Is there a simple headlight upgrade for my 1966 F100? I am gettign ready to replace one light that went out, and I keep seeing adds for Xenon and HID light kits, and other upgrades.

My truck can barely support the radio and speakers I loaded into it. So if I get too advanced, I'd have to somehow increase the voltage. I'm not sure how that is done.

 

What does "barely support my radio" mean? Relays are usually suggested but imo first, make sure your electrical charging system and wiring is sound. They go hand in hand. Charging systems do not like corrosion. It will see the resistance as a weak battery. Switches too, will run hot. The problem is actually rust. The frame and radiator support is used as the return path for a good part of the circuit. I run halogens with 30 amp generator on the 64 and they are fine.

A voltmeter placed end to end across a wire or circuit under load will indicate the amount of voltage drop present as a positive figure. Usually a tenth of a volt or more is considered excessive. These voltage drops add up quick.

 

I agree with Tedster, make sure what you have is in good shape.
However, a wiring upgrade for more modern headlights is a good idea. Your current wiring is nearly 50 years old, plus, it was not designed to handle the wattage the halogens will draw. You are correct to be concerned about that. In fact, running halogen headlights through the original wiring may result in melted wires. (Don't ask me how I know that!)
The easiest way to do this is to purchase a headlight relay wiring harness. Several vendors offer one, it is easy to wire up, will take about 20 minutes or so, and will not change the factory wiring.
The relays will allow you to run high wattage headlights on your truck, without running the current through the factory wiring.
In fact, it works best for any high wattage draw such as winches or amplifiers to use relays.
Of course, you may need to upgrade your alternator and battery if you add too much!

Hope this helps!

 

There was a recent post, which I can't find now, about GE Nighthawks. I think they are LED and draw less current the our stock lights so no relays are needed.
I was excited as my old eyes aren't great for night driving but the price tag ended that idea.

 

Couple articles in FTE forums may find helpful???

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-addition.html

Whiter Whites, Brighter Brights - Ford Trucks

 

The original type tungsten lamps were what, maybe 45 watts? The FORD script repro halogens are 55, the current draw difference will be approx. 0.7 amp. Not enough to matter if everything is serviceable. I think most of the problems are associated with corroded switches, grounds, connections, etc. Poor and missing grounds are the achilles heel of old iron. Don't misunderstand, relays are a better design, the circuitous path the headlight wiring follows is not optimal. But it works as advertised. Take care of the OEM voltage drop first and then any headlight relay additions will work all that much better.

 

Ultimatly I think rewiring the entire truck is needed, it's all very original!!

The headlight relay wiring harness sounds like a great idea, Are ther any brands or specfics I should look for? Is this a "one size fits all" or very vehicle specific?

Thanks for everyones help.

 

The best way to upgrade your headlights is to add a relay harness and H4 headlights. But not just any harness, or any H4 headlight. Headlights are a major safety item so don't cheap out our pick a pair because they look good.


You want a harness made with 12g wires and reliable relays. Cheap harnesses with small wire will have voltage drop and cheaper relays that get stuck or quit- that won't be a good thing after dark. Cheap Chinese-made ebay or LMC H4's might look cool or modern and say that they're "brighter" but they have poor optics and don't have any advantage over sealed beams; many have an even worse beam pattern than sealed beams. Just because they are advertised as "DOT Legal" doesn't mean that they are good lamps. Stay away from Autopal, DeltaTech, and any no-name lights from ebay, LMC, etc.


The best H4's will be Cibie, Marchal, Bosch, or Hella. Cibie's would be my first choice, Marchals are great but discontiued and hard to find/expensive, Bosch H4's are good, and Hella's are good but the high beam is aimed too high compared to the low beam. Hella would be great for a low sports car where the higher high beam would be ok, but on a taller truck the high beam will be aimed much too high.

LED headlights are just now coming to market and in my opinion they're not worth the price yet. Good H4's will out perform them at a lower price. The technology is promising though and with more R&D time I think they'll be the way to go in the future once some of the drawbacks are worked out. Currently the biggest issue is the evenness of the beam pattern- splotchy with "hot spots" in awkward places. And if you live somewhere with snow they won't be hot enough to melt snow from the lenses.


From my experience Cibie's aren't inexpensive but they're the best available and readily available. Amazon has the best deal on them I've seen at $42 each. Cibie H4's also look right at home on a vintage car since they have a fluted lenses just like the original sealed beams.





For bulbs, don't get any that have a blue tint to them. The tint decreases the light output. I like to use 80/100 watt clear Hella H4 bulbs but if your alternator is already at or close to it's limit then regular 55/60W bulbs will still be a huge upgrade over sealed beams. You could have your alternator rebuilt to put out more amps if needed.


Once you have have your lights installed you need to aim them properly for your best vision and the least amount of glare for oncoming traffic.





Here are a few pics at different distances of the beam pattern with Cibie H4's, a relay harness, and 80/100 watt clear Hella bulbs. Notice that the low beams have a very sharp "cut-off" so no there is no glare for oncoming traffic, even with higher wattage bulbs. Cheap H4 housings do not have this feature, and will not have a wide/evenly spread beam pattern.

Low beam:






High beam:

 

Always a chance that you can score a quality set of H4s at the JY.


I always keep mu eyes open for H4s, fuses, 3156s, 3157s, relays, and all the other odds and ends that should cost 25 cents but cost $5 at autoparts.

 

If you are looking for something that's had good output but isn't orignal looking. Check out DDM Tuning HID Kits they have a ton to choice from. I've used the 55watt on my Buell and VW as well and I've had no problems. They're a lot better than stock headlights and they're a reasonable price. Around $50 a set. The kit is plug and play so no rewiring required.