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97 Toyota Tacoma headlight upgrade?



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 15th 04, 01:59 PM
Corky Scott
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Default 97 Toyota Tacoma headlight upgrade?

I own a 97 Toyota Tacoma. It has standard sealed beam type
headlights. You can get those in halogen these days, but I wonder if
it's possible to remove those and install something that lights up the
road more brightly?

Anyone heard of something like this?

Alternately, I could install driving lights I suppose.

Thanks, Corky Scott
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  #2  
Old December 15th 04, 07:05 PM
Erik Litchy
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Corky Scott wrote:
> I own a 97 Toyota Tacoma. It has standard sealed beam type
> headlights. You can get those in halogen these days, but I wonder if
> it's possible to remove those and install something that lights up the
> road more brightly?
>
> Anyone heard of something like this?
>
> Alternately, I could install driving lights I suppose.
>
> Thanks, Corky Scott



you need to be sure that your lights are working to thier capacity
are they aimed right?
is the wiring harness free from corrosion and big enough guage to
install brighter bulbs in the future?
  #3  
Old December 15th 04, 08:32 PM
Corky Scott
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On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 18:05:59 GMT, Erik Litchy >
wrote:

>you need to be sure that your lights are working to thier capacity
>are they aimed right?
>is the wiring harness free from corrosion and big enough guage to
>install brighter bulbs in the future?


They're working fine. The problem is not that they are more dim than
they should be, or aimed improperly, I'm just wondering if I can
upgrade the lights, to bring them up to current vehical standards
without having to buy a new truck to do so.

I'm picturing removing the originals and simply installing new lights,
but lights that are current technology, with removable individual
bulbs rather than sealed beam lights.

I have no idea if anything like this is available, I'm just asking.

Thanks, Corky Scott

PS, I am not talking about a Xenon lighting system, which would run
hundreds per side, I'm just talking about removing the sealed beam
lights and installing something that looks like a sealed beam, but
isn't.
  #4  
Old December 15th 04, 11:34 PM
N8N
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Corky Scott wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 18:05:59 GMT, Erik Litchy >
> wrote:
>
> >you need to be sure that your lights are working to thier capacity
> >are they aimed right?
> >is the wiring harness free from corrosion and big enough guage to
> >install brighter bulbs in the future?

>
> They're working fine. The problem is not that they are more dim than
> they should be, or aimed improperly, I'm just wondering if I can
> upgrade the lights, to bring them up to current vehical standards
> without having to buy a new truck to do so.
>
> I'm picturing removing the originals and simply installing new

lights,
> but lights that are current technology, with removable individual
> bulbs rather than sealed beam lights.
>
> I have no idea if anything like this is available, I'm just asking.
>
> Thanks, Corky Scott
>
> PS, I am not talking about a Xenon lighting system, which would run
> hundreds per side, I'm just talking about removing the sealed beam
> lights and installing something that looks like a sealed beam, but
> isn't.


Oh hell yeah. Consider yourself lucky that you have sealed beams, that
actually makes what you're proposing about as easy as it could possibly
be. I would actually suggest a two-step process:

1) Bypass the factory wiring and make yourself a big honkin' relay
harness with 12 or 10 gauge wire to take power directly off the
alternator to the headlights - retain the stock harness only to trigger
the relays.

2) If you still want more get some E-code reflector assemblies, now
with your sexy new relay harness you can run overwattage bulbs to
really light up the night. Stay away from the blue bulb fake HID crap,
just get good quality halogen bulbs.

I have done both to my Porsche 944 and also added a Transpo adjustable
voltage regulator to kick up my system voltage to around 14.1V. I went
from 11.5V to 14.1V at the headlights, wow, what a difference! The
reflectors that I used were the Cibie E-code units, they're not exactly
legal in most states due to the beam pattern, but if that doesn't
bother you go for it, they have a real sharp horizontal cutoff so they
don't blind oncoming traffic and have a "kickup" to the right so that
you can still read roadside signs, see deer hiding in the bushes, etc.
The high beams are simply amazing. I am still running "stock" 55/60W
H4 bulbs in them; I have a pair of 90/100W bulbs on the shelf but I
haven't seen the need to put them in (need I mention that would be even
more illegal, if that is possible) because even with the 55/60W bulbs I
have no problems at all seeing at night at anything resembling
reasonable speeds. Note that I would probably NOT run overwattage
bulbs in reflectors with a DOT legal beam pattern (i.e. Hella Vision
Plus) as they allow more light above horizontal even on low beam and
therefore have more of a possibility of blinding oncoming traffic.

