Jeep Wrangler TJ LED Headlight Upgrade Options

Chris, I think two good flashlights, would be better than stock, haha! So ya, the knockoffs are better than stock, but I personally just don't feel their patterns are ad good as the H4 halogen that you show. White light always looks more impressive than yellow, and I think that's part of the cheap LEDs appeal.

Have any of you compared H4 with harness, AND the brighter 80/100 bulbs, and what comparison are those compared to the JW or X? I would assume the LEDs are brighter, I'm just wondering about distance. Right now, I'm only out $79 for the Hella. But I'll be down more if I go harness and bulbs, only to still long for the JW or X, lol.

While I'm asking for suggestions, which would u recommend, the chrome or black lights? For a light gray jeep, with black grill.

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You make a good point. Pattern means a lot, not just a brighter light. I like to see the fog line and road signs as well as some good distance for high beam. I run Hella E-code housings with Phillips Extreme Vision +100 bulbs and feel they do an efficient job of light spread with improved brightness in a color temperature that is easy on my eyes. LED's might interest me more if they can just get the color temp lower than 6000K. That is why they seem so much brighter than standard bulbs. If you are going to invest in LED's, save up and get the good stuff like the TL's or the JW Speakers. I like how the JW's are made in Murica! My 2 cents.
 
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Ok, I have two other questions right now. One, Do you think there is any advantage to the chrome backing on the vision X compared to the black chrome? Since it is a reflector, and not a projector, do u think the silver chrome will shed a little more light? I much rather have the black chrome, but some places are selling the silver for up to $250 cheaper!!!

Also, kinda jokingly, I gotta ask, if people are willing to pay $800 for JW or Vision, does anyone consider the high priced, custom HID, with demon eyes and all? I could see having these, only to have them stolen!

https://www.hidprojectors.com/collections/jeep-retrofits/products/revision-2-0-signature

 
DraykenK said:
Chris, I think two good flashlights, would be better than stock, haha! So ya, the knockoffs are better than stock, but I personally just don't feel their patterns are ad good as the H4 halogen that you show. White light always looks more impressive than yellow, and I think that's part of the cheap LEDs appeal.

Have any of you compared H4 with harness, AND the brighter 80/100 bulbs, and what comparison are those compared to the JW or X? I would assume the LEDs are brighter, I'm just wondering about distance. Right now, I'm only out $79 for the Hella. But I'll be down more if I go harness and bulbs, only to still long for the JW or X, lol.

While I'm asking for suggestions, which would u recommend, the chrome or black lights? For a light gray jeep, with black grill.

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Well, Jeep themselves have caught onto the LED thing, as the brand new JKs come with what appears to be JW Speakers from the factory.

The light output pattern on my Truck Lite is far superior to the stock halogen headlights. Of course, that's from $320 headlights, so I would expect that.

The other reason I don't want halogens is because they're made of glass, which shatters easily, even when smacked by a branch (ask me how I know). In addition to that, they draw more power as well.

If I was going to upgrade my lights, I would undoubtedly choose the Truck Lites, the new JW Speakers or the Vision-X. On a light grey Jeep, I think that could go either way. Chrome might look a little more factory, while black would give it more of a blacked out look. I think I might go with black though, as I like that look.
 
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DraykenK said:
Ok, I have two other questions right now. One, Do you think there is any advantage to the chrome backing on the vision X compared to the black chrome? Since it is a reflector, and not a projector, do u think the silver chrome will shed a little more light? I much rather have the black chrome, but some places are selling the silver for up to $250 cheaper!!!

Also, kinda jokingly, I gotta ask, if people are willing to pay $800 for JW or Vision, does anyone consider the high priced, custom HID, with demon eyes and all? I could see having these, only to have them stolen!

https://www.hidprojectors.com/collections/jeep-retrofits/products/revision-2-0-signature

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No, there isn't an advantage to a chrome over black housing. I read a big discussion on this on HID Planet years ago. The consensus was that any light that uses a projector for output, does not rely on a reflective housing for light output. The light is output entirely through the projector housing itself. The chrome housing at that point is only for looks, but sometimes it's for the high beam light, which remains halogen on some vehicles.

