitting as high as I do.

Only down side to the light the LEDS throw out is the snow. For one, it wont melt it off the lense, and for two, the glare is terrible. I have some amber fogs I use during the blizzards. I followed a cop around for awhile when I first put them in to see if he would pull me over or anything... he didn't. I am not worried about the legality of the lights. I would rather see. (Call me selfish if you wish.. with how bright modern lights are, I don't care)

 

I picked up a h4 conversion housing on ebay for $60 and kensun 30,000k hids off amazon for $70.

 

On the low-end, a Putco Harness and a set of Silverstars would be a really good upgrade over the OEM lights.

If you want to really step up to amazing headlights...

JW Speaker

 

Read this please

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/headlights-203245/

 

I have an ARB harness, which is pricey but extremely well made with quality relays, plus a set of Hella e-code housings with 100/80W H4s. The harness made the biggest difference, but the e-code pattern is MUCH better than DOT. I had also bought an HID retrofit kit, but I decided against installing it after considering the HID system's vulnerability to water and the fact that the H4 bulbs in e-code housings are almost as good as the OEM HIDs in my other car.

Personally, I think the LED headlight banks make the truck look ugly. But that's just my aesthetic.

 

ebay search 7x6 h4 conversion, housings can be found for $30 shipped. go to the junk yard and cut off some plugs from a car with the h4 style lights, get a couple relays wire them up to the new plugs with a separate ground (not factory) and tap into the harness behind the front header panel disconnect and leave the oem plugs chillin behind the headlights. Then you can run what ever style H4 bulb, or get a plug and play hid kit off of feebay. I am running hid's in one xj and going to be putting silverstar H4's in the other xj. IIRC you are looking for a striped red and a stripped purple, well atleast thats what I think they were in mine 98 and 99. You need to run relays for the hid's or what ever you run for bulbs, if not if you have a delay turn off it will freak out the ballasts and flash like a strobe until it burns out, because they do not have enough current draw to keep the delay relay circuit closed.

 

correction, http://www.ebay.com/itm/351280280022?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT$22 shipped, these are the same as I am running in both xj's