comanche13 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 can i instal h4 headlights in to my comanche instead of the sealed beams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Yes but your going to need to upgrade the wiring to a heavier gage and add a few relays. But can be done and is defiantly one of the best upgrades I have done on mine. Laterally the difference of night and day. Field at night under a no moon status or cloudy situation on a two lane country road... priceless. Hornbrod helped me out on what to get off Ebay and through a Hella vender he found. You might PM him or maybe he will chide in. Not cheap though but again well worth it. James and Sugarfoot Austin TX YEHAA Hookem Horns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 One of the best mods I've done for my wife's daily driven XJ. Here is the setup and write-up on the one's we used; http://greatlakesxj.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=43793&p=3&topicID=15250394 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepman Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 For an MJ You Do not Need to Upgrade the wiring or add any extra Relays... The H4 Convesion is Just a Lense and a Replaceable Lamp and the Factory Headlights are 55W Low beam and 65W High Beam Even if you Run 80W low and 100W Highs as I do in my MJ and My CJ you do not Need a wiring upgrade... 55W = 4.5A each so 9AMPS for the pair 65W = 5.4A each so 10.8AMPS for the pair Which is the EXACT same as Factory and the factory Wiring can Handle 20AMPS for Each the Low and the High... I Run H4's in all My Jeeps and Sell them to many Of my Customers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 For an MJ You Do not Need to Upgrade the wiring or add any extra Relays... The H4 Convesion is Just a Lense and a Replaceable Lamp and the Factory Headlights are 55W Low beam and 65W High Beam Even if you Run 80W low and 100W Highs as I do in my MJ and My CJ you do not Need a wiring upgrade... 55W = 4.5A each so 9AMPS for the pair 65W = 5.4A each so 10.8AMPS for the pair Which is the EXACT same as Factory and the factory Wiring can Handle 20AMPS for Each the Low and the High... I Run H4's in all My Jeeps and Sell them to many Of my Customers... Well, slapping H4 conversion housings w. 65W H4 bulbs in w/o upgrading the stock 18AWG wiring will probably work for awhile, but it's pushing the amperage limits on the headlight switch and wiring, and it's not really not much of an improvement over the stock setup because of the voltage drop inherent in the stock headlamp circuit. I damn sure wouldn't do it. For a few bucks you can wire in a decent aftermarket headlamp harness w. relays, like the APC or make your own, and get the full voltage to your new headlights w/o voltage drop and protect your headlamp switch and stock wiring from burning up. Just adding the harness w. relays will dramatically upgrade the lumens output of the stock sealed beams. And swapping in anything over a pair of 55W H4 lamps w/o upgrading the harness and adding relays is just foolhardy and asking for eventual problems. No XJ/MJ from the factory used relays in headlamp's circuitry (all sealed beam headlamps), but the optional foglights (H3 or H4 bulbs) did use relays. Could this possibly indicate that there's a difference in the amp draw between the two? :nuts: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfg67 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I used the write-up listed below with one important difference-combine the two low beam wires to the top 87 plug on the low beam relay and combine the two high beam wires to the 87 plug on the high beam relay: http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm I used these lamps from Quadratec and couldn’t be happier with the performance difference. Remember, swapping in new H4 lamps will help, but unless you upgrade the wiring, the old wiring will not get enough juice to run the lamps at peak efficiency. http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_02.htm My total cost for headlamps & wiring materials was about $200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Glad to hear you got your relay wiring straightened out, finally. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I was just reading in the JP Jan 09' mag about the H4 HID upgrade, Looks like I will be going this out being it has all the wiring for the kit which makes quita a difference, like upgrading the battery cables. Of course it is pricey so it depends on your needs and overall goal. http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/ ... index.html http://www.electrosport.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche13 Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 yeah jp is where i got the idea from to haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfg67 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 hornbrod, if I told you how many hours I spent trying to figure out the 87 plug relay issue you would pass out is disbelief! :ack: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepman Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Well, slapping H4 conversion housings w. 65W H4 bulbs in w/o upgrading the stock 18AWG wiring will probably work for awhile, but it's pushing the amperage limits on the headlight switch and wiring, and it's not really not much of an improvement over the stock setup because of the voltage drop inherent in the stock headlamp circuit. I damn sure wouldn't do it. For a few bucks you can wire in a decent aftermarket headlamp harness w. relays, like the APC or make