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rstrucks
05-02-2011, 08:55 AM
What do you guys have for lighting on your Jeeps? From headlights to rock lights what works? The cheaper the better!

ATL ZJ
05-02-2011, 09:34 AM
Two pencil beam round hella 550s as headlights/primary lights. They're brighter than the stock headlights and have been working well for about 4 years. My rig doesn't really see street though... they might be a bit much for around town use unless aimed way down. Eventually I'd love to grab a couple HIDs for additional lighting because the hellas don't project far enough out when moving fast at night. Sometimes I get close to outdriving the range of my lights especially on rough terrain.

CrawlerReady
05-02-2011, 10:46 AM
HID's FTMFW. I run two 4" round 35w HID's for my headlights (aimed down a bit to be nice to people I'm following). I used to run two Hella 550 driving lights as headlights, but got annoyed of not being able to see very far. [shameless plug]Want a pair of HID's? PM me[/shameless plug]

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/205691_511079209320_330900191_271616_5361095_n.jpg

For rock lights I currently run some small fog lights that Walmart sells for $20 a pair. However, I'm soon going to be switching those out because I hate burning out bulbs and breaking lenses so I'm putting up some LED lighting. Got a roll of LED's from eBay (same stuff Kraq is running). I'll post up some pictures when I get those all installed.

rodd88
05-02-2011, 10:47 AM
I'm using a set of eBay replacement headlights I got off ftcollins for $50. They were much better than the original ones the jeep came with. Up top I have my rack drilled for a set of KC sealed case daylighters. They are ridiculously bright and I have them aimed to light roughly 200/250 yards. I was looking into installing a set of tractor lights for reverse lights, and looking around for rock lights as well.

bshows73
05-02-2011, 03:02 PM
I use the 7" Hid from Autozone. Great lights far I have had them for 2 years now and they have taken some abuse. For rock lights I run the ORO Led lights. They could be brighter but they work pretty well and draw no power. I also have 4-8" daystar lights on my roof. They are there mostly for show I never use them since they glare off of my windshield. I will try and get some pics of my rock lights lit up tonight.

SirFuego
05-02-2011, 03:12 PM
My rock light setup just involved the Autozone Ricer lights (which you can also get at Harbor freight):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/padaurizio/bigdogsseptember08054.jpg

I used fog lights in the fenders for "rock lights" I think that fog lights are much more effective as rock lights because they offer a wider beam pattern in a shorter distance. On my hood, I had "driving lights" angled out each side so I can see around turns in the trail. I honestly wished I went with fog lights for those -- again because of the wider beam pattern. I do, however, have a huge glare problem with them if my windshield is really dirty. Where I wheel, I really don't need to see for a mile ahead of me -- in fact, most of the time I can't because of the trees, so a wider beam is usually more helpful. Since I didn't have any "actual" fog lights, I just wired my rock lights into the factor fog light switch.

I currently have a set of Tantrum LED rock lights I'm going to put on. I'll secure them using rare earth magnets (two will be under the hood) so I can reposition them pretty easily if needed. They will also be able to give me a bling strobe effect if needed.

Currently, my only lighting is a set of oval fog lights (again, cheapo AutoZone) that work pretty well and don't blind the person in front of me either.

BigDaveZJ
05-02-2011, 04:29 PM
I'm running Hella's as driving lights too. They work okay. I keep them pointed pretty low, and have some round Hellas on the bumper as hi beams. The setup certainly isn't perfect though. I would like to switch out the main lights for something with a wider beam.

For rock lights, I've got some cheap harbor freight lights mounted underneath. About $20/pair. They're mounted on the arms for my rock sliders.

BigClay
05-02-2011, 04:46 PM
I am interested where everyone is putting their switches in the cab.

CrawlerReady
05-02-2011, 04:50 PM
My switches are on the side of my console next to my seat. My HID's are wired to the factory headlight switch.

rodd88
05-02-2011, 05:20 PM
Not that my input is worth the space it will take up, but my single switch is set up under the steering wheel to the lefthttp://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad224/roddd88/zjinterior.jpg.
Ill be adding more lights later, and I was wondering if it was worth it to have a switch cluster to use lights with.

EDIT: Thats not my Zj, I just dont have pictures of my interior.

TN_WJ
05-02-2011, 05:21 PM
Ive got the switch for my Hella black magics on the dash just to the left of the steering column. It's convenient and I could easily fit 2 or 3 more switches in the same place later down the road if need be.

