2nd Gen headlight thread....Let's see what you got
03-16-2010, 05:28 PM
#18
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I was thinking about starting a thread on headlamp replacement when I noticed this one. I am tech savy, and understand how to properly handle high intensity lamps. Silverstars appear to be COMPLETE CRAP! Installed SILVERSTINK's 14 months ago. First one died two months ago, other one last week. NOT a reasonable life span. I will try Phillips next.
03-16-2010, 11:57 PM
#19
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Yeah, Silverstars are not worth half of what they charge for them! I think I went thru about four of them in just over a year in the little Ranger I used to drive! I've heard good things about the GE Nighthawk bulbs, but haven't had a chance to try them yet.
03-17-2010, 08:29 AM
#20
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Well I ordered the upgrade harness from Daniel Stern (what a wealth of info this guy has on vehicle lighting), the Phillips Xtreme Power 9007 bulbs and the GE Nighthawk 9004nh bulbs as well as the sportlights. I ended up not getting the oem sportlights from Dodge. I just couldnt bring myself to spring for the $400+ setup so I went with the depo headlights. I know tiawan but they were only 149.00 + 14.25 shipping for the pair from Headlights Depo through Amazon.com and seems everyone who has used them has liked them. Looking forward to putting them in once they get here and the weather cooperates.
From searching around on the web I found nothing but good on various car forums about the Phillips Xtreme Power bulbs. Apparently relatively new at least in the 9007 series but from what I have read they seem to be the gold standard of bulbs (at least for now) as long as they make the type/model you need (they dont make the 9004). Great reviews on the Nighthawks as well. We shall see though, no pun intended.
Also the Silverstars - there are two Silverstars the Sylvania Silverstars are junk from my own experience as well as countless threads here and other car forums. However the OSRAM Sylvania Silverstars (as Just Me stated earlier in this thread he was using) are supposed to be very good. Osram (a german company iirc) bought Sylvania a while back and they already had a bulb called the Silverstar. So they continue to sell both but they are different bulbs.
From searching around on the web I found nothing but good on various car forums about the Phillips Xtreme Power bulbs. Apparently relatively new at least in the 9007 series but from what I have read they seem to be the gold standard of bulbs (at least for now) as long as they make the type/model you need (they dont make the 9004). Great reviews on the Nighthawks as well. We shall see though, no pun intended.
Also the Silverstars - there are two Silverstars the Sylvania Silverstars are junk from my own experience as well as countless threads here and other car forums. However the OSRAM Sylvania Silverstars (as Just Me stated earlier in this thread he was using) are supposed to be very good. Osram (a german company iirc) bought Sylvania a while back and they already had a bulb called the Silverstar. So they continue to sell both but they are different bulbs.
03-17-2010, 04:55 PM
#21
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On those taiwain housings there is a plug on the back top inside corner, mine were fogging up and I believe that is where they were leaking from. Might be a good idea to put some caulking in there I did on mine and they stopped getting wet inside. Also from daniel stern that is a kit to build your own harness, its not a complete harness, just a heads up but it is alll top quality parts and the harness is fairly easy to wire up.
03-17-2010, 09:18 PM
#22
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I remembered reading something about that maybe even from your previous post in this thread or the other one and had planned to seal them up before I put them in.
On Daniels website he just sells the harness kit. However he will make one if you ask him. It was about $12 more than the suvlight harness I think.
On Daniels website he just sells the harness kit. However he will make one if you ask him. It was about $12 more than the suvlight harness I think.
03-18-2010, 12:14 PM
#23
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FWIW... my Sylvania Silverstars lasted far beyond my expectations. I bought and installed them in early 2004 and they both blew out within a month of eachother just three (and two) months ago. Go figure!
I added the harness from LMC truck about 2 years ago and didn't notice any difference.
I replaced the light housing with the eBay single 9004 version about 3 months ago and was not that impressed still.
Added one of the bulbs that Daniel Stern recommends - the Philips VisionPlus and they have a noticeably larger bulb size and the light output was whiter than the lone Silverstar I still had installed. Good bulbs. But the housing is the issue - doesn't aim the light or spread it where needed.
So the Catz MSRs do the rest.
I added the harness from LMC truck about 2 years ago and didn't notice any difference.
