thatXJguy

No one has any recommendation for a DOT light set under $100 that isn't halogen or incandescent?

I'm familiar with DOT and have only used $300+ headlights in my vehicles, but not for one that doesn't have any oil pressure and hardly runs. So that's why I'm getting a little impatient with the comments with the GIFs and sarcasm. If it were my XJ, and many of you are familiar with mine, I'd toss a set of $300 headlights in it no problem, because it ran good.

The Putco harness is a no-go because I'm not interested in lighting that is still dwarfed by many modern vehicles and I'm not going to put any more than $100 into a clunker. If there aren't any better options available at that price range (which I'm gathering from the comments that there probably aren't) it might be better to look into a new vehicle entirely.

The suggestion of the cheap light bar or offroad lights above seems the most doable at this point.

I appreciate all the suggestions from those who pitched in.

mschi772

We don't have a recommendation under $100 that isn't halogen because that doesn't exist. I am very enthusiastic about this subject and have never seen a set of LED headlights cheaper than Truck-lite that I'd even consider worthwhile/quality/safe. The Putco harness isn't the only relay harness in existence; if you hate the Putco harness and/or its relays so much, there are a bunch of other options including making your own. Regardless of what kind of headlight you have, you should still have a relay harness. Even with LED or HID, a relay harness still protects your headlight switch.

I genuinely believe that you are either overestimating LED headlights or underestimating how good quality halogen headlights can be.

If her XJ is such a terrible clunker, then It sounds like headlights are just one of many safety concerns, and if that's the case maybe she shouldn't be driving it at all.

rzldzl

are there any DOT light sets under $100 that aren't halogen or incandescent?

mschi772

Technically? Probably, but I've yet to see anything cheaper than TL in the LED market that isn't utter toilet, and the cheapest HID setup I can think of that isn't dangerous garbage is a DIY retrofit using Autopal housings and Morimoto projectors, but that is $200-300 when all said and done.

rzldzl

in other words, no?

SatiricalHen

why didn't you swap your trucklites in when you sold your jeep?

investinwaffles

Not that I know of. If there were (and they were worth a damn) I am sure they would be more widely known.


Literally you have 4 options.

1. Put in a cheap relay kit to increase brightness ~25%

2. Put in off-road lights to be used ONLY as highbeams

3. Spend money on DOT approved lights (which to clarify because you still seem fuzzy on that point - there are no DOT approved HID or LED housings for under $100).

4. Retrofit your own (probably still ~$150 in parts not to mention time investment)
http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/89...-retrofit.html

thatXJguy

Because I have a $35k loan and every bit of money was needed to help settle losses.

It's unfortunate she drives a clunker, but kind of out of my control. She doesn't have enough at the moment to upgrade and I'm deep in loan creek, but hopefully that should change in a year or so. At this point in time, due to where she lives, lighting has just been a major challenge. The roads aren't well lit in her area.

Thanks everyone for your input on headlights. She will probably just end up getting a 12" Ebay light bar for the time being that she can run while traffic isn't around. I ran mine quite often on empty roads, so I know they're not overkill.

I guess not. It's kind of unfortunate. R&D is apparently too expensive to put legal headlight upgrades into the hands of ordinary people without sacrificing a week's worth of paycheck.

I tried the Putco harness and I wasn't impressed. I tried it with various headlight types including a junk HID kit, stock headlights, and TruckLite LEDs, all except for high-amp headlights because I always preferred low amp headlights like LED. Not to mention, modern headlights still out-shine any harness upgrade, so pointless IMHO.

andrewmp6

Throw a set of driving lights on the bumper.