Upgraded Headlights

[fiatslug87]

Holley retrobright

https://www.holley.com/brands/holley_retrobright/products/restoration/lamps_and_lighting/retrobright/rectangular_headlights/

[gogmorgo]

I think that would be the Holley Retrobright. 

https://www.holley.com/brands/holley_retrobright/

I would’ve bought myself a set if they were heated. They’re definitely not cheap… but if you want LEDs and you want your truck to not look like a cyborg, that’s the option for you. Good beam pattern, good colour temperature, correct look, reputable manufacturer backing up the product… it’s all there. Except the heated lenses. I definitely need those around here. 

[NHMJXJ]

@fiatslug87 @gogmorgo   That's them!   Thanks guys

 

As for heated lenses, not really a issue because I rarely drive my MJ is foul weather of any kind.   Besides performance, the "look" is

the appeal for these as well.  I haven't seen an alternative (save the Hella option) that looks correct.

 

[Drahcir495]

I’ve had these for about 5 years and they are still working great. No fogging of lenses like I’ve seen on others ->

 

Limited-time deal: Partsam 2PCS Rectangle H6054 LED Headlights 5x7 7x6 Headlamp Hi/Low Sealed Beam H4 9003 Plug 6054 H5054 Compatible with S10 Blazer Express Van/Wrangler YJ XJ Cherokee Truck Van https://a.co/d/1UvIC31

I also made my own harness and it really made a difference.

 

[Salvagedcircuit]

On 1/13/2024 at 7:12 PM, NHMJXJ said:

@fiatslug87 @gogmorgo   That's them!   Thanks guys

 

As for heated lenses, not really a issue because I rarely drive my MJ is foul weather of any kind.   Besides performance, the "look" is

the appeal for these as well.  I haven't seen an alternative (save the Hella option) that looks correct.

 

If you have any questions, I have two sets of the retrobrights. One is the 5x7 euro style, one is the clear style. The led module is made out of aluminum with a copper heat pipe running through it. The led module is removable with 2 torx screws. There is an o-ring seal and it seals against the front outer housing. There is thermal paste between them. One of mine has a little less thermal paste than I would have liked, so I added more.

What is strange is the outer housing is a fused combination of a clear Polycarbonate lens and a plated dicast housing. The housing has weight like it's cast zinc or something similar but has the look and feel of metalized plastic. The die cast part is also silver painted. The silver paint does rub off with an eraser and is not very scratch resistant. I asked holley how they made the euro versions, they actually dyed the Polycarbonate yellow. There's no way to make a yellow lens clear. I can post some photos if you are interested. Otherwise I'm happy with them.

[gogmorgo]

2 hours ago, Drahcir495 said:

I’ve had these for about 5 years and they are still working great. No fogging of lenses like I’ve seen on others ->

 

Limited-time deal: Partsam 2PCS Rectangle H6054 LED Headlights 5x7 7x6 Headlamp Hi/Low Sealed Beam H4 9003 Plug 6054 H5054 Compatible with S10 Blazer Express Van/Wrangler YJ XJ Cherokee Truck Van https://a.co/d/1UvIC31

I also made my own harness and it really made a difference.

 

These aren’t legit. They only have partial markings for the SAE requirements. They also have a partial ECE marking. Its almost impossible for lights to be compliant with both ECE and SAE standards. They’re also missing all the other necessary markings to distinguish the type of light within either set of standards. 

Sadly I see they’re selling over 1000 of them per month.

The one-star reviews aren’t the typical pissed-off-idiot reviews you see on everything either, they’re talking about failing inspections and poor beam patterns, just unfocused floods. They’re cheap but still not worth the money.

[gogmorgo]

1 hour ago, Salvagedcircuit said:

If you have any questions, I have two sets of the retrobrights. One is the 5x7 euro style, one is the clear style. The led module is made out of aluminum with a copper heat pipe running through it. The led module is removable with 2 torx screws. There is an o-ring seal and it seals against the front outer housing. There is thermal paste between them. One of mine has a little less thermal paste than I would have liked, so I added more.

What is strange is the outer housing is a fused combination of a clear Polycarbonate lens and a plated dicast housing. The housing has weight like it's cast zinc or something similar but has the look and feel of metalized plastic. The die cast part is also silver painted. The silver paint does rub off with an eraser and is not very scratch resistant. I asked holley how they made the euro versions, they actually dyed the Polycarbonate yellow. There's no way to make a yellow lens clear. I can post some photos if you are interested. Otherwise I'm happy with them.

I’m curious what temperature they run at. High power LEDs do still generate some heat, and my sealed beams weren’t enough to keep up with freezing rain a couple weeks ago anyhow. 

I didn’t really look into the euro style. Are they an actual ECE lens or just a yellow DOT? More a curiosity thing, I’m not a fan of the ECE beams anyhow. Tinted lenses are a questionable legality thing too. ECE lights are road legal up here, and you can get away with the yellow ECE lights, but only if they were original equipment on an imported car. Otherwise no tinted lenses. They will get you pulled over because there’s so few of them on the road that are legitimately allowed to run them. 

[Salvagedcircuit]

I first grabbed the yellow euro-style retrobrights from an ebay seller who had the pair up new open box for $90. Well worth it. I just got the clear ones used from someone on marketplace and they are well used but at least I don't have to be concerned about getting pulled over now. There's no rule I could find against yellow colored lights in NH or NY state, but it's one of those things where you don't want to give them a reason. Frankly I hate the look of morphed alien head style aliexpress import headlights, so these were a great alternative to the original sealed bulb design.

I believe they are just yellow DOT lenses. Forgive my lack of worldly-ness but I don't know what ECE means

Is it an outside US approval body?

[gogmorgo]

1 hour ago, Salvagedcircuit said:

Forgive my lack of worldly-ness but I don't know what ECE means

Is it an outside US approval body?

ECE is the Economic Commision for Europe. Its the European lighting standards, often referred to online as “e-code”. They’re not legal for road use in the US but they’re good, the beam patterns are much more focused  than a DOT/SAE beam and put more light in useful places in comparison, with less glare to directly oncoming traffic. So a lot of people like them.

 

They are legal here in Canada, and some European manufacturers equip their Canadian market cars with them instead of the US-spec lights.  I’ve run them, and I’m not really a fan. The low beam has an upward kick to the right which I think is for illuminating non-reflective road signs, but North American road signs are incredibly reflective, which basically means you blind yourself going past them. I also got flashed regularly by oncoming traffic coming around a right-hand bend until I had the lights aimed so low they were becoming questionable. And passing traffic on a multi-lane road you can watch the lights running down the side of a vehicle and glaring straight into the driver’s mirror, which isn’t something anyone ever seemed to try to communicate to me, but I know it bugs me to no end having bright lights in my mirrors. But most of all that upward kick of light is a severe problem for driving in snow. Its like running around with a high beam on the passenger side.

I’ve basically come to the conclusion that they’re excellent lights but are very bothersome when you’re like me and live and drive in the middle of nowhere far away from light pollution with not a lot of traffic so the bright lights shining at you are very noticeable compared to the darkness your eyes are adjusted to. It would be less of an issue with more light around in general for your eyes to adjust. But it’s still somewhat telling that Europe also commonly uses many other types of lights to avoid using the low beams.