sport headlights in a non sport
01-09-2010, 07:46 PM
#18
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my fog lights arent factory. they are a set of PIAA lights, i have them wired to a switch so i can turn them on whenever i want. the harness doesnt go to the fog lights so i'm guessing that it will not let it do that.
01-09-2010, 08:37 PM
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01-09-2010, 10:09 PM
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For future modders...the relay kit is available cheaper from Daniel Stern. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html He also sells a DRL relay kit for those who need one.
Cheers! Randy.
Cheers! Randy.
04-09-2010, 06:20 PM
#25
I updated my truck to sport headlights with the bright box and I'm very impressed with the lighting I am getting.
I first was considering HID lights for my truck but I didn't want to have to be limited to where to purchase the HID bulb when they go out.
Both light bulbs (9007 & 9004) on each side light up when I turn the light switch on and when I hit the bright switch, both lights light up in each sport headlight.
I would recommend upgrading to the Sport headights to anyone on the Dodge Ram upto 2002. The cost was worth the quality lighting. Everyone is impressed with the lighting received from my truck.
I first was considering HID lights for my truck but I didn't want to have to be limited to where to purchase the HID bulb when they go out.
Both light bulbs (9007 & 9004) on each side light up when I turn the light switch on and when I hit the bright switch, both lights light up in each sport headlight.
I would recommend upgrading to the Sport headights to anyone on the Dodge Ram upto 2002. The cost was worth the quality lighting. Everyone is impressed with the lighting received from my truck.
04-09-2010, 10:16 PM
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I just finished doing my sport light conversion and am waiting for the DRL from Daniel Stern.
according to him the proper operation of the Sport lights is on hi both 9007 and 9004 bulbs are on and on low only the 9007 bulb is lit, he claims its not good to have both high and low beams on the same bulb on at the same time, which is what the bright box does,My lights now are better than they ever were even with a set of clear assys(9004 only) and with the 80-100W bulbs, this mod is by far the best for lighting...flat out no comparison. another thing I noticed is that the lights no longer "brighten " when I step on the throttle, they stay birght even at idle
here is a copy of an e-mail I recieved when I asked questions on how to do it;;
Consult Daniel Stern Lighting wrote:
Greetings, Nick.
The 1-bulb headlamps (9004 only) are hopeless. So are all the aftermarket lamps for these trucks -- they're all junk.
Put in a set of the '99-'01 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport headlamps, which are
*much* better than the lamps all non-Sport '94-'02 style Rams got. The
Sport lamps use two bulbs per side (a 9007 high/low and a 9004 high-only)
and produce much more effective, longer and wider, better focused beam
patterns. They physically fit right in, but require some wiring
adaptation, which is just as well since the factory wiring tends to starve
the bulbs.
You need:
-a set (left and right) of the '99-'01 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport headlamps. Get
the real ones from the dealer or www.chryslerpartsdirect.com , not the
Taiwanese knockoffs from eBay or elsewhere on the internet. Factory part
numbers are as follows:
Headlamp, left: 55077 025AC
Headlamp, right: 55077 024AC
Park/turn lamp, left: 55077 033AC
Park/turn lamp, right: 55077 032AC
(The original park/turn lamps can be used with the new headlamps; I've
listed the Sport type park/turn units because their clear-lens design
matches that of the Sport headlamps. Also note that the above numbers may
from time to time be updated or superseded as noted when you do a part
number search on chryslerpartsdirect.com - go ahead and buy whatever the
latest part number is).
-A Dodge Ram conversion wiring and relay installation package RIK-RAM, $79
here.
The installation package includes all necessary plugs, sockets, terminals,
fused fuseholders, relays, relay brackets, terminal blocks, etc. --
everything except actual wire -- to install the new headlamps _and_
eliminate the voltage drop present in the factory-type wiring, without
cutting the truck's original wires. For general information about relay
installation, see
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...ys/relays.html Note that
RIK-RAM is not a harness, it is a parts kit. You start with the truck's
unmodified original headlamp circuit, none of which will need to be cut or
otherwise brutalized, supply your own wire and time, and the end result is
a heavy-duty headlamp harness that operates the Sport lamps *correctly*
and without voltage drop, in a non-Sport Ram truck.
