Good Lights (DOT/SAE...aka Street Legal)

[74Dusted]

I'm looking to upgrade the lights in my '84 (Quad Headlight). 2 of them are originals from 1984, 2 are Halogen replacements. Plus 2 Oval Sealed Beam (Halogen 35w) Fog Lights.

I can see pretty good on Low Beams, due to the Fog Lights casting more light than the headlights. But on High Beams i might as well be holding a flashlight out the window

I don't need insanely bright (like HID or anything similar) just a good qaulity set of (4) lights that are a step up from the 20 and 27 year old (respectively) headlights on the truck at the moment. Long Lifespan is another plus, If i install the lights, i'd expect them to last at least 10 years before i need to replace them again.

Which is a lot to ask, since I do a good bit of night driving and overcast/bad weather driving. I rarely need the High Beams, because it's always foggy where i live (along the river, up in the mountains). And when it isn't foggy, it's raining cats & dogs or dumping down tons of snow. But the low beam side could be brighter in my opinion (20 year old halogen bulbs at the moment)

I've been looking at the Sylvania Silverstars and Extra Vision. But i've heard the Silverstars have a really short lifespan

[pennyman1]

On the 85 I used to have I ran Cibie Z beam headlights - the bulbs are replaceable, separate from the reflector / lens assembly. There are copies of these lights out there on ebay for very little money, and you can put hotter bulbs in if you like. I kept those lights when I traded in the 85; they are going it the 86 project truck. I ran 80/100w hi/low bulbs (stock is 55/65) and 100w hi beam bulbs - they will light up interstate billboard exit signs 2 miles away as bright as day. If you run that hot a bulb, be sure to change the headlight sockets, as the heat off the bulbs will melt the sockets,especially on 25+ year old wiring. At the time I bought those headlights, removeable bulbs were not legal for vehicles aftermarket, now it is the standard.

[camoit]

I just picked up a direct replacement of the sealed beams. Truck lite # 27009 And YES they are DOT stamped. Glass front metal backing. They come with lamps. I got them through The Light House.

Here is a link to the truck-lite site. They were around $80.00 for a set of High/Low They also have just the Highs

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs...tentryId=33651

09-05-11_1837.jpg 09-05-11_1835.jpg

[74Dusted]

On the 85 I used to have I ran Cibie Z beam headlights - the bulbs are replaceable, separate from the reflector / lens assembly. There are copies of these lights out there on ebay for very little money, and you can put hotter bulbs in if you like. I kept those lights when I traded in the 85; they are going it the 86 project truck. I ran 80/100w hi/low bulbs (stock is 55/65) and 100w hi beam bulbs - they will light up interstate billboard exit signs 2 miles away as bright as day. If you run that hot a bulb, be sure to change the headlight sockets, as the heat off the bulbs will melt the sockets,especially on 25+ year old wiring. At the time I bought those headlights, removeable bulbs were not legal for vehicles aftermarket, now it is the standard.

Do you know if they're DOT Stamped/approved?

My Headlight Wiring is a Stand-Alone system for a Snow Plow equipped truck, it piggy backs (plugs into the original wiring, with relays for each light) and heavy duty connectors.

I just picked up a direct replacement of the sealed beams. Truck lite # 27009 And YES they are DOT stamped. Glass front metal backing. They come with lamps. I got them through The Light House.

Here is a link to the truck-lite site. They were around $80.00 for a set of High/Low They also have just the Highs

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs...tentryId=33651

09-05-11_1837.jpg 09-05-11_1835.jpg

Cool, Do the Bulbs/Plugs stick out any further than the stock sealed beams? It's kinda a tight fit in my engine compartment with Dual 1000CA Batteries in the truck. The Batteries literally sit tight against the core support.


Also while i'm on the topic of lights. Anybody got some Low-Profile Light recommendations? (have about 5" height to work with, former license plate location) Anybody who's ever tried plowing snow in the dark with just the stock reverse lights knows what i mean when i say you can't see crap. Or just backing up through a winding trail at night. Went night fishing last week with a friend, and had to take the critter off-road to reach the fishing spot. When we went to leave, my buddy had to sit in the bed holding a 12V portable Spotlight so we could see to back out to a wide enough spot to turn around

My friend found it funny though, that every time we needed something, i told him to reach behind the seat. "Dude, it's getting cold out" "There's coats and sweatshirts behind the seats." "What if the battery goes dead and we need a tow? You're the one with the towtruck." "There's a jumpbox behind the seats." "How are we going to see to back up?" "There's a spot light behind the seat." "What isn't behind those seats?! It's like you've got a frickin' toolbox of goodies crammed in this little truck!"

[camoit]

They are a direct replacement of a seal beam. Pin hight is the same as seal beam.
Now for the bas ass back up light that is 4.5 H. -- 3.5 D -- 3.5 W 55 Watt Quarts.
Same place, Light House. Made by Hella 1G0 996.176-491

09-05-11_2115.jpg

[74Dusted]

They are a direct replacement of a seal beam. Pin hight is the same as seal beam.
Now for the bas ass back up light that is 4.5 H. -- 3.5 D -- 3.5 W 55 Watt Quarts.
Same place, Light House. Made by Hella 1G0 996.176-491

09-05-11_2115.jpg

55W watts of Bad Ass Reverse Light!

Sounds perfect, I've got 55W Driving Lights on the back of my Dakota (Plow Truck), but i had more room to work with on that truck (i had another set of driving lights, but they're about 3/4" too high to fit between the crossmember & bed). Those 4.5" Ovals you posted will work great on my D50. The Driving Lights on the Dak work great for backing up at night, it's like i've got High Beams on the back of my truck, lol.