I know I've kind of given you a quick and nasty explanation of what to
do and you're probably thinking "but how do I do this?" don't worry,
there's good explanations of everything at
http://danielsternlighting.com/

If you are interested in what I did to my car, the specific products
that I bought are at http://gururacing.net/ - click on "light upgrades"
- if you're lazy (like me, I've done enough crimping and soldering for
one lifetime) and your vehicle has two headlights (not four) the 944
harness might be easily adaptable to your setup, although you couldn't
use the reflectors he sells unless you have the dual 7" round (you may
have rectangular lights, I don't have a mental image of what the front
of a Tacoma looks like)

Beware of the APC brand relay harness that's sold at ricer shops, from
what I've heard and from my own cursory inspection of the harness at a
few car shows, it has all the right parts but the wiring doesn't look
that much beefier than the stock headlight wiring in many cars so the
improvement won't be as dramatic. The harness that Dan Wray sells is
WAY better in every respect and I consider it an excellent, if pricey
product. Be advised though that he makes them as a sideline and if you
go that route might have to wait until he builds another batch. Daniel
Stern doesn't sell a premade harness but he does sell the components to
build your own and I have no reason to believe that they aren't good
quality, he seems like something of a perfectionist. (not saying that
those are the only two places you should be shopping, just those are
the only two I have any experience with.)

good luck,

nate

  #5  
Old December 16th 04, 02:06 AM
Daniel J. Stern
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On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, N8N wrote:

> > I'm just talking about removing the sealed beam lights and installing
> > something that looks like a sealed beam, but isn't.


> 1) Bypass the factory wiring and make yourself a big honkin' relay
> harness with 12 or 10 gauge wire to take power directly off the
> alternator to the headlights - retain the stock harness only to trigger
> the relays.


Good idea if he installs E-codes, not really necessary if he stays with
sealed beams. Remember, his H6054s have a *35 watt* low beam filament.
Basically a hot spot, a great deal of upward light for lighting up falling
snowflakes and hanging fog, and nothin' else.

> 2) If you still want more get some E-code reflector assemblies, now with
> your sexy new relay harness you can run overwattage bulbs


Naw, he can't. Remember, he's got a truck, not a car. High headlamp
mounting height + overwattage bulbs = two options:

1) Aim the lamps nominally and create massive glare for other road users,
including cops, 'cause when they sit in cars their eyes are under the
cutoff line, or

2) Tip the lamp aim so far down to avoid glare that the seeing range is
drastically shortened.

Best to use high-efficacy standard-wattage bulbs in a truck/van/SUV
application.

> light up the night. Stay away from the blue bulb fake HID crap, just
> get good quality halogen bulbs.


Good advice.

> I have done both to my Porsche 944 and also added a Transpo adjustable
> voltage regulator to kick up my system voltage to around 14.1V. I went
> from 11.5V to 14.1V at the headlights, wow, what a difference! The
> reflectors that I used were the Cibie E-code units, they're not exactly
> legal in most states due to the beam pattern,


It's not the beam pattern, per se, and they're not exactly not exactly
legal, per se. Remember, vehicle owners are not regulated under the FMVSS,
so they may modify their own vehicles however they see fit within the
bounds of state law. Most state laws do not specify DOT, SAE or ECE
compliance for headlamps; a few do, and a couple explicitly allow ECE
headlamps. The OP is in one of the states that explicitly allows ECE
headlamps.

> there's good explanations of everything at
> http://danielsternlighting.com/


More good advice ;-)

> - if you're lazy (like me, I've done enough crimping and soldering for
> one lifetime) and your vehicle has two headlights (not four) the 944
> harness might be easily adaptable to your setup


Not without some hacking. Toyotas use funky headlamp circuitry from the
factory.

> although you couldn't use the reflectors he sells unless you have the
> dual 7" round


He's got dual 200mm x 142mm rectangular.

