jw speaker owners with fj62s (1 Viewer)

[franklin40]

hi all. sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere but i haven't found a thread discussing specifically people’s thoughts on the speaker headlights. there are loads of threads on LED light “upgrades”. and i’ve considered many different “plug and play” options. what i most want is people’s impressions that own fj62s that have the jw speaker lights. i know that the low beams are just lows but when highs are on all four can be on. how do you guys like that? does it feel like there could be better light spread? i currently have ciebe housings for lows and hellas for highs. they have been good but i’m replacing bulbs a couple times a year and the glass housings get beat up by rocks. recently i hit a dear and exploded one so now’s the time to upgrade if i’m going to.

my worry with the led bulbs that plug into the H4 housings is scatter. i hate vehicle coming at me with lows on that blond be because of poor housing design and light/housing combinations not designed to be together. i don’t want to be one of those guys. but i need good light as i drive half the year in the dark here in canada. so i want to know are the speaker lights the perfect light or are there down sides to them (other than cost)? i like the polycarbonate lense. i don’t love that if they burn out you have to replace the whole unit but how often do they burn out right?

you opinions will be of value to me for those of you that use them. thanks

 

[Seth S]

Video: Model 8800 Evolution 2 - Heated 4x6 LED Headlights - LED Headlights | Aftermarket & OEM Headlights | J.W. Speaker

The Model 8800 Evolution 2 provides a high performance 4×6″ LED headlight, available with a heated lens! This intelligent heating system automatically de-ices according to ambient temperature changes. As a […]

www.jwspeaker.com

 

[bottombracket]

JE Speakers represent the best cruiser money I have ever spent. The field of view on low is clear and wide without cutoffs or the weird interference patterns that my Trucklites had. High beam is wider, brighter, and better.

Making the conversion harness takes an hour and ~$25 or so worth of supplies. If you can solder you can do it. Message me if you have any more questions.

 

[Spook50]

One of the best upgrades I've ever made to my 62. I use a Tangen harness I built years ago but will be eliminating that and doing the much simpler stock wiring adapters for the lights. I need to double check the gauge of the high beam leads in the stock harness though, because a low and a high ) the JW Speaker lights) when on and heated together will pull 6.6A (just shy of 80W) through those old stock wires, which given their age and the fact that they were designed to power only a single 55W sealed beam each, tells me there might be issues when driving with low beams and high beams both on for long periods (which I do often). Hate to have a wire heat up and short out during a long drive through the middle of nowhere.

 

[franklin40]

this is great as i’ve been on the fence about it because of the single low pattern on the low beams. if it’s good with the addition of the highs i’ll likely go this route then. i’ve currently got an IPF harness so with the relays i’ll be on for power to them. ill get the heated elements too so i’ll want to have as much power handling as i can.

 

[bottombracket]

Stinkin' expensive but worth it. Every penny.

 

[Paco]

Ditto what @bottombracket said. I have had them about 6 months but the best upgrade I have done to any of my cruisers. Wish I had put a set on my previous 62. I drive the mountain passes a lot over to Central Oregon and now I don't get headaches from late-night white knuckle winter trips.

I was able to plug and play no problems after switching the ground wires in the harnesses they provided. My high beam indicator also works so didn't need any custom relays or wiring. Of course my experience might be different since I have a 24v Eurospec HJ61.

 

[franklin40]

ordered. they’re not stock looking but i think will look cool with my kelly saad grille

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

Hi, regarding an upgrade to a FJ62 (1989) can someone confirm that the latest JW Speaker Headlights Model 8800 Evolution 2 , both Low and High beam are direct "plug and play" and do not require modification to the OEM connector/wire harness, and that all four lights will stay on when in High Beam Mode? Thanks in advance much appreciated.

 

[Spook50]

Hi, regarding an upgrade to a FJ62 (1989) can someone confirm that the latest JW Speaker Headlights Model 8800 Evolution 2 , both Low and High beam are direct "plug and play" and do not require modification to the OEM connector/wire harness, and that all four lights will stay on when in High Beam Mode? Thanks in advance much appreciated.

They are not. They can be powered by the stock wiring so a complete external harness isn't needed, but a small amount of adapting is needed to make them work like stock. Also to keep in mind, the low beams are low beam ONLY and do not have a high beam mode. The wiring mod to make them work though will keep the low beams on when the high beams come on, so with high beams on you're using all four lights.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

They are not. They can be powered by the stock wiring so a complete external harness isn't needed, but a small amount of adapting is needed to make them work like stock. Also to keep in mind, the low beams are low beam ONLY and do not have a high beam mode. The wiring mod to make them work though will keep the low beams on when the high beams come on, so with high beams on you're using all four lights.

thanks. i plan on replacing all four and want them to work as OEM (all on when in high beam). but what small adapting ins needed?

 

[Spook50]

thanks. i plan on replacing all four and want them to work as OEM (all on when in high beam). but what small adapting ins needed?