BigDaveZJ
05-02-2011, 05:33 PM
Driving lights use the headlight switch, round Hella's on the bumper have a switch below the headlight switch. Rock lights are on the center console. Kinda want to consolidate some of them into one area.

Jeeptech01
05-02-2011, 05:57 PM
Upgrading to HID's is on my to do list since I'd rather not add any aux lighting other than some fogs in the front bumper. Any advice for converting from sealed beam to HID. IE kits to use/avoid wiring mods..

bshows73
05-02-2011, 08:09 PM
I took out my 4x4 shift indicator and built a panel for it that hold 4 switched and 2 12 volt cigarette lighter prong thingy's

paulkeith
05-03-2011, 10:14 AM
if you don't have heated seats, there is plenty of room for switches to the left of the rear wiper/OD/Defrost panel where the heated seat sliders would go. I also ran a bank of switches on the overhead console in the empty space between the last cubby and the rearmost lights. if you don't have the VIC, that stupid "am i in 4wd" panel works great also, as was mentioned. I put my CB in there though.

I've had great luck with hella products across many vehicles, but no specific offroad experience because i'm a perma-webwheeler.

Jeep Whore
05-30-2011, 11:05 PM
so i am debating using HIDs with a conversion kit for the stock lights or using IPFs. has anyone does this before? i am leaning towards the HIDs since from what i have found they are brighter and cheaper.

5.9 ANDY
05-31-2011, 11:01 AM
i have been wanting to get some offroad lights for a while.
i have been searching and searching for ideas..... what i want is some lights to put up high, that will project a beam out a VERY far distance.... then, some fog lights on the bumper to get everything that is up close.

i know that glare is a possible issue that i will be facing, do you guys know of anyway to fix it?
perhaps a vizor type divice?

i did get some inspiration for lights a few months ago... i was driving down the road, and i saw i beam of light in the sky above me, i was able to look back, all i saw was a small white dot....about a miniute later, an air plane flys over me, and thats when i realized....air craft landing lights.... they must survive very harsh conditions, are probably some what light...and are bright as fuck.

however, im still trying to find an airplane junk yard...

that is my lighting story.

SirFuego
05-31-2011, 11:27 AM
i know that glare is a possible issue that i will be facing, do you guys know of anyway to fix it?
I've heard that flat black paint on your hood will help quite a bit since it doesn't really reflect much light.

For the type of terrain I wheel on, regular headlights and strategically placed fog lights are the most effective for overall visibility at night. Anything brighter tends to become a nuisance to whoever is in front of you, so they really are only useful if you are always leading the group. However, there are a lot of trees that we need to deal with, so it's rare that we need to see further than regular headlights/fog lights allow you to see. In a more desert terrain, I can see the advantages to running really bright lights.

Also, on 93 ZJs (not sure about other years), the fog lights are setup such that you cannot turn them on without the headlights being on. Keep that in mind if you decide to reuse the factory fog light switch for additional lights.

bshows73
05-31-2011, 12:34 PM
Anyone know of a good inexpensive place to get LED light bars. I plan on doing an internal/external cage (similar to Ryan's) here in the next few months and want some low profile LED lights on the roof.

SirFuego
05-31-2011, 01:55 PM
VisionX and Rigid are the only two companies I'm aware of that sell low profile LED light bars -- not that any of their light bars are "inexpensive"...

LED stuff is expensive no matter how you slice it. When I was looking into rock lights, I found some writeups for DIY LED rock lights. When I priced everything together, I didn't even include the wires in the cost, and it was only $10-15 more expensive to buy the Tantrum rock lights...

SirFuego
05-31-2011, 02:13 PM
As for rock lights...

I run these currently for backup lights and they work really well:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Alpena-24-in-white-colorful-flexible-LED-light/_/N-25pw?itemIdentifier=60064&_requestid=6101804

When I installed them, I thought that they would work very well as rock lights. I'm sure they would be more than bright enough, but I haven't been impressed with their longevity despite the claims that they can be used as outside lights. They seem to be separating in some areas and not sure how much longer they are going to last on my rig.