> Beware of the APC brand relay harness that's sold at ricer shops


Beware of APC brand anything; it's all Chinese garbage.

> The harness that Dan Wray sells is
> WAY better in every respect and I consider it an excellent, if pricey
> product.


I'd agree with that assessment on both counts.

DS
  #6  
Old December 16th 04, 02:31 AM
Nate Nagel
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Default

Daniel J. Stern wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, N8N wrote:


>
>>I have done both to my Porsche 944 and also added a Transpo adjustable
>>voltage regulator to kick up my system voltage to around 14.1V. I went
>>from 11.5V to 14.1V at the headlights, wow, what a difference! The
>>reflectors that I used were the Cibie E-code units, they're not exactly
>>legal in most states due to the beam pattern,

>
>
> It's not the beam pattern, per se, and they're not exactly not exactly
> legal, per se. Remember, vehicle owners are not regulated under the FMVSS,
> so they may modify their own vehicles however they see fit within the
> bounds of state law. Most state laws do not specify DOT, SAE or ECE
> compliance for headlamps; a few do, and a couple explicitly allow ECE
> headlamps. The OP is in one of the states that explicitly allows ECE
> headlamps.
>


Well, definitions of "legal" and "not legal" notwithstanding, in
Maryland (I know it's not exactly relevant to this discussion) it is a
hassle to pass inspection with E-code low beams as they check the light
output with a light meter. I went through this with my Scirocco, the
guy performing the inspection insisted that I needed to pass his light
meter check at the height specified in his printed table for an '84
Scirocco even though I told him up front that the car was lowered about
1" from stock. I ended up putting back in a pair of sealed beams for
the lows to get through inspection and sure enough the car came back to
me with the headlights aimed way high. (sigh.) In some other states in
which I've lived, you fail if your lights don't have the aiming pips on
them. In every case I've just pulled the E-codes and then put them back
in the next weekend

I didn't notice what state Corky was from, lucky him if he lives in one
of the more enlightened (heh) states.

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel
  #7  
Old December 16th 04, 03:11 PM
Corky Scott
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On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:31:15 -0500, Nate Nagel >
wrote:

>I didn't notice what state Corky was from, lucky him if he lives in one
>of the more enlightened (heh) states.
>
>nate


It's Vermont and I have no idea what the lighting regs are for the
state.

I used to be an auto mechanic back in the 70's and part of the 80's.
We were an inspection station and our headlight check was mostly to
make sure that they worked, and were aimed correctly. We used gizmo's
that clamped to the headlights after you'd set them up on a flat
surface. Units like this didn't care how high they were off the
ground, they just got the headlights aimed. Don't recall using a
light meter, but that could very well have changed by now.

At one point in my life I had a beater 75 Subaru on which I bolted a
Lucas Flamethrower to the front bumper. I forget where I got it,
might have shown up on some wreck turned in for trade. I'd use that
coming home at night when I was alone on the road. It was a pencil
beam so it wasn't much good for lighting up the sides of the road
where the deer are waiting to jump into your path, but lordy, it lit
up the center of the road a LONG way. Sitting behind that thing made
you feel like you were the god of sun.

Now, 20 years later, I need more light on the road than stock
headlights are capable of producing. Come to think of it, so does my
wife who drives a 2000 Subaru Imprezza. She HATES driving at night
because of glare and reflection so having the best lighting I can find
for her would help her too.

Corky Scott
  #8  
Old December 16th 04, 04:58 PM
Daniel J. Stern
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On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, Nate Nagel wrote:

> Maryland (I know it's not exactly relevant to this discussion) it is a
> hassle to pass inspection with E-code low beams as they check the light
> output with a light meter. I went through this with my Scirocco, the
> guy performing the inspection insisted that I needed to pass his light
> meter check at the height specified in his printed table for an '84
> Scirocco even though I told him up front that the car was lowered about
> 1" from stock.


You didn't flunk 'cause of your E-codes, you flunked 'cause of your
lowering. Lots of people have E-codes in MD.

> In some other states in which I've lived, you fail if your lights don't
> have the aiming pips on them.


Old info; aiming pips *per se* haven't been required on US headlamps since
1994.

> I didn't notice what state Corky was from


NH
 




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