I replaced the light housing with the eBay single 9004 version about 3 months ago and was not that impressed still.
Added one of the bulbs that Daniel Stern recommends - the Philips VisionPlus and they have a noticeably larger bulb size and the light output was whiter than the lone Silverstar I still had installed. Good bulbs. But the housing is the issue - doesn't aim the light or spread it where needed.
So the Catz MSRs do the rest.
03-18-2010, 03:44 PM
#24
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i had enough of my oem non-sport headlights. i now have sport headlights, but it took some trial and error to get there.
i first tried the lmc harness - helped out with the light output in the non-sport housings. i was impressed with the difference - but un-impressed with the build quality of the harness.
on to the next - i simply replaced the non-sport housings with the one-piece housings shown earlier in the thread. the light output was improved - but the beam pattern was horrible - i had scattered light all over the place. the one piece housings are also very difficult to adjust as there is only one (hard to get at) screw.
on to the next - i replaced the stock bulbs with $$$ piaa bulbs - light got whiter, but not brighter.
on to the next - i did the high/low mod to allow the lows to stay on when high beam is engaged - but not the other way around. this was done simply by putting a one-way diode in the unused passenger stock harness (the lmc harness does not use the stock passenger side headlight wiring.) this did not last long, and one of the bulbs physically blew up and spread shards of glass, and gases around the inside of the housing. the reason i believe it blew is because the one-piece housings have the capsule which directs light backwards into the reflector housing. the little capsule is quite close to the bulb, and i think the extra heat from both filaments had nowhere to dissipate, whereas a stock housing does not use that capsule and the bulb is not covered, allowing more heat to dissipate.
on to the next - after all of the above, i finally decided to do the sport conversion. i built my own harness from scratch with 12g wire, relays and hd bulb sockets. i also went the oem route with the housings. i built my harness so that a 5-pin relay would allow full-time use of all four bulbs when on low or high, and if needed, a 4-pin relay would not allow the inner bulbs to come on during low beam operation. i have ended up using the 4-pin relays because when driving in fog with the low beams on (and all four bulbs lit) the inner bulbs direct the light quite high, making it difficult to see. my sport lights now operate as they would've from the factory (low = outer bulbs only ; high = inner and outer)
i am by far more than happy with the final result of the sport conversion - if knew in the beginning what i know now, i would have done it first and saved lots of $$$.
as for bulbs - i am currently using philips vision+ for all 4 bulbs. light output is excellent. as it is now, i wouldn't see the need for extra driving lights - just fog lights.
i am planning on switching bulbs to the high wattage style. there are two types - 100/80w or 100/55 or 65 what (9004 or 9007). i am plannig on using the second type so i am not blinding oncomers when in low beam mode.
HTH
i first tried the lmc harness - helped out with the light output in the non-sport housings. i was impressed with the difference - but un-impressed with the build quality of the harness.
on to the next - i simply replaced the non-sport housings with the one-piece housings shown earlier in the thread. the light output was improved - but the beam pattern was horrible - i had scattered light all over the place. the one piece housings are also very difficult to adjust as there is only one (hard to get at) screw.
on to the next - i replaced the stock bulbs with $$$ piaa bulbs - light got whiter, but not brighter.
on to the next - i did the high/low mod to allow the lows to stay on when high beam is engaged - but not the other way around. this was done simply by putting a one-way diode in the unused passenger stock harness (the lmc harness does not use the stock passenger side headlight wiring.) this did not last long, and one of the bulbs physically blew up and spread shards of glass, and gases around the inside of the housing. the reason i believe it blew is because the one-piece housings have the capsule which directs light backwards into the reflector housing. the little capsule is quite close to the bulb, and i think the extra heat from both filaments had nowhere to dissipate, whereas a stock housing does not use that capsule and the bulb is not covered, allowing more heat to dissipate.
