The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay BRIGHTER 12 volt HEADLIGHTS

I currently have halogen 12V headlights in my truck and they are not real bright (truck is 49-3100 all 12V) is there a better choice that is brighter or is HID the next step. THANKS AGAIN ! ! ! !

Run relays to the lights and something like GE Nighthawk bulbs (sealed beam inserts). Here's a crash course on headlighting:

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/365331

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=98527

http://www.alanhorvath.com/54chevy/headlight_relays.php

I personally like the Nighthawks because they last a lot longer than Sylvania's Silverstars. Look at the "average life" before you purchase any bulbs.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

General info on relays:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_relays_work%3F

General info on headlights:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/What_about_the_new_extra-bright_headlights%3F

Heavy duty relays and very good grounds might solve your dim light problems without going to the super bright headlight bulbs. The dimmer switch in particular is a source of resistance that can dim the lights noticeably, particularly if you're still using the original equipment floor-mounted one. Check the actual voltage at the headlight bulbs, compared to battery terminal voltage, then find the source of the voltage drop if the lights are getting noticeably less than charging system voltage.
Jerry

OK, now you've piqued MY interest What should I do about the floor switch? I'm quite certain it's the original one.(Hell, the coil is, and the generator has been rebuilt once in 59 years.) Recommendations?

Thanks

The floor switch is fine except it gets dirty due to its location. Dirt causes the contacts to get more and more resistive. Clean the switch with electrical contact cleaner or get a new switch. Same for relays or anything else involved. Clean and dry with good properly gauged wires will make a world of difference.

First thing first- - - -

CHECK
THE
VOLTAGE
AT
THE
HEADLIGHTS!

Everybody wants the quick fix. Back in the dark ages, Sun electric Co. had a slogan on all their machinery: "We test, not guess!" If there's a noticeable voltage drop that you can definitely attribute to the dimmer switch by checking the voltage before and after the switch, replace it. Don't waste time trying to clean it up. Ditto for the headlight switch at the dash.

You can avoid a lot of problems with headlights the same way it was done 70 years ago- - - -install relays that provide full battery voltage to the lights, and use the headlight switch and dimmer switch to control the relays. Heavy wires are run from a good source of voltage such as the battery cable at the starter to a junction block near the headlights, and relays are installed to direct that voltage to nothing but the lights at the proper time. No series of connections through the headlight and dimmer switches, and no small-gauge wires to rob voltage along the way. It worked on 6V systems in the 1940's, and it will work just as well today.

Don't forget to run a heavy ground wire from both headlight connectors to a clean, low-resistance point on the body or frame.

Or, you can pay some highway robber an outrageous sum of money for "bright" headlights which, BTW, use the same system of relay controls I just described. "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice!"
Jerry

Got it. I hadn't gotten to hooking up the relays, at which point I would've figured out that the high beam switch also ran through the relays.

The nice thing about using the relay system is that only a tiny trickle of current is routed through the light switch and dimmer switch for controlling the relays. The actual electric power for the headlights goes through heavy conductors direct to the relays, then follows a very short path to the lights and then another short path to ground.
Jerry

like jerry says

i run a relay to the LOW beams and a relay to the HIGH beams
http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/0732700-R1-034-15A.jpg.html?sort=6&o=98

http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical-tech.shtml

http://www.alanhorvath.com/54chevy/headlight_relays.php

double check your grounds are SOLID, size wire to 14ga for lights....... see what mad and alan did as I did and run short leads to your headlamps. i use my foot switch for highs and never had any problems ever w/ it's usage.