I imagine it's out there but I'm having some trouble finding a good list of replacement bulbs for the headlight and the dashboard lights. Both are so dim in my 82 that i can barely see at night. Anyone know of some good dash LEDs and some decent Halogens for the headlights? Model numbers if possible? I've been poking at Rock Auto but it's kind of vague on what fits where.

 

I've been happy with the standard sealed beam headlights on my 86. There are brighter versions available by several manufacturers. I use the normal replacements. Lots of guys replace their headlamps with aftermarket halogen lamps and a headlight relay. I think headlights need to do two things. First bright enough to see ahead adequately at night on high beam. And dim enough so that opposing drivers can pass with out needing a retina transplant.

On dash lighting I like the original replacement incandescent ones. I prefer the quality of the light from them. Some guys have gone to LED replacement. Some like that light and others like myself don't care for them.

​​​​Sorry I don't have any leads or part numbers for you without going to a search engine...but you can do that and see all the options out there. You will get plenty of advice here as well. Keyboards are warming up now! Keep us posted on your choices.

 

I also dont have part numbers but you can get the bulbs just about anywhere.

Head lights: First thing you will need to do is install a headlight relay kit. You can get them off ebay or any of the venders LMC JBGY etc I got mine from LMC years ago for a different project and have not used it yet in it so went in the PU.
It is plug n play, no wire cutting so if you dont like them (I cant see that) or if a relay fails you can plug the trucks wires back in and drive on.
Dont ask how I know and it was my fault not the (cheap) relays. I have a easy fix for replacements too.***

I use halogen sealed bulbs you can get in any local auto parts store, not them fancy H4 bulbs that fit in the rear of aftermarket housings.
Between the relays and the halogen bulbs I love the light out put of my truck over my 02 Durango.

Dash light: I went with LED bulbs, think stock are 194 bulbs?
Trick is you need to get the bulbs in the color of where they are going into.
The warning lights across the top are red (warning), green (turn), blue (high beam) so you need red & green LEDs I used white for the high beam.
The rest of the gauge bulbs I went with green (aqua) a close match to the factory color. Others have used blue.
Thing is you need to remove the colored covers the factory bulbs have as they turn white over time and block the light.
Also they dont fit over the LEDs. I did find the high beam was to bright and my son put scotch tape over the area and it dimmed it down just right.

Most LED bulbs only work when installed 1 way so test before you bolt everything down.
If a bulb dose not work remove it turn 180*and put it back in and test that fixes it 99% of the time **

Because you will have the gauge cluster out you will want to paint the gauge needles. DO NOT use orange day glow paint as you will not be able to see them with the green LED bulbs. Think it is High Performance that makes a paint just for the needles and guys say this is what you need to use.

** on the bulbs not working the other thing you should do before you put the bulb socket back in the housing is clean the printed board.
I used 600 grit sand paper to lightly sand where the socket contacts the board and do the same to the socket.
I also pried the little contacts out a little.
With all that work I have 1 bulb / socket that flickers when the dash lights are on but to pull the cluster is not worth the trouble at this time for me.

*** Relay fix: The relays with the kits are a strange size and not found in local auto parts stores.
When can be found is the normal size relays but the kit sockets will not fit them.
So you need to buy 2 normal size relays and 2 sockets / pig tails to fit the sockets.

What you need to do is remove each wire from the large sockets and do the same from the small sockets keeping track where they need to go in the large sockets. Just push the kits wire into the large socket where it needs to be, plug in relay and you are set to go.

The replacement relays are a much better relay and sealed IIRC. I also mounted them down just in case.
Remember I said the failed relay was my fault? Well I washed the engine bay and the relay was pointing up and water got in and afew days later it stopped working. It was 2am when I was going to work and turned on the low beam head lights and only got parking lights. High beam still worked and there was no way both bulbs went bad at the same time! So I unplugged the relay kit and plugged the trucks harness back in and had low beams.

 

For the instrument cluster I went with one of the LED kits from Ebay and was really happy with the results. You have to remove the little factory bluish green light covers, and with the LED's polarity matters, so it takes a couple tried to get them all installed correctly. Ebay link below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11520084387...3ABFBMzq2tnbth

 

Question for the LED dash light guys, Do they dim using the twist up/down dimmer function on the headlight switch?

 

X2! I also have a 86 Lariat and I don’t have any problems with the factory setup. Here’s a link to what bulbs I use: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...f-1/syl0/h6054
Sylvania also makes one called Silverstar that is supposed to be brighter but I have never felt the need to have the brighter light. Call me old school but I like for people to be able to see when coming at me head on.

 

Some do but you pay more for them and being cheap I went with normal LED bulbs.
Mine go a little dimmer, not much, but I never dim the dash in anything I drive and even with the green color gauge lights it is not supper bright.


I run the Silverstar Ultra but the parts store only had an open package and did not want to trust no one touched the glass and they only had 1 single so went the next one donw in my 02 Duango yesterday. It is 1 step up from a stock replacement.

I dont know if you can get a sealed beam, like used in our trucks, in Silverstar series?
Think it is normal bulb or Halogen bulb?
Also if adjusted right and are DOT legal, there are a lot of non-DOT legal lights out there like LED light bars the rednecks use around here, you should not be blinding anyone.
Now the new Ford PU trucks I think are way to bright when coming at you.
Dave ----

 

Thanks guys, that's largely what I was trying to validate. The 194's do seem to be what it takes but the socket was weird and I was second guessing myself. I should probably just run over to NAPA and see what they have for headlights, it's got old GE Halogens in it but they're probably OG or from the 90s at best.

 

Heres a link to the silverstar I was referring to. Cost twice as much but supposed to be brighter and whiter.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...1/syl3/h6054st

 

I also use the H6054 replacements. I've used both the Sylvania and the Wagner. Last purchase for the parts shelf was Wagner. I got them for 9 bucks each couple years ago. That was the best price I could find at the time.

On the dash lights I dim mine down to the level that the dash is still easily read. I think bulbs last longer like that and I find that less light from the dash area helps seeing down range better.

 

The box says replace in pairs. I never do that. I run them till they don't work and then replace when an element(usually the low beam) goes out.

my motto: if it works don't fix it.

 

Think this is the one I went with, I am cheap LOL
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...ght+bulb&pos=1
Dave ----

 

I use whatever is on the shelf at the time I need one and sometimes it is Wagner and sometimes it is Sylvainia and I never replace in pairs either. Dad has always said if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and he is 79! I always just get the basic cheapest one, lol. Sometimes I can find them the cheapest at walley world.

 

True I would use what they have but it must be Halogen bulb.

Funny on replacing in pairs on the pick up when I got it on the road I used 2 used Halogens bulbs.
When 1 went bad I did replace both as I did not know when the other would go out.
Also if I use the truck to / from work it is mostly when it is dark out and we dont have a lot of street lights so good head lights are a must!

I also just yesterday replaced both lens & bulbs on my 02 Durango.
1 bulb was out and the lenes 21 years old and yellowing for the 4th time and 1 lens was broken.
Also it is a pain to change the bulbs in this truck so I did both.
Dave ----