-A set (two 9007 and two 9004) of ultra high efficacy bulbs.
Far and away the best 9007 bulbs presently on the market are the Philips Xtreme Power items:
http://store.candlepower.com/bfcopo90hbpo1.html
The best 9004s are the GE Night Hawk 9004NH items, which you can get from www.amazon.com .
Do not buy blue or "extra white" bulbs (Silver Star, Crystal Vision, TruView, Hoen, PIAA, etc.); despite the heavy advertising push and claims of "brighter and whiter" light, they actually produce _less_ light due to the blue glass they use.
Regarding the Sport lamps themselves: There is only one proper operational
setup for these lamps, and that is as follows-
Low beam mode: Low beam filament of outboard 9007 bulb on, all other
filaments off.
High beam mode: High beam filament of outboard 9007 and high beam filament
of inboard 9004 on, all other filaments off.
The low beam filament of the inboard 9004 is not used -- these lamps do
not have optics to focus the light from it.
In NO case are the low beam and high beam filaments on together!
Two-filament headlight bulbs are pressurized to about 10 atmospheres COLD.
They are not designed to handle the heat (or the current on the common
filament support lead) of running both filaments at the same time for more
than very brief periods during beam changeover or headlight flashing.
Doing so carries the very real risk of the bulb grenading inside the
headlamp, destroying it. Some people who think they're clever wire it up
this way anyhow, and the "Brite Box" people have made a business out of
this "clever" (not) modification.
If yours is a Canadian-spec truck (either by original manufacture or by private importation), or you're not in Canada but have had the Daytime Running Light function enabled, you will need to rework the daytime running lamps. The stock DRL configuration runs the high beam circuit at reduced duty cycle. This is not compatible with any kind of relay installation. http://www.lightsout.org/disable.html#Dodge has info. Once you have installed the new headlamps, you need to re-enable the DRLs.
Re-enabling (or adding) DRLs:
If you are interested in having (or keeping, after you install headlamp relays) a daytime running light function on your vehicle, the best implementation is the full-time operation of the front directional signals (except, of course, when they are operating as signals). Directional signals produce a light distribution with a wide conspicuity angle, are generally well located for DRL service at the outboard edges of the front of the vehicle, consume considerably less
power than any headlamp-based DRL implementation, use light sources of generally much longer life than any headlamp bulb, do not encourage improper nighttime use of lights, and do not require additional lighting devices to be added. Most recent Cadillacs, Chevrolet/GMC large vans and minivans, some Chrysler, Toyota, and Lexus models, certain new Lincolns and assorted other vehicles use this implementation. Note we are talking about the full-time operation of the bright amber turn signals, not the dim parking lamps. Turn signal DRLs comply with US and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards #108 and are approved in all states, provinces, and territories. You can easily enable this functionality in your vehicle using a DRL-1 module ($42 here, see http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/DRL/DRL1.html )
according to him the proper operation of the Sport lights is on hi both 9007 and 9004 bulbs are on and on low only the 9007 bulb is lit, he claims its not good to have both high and low beams on the same bulb on at the same time, which is what the bright box does,My lights now are better than they ever were even with a set of clear assys(9004 only) and with the 80-100W bulbs, this mod is by far the best for lighting...flat out no comparison. another thing I noticed is that the lights no longer "brighten " when I step on the throttle, they stay birght even at idle
here is a copy of an e-mail I recieved when I asked questions on how to do it;;
Consult Daniel Stern Lighting wrote:
Greetings, Nick.
The 1-bulb headlamps (9004 only) are hopeless. So are all the aftermarket lamps for these trucks -- they're all junk.