your own, and get the full voltage to your new headlights w/o voltage drop and protect your headlamp switch and stock wiring from burning up. Just adding the harness w. relays will dramatically upgrade the lumens output of the stock sealed beams. And swapping in anything over a pair of 55W H4 lamps w/o upgrading the harness and adding relays is just foolhardy and asking for eventual problems. No XJ/MJ from the factory used relays in headlamp's circuitry (all sealed beam headlamps), but the optional foglights (H3 or H4 bulbs) did use relays. Could this possibly indicate that there's a difference in the amp draw between the two? :nuts: The Stock Sealed Beams Are 55W LOW BEAM and 65W HIGHBEAM so mister smarty pants :brows: please tell me Exactly how the AMP draw is More when the POWER DRAW IS the same... + a 18 Gauge wire is rated Much higher then the 9AMPS that is being pulled from it with a stock Headlamp on low beam or the 10AMPS for the High Beam + the Fogs are only a 55W (4.5AMP) Lamp aswell and the relay is there and I can not say why I am not a Jeep Engineer... The H4 system is a BETTER Techonolgy therfore better brighter lights using the same POWER but different technology... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 :Canadaflag: VS :USAflag: :shake: Here WE GO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfg67 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Is this a fight??? :fs1: First of all, I never said I was an expert on this subject or the write-up I suggest is better than anyone else’s-just that I recently did this upgrade and it works great. The 20 year old factory headlight wiring uses smaller wire (numerically higher gauge) compared to the load that can be pulled through them - this results in a voltage drop over the span of the headlight harness, and less voltage means less bright lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepman Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 This is Nothing CANADA VS US so I do not understand that and am insulted... Just a Debate and I am no Electrical Expert either and if there is a Valid reason this is Not Good I want to know so I can Look further into it... But So far I am the only one Actually Putting Numbers to it and I can Go outside and put a DC amp meter or volt meter and Get the Actual Current load on the lights... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Simmer down now just messing with you. It's all good. C'mon now it's pretty much Friday, drink a beer on me It's not so much that the wiring can't handle the load but why only going half way with the upgrade, your doing it for better lighting, so upgrading the wiring will help in aide in this as well as a precaution to keep your rig from lighting up like a sonic fireball! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfg67 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yeah, you're always stirring-up things MiNi Beast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 :yes: Haven't been around in a while so just saying HI! :clapping: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 gezzz :shake: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 JT you need to stay on topic, Pete no like cleaning up all your posts! :rotfl2: :waving: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I want to upgrade my wiring harness.. Rog, those HID's are freaking too brite! Offroad yeah but man those things would be way too much on the road.. Just take a look at the after pictures gezzzus..... I know when I pass one of those BMW's on the road I'd like to smack the poor sob... I don't want to be "that" guy.. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out why my 96 XJ has the wiring for the fogs in the dash but nowhere else... :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 They said in the articale they adjusted them down as to not blind the cars going by, But I love bright lights, but checked out the ssite or the HID wiring,(electrosport) they are for off-road trucks and like $400 for the kit to. But why not put them on a light bar in the middle of bumper and run them for off road? JT did the owners before you take them out, or did they even come with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Someone replaced the bumper with a bumper with fogs. I had a extra switch and had the dash apart and found the connector. I have the header off now to straighten out some of the sheet metal and to take the rad to the shop to find a leak, so I took the headlight harness off from its main connector, and tried to locate some sort of voltage for a relay of something. Nothing.. I thought the relay for the fogs were on the outside (engine bay) but thinking the 96 is a lil different.. I havent messed with it much,, either its cold as hell or it raining.... :ack: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 check the symatics in the manual off of GLXJ.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junker Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I'd just like to say that 18awg is definitely NOT a large enough wire to accommodate 55W headlights. Sure, the wire might be rated to carry 10 amps (which many are not, depends on the wire you have) but wire has to be de-rated for the conditions its used in. You have to take into account voltage drop, ambient temp, wire spacing, etc. I wouldn't run anything smaller than 14awg for anything you're using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 How much different is a 95 from a 96? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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