I've seen the idea of these new bulbs tossed around here a time or two, but I was curious what everyone thought about light output compared to stock. I drive a lot in the dark and am always looking for improvement in light output, but still am leery of HID's...

So I know Unreg has these, anyone else?? Like em? Hate em? Worth $50?
Just looking for thoughts before I submit my order.

Thanks from Wyo

 

So you don't want my opinion then?

gdstock will probably be reporting his impression soon, after he gets his relays working properly.

EDITED TO ADD: It's my entirely too arrogant opinion that if you put in PIAA Xtreme White Plus with clean, clear lenses in front and a relay kit behind you will be impressed with your headlights. Just be forewarned: Premium bulbs run hotter than plain Jane 9004/9007 bulbs, so don't last as long. The Silver Stars are famous for puking in less than a year, the PIAA's are brighter, higher quality light and will go much longer.

If you're in southwestern Wyoming, by chance, I'm not all that far away and you could come here or we could meet half-way and you can see my headlight setup in person.

 

I apologize if you thought I didn't want your opinion haha I was hoping you would respond actually. Unfortunately I'm over in Laramie going to school so that's probably a ways from you.

But I guess what I'm wondering is, I have some nice, clear stock housings with just some stock bulbs. Would these bulbs give me a noticeable difference in brightness? And do you have to wire them differently than regular bulbs?

I'm just trying to make it easier to see deer, elk, cows, whatever may be in my way ,sooner, and like you said, I don't mind spending $50 on them if they are going to save me money I would be spening on fixing my damaged truck.

 

I was just rattling your cage.

That it is. If I was still living in Big Thompson Canyon (west of Loveland) it'd be an excuse for a short road trip, but from here it's a bit long for that. We're a lot closer to Evanston than to Laramie.

Much better brightness, and a higher quality of light, too. Things stand out better -- speaking for myself, anyway, I don't as often wonder if that bush is a deer, or that deer is a bush. And those damned Black Angus register as something standing on the road a lot sooner, too.

Having just done it, I also highly recommend adding in a relay kit. The stock harness really doesn't have the nards to give even the stock headlamps all the current they need. The PIAA's don't ask for any more than the stockers do, at least not significantly more, but with that relay kit the difference is appreciable.

 

How do you build a relay kit for them? Are there instructions anywhere haha??
That just provides the bulbs with the extra power they want from the battery right?
And I didn't know you lived in Meeker!! I have family in DeBeque and Paonia!!

 

There probably are, but the quicker, easier, and likely cheaper way out is to buy a relay kit already built. I got mine from LMC truck, added fuse holders, and extended the ground leads all the way back to the battery rather than relying upon chassis grounds. With the kit, if a relay pukes I can just plug the factory harness back into the bulbs and keep on going until I pick up a replacement relay.

Any time now I expect gdstock to pipe in -- he's building his own relay setup at the moment. It's pretty easy: Coils connect to the headlight harness, taking B+ from the violet wire on the driver's side, low beam relay coil low to the violet/white and high beam relay coil low to the red/orange wires. Whether you switch B+ or ground (on the relay contacts) is up to you, but take both directly from the battery for best results. The factory setup switches ground in/out on the low beam/high beam terminals of the bulb.

From the back of the bulb, with the lock pin facing upward, the terminals from left to right of a 9004 bulb are common, low beam, high beam.

The schematic is on page 8W-50-4 of the 2001 factory service manual.

Yeah, that, and also getting the current to the headlights without passing it through the headlight switch [update: and multifunction switch] in the dash. Our headlight switches have a tendency, not a great one but a tendency nevertheless, to fail because of that current. The relay kit prevents that particular failure, in addition to providing the headlight bulbs with a lower source impedance (less resistance between them and the battery).

The Western Slope is an excellent place to live, work, and shop! I don't often get to Paonia, but of course I pass DeBeque on every run down to Junction -- I only go to GJ if I need something that can't be had locally and can't wait for UPS to bring it to the door. It's not bad as big towns go, but I'd rather let UPS bring things than burn up at least half a day and 2/3 of a tank of fuel to make the trip.

So now ya know why good headlights are so important to me. This place is thick with deer all year, and as soon as the snow a bit higher up gets knee deep on 'em the elk are going to be all around. I don't mind an elk in the freezer at all, but I really don't want one in my truck grille!

 

I installed mine yesterday in stock housings. I had one with the std bulb, and the PIAA in the other. Definitely brighter and more light. I am having an issue with the relay set up at the moment. I plan to use a light meter to get actual measurement (had already planned to do this but have been sidetracked). I am satisifed with the light output just based on ligting up the garage last night.

 

I don't have big words nor near as good a description as UU or gdstock can give you about these but, I find them to be better than the Ge and Philips bulbs. I have no use for highs were I am it's all about lows, lighting up the mountain in front of me just blinds me back. And $50! bite me, over $100 a set up here....

 

That's why I was saying recently that I don't need 100W drivers.

Yeah, but you got Tim Horton's and poutine.

 

so they make specific harnesses for the 9004 bulbs from lmc??
and yes, i've traveled that meeker corridor down through craig and rifle many times. it can be a scary drive in the winter, especially with all the cattle and deer, even elk like you said.

hmm, well maybe after i hear from gdstock then i'll get these things ordered. how much do those harnesses cost and what should i search to find tthem?