on to the next - after all of the above, i finally decided to do the sport conversion. i built my own harness from scratch with 12g wire, relays and hd bulb sockets. i also went the oem route with the housings. i built my harness so that a 5-pin relay would allow full-time use of all four bulbs when on low or high, and if needed, a 4-pin relay would not allow the inner bulbs to come on during low beam operation. i have ended up using the 4-pin relays because when driving in fog with the low beams on (and all four bulbs lit) the inner bulbs direct the light quite high, making it difficult to see. my sport lights now operate as they would've from the factory (low = outer bulbs only ; high = inner and outer)
i am by far more than happy with the final result of the sport conversion - if knew in the beginning what i know now, i would have done it first and saved lots of $$$.
as for bulbs - i am currently using philips vision+ for all 4 bulbs. light output is excellent. as it is now, i wouldn't see the need for extra driving lights - just fog lights.
i am planning on switching bulbs to the high wattage style. there are two types - 100/80w or 100/55 or 65 what (9004 or 9007). i am plannig on using the second type so i am not blinding oncomers when in low beam mode.
HTH
03-18-2010, 05:17 PM
#25
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Recieved my harness from Daniel today. Holy cow it is impressive, very heavy duty. Looks to be 12g wire all around but may even be 10 and some nice relays that are even in a little mount. He also used ribbon wire (kind of like romex) tying the 2 lights together nice and neat, the inner wires on that appear to be 12g as well. Just waiting for the housings to get here now.
03-18-2010, 09:36 PM
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03-19-2010, 12:04 AM
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I decided the other day to build a relay harness...built the harness just fine, used 12AWG wire and 40 amp relays (5 pin). problem is I cant get the relays to trigger, all 3 wires at the head light show as positive,(neg switched) it could be because I have daytime running lights, and I pulled the DRL because it was fried and was causing the headlights to stay on all the time, once its pulled. headlights work normally except the hi beam indicator does not. I'm guessing I'll need to source a DRL module before I can get my relays to work.
I too have the single clear headlight assys, scattered light output, but better than the OEM's were, also have 2x50w fogs and 4x 100W fogs, when they are all on I have about a 1/2 mile of well lite road. my 50W fogs give more light than my 80w100w headlights do (modded so both are on when on high)
I too have the single clear headlight assys, scattered light output, but better than the OEM's were, also have 2x50w fogs and 4x 100W fogs, when they are all on I have about a 1/2 mile of well lite road. my 50W fogs give more light than my 80w100w headlights do (modded so both are on when on high)
03-20-2010, 07:08 PM
#28
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Here's a DO NOT buy story.
Found these projector beam lights on ebay. They have the eyebrow lights and LEDs. They're cool looking, but the light output leaves a LOT to be desired:
Found these projector beam lights on ebay. They have the eyebrow lights and LEDs. They're cool looking, but the light output leaves a LOT to be desired:
03-20-2010, 09:59 PM
#29
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I decided the other day to build a relay harness...built the harness just fine, used 12AWG wire and 40 amp relays (5 pin). problem is I cant get the relays to trigger, all 3 wires at the head light show as positive,(neg switched) it could be because I have daytime running lights, and I pulled the DRL because it was fried and was causing the headlights to stay on all the time, once its pulled. headlights work normally except the hi beam indicator does not. I'm guessing I'll need to source a DRL module before I can get my relays to work.
I too have the single clear headlight assys, scattered light output, but better than the OEM's were, also have 2x50w fogs and 4x 100W fogs, when they are all on I have about a 1/2 mile of well lite road. my 50W fogs give more light than my 80w100w headlights do (modded so both are on when on high)
I too have the single clear headlight assys, scattered light output, but better than the OEM's were, also have 2x50w fogs and 4x 100W fogs, when they are all on I have about a 1/2 mile of well lite road. my 50W fogs give more light than my 80w100w headlights do (modded so both are on when on high)
if you are worried about not having DRL - you can buy a kit from daniel stern which activates the ambers on 100% as the DRL, then normal operation as soon as the headlight switch turns from the 'off' position.
bottom of the page here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html
03-21-2010, 12:04 AM
#30
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When my driver's side lens separated from the body of the headlight, I looked at a whole bunch of ebay lights for our trucks, and alllllllllmost bought some projector beam lights... but after some digging I discovered that they weren't true Sport Headlights, with 2 bulbs in each light pod. Luckily I just dug out some contact cement, and glued the lens back in place, replaced the bulbs, and everything is fine. I'll never give up my Sport Headlights--they just illuminate the road so beautifully.