Headlight help for improvement over stock.

[kennythewelder]

What is the mod to your low beams?

You cut the supply wire for your low beams,and use it as a switch wire to turn on your low beams with a relay. The relay is wired directly to the battery with a fused wire, about 12 GA wire size. This gives a much larger supply wire to the head lights. It allows much more current to flow, making the lights a lot brighter.

 

[thegawd]

So simple, thanks Kenny.

Stay safe and have a good one my friend!

Al

 

[kennythewelder]

So simple, thanks Kenny.

Stay safe and have a good one my friend!

Al

Were all good here Al, hope you and yours are too my friend.

 

[White96k2500]

You cut the supply wire for your low beams,and use it as a switch wire to turn on your low beams with a relay. The relay is wired directly to the battery with a fused wire, about 12 GA wire size. This gives a much larger supply wire to the head lights. It allows much more current to flow, making the lights a lot brighter.

Do you happen to have a picture of how the wire is run so i could see it?

 

[kennythewelder]

Do you happen to have a picture of how the wire is run so i could see it?

Yes, more or less anyway. Its a little hard to tell whats what in the pics. The red wire is faded, but it is the supply wire. The yellow wire goes to some aux backup lights. You can get the adaptor and longer bolt at Orileys that will allow you to add an extra supply wire. I bought the relays there too I think. One relay is for the high beams, and the other one is for the low beams. when you do the 4 high mod, you do not cut the OE wire for the high beams, you just strip the shealding and tie into the OE supply wire for the high beams, then run this wire as your new switch wire to a relay. That way once the high beams are one, the relay turn on also, and turns on your low beams as well. So to do the low beam mod, you do cut the OE low beam supply wire, and this is your switch wire for the relay just for the low beams. I made my connections after removing the grill next to the headlight on the passengers side close to the battery. I used a test light to figure out what wire did what. I always solder and heat shrink all of my connections. Being that I am a cheap skate, I made all of this my self using universal relays from Orileys, but you can buy a kit that has the relays, and wiring done for you. I think LMC trucks sales them.

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[White96k2500]

Yes, more or less anyway. Its a little hard to tell whats what in the pics. The red wire is faded, but it is the supply wire. The yellow wire goes to some aux backup lights. You can get the adaptor and longer bolt at Orileys that will allow you to add an extra supply wire. I bought the relays there too I think. One relay is for the high beams, and the other one is for the low beams. when you do the 4 high mod, you do not cut the OE wire for the high beams, you just strip the shealding and tie into the OE supply wire for the high beams, then run this wire as your new switch wire to a relay. That way once the high beams are one, the relay turn on also, and turns on your low beams as well. So to do the low beam mod, you do cut the OE low beam supply wire, and this is your switch wire for the relay just for the low beams. I made my connections after removing the grill next to the headlight on the passengers side close to the battery. I used a test light to figure out what wire did what. I always solder and heat shrink all of my connections. Being that I am a cheap skate, I made all of this my self using universal relays from Orileys, but you can buy a kit that has the relays, and wiring done for you. I think LMC trucks sales them.

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Thank you i will have to look into this!!

 

[Schurkey]

YThe relay is wired directly to the battery with a fused wire, about 12 GA wire size.

Big mistake. Actually, two mistakes.

1. DO NOT USE FUSES to protect the wire harness. Use SELF-RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, and use one for the low beam and one for the high beam. If you pop a fuse, it's very dark until you replace the fuse...and then it's dark again when that fuse pops. With self-resetting circuit breakers, the lights flash on and off so at least you have some light. Of course, since you've protected the harnesses separately with TWO circuit breakers, you'd just switch from low beam to high beam or the other way around, and you should have constant light. I use a 10-amp circuit breaker for low beams, and 15 amp breaker for high beams.

The original wire harness is protected by self-resetting circuit breakers built into the headlight switch. I think it's Federal DOT regulation.

2. 12-gauge wire is too large. I used 14-gauge, and I wish I'd used 16. The original harness is spec'ed in mm (damn metric sizing) but is approximately 16 gauge on the high beams and 18 gauge on the low beams. You're using shorter wires to power the relay, so the original gauge size is really not a problem.

