I'm gonna be upgrading my harnesses and since I'm making it myself, I might go a bit farther than just sticking with the typical setup. I'll be getting a socket so I can just plug into my existing harness without cutting, but I'm gonna have to get another bulb socket that can handle the power as well as the heat (I'm thinking of going with some 45/100W or 65/100W bulbs... yeah, they're not "legal", but if I aim my lights right an use the high and low beam when I should, then I'm sure I'll be fine. And I could always just keep a set of 55/65W in the glove box and then swap them out come inspection time ).

Here's my question: since I'm gonna have to get new light bulb sockets, why should I stick with the 9007? Is there a bulb that'll fit into my lenses that are better than the 9007? I'm not gonna cut up and mod my lenses so if the 9007 is all that will fit/work, then that's what I'll go with. I'm a bit ignorant in this department so educate me!

Also, I want to do the "diode" mod so my highs and lows will stay on when I turn my high beams on... anybody got any links to some instructionals or threads about that? The reason I want to go so bright is because I've got astigmatism... that makes it hard for me to see in the dark, even with my glasses on. I hate feeling like I'm gonna loose the truck... I like driving in the dark. The air is clean, there's less noise, it's the end of a long day... I'd like to relax and enjoy my ride, not get white knuckles and big blisters because I can't see. Can anybody relate!? Anyways... sorry for the rant. I'm not looking for sympathy, I just wanted to clarify. With that said...

POST UP!!!

 

The big problem with an overwattage bulb is it may overheat your reflector.

 

You're going to have problems if you run the higher wattage bulbs and run high/low at the same time. I ran the higher wattage 9007 bulbs in my Dodge Intrepid (crappy headlights) and they didn't help at all, but they did melt the reflectors. Go with higher quality bulbs at the normal wattage and you should be good. Avoid the Silverstars and Silverstar Ultras, they actually have less usable light output because of the blue filter on them. Their comparison shows higher output, but there is a disclaimer that the measured lumens is "at the filament", so outside the blue-filtered glass it is actually lower than a clear bulb. GE Nighthawks are good, so are Sylvania Xtravision.

 

Well, if I can just get more light output, I can go without the diode mod... also, I'm not too worried about melting my lenses, though. I have the old refracting lenses and they're cheap anyways. Besides, it might be an excuse to get better lenses. I've heard that you can melt the lenses, but I don't drive in the dark for long periods of time, let alone often so I don't see it as being a problem. But hey, it's worth a shot. At least I can say I did it and know what happens.

 

agreed, i ran the sylvania silverstar ultras for about 8months.. then 1 bulb died..

really disappointed at the service life considering how much they cost.. have since replaced both bulbs with GE nitehawks and have been happy ever since..

 

Yeah, figure out awhile ago after reading about the SS's that they were crap...

So, I think I'll stick with stock bulbs and do the "bright box" mod, my style! Here's what I'm wondering... why couldn't I just use a SPDT relay for the high beams (one throw for the high filament and one throw for the low) and then use a SPDT relay for the lows? There'd be two wires coming out of the low beam filament, one to each relay. If one relay is off, back voltage couldn't travel back through the relay unless the control circuit (switch signal) was activated, right? That'd eliminate the need for a diode (I'd be afraid of heat and it getting to hot... I near blew up a 50V diode attempting the cheap fix)... I can draw up a small diagram to explain if you guys want.

Also, how much current (approx.) do the stock 55/65W bulbs draw and how much current do the 80/100W bulbs draw?

 

You can definitely relay both circuits and it would improve light output by getting more voltage to the bulb by eliminating the resistance of all the wiring and switches in the circuit.

Current = Power / Voltage

Bulbs are rated at 12.8V usually, so 65w at 12.8v is about 5 Amps and 100w at 12.8V is about 8 Amps.

 

What I'm asking, though, is can I have one relay hooked up to both filaments (it's be the the SPDT relay used for both low and high) and then another relay hooked up to just one filament (low beam)? The only common wire each filament would share is the low beam wire... as long as the relay is open (off), back voltage off the other filament/relay can't go back through the open relay, right? Like i said, I can draw this up so it'll make more sense...

 

It will work if the relay driving high+low is a double pole with each circuit (high, low) connected to a separate pole and not connected together at the relay output. If the high and low circuits are both connected to the same relay output, it will back feed at that connection point.

 

Ok, here's what I'm doing... I'm gonna do a separate harness for each side, feeding off each battery and using each connector so I won't have any loose or hanging harnesses anywhere. It'll look good, anyways... let me know if I can explain anything. The point is to try to get the lows to come on with the highs WITHOUT using a resistor. Technically, since the SPST relay is off/open when the highs are on, the voltage shouldn't be able to feed back into it, right?

 

I think you want a DPST relay, not a SPDT.

 

Whichever is the relay with the one input (control circuit) and two outputs... have I got it backwards? I can't remember... it's been awhile since I read about these. Is it the pole that's the input or is it the other way around? I always thought it stood for "single pole, double throw"... the pole being the input. Or, is that for switches?

 

Oh yeah, I forgot in the diagram, but the actual bulb ground isn't into the relay, it's to vehicle ground, right?

 

Switch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Oh man, that makes more sense. Thanks for posting that! So, with that in mind and looking at my diagram, would it work? The only thing I'm wondering about is can the voltage from the low beam back feed into the other relay? The other relay (doesn't matter which... if one's on, the other is off) will be off. If the control circuit has got it off, I should be good, right?