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So what is the hot ticket for headlights ?

H20 Toie

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Valencia California
Love my 91 blazer but it really needs better headlights

i know there are a lot of options but anyone have real experience with some that work well?
 
I've got an 85 but I saw significant improvement with the LMC kit that converts the sealed beam units to modern halogen bulbs. You have to be careful with HID and LED kits as they require a housing that's designed to use them.
 
I have seen the LMC ones, I think that they are better than the sealed beam ones. My buddy then put LED bulbs on them which he said helped, but of course the pattern wasn't as good.
He changed the core support to use the 5x7 JW speaker lights.
I have the old Bosch E code housings in all 4 positions in my '90. I like them a lot, but they aren't perfect. I think that there may still be some on ebay. I got mine from an old member on here, before he sold off what he had. If you stick with halogen, I would check to see If you need to do a relay system to keep the voltage up.
Have you looked at the SAE compliant ones that Rigid has for auxiliary lighting? You could possibly run those to help out the headlights on the road, you would have to adjust properly. Maybe check your laws ??
 
+1 on the relay kit. The factory wiring is marginal even for stock headlights. LMC sells one but I built one for a lot less using bulk wiring, basic relays, and headlight connectors.
 
Most of the reflectors/lenses are designed to use one focal point for the light origin. So most of these led bulbs out there that use several rows of emitters are going to have crap patterns. Less emitters is better. I still think a decent HID is better than leds at this point in time. More lumens, and smaller light pinpoint.
 
In my 88 burb I went to the LEDs from china. I hear what everybody is saying about design and projection, but it's like daytime with these on high. I have it wired for half the leds on one pair for low beams and then all on all four for the high beams. They don't look even a bit stock though. I'll try to take a picture with them on at night. By far the best $100 I've spent on the truck.

Something like these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01D...ds=4x6+led&dpPl=1&dpID=51-zrValFzL&ref=plSrch
 
You can see the pattern of the low beams in this picture. I can assure you that it's so much brighter than the autozone replacements that I tried that the pattern doesn't matter. They do tend to piss off an occasional driver on low beams, but I gotta see. 85 on the interstate was scary with the factory set up, even with isolated relays.

IMG_0567.JPG
 
@Abusfullofnuns
The lack of beam cut-off us what gets to other drivers.
And I will not apologize for this, but putting your self ahead of ALL others is one thing that makes for so many problems today.
Yes, one needs to be able to see at night, but if you slow down, the lesser light will work... Sounds archaic, but the truth is sometimes so... back in the old days, we were taught to NOT out-drive your lights.

Let me put it this way, do you like it when someone else blinds you with their lights?

End rant...

The lights that my buddy put in his LMC housings were single emitters for each beam, but I don't know if the source was in the correct place. I was not real bad when I met him on the road, but there is definitely better. These unique headlights are a challenge...
 
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I get what you're saying, but conversely ALL others are far safer with me piloting a rig this size with stock brakes and being able to see. Aiming the lights correctly goes a long way. BTW, I get far more pissed off flashes from other drivers from my stock HIDs in my Lexus sedan. Seems that some people just don't deal well with brightness changes at night.
 
Those have a separate emitter per reflector. It should have a better beam cutoff, in theory.
 
I use the single headlight 5x7 setup from rigid. Excellent product. Does everything it should and id show you but photobucket is moody.
 
I love my headlights. I have the LMC H4 conversion housings wired up on relays. They are so much brighter than stock. The low beams light up the road very well. The high beams are like daylight in front of me for a very good distance down the road. The light itself is a little whiter than the sealed beams but with no hint of blue that you'd get with HIDs or LEDs.

With this setup I have no need for any auxiliary lighting, in fact I removed the lights that I did have because I never used them. If you do however still want more light then you can upgrade the bulbs to a Sylvania ZXE Xenon bulb. (Which is a high performance halogen) They would be a bit brighter and shine a little whiter than the bulbs that come in the LMC kit.
 
My Halogens outshine even my airplane landing lights !
 
I love my headlights. I have the LMC H4 conversion housings wired up on relays. They are so much brighter than stock. The low beams light up the road very well. The high beams are like daylight in front of me for a very good distance down the road. The light itself is a little whiter than the sealed beams but with no hint of blue that you'd get with HIDs or LEDs.

With this setup I have no need for any auxiliary lighting, in fact I removed the lights that I did have because I never used them. If you do however still want more light then you can upgrade the bulbs to a Sylvania ZXE Xenon bulb. (Which is a high performance halogen) They would be a bit brighter and shine a little whiter than the bulbs that come in the LMC kit.
What's the part number for that kit?
 
Never really worried about it.

Put a relay kit at best for me if I get around to it just to get the power from running thru the switch.

The other issue is the factory wiring is not up to the task.

That H4 kit sounds like the ticket otherwise.

A set of aux light would work also.

I personally can't stand being blinded by someone's over unnessasary bright headlights especially on rural back roads.
 
You may think it's weird, but upgrading from my 1990 4-light setup isn't even on my list. First of all, I love glass because it doesn't scratch and goes decades without any yellowing. The factory wiring is kind of silly, but once you put 13+ volts to the sealed beams they work well. I have trouble running the highs on the freeway because I'm blinded by the road signs.
 
Watching Truck U and they are installing Led lights all the way around on a Gen 1 PU. When they dike the factory wiring my a$$ puckers.
 
I put my auxiliary lights in the grill, but I goofed up and put them too low. I wanted to keep the outer bar in tact, and then forgot.....
I have the Bosch headlights wired for all 4 on high. They are dual element bulbs, so the beam pattern changes from low to high.

20170708_121518.jpg
 
I am assuming with a 91 blazer that you have the 1991 grill and head light set up like mine. I am planning on dumping the low beams on my 1991 V3500, and going to all high beams (inside/outside lights). The high and low beams have the same 3-pin terminal so the head light terminal ends will plug into either. I also am going to get four of the Sylvania high beam H4701XV series head lamp instead of the standard lamp. I want to install an old style dimmer peddle switch on the floor as well, and connect the dimmer switch wire leads from the column mounted dimmer switch to the old style peddle switch, in order to turn on the inside lights, thus having all four lights on at once. As you can see from the picture of my truck, I also have a set of KC driving lights.

full

My 1991 V3500 with 91 style grill and head lamp set up.

sylvania_046135349591primary.jpg

Sylvania head lamp part PN# H4701XV
 
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