96RedZJ
05-31-2011, 02:45 PM
I have 4 Hello 500s.
2 are 130s.
2 are HIDs.

http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv115/Redzj/2011-05-28_17-54-49_138.jpg

ATL ZJ
05-31-2011, 03:31 PM
http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv115/Redzj/2011-05-28_17-54-49_138.jpg

how do you not break those on a daily basis? And do you have a toilet seat attachment for your snorkel

96RedZJ
05-31-2011, 06:14 PM
how do you not break those on a daily basis? And do you have a toilet seat attachment for your snorkel

I don't wheel like an ass hole. Therefore they don't hit things. I plan on getting an iceland offroad bumper soon.

Also.. I don't get your toilet comment.

Sent from my DROIDX

Jeep Whore
05-31-2011, 07:12 PM
Also.. I don't get your toilet comment.

He means look and the U bend in it and the fact that it looks like its made of out ABS plastic.

Screwfly
05-31-2011, 11:19 PM
i did get some inspiration for lights a few months ago... i was driving down the road, and i saw i beam of light in the sky above me, i was able to look back, all i saw was a small white dot....about a miniute later, an air plane flys over me, and thats when i realized....air craft landing lights.... they must survive very harsh conditions, are probably some what light...and are bright as fuck.

however, im still trying to find an airplane junk yard...

Maybe this will help? (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/el/landinglights.html)
They have some nice LED options on that site too.

Now you got me thinking about that..

Colorado 5.9
06-01-2011, 03:25 AM
For rock lights I actually have 2 LED Varad kits I'm going to chain one of these days.

However after getting into RC flying again LED stuff for night flying has come along way. I have a quad coter that I have RED strip light LEDs on & they are suoer brite.
I did have one of the arms with white led's but I didn't like how it looked.

The have now come out with water/weather proof stip LEDs. I bought 3 meters worth & intend on installing them befor GSW. For now to save some time I'm only going to wire them to run on a big 11.1v Lipo battery I use in a few of my planes. Then later I'll use the controler you can get for them. The strip leds are cheap at $7.25 a meter & the controler is only $6.88. I'll post photos & let you guys know how brite they really are comepared to the non weather proof ones.

http://www.himodel.com/electric/10mm_Width_60-LED_per_Meter_Water-proofing_LED_Lights_Strip_W_adhesive_backing_90CM_ White.html

http://www.himodel.com/electric/12V_IR_Control_Box_for_LED_Lights_Strip.html

hvac man
06-01-2011, 06:03 PM
'98 ZJ: http://i47.tinypic.com/2zy95pz.jpg

IPF 960 Super Ralley- exelent
IPF ZE-1 Fog- gold lens- best light I have ever owned! (one broke and can't find a replacement, do you have one for sale?)
PIAA Xtream white plus 9004/HB1- good light output from factory housing.
Mopar (canadian?) lenses w/ H4 bulbs- haven't tried them yet. I'm not sure if the H4 is worth going to.

'06 Ford E-250:
IPF rectangle conversion lens with the PIAA H4 Xtream white- WAY better than stock!

BigClay
06-22-2011, 01:42 PM
Ignorance alert...

I am no good, I mean awful at wiring, so... I want to wire up my Hella 500s on my ARB before GSSE. Can someone walk me through step by step of how to wire these lights and how to install the switch. The instructions Hella included are next to useless for me.

19onebadzj96
06-22-2011, 02:54 PM
Ignorance alert...

I am no good, I mean awful at wiring, so... I want to wire up my Hella 500s on my ARB before GSSE. Can someone walk me through step by step of how to wire these lights and how to install the switch. The instructions Hella included are next to useless for me.

Below is a diagram I drew on Paint. It is what I use without using a relay and using a fuse from the power source.



5880

SirFuego
06-22-2011, 11:34 PM
Below is a diagram I drew on Paint. It is what I use without using a relay and using a fuse from the power source.

If you run it that way, you need to make sure that the current rating for the fuse is greater than the output of the lights -- and the current rating of the wiring and switch are greater than the fuse. IIRC, Hella 500s are 55W running on 12V. So since P = IV, I = P/V = 55 / 12 = 4.58. Since the lights are connected in parallel, the total amperage is additive. Meaning that you multiply the current by the number of lights (which I assume is 2). So 2*4.58 = 9.16A. So basically, you need the fuse to be at least 10A and the switch to be at least 15A (5A greater than the fuse).

