Help needed - quad light conversion wiring

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digitalmarker

digitalmarker

Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Threads
55
Messages
482
Location
Bay Area, CA
Hey folks,

I got a hold of a full quad headlight kit to install onto my 80, converting from a 9005/9006 to the H4 style connector. There are some nuances with the "switching ground" wire, which I cannot wrap my head around. For full transparency I am super inept when it comes to anything electrical, and am hoping to "copy and paste" someone's setup.

I have read through several threads here of folks having completed this conversion, but have yet to land on something definitive in terms of wiring these up properly.

Two setups I am considering:

1. Running LED sealed bulbs, like a JW Speakers or a Morimoto (preferred). In this setup I would like to run all four bulbs on in low and in high beam modes.

2. Running the stock bulbs (less preferred but may do this for the time being until I can spend on the LEDs).

Can someone please post photos of your harnesses/wiring so I can "copy and paste" them onto mine?

TIA

IMG_5890.webp
 
im getting my quads soon as well but you can use this video for a reference on how to wire your high beams, im planning on buying a 9006/9005 to h4 harness and tap into it with a relay to wire the high beam side
the conversion harness im planning on buying https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075W2WLSN?tag=ihco-20
or if you want to do it the easy way, you can just buy this harness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?tag=ihco-20 and chop the male end that goes into the headlight harness and plug in a 9006 male end
 
Last edited:
digitalmarker said:
1. Running LED sealed bulbs, like a JW Speakers or a Morimoto (preferred). In this setup I would like to run all four bulbs on in low and in high beam modes.
Click to expand...
I have the JW Speakers. You can't really set them up like this - there is one high beam and one low per side. The way I have mine wired the low beam is on when headlights are on (obviously) and it remains on when the high beams are also on.

The easiest way for you to wire these is going to be to get a multimeter and start checking your factory wiring - it's pretty simple when you get in there. Keeping in mind the factory switches the ground side and not the positive side. There are no relays or anything like that required and no need to upgrade the wires as the LED setup draws nothing compared to the factory lights.
 
Douglas S said:
Keeping in mind the factory switches the ground side and not the positive side.
Click to expand...
Only the high beams are ground switched. The low beams are positive switched and have a hard ground to the body.
 
FZJFreddy said:
I had a look but everything is taped up too well to see anything interesting from it
Click to expand...
Are the wires taped up at the connector, or can you see which wire is going where from one plug to the other? That's all I am looking for so I can copy and paste it.
 
Douglas S said:
I have the JW Speakers. You can't really set them up like this - there is one high beam and one low per side. The way I have mine wired the low beam is on when headlights are on (obviously) and it remains on when the high beams are also on.

The easiest way for you to wire these is going to be to get a multimeter and start checking your factory wiring - it's pretty simple when you get in there. Keeping in mind the factory switches the ground side and not the positive side. There are no relays or anything like that required and no need to upgrade the wires as the LED setup draws nothing compared to the factory lights.
Click to expand...
Any chance you can get pictures of your wiring setup, from one plug/harness to the other? Trying to copy and paste this setup one to one.

At this point I backed off the idea of having all four lights on at the same time for low beam, so looking to wire up the low beams and have them stay on while the high beams are activated. It looks like some people were able to wire it up with 4 on at the same time, but they had to use relays/resistors etc., which is way above my pay grade.

If you can share what your wiring setup looks like, it would be super helpful so I can replicate.

Getting my Holley 4x6 projectors delivered today and chomping at the bit to get them wired up.
 
noobierice said:
im getting my quads soon as well but you can use this video for a reference on how to wire your high beams, im planning on buying a 9006/9005 to h4 harness and tap into it with a relay to wire the high beam side
the conversion harness im planning on buying https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075W2WLSN?tag=ihco-20
or if you want to do it the easy way, you can just buy this harness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?tag=ihco-20 and chop the male end that goes into the headlight harness and plug in a 9006 male end
Click to expand...
Can you post a link to the video? Not seeing it in your post.

I was looking at the links to the harnesses you shared, but don't know which wire goes to which adapter plug to get them properly wired up.
 
Alright folks, got everything working and buttoned up over the weekend, partially thanks to this thread and a few other folks who I talked to separately who have done something similar. Posting the final solution if others are looking to do this in the future since there are no definitive threads on this yet.

These are the components I used:

Lights:

Low beams: 2x LFRB140-1 - Holley RetroBright LED Forward Facing Light - Modern White (5700K) SUPERSEDES LFRB140
Item# LFRB140-1

High beams: 2x LFRB141 - Holley RetroBright LED Forward Facing Light - Modern White (5700K) HIGH-BEAM ONLY
Item# LFRB141

Note - the four plastic tabs on the back of bulbs are too tall to install into the housings. I used a grinder to remove about 1/8" of material (it's hard plastic so took a but of time, but no damage to the housings fortunately) to get them to sit flush in factory chrome surrounds.

Harness: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_N1G79E3NGFGA9GC8P7ER

Conversion harnesses (you need 4 total): USA Pair H4 Female to 9006 HB4 Male x2 Wire Adapter connector Plug For headlight | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/113274549056.

You can probably combine the main harness and conversion harnesses to eliminate the need for extra conversion harnesses but I didn't want to mess with it and went the plug and play route.

