Hallogen lights question

[Jager]

I just picked up a pair of Hallogen 55v lights from walmart ($10)("Baja" rectangle offroad lights) on sale. Everything is setup and works wonderfully. One question, can i replace the hallogen bulb to something stronger? If so, which bulb can I use?

Thanks in advance

 

[rookieshooter]

I've never done that mod. and I've heard pros and cons on that subject. How about your wire size? If you do go to a larger size, might have to step it up. And also did you utilize a relay when wiring up your lights?

 

[Jager]

I used 10 guage all the way around. I didn't set any relays, but I'm going by radio shack tomorrow to pick a couple up. I saw someone mention swapping in h3 lights or something, but I'm not sure what those are.

Joe

 

[FIND]

IIRC those are H3 bulbs inside that housing to begin with. They aren't well designed reflector housings. Light output just sucks...

 

[OneLever]

There's not much you can do to improve a poor housing. Changing the bulb type will change the focal length of the bulb which alters the light output. Increasing the wattage means having the right wiring and wondering if it can take the extra heat. But if it's not putting the light where it's useful it won't matter how much you shoot out. Some housings do upgrade to hotter bulbs just fine, but they are usually the more expensive brands like Hella which are built with better quality.

 

[Bill Kemp]

If you did not use a relay in your installation you may not be getting even the light lumens from the 55W bulbs. Direct wiring through a relay has less line loss. Lighting FAQs has a diagram.
Also if you are running power directly from the battery through a switch in your interior cabin the switch will probably fail and your chance of a power outage or worse (fire) is greatly increased.
All OEM switches are run on the low amps that you get when you use a relay. There is a good reason the the MFGs spend the extra $ and time to put in relays.....It's the only safe way to wire lights!!!

 

[YBCold]

ive wondered about putting high output LEDs into a housing. but then i woulnd know how to put them at the focus of the reflector.

 

[Bill Kemp]

IMHO you will never get the light/lumen output from LEDs that you get from halogens in a reflector housing made for halogen lights.
You would be doing it for looks. Not for light.

 

[storlied]

Yeah, LEDs can be bright as hell but they aren't nearly as bright as halogens and HIDs as far as getting the light far.

 

[YBCold]

so in theory a purpose built LED housing could be brighter but never as a drop in?

 

[storlied]

LED housings need to be designed specifically for LED's for them to be useful. It's sorta like Halogen vs HID but way worse.

 

[OneLever]

so in theory a purpose built LED housing could be brighter but never as a drop in?

Not with current technology. LEDs have the same temperature problems when running higher wattage except the problem is worse because the LEDs themselves are affected instead of just the housings. With current technology the brightest light you can get is with HID bulbs installed in projector housings.

Edit:
You should absolutely be running power for exterior auxiliary lights through a relay, and usually directly from the battery. That helps you get maximum voltage across them in the safest way possible. I also recommend enclosing your wires in split loom (also called split flex tubing) to protect them from shorting out.

 

[FIND]

Not with current technology. LEDs have the same temperature problems when running higher wattage except the problem is worse because the LEDs themselves are affected instead of just the housings. With current technology the brightest light you can get is with HID bulbs installed in projector housings.

Edit:
You should absolutely be running power for exterior auxiliary lights through a relay, and usually directly from the battery. That helps you get maximum voltage across them in the safest way possible. I also recommend enclosing your wires in split loom (also called split flex tubing) to protect them from shorting out.

There are vehicles produced today that use LED headlights even.... LEDs can be produced that give the light output of a halogen bulb in specific patterns. A prius even is available with LED headlights, and many concept vehicles/test mules in detroit are made with LED headlights. There are LED headlights available for heavy-duty trucks (semis) as well.

 

[Anime]

The "Baja" rectangular lights from walmart, if you got them for $10, are an ok deal for a super-cheap pair of low-end lights.

As per the other suggestions, you definitely want to wire these with a fuse and relay, otherwise they are not putting out what they are capable of.

As for the LED thing, the reflectors for a LED bulb are usually quite different compared to that of a Halogen/Xenon/Krypton bulb, BUT there have been "retrofit" kits available for some lamps and reflectors (though none in an H3 application that are of any quality), so it would be possible with the right LEDs, though you would likely spend more money fabricating it up than you would on a new pair of lights with better output to begin with.

In any case, as to the original question, my suggestion would be to buy the Sylvania 55W H3 halogen bulbs (also available at Walmart for ~$5/ea) to use in place of the cheap bulbs that come with the Blazer lights. The Sylvania/Osram bulbs are made in Germany and are of the highest quality, with the finer filament putting out more light, assuming you've got the fuse/relay setup and the 10 ga. wire to deliver maximum voltage. I can't say this would be a cost-worthy improvement, as the price of two bulbs will be almost that of what you paid for the pair of lights, and while the bulbs may make a noticeable improvement in output, it may only be a 10-30% perceived increase. For the same money, obviously you could get another pair of lights and have a quad driving light setup for off road, giving an even bigger improvement in visibility. Please note, however, that it is illegal to drive on-road with driving lights on, and even with them off if they have the covers removed.

Otherwise just use 'em as is, or do some minor modding like removing the plastic grille off the front to increase output by not blocking the lens. Cleaning all the grounds so they are in direct contact to bare metal with zero rust, and a solid, snug bolted connection helps as well.

 

[OneLever]

There are vehicles produced today that use LED headlights even.... LEDs can be produced that give the light output of a halogen bulb in specific patterns. A prius even is available with LED headlights, and many concept vehicles/test mules in detroit are made with LED headlights. There are LED headlights available for heavy-duty trucks (semis) as well.

True they have recently started adapting them to newer vehicles. But that isn't something I see a shade tree mechanic installing as an auxiliary light economically. I've only seen a few comparison shots of LED headlights and I wasn't impressed with the Prius's output.

I would be surprised to see LEDs surpass HIDs given the output differences. HIDs were being used decades ago as arc lamps in laboratories. They only recently became commercially viable which is sort of the same situation I see LED headlights at right now.