Led headlights

[mancheflo]

Are there any plug and play led headlights that would work for a 92 set up 

[Megadan]

1 hour ago, mancheflo said:

Are there any plug and play led headlights that would work for a 92 set up 

There are quite a few out there.  The MJ/XJ use 5 x 7" headlights, so take your pick.  Just be aware that you do get what you pay for.  That $80 pair from amazon or ebay is cheaper than the headlight it is a knock off of for a reason.  The ultimate tried and true would be a pair of Trucklite's 27450C, or the Rigid Industries equivalent, which is basically the same headlight.  A pair of them will run around $350 from most retailers.   I have personal experience with Trucklite headlights in both a car and a bike, and I can tell you they are worth the money.  I tried some cheaper knock offs, and they were decent, but they either failed to throw light nearly as far, or didn't last very long.

An alternative would be what I have done with my MJ, was to buy a set of H4 conversion headlights.  I bought a set from Rampage Industries because they are a very thick and strong aluminum housing with a thick tempered glass lens (no plastic).  You could also try and search for a set of E-code LHD H4 headlights, which look more factory and cost about the same as the Rampage ones I have.  The Rampage lights currently run about $90 a pair. https://www.amazon.com/RAMPAGE-PRODUCTS-5089927-Universal-Conversion/dp/B001OMPJHM

I ran a set of H4 bulbs with a relay harness for about 3 years and was extremely happy with them.  Last year I recently installed a set of H4 LED headlights from Superbright LED's (thes: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-vehicle-replacement-bulbs/h4-led-fanless-headlight-conversion-kit-with-adjustable-color-temperature-and-compact-heat-sink-5000-lumensset/4442/9993/ ) into said housings and I couldn't be happier.  No fans, the drivers are small, the heat sink sticking out the back of the light isn't too big so it actually fits between the back the light and the inner panel.  I did have to maneuver my wiring harness a bit on the drivers side, but not a big deal.  I also had to use my dremel and a sanding drum to ever so slightly open up the hole in the headlight bucket, again not a big deal.  The lead for the small driver has a disconnect to make removing the light easier, if necessary.  I have had zero issues with water.   The light output is excellent, better than the H4 bulbs on a relay harness.  I run them without the light "filters" so I have a pure white light output (5000k).

Sure, you would still be spending almost $180 for my setup, but that is still about half of the Trucklite headlights, and if you want a more factory looking front end that won't attract thieves, it is hard to beat.

I just want to reiterate that you do get what you pay for.  Proper optics, proper soldering, waterproofing, thermal control, etc are all things that make the higher dollar lights worth the money.  If you want to try and keep the costs down, then you could also do a little searching.  Here are some Aluminum and glass headlights just like the Rampage lights for $65 https://headlightrevolution.com/vision-x-5x7-hi-lo-sealed-replacement-headlight-housing-h6054-5x7-7x6/   You could use whatever LED bulb suits your fancy, but I highly recommend SuperbrightLED or another company with a good reputation like Opt7.  Their lights tend to be better in quality and have better optical positioning.

Hope that helps!

 

[Pete M]

do the relay upgrade before you spend all that coin!    link is in my sig

[HOrnbrod]

2 hours ago, Pete M said:

do the relay upgrade before you spend all that coin!    link is in my sig

 

Agree. Even if you do decide on the Trucklites later the relay harness makes a big difference with their performance too.

[Minuit]

I think the one thing we can all collectively agree on is that a relay harness of some kind is an absolute no-brainer. Brighter headlights AND no more melty headlight switches? Sounds like a good deal to me.

[Pete M]

yup.  it's like 10 bucks and 10 minutes of your time.  

[HOrnbrod]

AMC then Mopar never installed relays in the XJ/MJ headlamp circuitry, but always did when you ordered their optional rinky-dink driving or fog lamps. I'm sure it was pure economics, but think of all the burned up wiring or worse would have been prevented. Bastids...

[Megadan]

3 hours ago, Pete M said:

do the relay upgrade before you spend all that coin!    link is in my sig

I agree 100%.  It makes a huge difference in light output from the halogen lamps alone, along with saving that poor switch in the process.

[JustEmptyEveryPocket]

5 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

 

Agree. Even if you do decide on the Trucklites later the relay harness makes a big difference with their performance too.

 

Not to thread highjack here, but I thought that the draw from LEDs (like Trucklites) was small enough to not worry about melting the headlight switch. Is this not the case? And would the relay harness really help increase light output with Trucklites? I didn't install one when I swapped stock for Trucklites, but am now wondering if I need to go back and do that ASAP.

[HOrnbrod]

13 minutes ago, JustEmptyEveryPocket said:

Not to thread highjack here, but I thought that the draw from LEDs (like Trucklites) was small enough to not worry about melting the headlight switch. Is this not the case? And would the relay harness really help increase light output with Trucklites? I didn't install one when I swapped stock for Trucklites, but am now wondering if I need to go back and do that ASAP.

 

No, there's no need. I used to run Hella E-code halogens with a relay harness. When I put the Trucklites in I left the relay harness in. Later just for grins I bypassed the relay harness and the Trucklites were a tiny bit brighter, but it was really negligible. Probably just my imagination. 

[Pete M]

Don has a rustfree southern rig.  those of us with rustbuckets can expect a bigger difference.

 

But there is no reason why you shouldn't put in the relay harness, no matter what light you're running.    

[Megadan]

8 hours ago, JustEmptyEveryPocket said:

 

Not to thread highjack here, but I thought that the draw from LEDs (like Trucklites) was small enough to not worry about melting the headlight switch. Is this not the case? And would the relay harness really help increase light output with Trucklites? I didn't install one when I swapped stock for Trucklites, but am now wondering if I need to go back and do that ASAP.

They do draw less current than a typical H4 bulb.  Per Trucklite specs they draw 1.8 Amps at 12.8V, which is 23 Watts.  high beam is 3.6 Amps at 12.8 Volts, or 46 watts.   This is roughly half of a typical H4 bulb (55W/60W), so in theory you could get away without running a relay harness.  The main reason many of us use the relay harness is to take the load of the headlights off of the headlight switch, which takes the full current of the lights, and changes it to a very low current circuit that triggers the relays that are powered off of battery sourced power.