Now for the install:

The high beams were very straight forward. Plugged both in to the conversion harnesses to convert them from 9005/9006 oval style plug into the H4 plugs on the bulbs. Flipped on the lights and the high beams went on, as did the high beam indicator on the dash.

The low beams were slightly trickier but not much. Plugged the oval to square plug conversion harnesses, and installed the main harness as specified in the instructions - positive to the battery terminal, and 2x grounds to the body. I ran the harness behind the grill valance and zip tied it in two locations, was just long enough to reach the other side. Once I plugged them in they did not work. Turns out the two wires (blue and black in the two plugs circled in the diagram) had to be swapped inside the plug to achieve the right polarity with the plugs on the bulbs themselves. I used the Wits End prison shank tool to unclip them from the harness, and pushed out the metal clips that hold them in place before reinstalling. I then mounted the relays to a spare hole in the fender right next to the battery.

Spent a few minutes that night setting the cutoff and aiming the lights and that was that. Super pleased with the results, incredible light output compared to factory lights, no glare/light scatter, and the bulbs themselves look era appropriate without the typical LED bulbs.

Hope this helps someone doing the same swap especially those like me who are not electrically savvy.

harness.webp


IMG_7363.webp


IMG_7365.webp



IMG_7368.webp
 
digitalmarker said:
Alright folks, got everything working and buttoned up over the weekend, partially thanks to this thread and a few other folks who I talked to separately who have done something similar. Posting the final solution if others are looking to do this in the future since there are no definitive threads on this yet.

These are the components I used:

Lights:

Low beams: 2x LFRB140-1 - Holley RetroBright LED Forward Facing Light - Modern White (5700K) SUPERSEDES LFRB140
Item# LFRB140-1

High beams: 2x LFRB141 - Holley RetroBright LED Forward Facing Light - Modern White (5700K) HIGH-BEAM ONLY
Item# LFRB141

Note - the four plastic tabs on the back of bulbs are too tall to install into the housings. I used a grinder to remove about 1/8" of material (it's hard plastic so took a but of time, but no damage to the housings fortunately) to get them to sit flush in factory chrome surrounds.

Harness: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_N1G79E3NGFGA9GC8P7ER

Conversion harnesses (you need 4 total): USA Pair H4 Female to 9006 HB4 Male x2 Wire Adapter connector Plug For headlight | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/113274549056.

You can probably combine the main harness and conversion harnesses to eliminate the need for extra conversion harnesses but I didn't want to mess with it and went the plug and play route.

Now for the install:

The high beams were very straight forward. Plugged both in to the conversion harnesses to convert them from 9005/9006 oval style plug into the H4 plugs on the bulbs. Flipped on the lights and the high beams went on, as did the high beam indicator on the dash.

The low beams were slightly trickier but not much. Plugged the oval to square plug conversion harnesses, and installed the main harness as specified in the instructions - positive to the battery terminal, and 2x grounds to the body. I ran the harness behind the grill valance and zip tied it in two locations, was just long enough to reach the other side. Once I plugged them in they did not work. Turns out the two wires (blue and black in the two plugs circled in the diagram) had to be swapped inside the plug to achieve the right polarity with the plugs on the bulbs themselves. I used the Wits End prison shank tool to unclip them from the harness, and pushed out the metal clips that hold them in place before reinstalling. I then mounted the relays to a spare hole in the fender right next to the battery.

Spent a few minutes that night setting the cutoff and aiming the lights and that was that. Super pleased with the results, incredible light output compared to factory lights, no glare/light scatter, and the bulbs themselves look era appropriate without the typical LED bulbs.

Hope this helps someone doing the same swap especially those like me who are not electrically savvy.

View attachment 3317632

digitalmarker so I just got my Quads and I'm ready to do this install, Are you saying I need 4 of the 9006/9005 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_N1G79E3NGFGA9GC8P7ER) adapter pigtails and 1 of the above relay harness? I haven't torn into this yet but it would seem that on each side I would have a 9005 2 wire Highbeam plug and a 9006 3 wire High/low plug, In other words, 4 total 9005/9006 connectors. In the above illustration the black plug is listed to connect to the factory harness but it's an H4 male plug...I guess I'm just confused how this all goes together. I get that the Highbeams are just straight 9005 to the Jumper harness to the light. but the High/low seems to be missing a connection unless you are saying that you only tap into one headlight harness to power the relays to both High/low beams but then why do I need 4 jumpers as this harness is already H4( orange plugs, the ones you circled)? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks​

Click to expand...
 

@digitalmarker so I just got my Quads and I'm ready to do this install, Are you saying I need 4 of the 9006/9005 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_N1G79E3NGFGA9GC8P7ER) adapter pigtails and 1 of the above relay harness? I haven't torn into this yet but it would seem that on each side I would have a 9005 2 wire Highbeam plug and a 9006 3 wire High/low plug, In other words, 4 total 9005/9006 connectors. In the above illustration the black plug is listed to connect to the factory harness but it's an H4 male plug...I guess I'm just confused how this all goes together. I get that the Highbeams are just straight 9005 to the Jumper harness to the light. but the High/low seems to be missing a connection unless you are saying that you only tap into one headlight harness to power the relays to both High/low beams but then why do I need 4 jumpers as this harness is already H4( orange plugs, the ones you circled)? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks​

 
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