Boatnik

Well I finally did what I said I was.....I crossed the low beam with the power to the dimmer switch so the low beams work with the high. WOW! I can see again. Just to bring in a little history, I rigged my head lights with relays and 10 guage wire several months ago. That was a significant improvement over the factory harness. Then my son turned me on to Sylvania Silver Star lamps. These out shine Wagners two to one, and are DOT approved. Well this evening after putting up the Christmas decorations I got out the FSM and figured out how to short out the power to the headlight switch to the low beams. Now the lows stay on with the highs and it is MUCH better. I went into the harness at the steering column and spliced the 14 gauge light green wire that supplies power to the headlight switch with the 16 gauge violet/white wire to the low beams. This allows the low beams to remain on with the high beams. It is a mod well worth doing if you are driving a lot at night and trying to avoid hitting Bambi.

wannadiesel

Yeah, you can't really see any further, but it really helps light up the ditches close to the truck. With the regular high beams you can see far away, but up close it's very dark out to the sides.

A rock took out one of my Silverstars so I went back to regular halogens. I'm getting fed up with them, the Silverstars had me spoiled. It just pains me to shell out that much money for a headlight.

woodrat

"if you are driving a lot at night and trying to avoid hitting Bambi."

Especially since around here, bambi is an elk...

Jim Lane

Check out the sale at Pep Boys, they have the Silverstar Ultra twin pack on sale for $29.99 after rebate.
I am going to pick up a few. It expires Jan. 13,2007

Last week I did a great sin and wandered into Big Lots for some reason and they had Pilot 6054 headlamp conversions for $10.00

So I got one for a future conversion, not the ones I wanted to get but for the price I couldn't pass it up
.
I want to get the ones by Hella .

http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell...ision_Plus.jsp

Those SilverStars are great especially when you drive them near their limit of 15 volts although they only last 3 months so I dropped the voltage back to 14.0 at the lamps.
Jim

wannadiesel

I thought the twin pack deal was only for the bulbs, not the headlights?

I was aggravated when the Silverstar got broken, but I think I'd vomit blood if one of those Hellas got taken out by a rock.

Jim Lane

Dave,

Yes this is for the bulbs only,

I picked up a set of conversions the ones from Big Lots for only $10.00, there were about 6 more on the shelf, don't know if all of the stores get the same stock though.

When I had my lamps at 15 volts they were really bright but they were costing me $50.00 every 3 months for lamps so I had to fix that, so I regulated the voltage by adding a 90-amp diode in the line to drop the voltage down to a safe level.

I haven’t checked on the price for the Hella's but I am sure they are expensive.
Last I remember the lens were made of lead crystal so they are optically superior to regular glass or lexan.

How was your New Year?
Jim

Geico266

When you tie the two together and run both the high & low beams together don't you create a bunch of heat that the housing & lenses are not designed for? Anyone (hot shotters) ever have any problems doing this conversation?

On my "99" I can cause both to come on by pulling the turn signal handle and holding it. Which is an obvious PITA for long distances.

Begle1

I got some chincy sealed-beam to bulb conversions from Autozone for under $20.00; cheap plastic boxes that I can't keep the condensation out of. At least the housing would deflect rocks better than sealed beams, though.

Now what was I going to say?

BearKiller

Why would anyone want bulbs, instead of sealed beams??

I saw the fancy Sylvania bulbs at Walmart, in the clearance shelf, for like $13/pair, Silverstars.

Jim Lane

Yes on the composites you do run the risk of melting the lamps because now you are burning over twice wattage of filaments instead of only signally,

Sylvania SilverStars
9003 ST 65/72 = 137 watts = 11.416 amps @12.0 volts.
9004 ST 50/70 =120 watts = 10.0 amps. @12.0 volts
H6054 ST 60/70 =130 watts = 10.833 amps. @12.0 volts
Obviously as the volts go up the amps go down.

http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/...ilver-Star.htm


This is all the more reason to upgrade to relays now all of this has to go through your headlight and dip switch, and worse all through a 14ga. Or 16 ga. factory harness.

But that is only if you run them on High Beam all of the time, normally you would be only in the low beam mode so there would not any problems I could see except for the initial increase over stock.

The H6054 ST’s would not have a problem because they have glass reflectors and are hermetically sealed.


Quote:
I got some chincy sealed-beam to bulb conversions from Autozone for under $20.00; cheap plastic boxes that I can't keep the condensation out of. At least the housing would deflect rocks better than sealed beams, though.

You are right on this one.
This is the reason I am looking for the Hella’s

Check out these conversions..

http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/...ire-Trucks.htm

Wow.. I need them.

Quote:
Why would anyone want bulbs, instead of sealed beams??

Because there are a variety of higher wattage lamp modules offered beyond what is offered in a stock sealed beam lamp.
Also some of the better conversions have modified optics designed into the fluted glass lens.


Jim

Boatnik

That could really HURT!

Boatnik

The sealed beam lights are all glass and can take the heat. The others I'm not so sure. I ran mine mostly on high beam going out to the farm and while working on the tractor without a heat related problem. THey were on high beam for over an hour.

dozerdawg2

You know, living here in Fairbanks AK, our bambis are a might bit bigger. I run at night with the high beams double 9 inch LightForce and double 7 inch Lightforce. The 9's are focused in to a spot so they shine down the highway. The 7's are focused out to a flood and aimed out to each side of the highway. So when I am on the Parks highway in the middle of the night it is lit up and you would think it is daytime. LightForce is well worth the money.

Boatnik

I think the traffic here is a little more conjested.
I know for a fact the state and local law enforcement personel would have a field day with anyone throwing more than six white lights forward or any white lights above the base of the windshield. Maybe that is one reason Virginia has jumped from number seven to number six for deer killed by auto this year. The numbers went up a thousand accidents. The fish and game commission claims the deer population has doubled since the settlers first landed in 1607. And deer season closes Saturday. They need to extend it through February IMHO.

Rampage1967

I use GE HO6054 lamps in mine (red box at wally world).
They throw a nice pattern, are all glass, & have 55w low beams.
You can get them anywhere for $9.99 & they last fairly well,
even with all filaments running.