Put in a set of the '99-'01 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport headlamps, which are
*much* better than the lamps all non-Sport '94-'02 style Rams got. The
Sport lamps use two bulbs per side (a 9007 high/low and a 9004 high-only)
and produce much more effective, longer and wider, better focused beam
patterns. They physically fit right in, but require some wiring
adaptation, which is just as well since the factory wiring tends to starve
the bulbs.
You need:
-a set (left and right) of the '99-'01 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport headlamps. Get
the real ones from the dealer or www.chryslerpartsdirect.com , not the
Taiwanese knockoffs from eBay or elsewhere on the internet. Factory part
numbers are as follows:
Headlamp, left: 55077 025AC
Headlamp, right: 55077 024AC
Park/turn lamp, left: 55077 033AC
Park/turn lamp, right: 55077 032AC
(The original park/turn lamps can be used with the new headlamps; I've
listed the Sport type park/turn units because their clear-lens design
matches that of the Sport headlamps. Also note that the above numbers may
from time to time be updated or superseded as noted when you do a part
number search on chryslerpartsdirect.com - go ahead and buy whatever the
latest part number is).
-A Dodge Ram conversion wiring and relay installation package RIK-RAM, $79
here.
The installation package includes all necessary plugs, sockets, terminals,
fused fuseholders, relays, relay brackets, terminal blocks, etc. --
everything except actual wire -- to install the new headlamps _and_
eliminate the voltage drop present in the factory-type wiring, without
cutting the truck's original wires. For general information about relay
installation, see
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...ys/relays.html Note that
RIK-RAM is not a harness, it is a parts kit. You start with the truck's
unmodified original headlamp circuit, none of which will need to be cut or
otherwise brutalized, supply your own wire and time, and the end result is
a heavy-duty headlamp harness that operates the Sport lamps *correctly*
and without voltage drop, in a non-Sport Ram truck.
-A set (two 9007 and two 9004) of ultra high efficacy bulbs.
Far and away the best 9007 bulbs presently on the market are the Philips Xtreme Power items:
http://store.candlepower.com/bfcopo90hbpo1.html
The best 9004s are the GE Night Hawk 9004NH items, which you can get from www.amazon.com .
Do not buy blue or "extra white" bulbs (Silver Star, Crystal Vision, TruView, Hoen, PIAA, etc.); despite the heavy advertising push and claims of "brighter and whiter" light, they actually produce _less_ light due to the blue glass they use.
Regarding the Sport lamps themselves: There is only one proper operational
setup for these lamps, and that is as follows-
Low beam mode: Low beam filament of outboard 9007 bulb on, all other
filaments off.
High beam mode: High beam filament of outboard 9007 and high beam filament
of inboard 9004 on, all other filaments off.
The low beam filament of the inboard 9004 is not used -- these lamps do
not have optics to focus the light from it.
In NO case are the low beam and high beam filaments on together!
Two-filament headlight bulbs are pressurized to about 10 atmospheres COLD.
They are not designed to handle the heat (or the current on the common
filament support lead) of running both filaments at the same time for more
than very brief periods during beam changeover or headlight flashing.
Doing so carries the very real risk of the bulb grenading inside the
headlamp, destroying it. Some people who think they're clever wire it up
this way anyhow, and the "Brite Box" people have made a business out of
this "clever" (not) modification.
If yours is a Canadian-spec truck (either by original manufacture or by private importation), or you're not in Canada but have had the Daytime Running Light function enabled, you will need to rework the daytime running lamps. The stock DRL configuration runs the high beam circuit at reduced duty cycle. This is not compatible with any kind of relay installation. http://www.lightsout.org/disable.html#Dodge has info. Once you have installed the new headlamps, you need to re-enable the DRLs.
