Brighter Headlights for FJ60???

[Javelin]

So hard to really tell anything from headlight pictures. To me, the light looks uneven, bright spots, dimmer spots, stray light. And the color of the light is way too blue (cool) (IMHO). But this could just be the picture. To me, the H4 pictures above look like a much better light. Again, pictures may not accurately show how it actually is.

These are LED headlights not HID projectors. There won’t be an even spread because in essence it’s an LED Bulb reflecting outwards. Not projecting like newer cars. There may be some dim/bright spots but I’ve had all three ( sealed, H4 and now these ) and the LED lights are superior. The temp is about 5000-5500. I wanted something that will match my LED lightbar. Hate having halogen/LED mix. Also they aren’t as hot and last longer. It’s not for everyone but I can say they are brighter than the H4s for sure. At least the 55/60 bulbs that I had. I never upgraded my harness for the hotter ones.

 

[Cruzerman]

I understand the technology. My problem is that I've never found a LED replacement reflector that came anywhere close to the quality and engineering that went into a quality H4 like a Cibie. And hot isn't all bad. LEDs in the snow suck because they don't melt the ice build up. If you want more light, put in higher watt bulbs. If you want different color (I don't know why), they have that too. There's more to a headlight than a bright light source. The problem with LEDs isn't making the light, it's getting it out on the road in an even, scatter-free fashion.

 

[JHE4601]

I understand the technology. My problem is that I've never found a LED replacement reflector that came anywhere close to the quality and engineering that went into a quality H4 like a Cibie. And hot isn't all bad. LEDs in the snow suck because they don't melt the ice build up. If you want more light, put in higher watt bulbs. If you want different color (I don't know why), they have that too. There's more to a headlight than a bright light source. The problem with LEDs isn't making the light, it's getting it out on the road in an even, scatter-free fashion.

Cruzerman do you have any pics of the Cibie's on? I know there's the debate of a picture showing the light but I am in the same boat where I need to upgrade my dull stock lights. Thanks man

 

[JHE4601]

Two pictures taken on a dirt road near my house. Top picture is low beam and bottom is high beam. Standard 55/60 watt bulbs in Hella 7" H4 housings with stock wiring. Pictures were taken on my Iphone 7 and I didn't modify the pictures however the camera compensates some for the night exposure so the actual light looks brighter than reality however the pattern in distance is accurate.

a few others on high beam with same setup:

This one at 55mph....curve going up hill in distance is about 1/2 mile away:

another on the dirt road. Again the brightness is too high but the light throw is accurate.

So this is a stock harness with Hella housing and what bulbs are you using? this is a great light!

 

[mattressking]

For those that don't venture into the 40 forums, beno has found a Toyota/Koito oem H4 replacement kit that includes relays. I put an order in for the kit...once it shows up, I'll post how they look. I went the US parts ordering route, if it doesn't prove fruitful, will have to use partsouq and pay the ~$55 in shipping.

Unobtainium

 

[Seth S]

So this is a stock harness with Hella housing and what bulbs are you using? this is a great light!

The bulbs were just the cheap h4 55/60 watt. Nothing fancy. An upgraded harness and some ipf fat boys would be noticeably brighter. I’m sure.

 

[augirthedude]

Brighter lights?

First, a wiring upgrade utilising high amp relays and larger gauge wire.

Second, Cibe H4 fixtures and bulbs.

Once the wiring is upgraded a standard sealed beam head light will be much brighter due to less resistance.

 

[Cruzerman]

Cruzerman do you have any pics of the Cibie's on? I know there's the debate of a picture showing the light but I am in the same boat where I need to upgrade my dull stock lights. Thanks man

Unfortunately no pictures. My 60 is non-op for now and will be for a while. But I've got big plans. For now, my two FZJ80s are filling the role of camping and wheeling.

I'm sure that others can help though. Over the years, in my 40 and 60, I've used IPF, Hella, and Cibie. While I felt the Cibie were the best, the others were all very good. As others have stated, if you go for a H4 setup, you really are going to need a wiring upgrade too.

 

[gregnash]

Brighter lights?

First, a wiring upgrade utilising high amp relays and larger gauge wire.

Second, Cibe H4 fixtures and bulbs.

Once the wiring is upgraded a standard sealed beam head light will be much brighter due to less resistance.

