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I have a Lj78 landcruiser Prado.
After Driving modern vehicles for the last few years and going back to this era my gosh the lights are shit!
Lightbar you say...well I probably will but that won't help low beam.
I want to upgrade/replace the original headlights and most importantly still get warrents.
The lights appear to be the same as same era Hilux and Surf but I haven't actually checked that yet.
What's everyone else done?
In the same wagon, I fit new Headlights every few years so I know the reflective coating is in decent condition.
Water ingress stuffs the coating.
Run Narva 130/100 bulbs.
LED headlights would be great but getting ones that are up to code at a realistic cost is prohibitive.
I'd love to hear other options too.
Get a relay system for the H4s, most probable bulbs, and then fit a really good set of the most applicable +something H4 globes research suggests..
Assuming lenses and reflectors ok.
That's about all you can do for low beam
Fog lamps increase the flood of lighting down and to the sides, plus are legal for wof to run with low beam just must be powered up off the headlight circuit (i.e. can't be turned on without at least low beam powered up). High beam is easier as you say, as you can run a pair of LED spot/flood combo units and good to go.
The existing setup is limited in what you can achieve - the standard reflectors in the headlamp units are about it really and as good as their time. Upgrading the bulbs will get you a 'whiter' or 'bluer' light which penetrates further but won't fix the pattern of the reflectors in the headlamps. A bulb upgrade to the Narva or similar upgrade bulbs that fit into the standard housing will give you that whiter light and a bit more range, then fit driving LED's for high beam (you don't actually need to spend a fortune on huge units to get an effective upgrade in high beam light) and fit the fog lamps which you can use on back country dark as the inside of a cow areas with either high or low beams for the light fill to get better spread and pattern on dip...
its not hid lights is it fuk me the ones on wife's car are fukn useless tried new bulbs etc
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/lj7...rsion.1335715/
What year is your lj78?
My quick google fu mainly is coming up with front grille replacement to the older 87-90 round headlight version(parts ex japan) and run a nz compliant 7'' round headlight unit
https://www.hella.co.nz/en/products/...am-insert.html
Something often overlooked is voltage drop to the headlights - if youve got access to a multi meter see if you can measure the voltage across the bulb itself. Did a Narva training session about 25 years ago when i worked in auto electrical, and they said the difference between 13.8v (charging voltage) down to 12.5v reduced light output 30% - 40%. Putting thirstier bulbs in just made the voltage drop worse, and often they throw the light wrong as well with the filament in the wrong place. As someone else said above a couple of relays wired in can make a decent improvement just solving this issue with 80s/90s jap cars and their super thin wires.
Those round inserts with Halogen bulbs do a good job - natural reflector shape without needing a computer.Quote:
Originally Posted by striker
https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/ask-an-exp...ns/show/11700/
https://www.sparkshop.co.nz/Catalogu...oduct/19-HL165 not certain on legality on these ones, can only ask
I use these
https://www.narva.com.au/blogs/press...us-200-release
Seem to work OK
My quad has this issue. But it's a quad, and one led flood on the front on high beam circuit cures a lot of ills... Nice not having to worry about wof sometimes hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by svt40
Some newer bulbs would see you right 6500k temp bulbs will throw out some more light however round housings are way better putting that light to use over square housings.
If you did want to upgrade to some LED lights as long as they are DOT rated and have the rating etched on to the housing you should be fine for WOFs. However LED retrofit bulbs are iffy and probably wont get a WOF.
It's a 91 with the rectangular headlights but maybe I can find a round headlight grill and headlight mounts.Quote:
Originally Posted by striker
Might pay to give a Toyota parts guy a call, check the compatibility of the same year 79 series ute, for grille and light mounts, its a Toyota, no doubt there will be compatibility in the LC componentsQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
That's why I suggested a relay system.Quote:
Originally Posted by svt40
Power straight from that battery.
There is also another added bonus especially on a lot of models like most hiluxs. The switch on the headlight stalk on the steering wheel can't handle lots of voltage/amps. To much of an upgrade and they burn out. Using them to a switch a relay stops them burning out
Most of the modern vehicles do actually run some form of relay for that reason - with the current model stuff the switches are computer devices not switches as we know them. They only send a signal to the damn computer modules that then tell everything what to do...Quote:
Originally Posted by csmiffy
Relay would be easiest thing to try first. Pretty simple to wire up as well. Not on this vehicle but be careful if putting relays into computer controlled circuits as well make sure your Earth's are good as well
The cost is up there, but if you do a round head light conversion, take a look at the stedi homage led headlights . I got sick on the factory cadles in my safari and but a set of them in. Easy install, legal and a massive upgrade.
The theory I have for those, is that being LED based the power consumption should be similar to the standard dinosaur incandescent bulbs for a massive increase in light output. Some of the LED's are boosted to a ridiculous level of light output, damn near portable xray machines that can take a photo of the inside of a skull. This is where the NZTA gets the crapper with some of them, safety risk for blinding oncoming drivers.
I've heard of one crash where the driver of the vehicle with the LED's in gave the other driver a flash on high beam as he thought the other driver hadn't dipped. Problem was, it was a SUV towing a horse float and the back of the SUV was squatting under a couple of tons of future glue. Next issue, it was a gentle left hand curve - and the flash of LED's momentarily stuffed up the other driver's night vision and they ran wide bloody near ending up in a head on. As it was the other vehicle ended up getting squashed between the barrier rail and the horse float, they were all bloody lucky (including nags). I'm not aware of the outcome, but it's not within the road code to flash another driver when they are actually already driving with their headlights dipped!
I believe it's also the case that you must adjust your lights if you have a load on that makes the low bean level higher. Of course no one does it
A lot of vehicles it's bloody hard to do it. Some nowadays have adjustable lights from inside at the drivers station - although it makes me laugh come wof time. I was sitting in the car at one place for the reason of a trailer brake setup that they didn't know how to operate. So I was doing the trailer brakes while oldmate was checking the lights, me being a humorous type (total laugh a minute, me - in my own head anyway) starts going up and down on the light adjustment while oldmate is looking in the alignment doohickey. Apparently that isn't funny. Who knew?
VTNZ cracks me up for light adjustment too, the last few times I've been through on the ute the lights up been adjusted up, 12 months later down, 12 months back up - and I've made sure to have the same in the back and a full tank of diesel each time. Farked if I know why they need to be adjusted - two in a row has been the same guy too!