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Well guys, part of growing up is learning when to admit defeat. And the Hella 75FF lights I used in this original installation just weren’t cutting it. Basically, I added them because the low beams were pretty decent on my truck, but the high beams were next to useless. (I’m running Phillips Extreme Vision bulbs in the headlights.)
So this past weekend I got a bug up my butt after looking at some LED units that would literally bolt right in – and probably put out more light. But when I got to looking at the cost, I went down in my basement to see what I might have laying around and could swap in for less.
What I found was another set of Hella 550s with 100 watt H3 bulbs. These were literally identical to what I used in my previous trucks and loved. Could I make these work instead? Well, after some careful measurement, I determined that although the outside perimeter of the lens would be shrouded by the grill, with a bit of modification to the bracket I built, these would center nicely in the same openings.
After several hours of disassembly, measurement, modification, trial and error fitting and re-fitting, here is what’s now behind the grill:
Here’s the shrouding effect. And in this picture, I still had the amber 100 watt bulbs I was using for a previous application. I now have regular (clear) 100 watt bulbs in them.
I did move the bracket and the lights back from the grill just a bit due to the higher wattage (and thus amount of heat produced) by the 100 watt bulbs.
How do they work? Initial tests show that they reach out a ton farther than the 75FFs, but I’ve still got to play with the aiming some more. Oddly enough, the grill does not seem to be hindering light output much. In fact I had the hood open to re-aim and watched the effect on the pattern as I closed the hood. Although it does cut down a bit, it’s not nearly as bad as I thought. So I’ll cautiously declare victory – or at least a big step forward – here.
That looks nice. Those ole Hellas are really nice. And since they are behind the grill the housings are out of sight. Good going . I was gonna do something similar, but I too was worried about the grill and light output. I ended up mounting mine in the lower grill opening. They don't look too bad there I suppose. I've been using the PIAA 2100i long range foul weather driving lights on my '94 T'bird for years. They have been discontinued for a while, and have been replaced by the 2100xt's. I wired mine into a wireless remote from Pilot, then mounted the remote fob on the dash. Been happy with these. They fill in nice when I use the factory fogs, and in drizzly weather when I use the high beams they really cut the muck.
They're called Moose Lights up here since no one wants to hit a 2000 pound road block. Critters are so tall they often end up on the hood or through the windshield.
I installed my amber lights with a remote wireless system to turn on so I can see where to step if I break down in the dark. There is a lot of space between the motor and the bumper open for a leg to wonder off into. A flashlight works for the eyes the mood lights work for the feet. LOL
I'll be mounting it in the same location behind my grill using some of the same brackets - with modifications of course. I'll make sure to post up some new pics when I'm all done. I'm thinking a whole row of CREE 10 watt LEDs ought to do a credible job.
I mounted a cheap LED behind the grille as well. I made a slotted mount for the bolt so that I could adjust it to match the grille opening. I wired mine to a 2-way switch so it can either be activated with the Hi-beams (default setting), off, or on manually. When I change out trucks I plan to install a larger one.
I also install a fiberglass door screen in front of the radiator which stops the bugs and bees from getting embedded in the radiator. With the movement of the truck, they simply fall off. At trade in time, I cut the zip ties in the corners and remove leaving a cleaner radiator.
12-12-2012, 10:10 AM
. I was gonna do something similar, but I too was worried about the grill and light output. I ended up mounting mine in the lower grill opening. They don't look too bad there I suppose. I've been using the PIAA 2100i long range foul weather driving lights on my '94 T'bird for years. They have been discontinued for a while, and have been replaced by the 2100xt's. I wired mine into a wireless remote from Pilot, then mounted the remote fob on the dash. Been happy with these. They fill in nice when I use the factory fogs, and in drizzly weather when I use the high beams they really cut the muck.