See I have done the wiring upgrade and dont feel like my stock beams have gotten much brighter. I have even upgraded my bulbs to 110/90 Hella H4 bulbs but still seem to have somewhat lack luster lighting. I am wondering if 1) the bulbs are about 4yrs old so may be time to replace, and/or 2) the "Rampage" housings really aren't that great and thus should be replaced? I have been looking at the Cibies for quite a while and wondered if they would produce that much of a difference.

 

[Willard]

So I run Hella E-Code lights. The ones I have are made in Germany. They are plenty bright. I am using a headlight harness kit I got off a member here some time ago (he no longer makes them). I run the 100/55 bulbs in them. I never tried without the harness, but I can tell you they are much brighter than the old seal beams and even brighter than my 2007 F150. Highs are to bright IMO. Here where I live it takes me about 5 minutes to be in an area where there are no street lights, farm fields and lots of deer. No problem spotting them and seeing way ahead.

I can say I have never liked the euro cut offs but that is me. Are they as bright as the HID my LR3 had......nope......Are they brighter than my 04 Yukon and my 07 F150.....very much so. If I need more light I have a set of KC HID Highlights up front. Those will blind you.

 

[gregnash]

Was actually watching an update/review of these last night from Headlight Revolution. Really surprised they make them in a H4 housing style bulb but at $140 for the bulbs themselves (which would work with my housing or the Cibies) I am contemplating giving them a try. My main concern is for winter driving where I have snow and ice that can accumulate on the lens during driving. Hence the "want" of the heated Trucklite housing but at $500+ for those... yeah that is a little outta my range at the moment.

 

[Cruzerman]

IMHO, LED lights make no sense when put into a halogen housing. The halogen housing was designed for a light source that is from a single point radiating out in all directions. LED replacement bulbs do not radiate light in a pattern that even remotely resembles a halogen bulb. Yes, LEDs are awesome in that they are nice and bright, don't pull lots of power, and last a long time. But they just don't work well as a retrofit since the housing was designed for a different light pattern. And thus they produce lots of light, but scattered with hot and cold spots.

 

[JHE4601]

IMHO, LED lights make no sense when put into a halogen housing. The halogen housing was designed for a light source that is from a single point radiating out in all directions. LED replacement bulbs do not radiate light in a pattern that even remotely resembles a halogen bulb. Yes, LEDs are awesome in that they are nice and bright, don't pull lots of power, and last a long time. But they just don't work well as a retrofit since the housing was designed for a different light pattern. And thus they produce lots of light, but scattered with hot and cold spots.

I agree with this. I know I use LED in the house but that’s a different type of light I am using. Plus the heating thing is a great point. If you live where it snows or freezes rain it’s tough to defrost without heat. I’m not sure if you live in Portland but we do get that freezing rain sometimes and it seems to be getting worse.

 

[lovetoski]

See I have done the wiring upgrade and dont feel like my stock beams have gotten much brighter. I have even upgraded my bulbs to 110/90 Hella H4 bulbs but still seem to have somewhat lack luster lighting. I am wondering if 1) the bulbs are about 4yrs old so may be time to replace, and/or 2) the "Rampage" housings really aren't that great and thus should be replaced? I have been looking at the Cibies for quite a while and wondered if they would produce that much of a difference.

I used the Hella ecode lenses for 3-4 years, with an upgraded harness and a variety of bulbs, including the 100/90's. This setup was better than my stock sealed beam units, but especially on dark/rainy nights there just wasn't enough light on the road in front of me.
I consulted with Daniel Stern who recommended the Cibie lenses. He said these have a superior beam pattern which - all things equal - would put more light on the road. I made the switch and it's a noticeable improvement.
The other thing I'd recommend is to add a 6 or 8 ga fused wire between your alternator + and battery +. This is an additional step to the upgraded wiring harness, but they compliment each other. The additional charge wire allows the whole system to run at higher voltage. Alternator output doesn't change, but system voltage does. The stock wiring creates voltage drop. Halogen lights are very sensitive to voltage, so adding this wire should brighten up your lights.

 

[Rube]

@JHE4601

Here are a few shots of the cibies on my 60 that I took the other night. Still need to adjust the lighting angles a bit but I couldn’t be happier.

First picture: no lights
Second: low beams
Third: high beams
Fourth: low beam pattern (still need to adjust)

 

[Seth S]

Looks good.


Something to consider about HID and LED is that you almost need to learn how to see with them. Your eye is used to a much cooler light source in the yellower spectrum vs the pure white of led and hid. I know it sounds funny but I find a bright halogen to be easier to comprehend than a 5000k light source.