There's a thread that details installation of the JW Speaker setup in 62s. Here is a link to where we discuss the final details of the modification necessary to run them and retain the high beam indicator as well: Instructions for LED Headlight upgrade
There are pictures of both my set up and the one @amw2320 did for his. Setups look different, but we both wired ours up identically.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

There's a thread that details installation of the JW Speaker setup in 62s. Here is a link to where we discuss the final details of the modification necessary to run them and retain the high beam indicator as well: Instructions for LED Headlight upgrade
There are pictures of both my set up and the one @amw2320 did for his. Setups look different, but we both wired ours up identically.

Got it. Very helpful. Thank you.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

FYI, In June 2020, I contacted JW Speaker Support about their LED headlights, Model 8800 Evolution 2 for FJ 60-62 Series.

They indicated that “80’s Toyotas have something called Positive Ground, or Ground Switching. Our lights are LED and require a negative ground to function.”

In reading several Threads/Posts I see several of you have made your own adapters and/or modifications to convert the connection to a negative ground (for various LED headlight brands).

I’m asking if anyone knows of someone/vendor who makes/sells an adapter/harness specifically for the 1989/FJ62 U.S. Specs. for upgrade to the JW Speaker Model 8800 Evolution 2 (for both Low & High beam connections). Thanks, I much appreciate your help.

 

[Spook50]

FYI, In June 2020, I contacted JW Speaker Support about their LED headlights, Model 8800 Evolution 2 for FJ 60-62 Series.

They indicated that “80’s Toyotas have something called Positive Ground, or Ground Switching. Our lights are LED and require a negative ground to function.”

In reading several Threads/Posts I see several of you have made your own adapters and/or modifications to convert the connection to a negative ground (for various LED headlight brands).

I’m asking if anyone knows of someone/vendor who makes/sells an adapter/harness specifically for the 1989/FJ62 U.S. Specs. for upgrade to the JW Speaker Model 8800 Evolution 2 (for both Low & High beam connections). Thanks, I much appreciate your help.

Toyotas all still have a negative ground, which is different from negative SWITCHING, which is our case. Since the system was originally designed for incandescent bulbs, the direction of current flow through the filaments didn't matter, and so the headlight harnesses in Toyotas back in the day (because of the ground switching) were essentially a reversal of what they were in domestic vehicles (in the case of the outboard headlights, a single positive lead and the two switched negative leads that controlled high and low for the outboard bulbs), so to accomodate LEDs, which are polarity sensitive, slight modification of the wiring is necessary. Still much better than having to build and/or install a high current capable harness to accommodate high output halogen bulbs. Some European vehicles (Land Rover I know is one) use an actual positive ground system, which is all kinds of weird.

If you have even a rudimentary understanding of electrical and electronics, you can easily make the modifications yourself. I'm pretty OCD about things I do with wiring and such, so I made sure what I did was nice and pretty, and as stock looking as I could make it.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

Toyotas all still have a negative ground, which is different from negative SWITCHING, which is our case. Since the system was originally designed for incandescent bulbs, the direction of current flow through the filaments didn't matter, and so the headlight harnesses in Toyotas back in the day (because of the ground switching) were essentially a reversal of what they were in domestic vehicles (in the case of the outboard headlights, a single positive lead and the two switched negative leads that controlled high and low for the outboard bulbs), so to accomodate LEDs, which are polarity sensitive, slight modification of the wiring is necessary. Still much better than having to build and/or install a high current capable harness to accommodate high output halogen bulbs. Some European vehicles (Land Rover I know is one) use an actual positive ground system, which is all kinds of weird.

If you have even a rudimentary understanding of electrical and electronics, you can easily make the modifications yourself. I'm pretty OCD about things I do with wiring and such, so I made sure what I did was nice and pretty, and as stock looking as I could make it.

Thanks, i'm making my things to buy list from the prior work done by you guys so, i can make DIY and it work.

 

[Spook50]

Thanks, i'm making my things to buy list from the prior work done by you guys so, i can make DIY and it work.

If you don't already have one, you'll want to invest in a multimeter so you can double check your connections as you go, just to make sure terminals are installed in the connectors correctly and you don't have any issues from incorrect connections.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

If you don't already have one, you'll want to invest in a multimeter so you can double check your connections as you go, just to make sure terminals are installed in the connectors correctly and you don't have any issues from incorrect connections.

Something like this? Amazon product ASIN B07FDBW1PT

 

[Spook50]

Something like this? Amazon product ASIN B07FDBW1PT

That's not a bad option. You can do pretty much all automotive electrical work and testing with that style, so you don't specifically need to shop for a dedicated automotive multimeter. I use a Fluke 87-V which has proven a GREAT asset with the stuff I do, along with a clamp style capacitance and current meter that's great for measuring current draw and finding parasitic current draws in electrical parts.

 

[MTB Land Cruise]

That's not a bad option. You can do pretty much all automotive electrical work and testing with that style, so you don't specifically need to shop for a dedicated automotive multimeter. I use a Fluke 87-V which has proven a GREAT asset with the stuff I do, along with a clamp style capacitance and current meter that's great for measuring current draw and finding parasitic current draws in electrical parts.

thanks, i'll double check with my nephew, an electrician. Not automotive electrician but he knows his stuff. i have seen him use his multimeter.