Headlights are rated for brightness at 12.8 volts. They're rated for service life at 13.2 volts. Anything above 13.2 DRAMATICALLY cuts the life of the bulbs. Using too-large wires gives you system voltage to the headlights--typically over 14 volts.

 

[thegawd]

Circuit breakers is a very good idea. I do have back up fuses and I was worried about possibly having no fuses but relieved my worry with fog lights. Well, I'm not sure what wire gauges I have used, I personally buy harness and then rebuild them to last forever with solder and double wall shrink wrap. Every 4 high kit I have bought uses fuses and I have not blown one, I believe because of how well I do the wiring, i strive for perfection.

So I have 2 trucks and both have been wired up for a while, my burb has been done for at least 5 years. I dont think i will take the wiring apart to install circuit breakers but i appreciate you sharing this info. Going further I may just use them but I have read all of Canadas headlight laws and they do not go into wiring details.

Heres a pic of my Sierra's setup, one fuse is for my amp (I dont have a crazy audio system) and i dont have fogs yet on this truck but i like to connect the fogs to an aux post on the fuse box, it's a convenient connection to run wires up to the cab... see where the wires go down through the fender. This is a part of the cold air intake built into the fender, with the front fascia grill off you can pull the wires right out the front right to a convenient spot to hook up to the lights. Unfortunately when I did the sierra I didnt take any pics at all. I have documented a bunch of stuff over on GMTC with my Burb and I should have did a write up on the sierra but I didnt. I want to create new posts over here about things like this but you guys all ready have it covered.

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Take r easy eh!

Al

 

[kennythewelder]

Big mistake. Actually, two mistakes.

1. DO NOT USE FUSES to protect the wire harness. Use SELF-RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, and use one for the low beam and one for the high beam. If you pop a fuse, it's very dark until you replace the fuse...and then it's dark again when that fuse pops. With self-resetting circuit breakers, the lights flash on and off so at least you have some light. Of course, since you've protected the harnesses separately with TWO circuit breakers, you'd just switch from low beam to high beam or the other way around, and you should have constant light. I use a 10-amp circuit breaker for low beams, and 15 amp breaker for high beams.

The original wire harness is protected by self-resetting circuit breakers built into the headlight switch. I think it's Federal DOT regulation.

2. 12-gauge wire is too large. I used 14-gauge, and I wish I'd used 16. The original harness is spec'ed in mm (damn metric sizing) but is approximately 16 gauge on the high beams and 18 gauge on the low beams. You're using shorter wires to power the relay, so the original gauge size is really not a problem.

Headlights are rated for brightness at 12.8 volts. They're rated for service life at 13.2 volts. Anything above 13.2 DRAMATICALLY cuts the life of the bulbs. Using too-large wires gives you system voltage to the headlights--typically over 14 volts.

Well I used #10 Ga wire,not #12 Ga. An oversize wire will never hurt you, but a wire that is to small will. The whole point of the mod, is to increase curent flow. I always carry extra fuses. Electricity flows like water ( simply put) the larger the river, the more water will flow. Same thing with a larger wire. The voltage will stay the same, but more current will flow in a larger wire. My headlights have been this way for 7 or 8 years. Never a problem or issue.

 

[Blanco_obs]

The end goal is I would like brighter headlights. I'm currently on stock housings with stock bulbs. (98 K1500) I see that there is a ton of resources for modifying headlight assemblies with projector housing, LED bulbs, HID's etc. I am trying to figure out what's best for me.

I don't wan't to blind on-coming traffic and be "that guy"
I don't want to be obnoxious either.
I want to add as much illumination as I can without having to modify the wiring harness.
I'd be willing to invest in new headlight housings if it makes that big of a difference. However, if i have to put a little elbow grease in my tarnished stock housings that's fine too.
I don't wan't to have to spend a fortune.

What would make the most sense to look at?

Okay so I see a lot of people have there own preference. I decided to replace my old ones with just oem replacements off rock auto. 60 bucks I think it was. And I decided to do led replacement bulbs. Now before every said there opinion I also aligned my lights. No one And I mean No one has flashed there lights at me. Nore do I have unequal lighting ? I mean I guess maybe it’s the brand you choose but I went with aux beam. Payed 34 bucks for my lights. Freaking love them. I never have to use my high beams. But like I said everyone has there opinion. I love my leds though