 

[gregnash]

I used the Hella ecode lenses for 3-4 years, with an upgraded harness and a variety of bulbs, including the 100/90's. This setup was better than my stock sealed beam units, but especially on dark/rainy nights there just wasn't enough light on the road in front of me.
I consulted with Daniel Stern who recommended the Cibie lenses. He said these have a superior beam pattern which - all things equal - would put more light on the road. I made the switch and it's a noticeable improvement.
The other thing I'd recommend is to add a 6 or 8 ga fused wire between your alternator + and battery +. This is an additional step to the upgraded wiring harness, but they compliment each other. The additional charge wire allows the whole system to run at higher voltage. Alternator output doesn't change, but system voltage does. The stock wiring creates voltage drop. Halogen lights are very sensitive to voltage, so adding this wire should brighten up your lights.

Yup have that already... Had someone build the SLCFJ62 harness kit and then purchased the upgrade battery cable kit from @Fourrunner. Both have been installed for a while so sounds like it is more that the housings just aren't that great after all. Guess I will be getting the Cibies and trying those.

 

[JHE4601]

@JHE4601

Here are a few shots of the cibies on my 60 that I took the other night. Still need to adjust the lighting angles a bit but I couldn’t be happier.

First picture: no lights
Second: low beams
Third: high beams
Fourth: low beam pattern (still need to adjust)

View attachment 1843278

View attachment 1843279

View attachment 1843280

View attachment 1843281

These are great!! What an improvement from the stock. I consulted with Daniel Stern. What an interesting guy. Has a wealth of knowledge about headlights, harnesses, color temp, etc. He's a nerd about it. Super nice guy and I ended up getting the Koitos he highly recommended. I guess they are a Japanese company that sells strictly to Toyota. No upgraded harness needed for these or the Cibies which is a bonus I suppose. They are speedy though but then again you can definitely spend a lot on harnesses and lighting packages all together. I will post some pics after I get them and report back. So far though everyone has had some great upgrades on this feed.

 

[Cruzerman]

Something to consider about HID and LED is that you almost need to learn how to see with them.

Can you explain this? This makes no sense to me. Not sure what you mean that I have to learn to see? From my reading, you may think you see better with bright white (blueish) light, but you don't. Additionally, this type of bright white light is really bad in fog, snow, heavy rain. And it also sucks for other drivers. Would love to learn something, but for now I'll stay away from the "white" light.

 

[ntsqd]

Yup have that already... Had someone build the SLCFJ62 harness kit and then purchased the upgrade battery cable kit from @Fourrunner. Both have been installed for a while so sounds like it is more that the housings just aren't that great after all. Guess I will be getting the Cibies and trying those.

See I have done the wiring upgrade and dont feel like my stock beams have gotten much brighter. I have even upgraded my bulbs to 110/90 Hella H4 bulbs but still seem to have somewhat lack luster lighting. I am wondering if 1) the bulbs are about 4yrs old so may be time to replace, and/or 2) the "Rampage" housings really aren't that great and thus should be replaced? I have been looking at the Cibies for quite a while and wondered if they would produce that much of a difference.

Cibie's or Marchal's would be my recommendation. The lens/reflector is much more important than the power and type of light source. Said differently, a quality H4 conversion set with stock wattage bulbs running on the stock wiring will light the road better than some 100/160 bulbs in a cheap lens/reflector. BT, DT almost 30 years ago. Can sometimes find 7" round Cibie's on amazon.
That isn't to discount that the light source has to be in the correct location and emitting the light in the way that the lens/reflector was designed for, just that a cheap lens/reflector with a high output bulb is not a good idea.

Can you explain this? This makes no sense to me. Not sure what you mean that I have to learn to see? From my reading, you may think you see better with bright white (blueish) light, but you don't. Additionally, this type of bright white light is really bad in fog, snow, heavy rain. And it also sucks for other drivers. Would love to learn something, but for now I'll stay away from the "white" light.

LED light has always seemed "Hollow" to me. Like it's not really there or it has no density. As my eyes have aged they are liking blue light less and less. LED's color is too blue. The yellowest tend to be about 5000K and most of the H4 conversion "bulbs" that I've seem are 6500K, where my upper tolerance seems to be about 4500K.
France used to, and may still require headlights in the, I'd guess, sub 4000K range. Very yellow light. All those DS-19's running around at night in movies set in France ("Day of the Jackal" anyone?) were for a reason. I long wondered why, but now I'm understanding.

After a week-long email string run-around just trying to buy some lights from Stern I gave up and no longer will buy anything from him or recommend him for anything.