I want to produce daylight

[Rangurr]

Basically, my buddy recently acquired a 2012 or 2013 Ram (don't know which but it's a Ram so who cares). Anyway, the stock projectors are so very much brighter than my stock halogens in my '01 Ranger. I am now jealous of a Chrysler product an that's just not okay. I would now like my headlights to meet/exceed the Ram's light output.

What are your opinions? I'm not really interested in offroad lights for this because I already have my offroad lighting on order. I'm only interested in headlights. I'm currently between tracking down LED bulbs, projector lamp assemblies, HID kits, and the projector kit listed in the sticky section of the lighting part of the forum.

Thoughts?

 

[adsm08]

Headlights are not for seeing. They are for being seen.

Increasing your forward light out, even from just the headlights, might make your vehicle not street legal.

 

[Rangurr]

Fair argument, I would like to use them for seeing regardless. I'm thinking I'll find my lighting options first and then move on to the legality part.

 

[adsm08]

So you are saying you can't see well enough at night and need to blind oncoming drivers so you can increase your own visibility?

Have you considered seeing an optometrist?


I can understand wanting lots of light off road, but you guys who want arc-welding bright headlights need to keep in mind that someone else is going to be staring into your lights, trying to see the road, while you are driving towards them. An oncoming white light looks that much brighter at night.

 

[Rangurr]

My vision is fine, I want the ability to see EVERYTHING. The other drivers will get over it. (I'll probably actually keep my angry eyes since they cut the top of my beam off and keep it from hitting much higher than license plates. Plus I purposely aim my brights down so that I can just leave them on.

 

[RonD]

Years ago I used two 14v aircraft landing lights, they were $150 each back 20 years ago would imagine about $400 each now.
Not legal on the street but very bright in the bush.

Yes, for head lights they need to be down, so as not to be a distraction for oncoming drivers.

If you don't care about other drivers then you are pretty much doomed to meet "yourself" one day, and it won't end well, lol.

 

[SmokeEater829]

Here is my setup for lights.

I also have 2 more on the back of the roof rack for reverse.

 

[tinman_72]

When my truck was about 10 years old I wired in new relays directly to hot so that all that amperage was not running through the light switch. They were so bright that I accidentally left them on one day returning to work after lunch at high noon. They were pointing into a window in the building, across a room and a hallway into my office and I could see the light hitting my wall. Stock bulbs.

 

[Rangurr]

Maybe I'll go ahead and give the relays a shot!

Also, nice setup SmokeEater! I plan on a 21" LED bar from superbrightleds.com for the front bumper and a 40" for the roof. I'm also doing some 4.5" LED bars on the back. I just need my headlights to match brightness after I do that!

 

[ab_slack]

When my truck was about 10 years old I wired in new relays directly to hot so that all that amperage was not running through the light switch. They were so bright that I accidentally left them on one day returning to work after lunch at high noon. They were pointing into a window in the building, across a room and a hallway into my office and I could see the light hitting my wall. Stock bulbs.

I can't imagine that much drop for stock lamps that didn't result in stuff getting hot in the light switch or wires two/from.

I also have to imagine if the voltage/current was boosted enough to make a significant increase in brightness lamp life couldn't have been that good.

----

Back when I first started driving, got a Nissan pickup (first or second year after switching from Datsun) I added a set of driving lights to enhance high beam performance. In order to keep from blinding other motorists I hooked them all nice and proper with relays into the high beams.

Worked great. About a year or so later, at about 2am a police officer sitting off the side of the road all dark, saw me with my high beams on, and stopped me. Gave me a warning for having six headlights. Without modification this pickup had four sealed bulb headlights active when high beams were on. Apparently if this happened to be a vehicle that used a combined high/low beam bulb using the extra lights would have been legal. Since the stock vehicle already had four, the two extra bulbs put it in the illegal category.

I figured not blinding people was important so did the work, but I had that one problem anyway.

 

[Rangurr]

I've been pulled over for 8 lights on a highway in my XJ... apparently that's bad.

Lately I've been more careful about it. I really can't afford a ticket right now - my license is still on probation from me being an idiot teenager...

 

[tinman_72]

I can't imagine that much drop for stock lamps that didn't result in stuff getting hot in the light switch or wires two/from.

I was actually having problems with something overheating. My lights were randomly turning on and off by themselves. Rewiring them fixed the issue.

 

[straycat]

So you are saying you can't see well enough at night and need to blind oncoming drivers so you can increase your own visibility?

Have you considered seeing an optometrist?


I can understand wanting lots of light off road, but you guys who want arc-welding bright headlights need to keep in mind that someone else is going to be staring into your lights, trying to see the road, while you are driving towards them. An oncoming white light looks that much brighter at night.

^^^what he said and remember that some crazy people you blind might throw something or shoot at your ride.

 

[straycat]

Here is my setup for lights.

I also have 2 more on the back of the roof rack for reverse.

Perfect for off roading, Bro!!!!

 

[simpler=better]

For low beams polish your lenses and get sylvania silverstars (they really do help)

For offroad/ no other drivers around get HID bulbs and spotlight housings. Make sure the housings are setup for HIDs. Best bang for the buck. LEDs are all flood unless you spend big $$.

Also, I HATE people who drive around with their high beams on. My 98 with stock housings & cheapo bulbs gives great illumination when polished & properly aimed FYI.