I hate demon eyes, angel eyes, and any sort of halos. It looks like it belongs on a Honda to me. I would NOT shell out that money for those HID headlights when I could get the brand new JW Speakers for around $500. Not to mention who knows what kind of crappy projector those HID headlights are using.
 
Chris said:
No, there isn't an advantage to a chrome over black housing. I read a big discussion on this on HID Planet years ago. The consensus was that any light that uses a projector for output, does not rely on a reflective housing for light output. The light is output entirely through the projector housing itself. The chrome housing at that point is only for looks, but sometimes it's for the high beam light, which remains halogen on some vehicles.

I hate demon eyes, angel eyes, and any sort of halos. It looks like it belongs on a Honda to me. I would NOT shell out that money for those HID headlights when I could get the brand new JW Speakers for around $500. Not to mention who knows what kind of crappy projector those HID headlights are using.
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I meant, do u think the black chrome makes a difference for the LED vision X light? It uses reflectors, not projector. I gotta go look at pics again, it looks like even tho they black chromed most of the light, they left the reflective part silver. That might look funny.

And I just read a post that a guy had multiple problems with the HID. too many components that can go bad, plus I looked at the install, and besides the 15 wires or so, u got other stuff. Not worth it.

For me, comes down to the JW or vision X. I really think I like the vision X more, so that leave chrome or black chrome.
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DraykenK said:
I meant, do u think the black chrome makes a difference for the LED vision X light? It uses reflectors, not projector. I gotta go look at pics again, it looks like even tho they black chromed most of the light, they left the reflective part silver. That might look funny.

And I just read a post that a guy had multiple problems with the HID. too many components that can go bad, plus I looked at the install, and besides the 15 wires or so, u got other stuff. Not worth it.

For me, comes down to the JW or vision X. I really think I like the vision X more, so that leave chrome or black chrome. View attachment 15204View attachment 15205

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My bad, I misunderstood. That black chrome wouldn't make a difference because it's on the outer ballast which just serves as a trim piece. The inner reflectors are still chrome.

For those particular lights I think I actually like the all chrome better. I hadn't seen them in black until you just posted that photo.

I agree with HIDs. They are becoming the way of the past. All the modern European automobiles are shifting towards LED headlights as the technology improves. One day that will trickle down to all automotives I'm sure.
 
I got those Warhorse Truck lite knockoffs posted in the post here cuz I figured why not try to save a few bucks. But I do not like them. definitely brighter than stock but beam pattern was not any better than when I tried to put LEDs in the Rampage housings. Seemed just as scattered. Just put in a request for a refund. Am just going to save up for Trucklites or the KC ones.

(Edit: I ended up keeping these. I put the stock back on and it was like there were no lights )
 
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Ya, the knockoffs seem like a good deal, but after watching those videos, the light patterns, and many have poor lighting to the sides, which I value, not just a bright spot in middle.

I just purchased the vision X, so I'll post a small review once I get them and install. I got a heck of a deal from Jeff, at Rockridge4wd.

I plan to install Xpel lens protection film on them too. Hoping it won't hinder anything. I'm just going with clear.

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I want to upgrade my headlights. I know I've been thru this before, but I need some improvement over the stockers. I want stock styled, yellow beam lights. I have had the white LED in the past and the light output was great but they ended up giving me a headache because of the brightness. So, which ones would you guys reccomend? I have been looking and I really cant make up my mind, I'm looking for some advice.
 
