Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I am wanting to do a headlight upgrade on my 90 GQ and have just discovered that it has sealed beams. Without going overboard, is it possible to just replace the sealed beams with better ones, or does upgrading require complete new units?

What, if any, sealed units are you guys chosing?

Also, I am looking for a deal on some 240 XGTs at the moment, if anyone knows where I can find some.

Andrew

Sandy at Aus FWD Specialists sells some nice headlight upgrades for GQ's. You can't use anything above 65W globes because made of plastic but get trick globes. I drilled and tapped mine for breather hoses so I could seal them up better. About $90. Nissan only used minmum wire to get lights to work so upgrade with relays and larger wire.

GQs use standard 7" glass headlights. Available from anywhere, ARB, Repco etc..
They will take up to 90/130 and higher H4 globes.
You will need a loom to handle extra current. ARB M002 or Piranha superlomm.

Bazzle

bazzle wrote:GQs use standard 7" glass headlights. Available from anywhere, ARB, Repco etc..
They will take up to 90/130 and higher H4 globes.
You will need a loom to handle extra current. ARB M002 or Piranha superlomm.

Bazzle

I agree.. to with the H4 inserts, they arent much, and you only change globes to suit.. 90/130s are nice...

OK, At this stage I am looking at the H4 setup, and it looks like I can get the two lights for about $30 (both, not ea) and I will just get some 60 or 90/100s for now, then run a better loom shortly. I just want better lighting in the next two weeks while away on hols and the auto electrician cant fit it in at the moment.

I can do all the basic stuff, like installing new plugs and soldering etc, so maybe if I buy a loom I could do it myself...

Andrew
[thinking is beginning to hurt]

If you get the ARB loom, its a dead set 10 min job, and looks like Nissan fitted it. No need for auto sparky

you can buy a h4 kit for the price of the sealed beams or less

What is the ARB loom suposed to do, Give more power to the globe's or something? How much does the GQ ARB loom normally go for?

Reduces voltage drop, takes the current load off the OE switches, improves light out put and reliability.
Cost?? Checked a cat I got off their counter. says $135


Bazzle

Buger man,

You said you can buy the H4 kit for less than or same as sealed beam units. Please Explain... A decent set of globes is about $25 - $30 a pair and the lights are about $17 ea. That's over $60 from where I am standing, and I can get sealed units for as little as $17 ea, albeit 55w/60w.

The ARB loom is pretty good at $135, if a little on the high side, but perhaps I might get a quote from my friendly sparky and see what he comes in at.

Andrew

bazzle wrote:Reduces voltage drop, takes the current load off the OE switches, improves light out put and reliability.
Cost?? Checked a cat I got off their counter. says $135


Bazzle

What does this kit include? Wiring loom, relay, bulbs, and light ?

If so its a fair price.

Gutless wrote:What does this kit include? Wiring loom, relay

Wiring loom, 3 relays, plugs in without hassles to OEM wiring and H4's.

I fitted my ARB loom last night and sliped in my 130/100 globes. The differnce is pretty noticable. I was just wondering if there is any better globes than my Nava 130/100's as they are the ones in the blister pack. Can you get those blue type in this power? Any sugestions would be apprecated.
Cheers, Kane.

You can Get the IPF ones from ARB, but they will prolly cost you your first born child.

They are good tho

Forget Blue globes. You need white/yellow to reflect off surfaces. so you can see.

Bazzle

Honestly I've used blue globes twice and both times ditched them as quick as I could. they suck and are only good for blinding oncoming traffic.

coke wrote:Buger man,

You said you can buy the H4 kit for less than or same as sealed beam units. Please Explain... A decent set of globes is about $25 - $30 a pair and the lights are about $17 ea. That's over $60 from where I am standing, and I can get sealed units for as little as $17 ea, albeit 55w/60w.

The ARB loom is pretty good at $135, if a little on the high side, but perhaps I might get a quote from my friendly sparky and see what he comes in at.

Andrew

THE last set of halogan sealed beams i bought were $75.00 each (to go in a inter truck )

So does this mean the Nava 130/100 globes are the best?

Blue globes aren't much chop as you lose between 15-20% in light output as you are filtering only the blue part of the light specrum through. I have seen 90/100's in blue but they are made by some no name brand. Hella and Narva dont make big wattage blue globes as they are unreliable (the blue filtering on the globe makes the globes run too hot reducing globe life). Do you want more light on low beam or high?

From what I've been reading the best 60/55w bulbs are the Osram or Phillips +50% bulbs.

iwannabeapirate wrote:From what I've been reading the best 60/55w bulbs are the Osram or Phillips +50% bulbs.

That is half of the watt's that I'm running now so I would only be going backwards.

Is it true the higher the watts, the brighter or is there more factors than that? I'm running Hella H4 housings so it should be able to handle any sort of H4 globe.

the wiring harness that arb sells seems far too expensive for the relay used is about $15 retail less than $10 trade then the couple of meters of wiring could not be more than $2.50 and then the crimp terminals well hey they are bout $2.00 a pack....even buying the crimp pliers at about $35 for the pimp daddy ratchet type or the pleb version for about $5 at super cheap. The whole conversion should cost ya bout $20 dollars. Hopefully you already have side cutters!

Just remember it can't be that hard an autoelectrician does for a living!!!

There are negatives with the semi-sealed beams - even with the little rubber booties they come with....eventually you will cross a creek and hey presto they fill with water - funny at first but now you have to remove them and replace for the reflectors are very sensitive and rust/fade - worse if it happens whilst they have been on for a while...the positives are if you drive the kids to skool in your fourwheel drive then the bulb upgrade is great.

The quartz halogen sealed beam h/lights are the all rounder you get the brighter light, the sealed factor and the lower price tag than the semi-sealed upgrade. But you can't get pretty blue!!! Then with the money you saved by buying these you can well afford the relay upgrade.