Re-enabling (or adding) DRLs:
If you are interested in having (or keeping, after you install headlamp relays) a daytime running light function on your vehicle, the best implementation is the full-time operation of the front directional signals (except, of course, when they are operating as signals). Directional signals produce a light distribution with a wide conspicuity angle, are generally well located for DRL service at the outboard edges of the front of the vehicle, consume considerably less
power than any headlamp-based DRL implementation, use light sources of generally much longer life than any headlamp bulb, do not encourage improper nighttime use of lights, and do not require additional lighting devices to be added. Most recent Cadillacs, Chevrolet/GMC large vans and minivans, some Chrysler, Toyota, and Lexus models, certain new Lincolns and assorted other vehicles use this implementation. Note we are talking about the full-time operation of the bright amber turn signals, not the dim parking lamps. Turn signal DRLs comply with US and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards #108 and are approved in all states, provinces, and territories. You can easily enable this functionality in your vehicle using a DRL-1 module ($42 here, see http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/DRL/DRL1.html )
04-09-2010, 11:31 PM
#27
NickG - Thanks for your comments but I've been running my Sport headlights with the bright box this way for approx. 1 1/2 yrs now with NO problems. My Sport light fixtures are perfect and are exactly in the same condition as when first purchased.
I was concerned about the heat and other issues while use per my research but decided to test them for myself and decided to leave the B.Box connected.
I changed out a 9004 & 9007 bulb yesterday that had gone partially out and now I'm back in business.
My Sport headlights with the Bright Box are setup using the SUV Lights wiring harness with the 9007 & 9004 bulbs.
I've read all of Daniel Sterns comments as well as others. Daniels advice and research is great information and is a good authority on the subject.
If you feel its not a good idea then please don't use the Bright Box but for me, I'm rolling hard with great lighting.
Thx
I was concerned about the heat and other issues while use per my research but decided to test them for myself and decided to leave the B.Box connected.
I changed out a 9004 & 9007 bulb yesterday that had gone partially out and now I'm back in business.
My Sport headlights with the Bright Box are setup using the SUV Lights wiring harness with the 9007 & 9004 bulbs.
I've read all of Daniel Sterns comments as well as others. Daniels advice and research is great information and is a good authority on the subject.
If you feel its not a good idea then please don't use the Bright Box but for me, I'm rolling hard with great lighting.
Thx
04-10-2010, 01:23 AM
#28
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With my old set up, (while searching for means of better lighting) I did run my high beams and low beams together, as you can jumper 2 wires under the steering column to get the same effect as a Brite box, Light improvement I'd say was a bit better, but likely might have been even better if I had had better headlight assys, or if I had done the wiring upgrade. stock wiring is so small its a wonder the lights even turn on. I saw a huge improvement with just the wiring mod, so I'm guessing your BB plus the upgraded wiring was an even bigger improvement than I saw. I ran it this way for about a yr, but in all honesty it never saw much use unless I was on a hotshot (long distance courior call) typically my truck is not used for commercial use at night. I guess when our lights are so poor anything is an improvement. From my observations I'd say the worse that could happen is a bulb blow/breaks from the added heat, and if its in the housing no harm no foul.
When I read your post I did not notice you had a BB, and Just fiqured you had wired it up that way, unknowingly. so I'm just passing the info I had along,
When I read your post I did not notice you had a BB, and Just fiqured you had wired it up that way, unknowingly. so I'm just passing the info I had along,
04-10-2010, 10:54 AM
#29
I wish I had heard of the high beam mod. prior to purchasing the Bright Box. It really is just too expensive for what it does. I bit the bullet years ago and decided to purchase it because the stock lighting is soo poor.
I just purchased some PIAA's that will install on my front bumper which will help me in inclement weather.
Thanks for your comments and have a great day!
I just purchased some PIAA's that will install on my front bumper which will help me in inclement weather.
Thanks for your comments and have a great day!
05-02-2010, 03:40 PM
#30
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Anyone know what this part is circled in red? I need to get a new one but there are no part numbers or other identifying information on it. There is a sticker but it doesnt contain anything useful.