That wiring should work, but I would prefer to wire it up using a relay instead. A relay is really nothing more than a high amperage switch. With a relay, the switch itself sees a very minimal load, so it's (in theory) less likely to fail (when a switch is overloaded, it can heat up and melt -- or possibly cause a fire). The fuse in the above diagram should prevent that from happening, but short circuits can happen and I'd rather blow up a relay than a switch. Not to mention that you can run shorter wires for the high-load stuff (only wiring going through the firewall/dash isn't carrying the load since it's for the switch) so it will have less of a voltage drop seen at the lights. This would be my preferred method:
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/diagrams/relays3.gif

Clay -- did your rig have factory fog lights? If so, your best bet may just be to wire that directly into the fog light wiring -- it's already setup for that load (fused and relay'd) and you can just use the factory fog light switch. Most fog lights are 55W, so it should be able to handle the lights (assuming you are only using two). The limitation with this, though, is that on a 93ZJ, the fog lights can't be turned on independently of the headlights.

BigClay
06-23-2011, 08:46 AM
Thanks guys, that does help so I can see the big picture.

Jared, my 93 was bare bones (didn't even have tinted windows or a cassett player) so no fog lights.

19onebadzj96
06-23-2011, 08:48 AM
If you run it that way, you need to make sure that the current rating for the fuse is greater than the output of the lights -- and the current rating of the wiring and switch are greater than the fuse. IIRC, Hella 500s are 55W running on 12V. So since P = IV, I = P/V = 55 / 12 = 4.58. Since the lights are connected in parallel, the total amperage is additive. Meaning that you multiply the current by the number of lights (which I assume is 2). So 2*4.58 = 9.16A. So basically, you need the fuse to be at least 10A and the switch to be at least 15A (5A greater than the fuse).

That wiring should work, but I would prefer to wire it up using a relay instead. A relay is really nothing more than a high amperage switch. With a relay, the switch itself sees a very minimal load, so it's (in theory) less likely to fail (when a switch is overloaded, it can heat up and melt -- or possibly cause a fire). The fuse in the above diagram should prevent that from happening, but short circuits can happen and I'd rather blow up a relay than a switch. Not to mention that you can run shorter wires for the high-load stuff (only wiring going through the firewall/dash isn't carrying the load since it's for the switch) so it will have less of a voltage drop seen at the lights. This would be my preferred method:
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/diagrams/relays3.gif

Clay -- did your rig have factory fog lights? If so, your best bet may just be to wire that directly into the fog light wiring -- it's already setup for that load (fused and relay'd) and you can just use the factory fog light switch. Most fog lights are 55W, so it should be able to handle the lights (assuming you are only using two). The limitation with this, though, is that on a 93ZJ, the fog lights can't be turned on independently of the headlights.


SirFuego is absolutley correct, make sure the fuse and switch are rated appropriately (oops I left that out). The diagram he provided is perfect for use with a relay, which all Hella kits come with.

SirFuego
06-23-2011, 09:23 AM
Thanks guys, that does help so I can see the big picture.

Also, I'd recommend using heat shrink tubing to seal up every splice you make. You can get that at any auto or hardware store. All you need is a lighter to melt the tubing. If the lights already came with a relay, I would definitely use that as it will have the proper rating. Just make sure that every wire you splice into the relay is at least as thick as the wire you are connecting it to. It may not be a bad idea to mount the relay relatively close to the battery (there should be plenty of room to mount it) to minimize the wiring you need to run for the lights. Less wire = less resistance.

Did Hella did not even provide a schematic for the lights? This isn't the first time I've heard complaints about the shitty instructions.

BigClay
06-23-2011, 09:53 AM
The lights did come with a relay, so I will certainly use it.

As for the "schematic" it spent more words on where to locate the lights and how to drill the mounting holes than it did on the wiring... very crapy instructions.

TN_WJ
06-23-2011, 10:26 AM
As for the "schematic" it spent more words on where to locate the lights and how to drill the mounting holes than it did on the wiring... very crapy instructions.

X2
When I did my black magics the wiring diagram Hella provided didn't match at all with the harness that came with the lights. The wire colors were completely different between the two. I got em in though and everything's been fine for a few years now but it's still frustrating for someone who needs all the help they can get when it comes to wiring.

rodd88
07-13-2011, 01:54 PM
I'm sorry for bumping this thread, but I was looking at the diagram, where would the switched power come from? I really need to redo the shitty wiring I have for the KC's.