Low beam headlight upgrade. Options?

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GoreMaker

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Where have you been since forever? I never knew those existed!
Those lights have been around for a couple years, but you can't find them by searching for "Chevrolet truck lights" or anything similar. You specifically have to search for H4703 LED lights. And most people forget that that's the designation for those old sealed beam lights.

The other issue is acquiring the mounting brackets for those lights. There isn't an abundance of used 88/89 quad sealed beam mount brackets out there, and reproductions cost on the order of $200 per side. That's $400 in just brackets. Add to that $180 PER PAIR of LED lights, and you're $760 into new headlights (assuming you do all 4 as LED) before you even started hacking at the wiring to get the right connector in there. This is why I haven't taken the plunge.

I recently found a complete pair of used quad sealed beam brackets on eBay for $180, so I'm still considering it...
 

Supercharged111

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Those lights have been around for a couple years, but you can't find them by searching for "Chevrolet truck lights" or anything similar. You specifically have to search for H4703 LED lights. And most people forget that that's the designation for those old sealed beam lights.

The other issue is acquiring the mounting brackets for those lights. There isn't an abundance of used 88/89 quad sealed beam mount brackets out there, and reproductions cost on the order of $200 per side. That's $400 in just brackets. Add to that $180 PER PAIR of LED lights, and you're $760 into new headlights (assuming you do all 4 as LED) before you even started hacking at the wiring to get the right connector in there. This is why I haven't taken the plunge.

I recently found a complete pair of used quad sealed beam brackets on eBay for $180, so I'm still considering it...

So what you're saying is I can make a buck by snatching up all the 88/89 brackets I find at the junkyard. I don't recall what I searched, but it wasn't by truck and it wasn't H4703, but I was also after a bare housing not knowing there were complete assemblies out there.
 

GoreMaker

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So what you're saying is I can make a buck by snatching up all the 88/89 brackets I find at the junkyard. I don't recall what I searched, but it wasn't by truck and it wasn't H4703, but I was also after a bare housing not knowing there were complete assemblies out there.
If people start buying these as the ultimate on-road lighting setup, then yeah, those quad sealed beam brackets could become a real hot commodity. There's always the option of going to single sealed beam, but that requires a new grille and all kinds of other things. I really like the idea of having 4 forward-facing LED headlights. I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger, but I haven't quite convinced myself yet...
 

HotWheelsBurban

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If someone actually gets these new LED "sealed beams" and uses them in the 88-89 buckets and housings, please post up what it looks like and how well they light up the road in front of you. I gotta do something on our trucks because so much of Houston, Texas is not lit up worth a **** on the streets....and I don't just want to buy a lightbar and slap it on. I would like to mod my trucks in a way that makes sense and doesn't cost every $$ I can come up with....
 

GoreMaker

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Well I just took the plunge and ordered 2 pairs of those lights, so I guess I'll take before/after pictures

If someone actually gets these new LED "sealed beams" and uses them in the 88-89 buckets and housings, please post up what it looks like and how well they light up the road in front of you. I gotta do something on our trucks because so much of Houston, Texas is not lit up worth a **** on the streets....and I don't just want to buy a lightbar and slap it on. I would like to mod my trucks in a way that makes sense and doesn't cost every $$ I can come up with....
I know your pain. I live in Vermont, and the state has light pollution laws that mean NOTHING is lit up. Ever. And of course it's all rural mountain roads filled with twists and turns and wildlife around every bend.
 

1990Z71Swede

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There are some drop-in LED bulbs that accurately replicate the halogen bulb light pattern, but they cost a small fortune. Along the lines of $200/pair. Most affordable drop-in LED bulbs use a generic placement for the LED chips that's a close average for ALL 900X bulb types, so that they can just change the connector and call it "9005" or "9006". They can get away with doing this because they advertise their bulbs only for use in fog lights, which have no real DOT standards to meet beyond "must not cause permanent blindness". There are no DOT-approved drop-in LED bulbs for 900X or HX applications.

But even the expensive drop-in LED bulbs that accurately replicate the 9005/9006 filament placement still don't resolve one of the main issues: a crappy OEM reflector design. They do resolve the other main issue: lack of voltage at the bulb socket. Non-dimmable LED bulbs don't care how little voltage they receive (within reason), they'll always be at a fixed, full brightness anyways because of their control circuits. The brightness of halogen bulbs drops with lower voltage.

I've mostly resolved my headlight issues with a headlight booster harness. The low beams still aren't as bright and efficient as a good projector unit, but they're at least usable and safe at night.

Another option is to switch to the 88/89 quad sealed beam setup, and install these:

They fit in the same space as the composite headlights, they just need a different bracket to bolt to the radiator support. You can even wire them so that all 4 are on for low beams, AND for high beams (each light is dual mode H4701/H4703). I've been very tempted to try it, but I'm not familiar enough with those units to spend money on them yet

Found exactly what you described locally here in Sweden, Marketed specifically as Halogen or Xenon Hi/Lo beam replacement bulbs, somewhat on the pricey side at $120 (xenons would have been $80 if sourced locally) but I have a pair on order. Some of the reviews mentioned the good light pattern so I think it will work.

Still doing the Relays and ARTEBs though. Not because the LED´s need relays. It´s because the Light switch is about to die on me, and it is not the original one to the car, so that kinda sends a clear message. I have a new one waiting to go in, with relays it should last a lifetime.
 

1990Z71Swede

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Got theese ones today, ordered them on Friday after Lunch. Was able to pick them up already today Monday. Lets hope the actual LED's are as first class as the service :) When I'm done fighting the long screws for headlight removal I'm coming back with pictures of the actual light pattern...
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