Spyder headlamps.....my take on 'em...and LIGHTING in general

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88GMCtruck

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I've got a set of Ebay specials that are VERY similar to the old TYC Elegantes; I think @88GMCtruck has a set on his 6.5 Burb; I found them through one of his threads. And they do have the glare caps; I specifically made sure to find a better set of headlights with glare caps.
I had a set of glass lense lights but they were absolute junk. These are way better quality all around.
Yeah i found those closer to TYC headlights awhile back, they seem to be holding up well. When I installed mine though I had to swap all the adjusters and backing plate from the OEM headlights because theirs were junk.
 

Moparmat2000

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According to Daniel Stern and the majority of the CandlePower Forums, yes. You should be using the bulbs I linked in the first post on page 216 of this thread.

Keep in mind that the bulbs are only part of the equation, though. For best results you're going to want to upgrade the headlight harness with relays to pull power straight from the battery instead of through the headlight switch and factory wiring, and do the 4-Hi mod so that your low beams stay on when you engage the high beams.

I planned on doing a relay mod. I bought a fuse/relay box setup to do this this for my 67 barracuda. And picked up GE night hawk 7" halogen sealed beams for it.

This is a really nice fuse/relay box. It uses GM weather pack connectors micro relays and micro fuses and is sealed. Looks almost like a factory GM part. $38 off evilbay. Gonna get one for the truck and my sons 69 cuda. Made by littelfuse. Its about 3.5" x 1.5" comes with a nice metal mounting bracket. Its modular in as much as you can configure the relays and fuses how you want them, and how you want them oriented in the box. Came with all the crimp connectors, rubber packings, as well as the 2 relays i specced out and 2 fuses. Only thing i wished they did was not have littelfuse embossed on the lid. Would be even cooler if they left it non descript.

I had been looking for stand alone relay boxes for several years, and they all ended up looking like electrical science project boxes. Nothing OEM looking. I wanted OEM looking to leave it visible, or i was going to hide it under the battery tray on my barracuda. Not really the most optimum location for this. When this popped up on ebay i instantly "popped" when i saw it, said, thats it!!! Thats the relay box my mind has been picturing.

Dont mind the mess in the pics. This was during rhe wiring mock up in the car body prior to strip and repaint which unfortunately hasnt happened yet. I guess thats what happens when you have a wife, kids, house, and all the B.S. that entails lol.

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Cokeman95

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I planned on doing a relay mod. I bought a fuse/relay box setup to do this this for my 67 barracuda. And picked up GE night hawk 7" halogen sealed beams for it.

Rhis is a really nice fuse/relay box. It uses GM weather pack connectors micro relays and micro fuses and is sealed. Looks almost like a factory GM part. $38 off evilbay. Gonna get one for the truck and my sons 69 cuda. Made by littelfuse. Its about 3.5" x 1.5" comes with a nice metal mounting bracket. Its modular in as much as you can configure the relays and fuses how you want them, and how you want them oriented in the box. Came with all the crimp connectors, rubber packings, as well as the 2 relays i specced out and 2 fuses.

Dont mind the mess in the pics. This was during rhe wiring mock up in the car body prior to strip and repaint which unfortunately hasnt happened yet. I guess thats what happens when you have a wife, kids, house, and all the B.S. that entails lol.

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Do you have a link for that box?

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Moparmat2000

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Here it is. I asked for 2 different relays than the three 4 pin ones that he sells this with. Just ask the seller to sell you the box with the relays you need. I bought the one i have about 2 years ago. It was $38 back then. I tried to price this box directly from littelfuse and would have to buy all the parts as seperate pieces instead of a complete kit with relays. This was way more expensive than this kit on evilbay. If you can find these complete for cheaper than this please let me know, i need to get 2 more of em configured the same way. One for my truck, one for my sons car.

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Moparmat2000

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Best location for one of these is as close to the battery and lights as possible. On my truck i am thinking on either the rad support, or directly to the body colored inner structure of fender. Drivers side might be the best location because of the lighting wires coming from that side, just run a 10 GA feed from the battery hot into the relays. Great add on to older cars and trucks with foot operated dimmer switch too. I cant remember how many of them older cars i have seen over the years with melted floor dimmer switch plugs, and melted firewall connectors from that high amp draw through skinny little wires and degraded connectors over the years. This is really the best way to do this. 1/10th of an amp to close the relay from the switch, and let the relay take the brunt of the power.
 
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delta_p

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If one can get access to some .03" - .04" 5000 series aluminum sheet, the soft stuff, one decent place for relay center, dual battery isolator solenoids is a bracket mounted to the battery tray. There is a lot of room next to the battery away from the fender. The battery can still sit fine without resting on bolt tops if the bolts are placed right.

This particular one i made a bracket to mount off the battery. the sheet with the relays is removable from that so i can add holes to it whenever needed. This is where i mounted my battery solenoid and headlight relays. There is a 4 hi diode in there too off the high beam relay trigger to the low beam relay trigger. There is room for even larger bracket than shown.

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niteflite1287

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Do you have a link for that box?

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Those are made by Littelfuse (PN: PDM31001ZXM) i bout a couple but havn't gotten around to installing them yet

If you want to save a few dollars you can order them from an electronics supply house like Mouser, i think Waytek also carries them (I paid 22 dollars for mine) but you have to order the terminals, relays,etc separately (also available from them:
Here's the PDS https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/240/littelfuse-pdm-hwb18-datasheet-1086221.pdf
and the ISO 280 relays are avaialbel for 3 dollars or so on Mouser as well (PN:
301-1C-C-D1-12VDC) or do what I do and get OEM ones from the junk yard.

Also you can get the relays mounts that GM used that will clip into the side of the GMT400 electrical center for about $2 DCS (PN: 12110539) , I used them w/ Hella H41410081 sealed relays, those i think I got off amazon for $8.
 

98chevy2500SS

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I am guessing this has been asked before, but I just want to be sure: Can I put a 9012 HIR2 bulb in a clear chrome housing with a glare cap? I know I safely can put 9011 HIR's in the high beams, but just didn't know if I would blind anybody. I thought if the headlights have a glare gap, then it's OK to run 9012 HIR2's in the low beams?

Here are the headlights I am looking at: https://www.amazon.com/Spec-D-Tunin...8-454------------1&vehicleName=1997+GMC+K1500

Also planned on getting the HD harness and 4-HI from LMC. This is all for my 97.

Edit: just read BowtieBrody's HIR conversion and that answered my question. His has the glare cap.
 
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