BPranes

So I bought some 7x6 10000K HID's

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=310812510445

And was curious, since they are the same size as y 7x6 headlights on my 88 XJ they will fit right in, right?

odgreen

I feel bad for everyone on the road where you are from. Those are horrible and will blind everyone on the road.

rzldzl

if there is a God, youll die in the crash you cause

BrandonSS

Why oh why wont a moderator sticky or compile an informational HID thread...

The ONLY proper, safe, and courteous to others way to install HID headlights is to do a REAL RETROFIT. Those are not projectors. They are going to blind everyone. There is no legitimate cut off sheild, no focus, no nothing.. just a housing with a fake lens and a ridiculously bright HID light inside beaming light everywhere including oncoming traffic's eyes..

DenimDean

What is the point in having your headlights so blue? The bro factor?

x2 on the hid sticky

BPranes

What's retro fitting? I might look more into that instead. Are HID's really that bad? I didn't know, no need to be douchebags about it, just tell me that I shouldn't use them and why not. For ****s sake.

BPranes

Can you give me more info on what a real retrofit is?

BrandonSS

Lead Foot sells what I did in my signature link where I wrote up a DIY. However, his wait time looks to be about a month if not longer.

odgreen

We don't create one because in all 50 states iys illegal to install hids on a road vehicle.

BrandonSS

Oh come on now... raising a vehicle is also illegal unless people are lowering their bumpers to the regulation DOT height in most states. Some states its illegal to have spot lights, some states make it illegal to violate smog laws which include intakes, exhausts, etc.

My point is this question is becoming a redundancy by being posted sometimes multiple times a day. Why not inform people how to do this without endangering others instead of seeing the word HID and then going out and buying something such as what the OP purchases since he thought it would work all the same?

cruiser54

Like this?

Originally Posted by xjsnake https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/hea...151196/index2/ - post2069179https://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...

BrandonSS

Thats a good start but a bit deceiving saying it will cost $1000 for a true bixenon projector retrofit. I did mine for under $200 and Lead Foot's kit is a true bixenon retrofit as well and can be had for $200 from his company.

Another source for parts is www.theretrofitsource.com

Depending on how much you value your XJ, such as if it your baby and DD, will determine how much you want to spend. If you always use the top of the line parts for everything then go to retrofit source and buy everything there. The projectors used in mine are http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...oducts_id=3181 plus a H1 plug and play kit (h4 harness)from ebay on top of some super cheap housings that I cut up. The housing basically becomes nothing more than a holder or display case for the projector thats doing the work. The reflector housing is no longer having any part of the distribution of light.

Preaiming (it was cold!)

Aimed low beam using the 20' from a wall and 34" method. Ive yet to be flashed and when behind cars my beam lands on their trunk, not their mirrors or eyes. The jeep was parked ON the curb so not quite as low as they are when driving.

High beam

Kris smith

I have those exact housing for my halogen lights and they suck ***. I wouldn't want to run hid in them. So I ordered lead foots kit

xjsnake

[QUOTE=BrandonSS;2698601]Thats a good start but a bit deceiving saying it will cost $1000 for a true bixenon projector retrofit. [QUOTE]

At the time I wrote that, custom retrofits were extremely uncommon and were largely experimental.

BPranes

Sent those headlights back due to all your advice. Will be looking more into retro0fitting