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headlight options???


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I have used the setup that "knever3" suggested on my previous XJ's, and it's quite good.  

 

On my MJ, though, I went a different route for the actual headlight proper.  I have some relatively no-name LED lamps I got off of Amazon.

 

No Name LED Headlights

 

They are not the longest-projecting lamps I have used, but they are a bright white, and the beam does not cause oncoming drivers to complain once aimed correctly.

 

For REAL long range driving, I use an LED light bar I got from Quadratec that I mounted on the front bumper.   Here in AZ, if you drive out in the boonies, you need all the light you can get, and that provides it.  Also, the law enforcement community out here isn't terribly aggressive about vehicles having extra lighting as long as you use it sensibly (read that "not in traffic"), so adding more lighting is pretty common for rural applications.

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I'm currently running the Rampage H4 housings can dig up a part number if you want. Looking online they're roughly the same price as the XingMang as well, and made in the USA. I'm happy enough with them that I'd recommend them to someone else. They did take modifying the metal bulb holder to fit the slightly deeper housing, but just two quick cuts with the death wheel. I'm also just running the bulbs they came with, and no relay harness for now because I still haven't got around to building one that plays nice with the DRL.. I keep meaning to get on that.

In terms of "brightness", I'd say they're pretty comparable to the stock sealed beams, but that's likely mostly down to colour temperature... a halogen's a halogen. Where they really shine is the beam pattern. They get light down the road where I need it but without losing out on beam width to get into the ditches, and keep the cutoff appropriate for glare into oncoming traffic, and do so with pretty even distribution without overly intense hot spots that make it harder to see other parts of the field of vision. And unlike an e-code light they don't have that disastrous upward kick on the right side that makes driving in snow nearly impossible and every road sign a blinding reflection. Where I live and drive is one of the darker parts of the planet (world's second biggest dark-sky preserve), the highways are only two lanes, there's curves and hills, and the wildlife is abundant, and much larger than an itty bitty whitetail. And coming around the corner when someone else is running a definitely illegal light bar... well let's just say that not a single person on the road at 3am is as alert as they think they are and can't get to that switch as quick as they think they can. There's a reason they're illegal and should not be used on the road. And frankly I don't know how people can stare back into their own overly bright lights reflected off every road sign and think it's appropriate.

One more point that I've made before and will make again is that you can have the best lighting system in the world and it'll be worthless if it's not aimed correctly. https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

It's cheap (effectively free) and easy, and I'd start there before throwing out money on lighting upgrades you might not actually need. They need re-aimed any time you do anything with ride height, have the front end apart, plus should be checked periodically, not to mention the manufacturer likely never did it from new on ANY vehicle.

Personally I like sealed beams. Every time you replace the bulb you get a new lens, so they don't get cloudy, scratched, or chipped over time. They're definitely adequate, so long as you keep them clean, aimed properly, and won't be doing much more than 65mph in the dark. And they don't have the annoying high-colour-temp whiteness that I find very stressful to my eyes that I haven't seen an automotive LED come without. But they're definitely not the best lights out there if you do lots of regular highway driving at night.

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12 hours ago, knever3 said:

I love my Hella E code housings, Hella relay harness, and Hella 550 driving lights, but that light pattern and color temp is beautiful. Links to setup?

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
 


https://blackflamecustoms.com

 

I used to run a set of GTR projectors in my YJ and they were just as nice. Excellent light dispersion and a sharp cutoff. The projectors I have now are made by black flame customs and have morimoto projectors, 35w 5500k H1 morimoto HID’s ballasts and relay harness. Starr also used to make a nice set but I think they are all gone now.

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6 hours ago, OldSch88L said:

Here are the be all, end all videos about 5X7 lighting. These guys seem to know their stuff and do thorough testing:

 

https://youtu.be/xWT5h-WWHTU

https://youtu.be/6ifsEY7KbBg

https://youtu.be/zwQs7uyGFvs

https://youtu.be/vCNj9hvPSfY

https://youtu.be/W1JtVou4pSY

I’ve bought lots of parts from headlight revolution. They are a good supplier as is “the retrofit source”. The problem with HR is that the good quality projector setups from both Starr and GTR don’t exist anymore. There are also very few 5x7/7x6 led options that stick around more than a couple of years. Another challenge is the depth that is available in a typical 5x7 headlight bucket. They don’t allow for many projector housing options so we’re left with short sealed style lights which simply have a very difficult time getting a good light pattern.

 

 

Edit: took another shot of my light patter against the side of a hill by the house. The truck was sitting up at a bit of an angle. The cutoff is just below drivers eyes on most cars when they are approaching in oncoming traffic. 

055E57A8-D7B2-4095-A1FF-D2D1E9B07958.jpeg

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