Travis said:
I want to upgrade my headlights. I know I've been thru this before, but I need some improvement over the stockers. I want stock styled, yellow beam lights. I have had the white LED in the past and the light output was great but they ended up giving me a headache because of the brightness. So, which ones would you guys reccomend? I have been looking and I really cant make up my mind, I'm looking for some advice.
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You won't find any LED lights with that stock "yellow" look to the light. That being said, your best bet would be to go with the Cibie 7" H4 Headlights. I'm pretty confident in saying that they are the undisputed king of headlights when it comes to high output halogen headlights. You can't go wrong with that setup!
 
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Travis said:
I want to upgrade my headlights. I know I've been thru this before, but I need some improvement over the stockers. I want stock styled, yellow beam lights. I have had the white LED in the past and the light output was great but they ended up giving me a headache because of the brightness. So, which ones would you guys reccomend? I have been looking and I really cant make up my mind, I'm looking for some advice.
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Definitely follow @Chris's advice. Get a pair of the Cibie H4 housing units he linked and a good set of Sylvania 70/65W bulbs. To get the best bang for the buck on the upgrade, either buy or build a wiring harness that allow you to pull current directly from the battery via relays as opposed to running through the stock wiring harness. I run this exact setup on my LJ and I prefer it's output in city driving to my daughter's Trucklites and my wife's JW Speakers.

Regarding the "super white bulbs," here's what Daniel Stern told me regarding their output when I was discussing the lighting upgrade for my LJ . . .

"With decent wiring, use Osram 70/65w bulbs, $21.59/ea. It's tempting to grab for big wattage numbers (100/90, etc) but please see bulb test results posted by my colleague Virgil at http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?392498-Interesting-headlight-bulb-test-results .

Any of the "extra white" bulbs is a nonstarter as far as seeing better is concerned. It doesn't matter whose name is on the bulb. Sylvania SilverStar/Ultra, PIAA, Hoen,BlueVision, CrystalVision, TruView, Nokya, Polarg, etc. — all the same scam. They have blue-tinted glass, which blocks some of the light that would reach the road if the glass weren't tinted, so they produce _less_ light than ordinary bulbs (not more), and in order to get legal-minimum levels of light through the blue glass the filament has to be driven very hard so these bulbs have a very short lifespan. And there's nothing about the tinted light that improves your ability to see — the opposite is true, in fact. All it does is change the beam color slightly, to zero real benefit."
 
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Even without changing the wiring, the H4 is a huge improvement over the sealed beams. I was pretty surprised at how much better they were after I got them aimed correctly.
 
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H4s are indeed a huge improvement over a sealed beam. Sealed beam housings are pretty much horrible.
 
VirtualRussel said:
Definitely follow @Chris's advice. Get a pair of the Cibie H4 housing units he linked and a good set of Sylvania 70/65W bulbs. To get the best bang for the buck on the upgrade, either buy or build a wiring harness that allow you to pull current directly from the battery via relays as opposed to running through the stock wiring harness. I run this exact setup on my LJ and I prefer it's output in city driving to my daughter's Trucklites and my wife's JW Speakers.

Regarding the "super white bulbs," here's what Daniel Stern told me regarding their output when I was discussing the lighting upgrade for my LJ . . .

"With decent wiring, use Osram 70/65w bulbs, $21.59/ea. It's tempting to grab for big wattage numbers (100/90, etc) but please see bulb test results posted by my colleague Virgil at http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?392498-Interesting-headlight-bulb-test-results .

Any of the "extra white" bulbs is a nonstarter as far as seeing better is concerned. It doesn't matter whose name is on the bulb. Sylvania SilverStar/Ultra, PIAA, Hoen,BlueVision, CrystalVision, TruView, Nokya, Polarg, etc. — all the same scam. They have blue-tinted glass, which blocks some of the light that would reach the road if the glass weren't tinted, so they produce _less_ light than ordinary bulbs (not more), and in order to get legal-minimum levels of light through the blue glass the filament has to be driven very hard so these bulbs have a very short lifespan. And there's nothing about the tinted light that improves your ability to see — the opposite is true, in fact. All it does is change the beam color slightly, to zero real benefit."
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Could you post a picture of how they look during daylight hours?
 
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