Headlights?

[Camarogenius]

Just wondering, I want my lights to be brighter, so I have a better chance of dodging bambi in the mornings.
What say I re wired my head lights so that when I turn my high beams on, the low beams stay on as well?
Will I start burning H-4 bulbs right and left?

 

[adrianspeeder]

Nope, it's exactly what I'm doing now for my 88, and what I've done similarly in the past on the 84. The biggest problem you have is the stock wiring is just plain crap in the 80s.

Here are my photos constructing a harness for the Lariat. Basically what is goin' on is instead of the stock wiring running the bulbs, it simply runs a 30milliamp coil inside the relay. This then pulls a 30+ amp switch closed in the relay and sends full *no* loss power from the battery straight to the bulbs.

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I was only gettin 10.6volts with the engine idling and really dim lights.

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14 volts make the difference. This is just low beams and I didn't feel the need to have the highs and lows come on together, as I don't even drive this truck in the dark/rain/snow.

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all the rest of the construction pics.

http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/6721/32331

Now the 88's another story, I do drive it where I do want as much lighting as possible so I need two things.

1. same new harness to handle max power with low loss.
2. a diode between the high and low beam relays.

I'm not sure with your familiarity with diodes, but it is a one way electrical valve that when the high beam relay is triggered, the low beam relay is too, but not the other way around.

If anything is confusing I'd be happy to explain more, and I'll be takin more pics this week.

Adrianspeeder

 

[Camarogenius]

So, how much of a difference does it make as far as brightness, having the highs and lows on at the same time?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I can only speak from my old Honda motorcycle, they have a slide switch and if you slide if halfway between low and high they are both on. It increases the brightness significantly.

I did a relay mod on my 85 because the lights would trip the circuit breaker. I picked up the truck a couple hundred miles from home, I kept wondering why someone was flashing their lights, turned out it was me.....

I just cut into the wire going to the dimmer switch, and used the wire coming from the headlight switch to trigger the relay, and the power out of the relay powered the rest of the circuit from the dimmer switch on.

Doing it that way won't give the "brightest" lights since it still runs through the factory wiring, I was just trying to keep the lights ON and get some load off of the light switch.

 

[subway]

so what are the part numbers for the better relays? i know you showed me last night but i was sidetracked about the calc test.

can you get them form NAPA? i know the other chains only seem to have the relay only without the base.

maybe i should do this on my girlfriends car, her CAR headlights suck. has anyone ever had a problem over heating the bulb with both filaments going?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

This is similar to what I used: http://cgi.ebay.com/10-BOSCH-Type-R...8QQihZ002QQcategoryZ75389QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem These relays are pretty standard, all the same with different names on them. Although the last relay job I did I used a GM relay off of a junked car. I had to figure out what wires did what, but it was there and free.

 

[fsSnowboard]

sounds like a project i need to get working on

 

[sle2115]

I am not sure about running both elements on a 9004 bulb (as used in 87 to ????) as they may melt the bulb itself, or the plastic housing. They make enough heat each to do some major damage if you get a smear on the bulb, but with both on, I can't imagine the bulb lasting long. I did the relay mod then used different, Ice Blue (I think they were called) bulbs that are 65 Watt low beams and 100 Watt highs! Believe me, they make a world of difference, but you still need to get 12+ volts to them, so the relay mod works real well. If you have them running in your 88 with both filaments, it will be interesting to see how long everything lasts, might be fine, but I didn't care to chance it. I would also guess that I am making as much light with 100 watts as both filaments will anyway, so I will stick with watt (pun intended) I got!

 

[tuckerd1]

so what are the part numbers for the better relays?

I bought mine from Parts Express.

Bosch 30A Relay

and

Relay Socket

Hope this helps.

 

[adrianspeeder]

Few guys over on FSB are runnin both filaments no problem on the 87-96, so I'm not worried.

The relay I like is Napa part number ECHAR272. They also have these cool pigtail/socket things to make hookup easy.

Yeah Jred, that test was a bad one.

Adrianspeeder

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I am no electronics ****, by any means; but, couldn't the headlight switch trigger both, bright and dim, relays and the dimmer-switch simply turn on, and off, the brights, thus eliminating the need for any diodes??

Before seeing this thread, I had been considering simply powering my lights with 10GA wire, routed through a DPST switch, with the high-beam wire routed through the dimmer-switch, eliminating the factory head-light switch.

Of course, the parking lights would need a SPST of their own.

Many big trucks I have driven are wired like this.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Also, if I want to check voltage at the headlight, before and after modification, do I do so with the lights plugged in, or unplugged??

I know it is a dumbie question.

Thanks.

 

[adrianspeeder]

Also, if I want to check voltage at the headlight, before and after modification, do I do so with the lights plugged in, or unplugged??

You always want to check under load

I am no electronics ****, by any means; but, couldn't the headlight switch trigger both, bright and dim, relays and the dimmer-switch simply turn on, and off, the brights, thus eliminating the need for any diodes??

But that's not real friendly to other drivers and would make me want to

 

[datkinsonsr]

My only concern would be the addtional heat and times when there would be insufficient airflow to keep them cool. Doing this mod is a great idea, making the power circuit as short as possible. Much more efficient.

 

[yARIC008]

Do older trucks not have the "flash" feature where you can pull the turnsignal lever towards you? On my truck i could always have high and low at the same time just had to hold the lever, when pushing the lever forward it would go to just highs...