BarryB

So I see the major retailers (who sell quality products?) sell various H4 conversions for XJ ranging in price from $50 - $130 roughly, and when stated they claim about 30-40% more light.

I want to replace the crappy OEM lights on my XJ, without doing a harness upgrade, can I get more light with an H4 conversion?

Do I need the hardness upgrade for just an H4 conversion?

Thanks,
Barry

aquickmopar

No you don't need a wire harness upgrade to run the H4 conversion. It does give you more light output.... But a H4 conversion with a wire harness upgrade would be ideal.

Right now im only running the H4 conversion but I do plan on doing the wire harness upgrade soon. With our cherokees anything other than stock is better, you should know that by know. Lol.

BarryB

WHY is the harness better for a basic H4 conversion?

aquickmopar

Because your factory Harness is used with a small guage wire that doesn't allow your bulbs to use there full potential output. So it doesn't matter what bulbs you use whether it be stock or a H4 conversion your still not going to be using the full potential of the light output. But with a wire harness upgrade it gives you a heavier guage wire which then runs off a relay to boost power to your light bulbs. Your factory wire harness plugs into the upgrade harness which is now acting as a switch for the relays,.... which then travels through the new heavier guage wire from the relay to your headlights. Giving your headlights full power output.

BarryB

Well then. I'll be ordering a wiring harness !!!!

Thanks for the explanation.

Barry

aquickmopar

Its pretty much the same concept if you were to put a set of High Wattage off road lights on your rig. You wouldn't want to run small thin guage wire just off a switch to your new off road lights. (1) you would probably burn out the switch and (2) your lights wouldn't be all that bright. So instead you would run them from a switch to a relay and then using heavier guage wire from the relay to your new offroad lights. That way the relay handels all the wattage not the switch. And your using heavier guage wire that can handle that wattage from the relay to your lights which then gives them full power..... So pretty much the same concept for your headlights using a Harness Upgrade.

paulyd04

I installed the autopal h4 conversion with my factory harness and so far it works well

2KXJ4X4

A co-worker installed a set of diamond cut headlamps on his XJ and the light is scattered everywhere except the front of the road. How is your light pattern with the autopal headlamps? Is it complete? No dark spots on the road?
I already did the harness upgrade in preparation for a new set of lamps and now in the market for an H6054 conversion. Thanks

cruiser54

Originally Posted by xjsnake https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/headlights-151196/index2/ - post2069179https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/headlights-151196/index2/ - post2069179
Upgraded headlights the legal (ish) way...

1) Get a new headlight harness.

You can make your own http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm

Or you can buy one: http://www.eautoworks.com/Putco-H4--...s-PRD7540.aspx

The eautoworks harnesses used to be quite cheap until everyone on this forum started recommending them and the price was raised accordingly.

You can pick them up for $29.99 here http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/csd/full.aspx?Page=48 part number 36-3580. It says it fits a chevy blazer but it's the same as the eautoworks harness and I'm running the LMC harness in my XJ.

There are other more expensive options for pre-made harnesses but I'm not super familiar with those.

2) Upgrade to H4 housings

There are two types of regulations pertaining to headlight housings. There are DOT approved housings which are legal in the US and there are Ecode lights which are European housings and aren't legal in the US although many people use them as they are considered superior housings due to the light pattern.

DOT
Rampage http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_501.htm
IPF http://www.quadratec.com/products/97017_1600.htm
Delta http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_121.htm
Hella http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_02.htm

Ecode
Autopals (look on ebay for Autopal 200mm H4 housing)
Hella http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=744
Cibie http://www.clearcorners.com/products/cibie/

Personally I won't buy housings that have plastic lenses, I much prefer glass but your mileage may vary.

3) Get good bulbs

Some of the above housings come with bulbs included with them. I tend not to recommend bulbs as the choices are extremely vast and everyone has their own preferences as to color and wattage.

4) Aim your headlights properly!

I can't say enough how much improperly aimed headlights annoy me on the road plus you are wasting all that time and effort to upgrade the lighting if you don't aim the light where it does the most good... http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78017

5) On HID Lights

I do not recommend HID's for use in XJ's... People will show links to cheap HID kits and "Projectors" off of ebay and other sites which will give you a lot of light and will also throw a lot of light in all directions making you very visible to police and possibly blinding other drivers.


Read http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html for a well written description of the problems with HID kits.

When using HID's you need a true projector housing. I'm sure people will chime in and say they run HID's and ebay housings and have had no problems but I'm describing the legal (ish) way.

If you want to go down the road of HID's, take a look at what true projector housings cost http://www.kbcarstuff.com/6054-200mm...-p/xd-6054.htm
http://www.brightheadlights.com/hid-upcoming.htm
or you can buy the projectors and retrofit them into existing housings if you are so inclined: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/hea...9/#post1391556

There are a myriad of options available to consumers with the limiting factor being cost. One can spend under $100 and have significantly upgraded their lighting or they can spend $1000 and upgrade their lighting more. It's all in how much money you want to spend.

For those wanting to do some of these upgrades but not necessarily all I would do them in the following order:
1) Headlight Harness (major improvement even with sealed beams)
2) Housings and Associated Bulbs
3) Hid and Projectors (Cost prohibitive to do correctly)


For installation of the harness and housings see this excellent write up: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/my-h4-upgrade-114440/

Disclaimer: Always check your local and state laws as some places have more stringent lighting laws than others... I am in no way associated with any of the above companies and none of what I say should be taken as the absolute truth or only way to do things. Flame on...

Aljay

As stated above harness first.
I used hella vision plus housings. I would not do them again Pattern is less than disireable. I will be switching to an e code housing of some sort glass lens also. I run an 80w low 100w high bulb aimed proper.

cruiser54

Harness and autopal e-codes wth 80/100 Phillips bulbs. Work great.

Aljay

Thats what im going to go with . I dont like the cut off with the vision plus housings I should have listened to your recomendation last year DOHH .
Think I had better light with silver stars and the harness up grade !

EZEARL

These? I already have the harness w/SilverStars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200mm-H6054-H4-EURO-CONVERSION-HEADLIGHTS-KIT-/330594258615?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4cf8f40eb7

cruiser54

Yup.

EZEARL

I should upgrade then. Ol'eyes ain't what they use to be.