Help me fix my dim headlights.

[85k10383]

rather pathetic headlights please! I have replaced the wiring with an LMC heady duty relay harness and the grounds have all been replaced with new wire and attaching hardware. The radiator support was de-rusted and repainted while the motor was out this past summer as well. The battery is new, the headlight bulbs themselves are not. And lastly, the headlight switch itself is the original piece. I have considered swapping for the LMC cartiidge type halogen bulbs, but before I spend two are three hundred clams for that I'm wondering what else I should try. The lights are a weak dull yellow, nearly orange color and are just about worthless in full darkness. Anybody have any other ideas to improve my old warhorses night vision?

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Our lights were pretty pathetic from the factory, unfortunately.

I'm going with the miniquad front end. I have a little mod that's cheap and easy. Using a high beam lamp in place of the low beam and aiming it downward.

That might work with a 1981-88 Silverado/Sierra 4 headlight front end as well.

Or I might do what the Grand Prix and Cutlass owners do and modify the housing to accept a better bulb.

 

[85k10383]

Thats a damn good idea! Using the high beam as a low and aiming it properly may be just what the doctor ordered while I save up the dough for the "Euro-lite" option LMC sells them as a total replacement, I believe they take an H1 halogen bulb. My thought was to go with those and if they still didn't offer enough improvement add an HID kit. My other thought was to get some good driving lights for the front bumper. I just have to be careful how bright I get as the bumper sits pretty high in relation to other cars on the road. My biggest problem is that the headlights offer no illumination of the sides of the road at all, makes spotting deer a real hassle. Of course I would have to hit a moose to do any real damage to this truck but hell.......

 

[Manbearpig]

lol my headlights are pretty decent with my 105amp alt

 

[85k10383]

I thought of that too, but my alternator is new as well as all the wiring! Maybe a high output alternator along with better bulbs? In the short term I'm gonna get me four high beam bulbs and very carefully aim them....

 

[crazy4offroad]

Cadillac alternator, or some other vehicle with a bunch of electrical accessories, like power windows, power seats, pdl, etc. Our stock alternators dont put out much at idle.

 

[Manbearpig]

Ive got a CS130 alt

Lights are pretty decent until my efans come on

 

[RetroC10Sport]

I thought of that too, but my alternator is new as well as all the wiring! Maybe a high output alternator along with better bulbs? In the short term I'm gonna get me four high beam bulbs and very carefully aim them....

You'll probably have to do some MINOR wiring work and you won't have 4 high beams, just the lower two.

 

[85k10383]

Yeah I realized that the high beam bulbs have only two blades where the low beams have three, so I'll need to splice new plugs onto the harness. That shouldn't pose any real barrier to my finishing the project. And yes I do know that I'll have only two bulbs lit at one time. My high beams had some kind of snafu in them when I frst got the truck and they would run all four bulbs at once. Not very nice to other drivers but it made seeing where I was going less of an issue LOL I was referring to the need to aim the newly mounted high beam bulbs carefully to avoid blinding others.

 

[jake wells]

what about them power master alternators they sell at summit?

they also make a new headlight by sylvania that is suppose to be very bright have you heard of them?

 

[85k10383]

I thought about trying the Sylvania Silverstar bulbs but they are actually about the same price for a full set as the LMC cartridge conversion units. And by conversion unit I mean that you keep the square headlight body and lense but the bulb is a modern H1 or H4 halogen capsule that goes in from the back. Once converted to a modern halogen capsule bulb a further conversion to HID is childs play! And HID light in the eyes makes baby Jesus cry.

 

[bucket]

Mine all seem to have better lighting than most new cars. The Burb just has an old set of "Cool Blue" lights in it (they actually shine a brighter white, not blue). The truck and Blazer just have Silvainia True Vision or something along those lines. They are only 15 bucks at wally world.

 

[85k10383]

Reason I seem so stuck on the LMCs is that I got a big ol gift certificate for them for Christmas from the family. So its either all new headlights, or get the wood rim retro style wheel I keep thinking about. And frankly, I'd rather be able to see better, my night vision sucks badly LOL

 

[Manbearpig]

Might try out the H4 kit that was posted here
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=465

Then get that steering wheel you want

 

[85k10383]

I had that same thought! It wiould seem that LMC is simply reselling the same item as those folks. Or, more likely selling a cheaper knock-off sourced from Southeast Asia as an awful lot of their stuff seems to be. E-bay is almost ten bucks cheaper than LMC to boot, which adds up to about $45 bux in my pocket for all four. Maybe I can swing the lights AND the wheel. Curse you Bearpigman! LOL