Roadster Headlight Question

[dmoran]

This question is probably close to or beyond heresy but here goes...

I'm looking at aftermarket headlights and have found some very cool headlights for Jeep Wranglers. Will the 7" round Wrangler headlights generally drop in with little to no mods to the body? I'm not too concerned about fabricating brackets or adapters or doing some trimming here or there but I don't want something that will "hang over" the edge of the body or it there would be no room for a trim ring. The electrical differences are not a problem for me either.

So, the question is - Will any 7" round headlight that fits a 97-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ or 07-15 Jeep Wrangler JK fit reasonably well on a MK4? Anyone who has done this, any issues and what did you need to do to make it work?

Thanks!
Doug

[Roy]

any 7" round headlight will fit. I have some with angel eyes that were for a Jeep CJ-7

[stroked 6t5]

Any 7" lights will work but depending what kind you want to install you may want to also upgrade the wiring with some relays...
Andy

[edwardb]

I can't cite any personal experience with Wrangler headlights, and I doubt many can. I did a quick search and one vendor alone had 150+ plus options for an 06 Wrangler. What specifically are you looking at and what are your reasons to change? Brighter? Lower current draw? Different look? Or? I'm installing 7-inch LED headlights in my new build from Watson's Streetworks. The build is far from done, but I've confirmed the headlights fit the supplied buckets and mounts, are super bright, and draw less than 2 amps. More details and pictures in my build thread.

[A cobra guy]

At Watsons StreetWorks we sell an LED bulb & lens package that puts out great light and uses les amps than stock. They fit into your existing buckets and the glass lens looks stock.
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/l...name=headlight
We've sold dozens of them to Roadster owners.

[johngeorge]

I like these: Pilot WI-HL7A Head Lamp Conversion Kit

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-WI-HL7A-...motive+WI-HL7A

And I bought these LED bulbs, super bright! was going to run them in the enduro but car broke before I got a chance. I did test them on the street and its like the sun!

http://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Conv...ilpage_o06_s00

[dmoran]

I'm thinking something like:
http://amzn.com/B00VV085WI

I've not decided on these yet, but definitely want a non traditional look for this build.

[skullandbones]

Amazon has a very good return policy. We have Amazon Prime so you get free 2 day shipping and an RA label if you need to send it back. I doubt you will have any issue with the 7 inch varieties except if it has an extended back that may require some cutting of the bucket. There are so many variations, it's hard to make up your mind.

Good luck on your decision.

WEK.

[dmoran]

What specifically are you looking at and what are your reasons to change? Brighter? Lower current draw? Different look? Or?

First off, I have a bit of an un-natural affinity for LED lighting, especially the really white temperatures, and I'm not exactly sure why

I definitely want something very bright since we are out of the city and there are some nice winding roads through horse country that get pretty dark.

Different look is probably the biggest draw for me. My build goal is to make a more modern take on the roadster. Clean and simple like the classic but updated with new tech where possible. There are a lot of awesome looking, period correct replicas out there so I'm hoping to find "my unique" in a tasteful combo of retro and modern like the new Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers etc.

It's still coming together in my head. I figure that I can fool around with lighting, dashboard, accessories, cockpit, paint scheme and maybe a little body sculpting here or there. At the same time, I'm trying to be very careful not to end up with something that looks like an old car with a bunch of new crap bolted to it. Fine line for sure.

And since it's just me and you talking here, I originally planned to do an electric Roadster with a couple of those big motors from EV West. In the end, the big loud, stinky, pushrod V8 was too good to pass up. So, if this works out, build 2 will be a e-Roadster. Don't tell anyone... that would probably be even more of a sin than using a Chevy SB...

BTW - You seem to have a knack for the simple and tasteful and I follow your new build thread and refer to your old ones before every step so thanks for help you don't know you give.

Doug

[dmoran]

Amazon has a very good return policy. We have Amazon Prime so you get free 2 day shipping...

I hear ya, I live on Amazon deliveries and have Prime also. I'm on first name basis with the UPS guy and FedEx lady.

[edwardb]

BTW - You seem to have a knack for the simple and tasteful and I follow your new build thread and refer to your old ones before every step so thanks for help you don't know you give. Doug

Thanks. I appreciate your comments. My new build is also intended to be a modern take on the old classic with the Coyote, new IRS, LED lighting, big Wilwoods, 18 inch wheels, and a number of other little things. But a little more subtle than those headlights you're looking at! Good luck with your build.

[Papa]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I had done an H4 conversion on my 2005 Jeep Rubicon a couple of years ago and was curios if anyone may have used these on their roadster:

Hella® 002395801 7" Round E-Code (ECE) H4 Conversion Headlight Kit - Hella® Part #: 002395801 ($75 on a well-known Jeep parts site)
Sylvania Silver Star Ultra Hi/Lo bulbs ($40)

These were a great improvement over the stock sealed beams in my Jeep, and they don't require any upgrades or modifications to the factory wiring. Simply remove the sealed beam bulb and replace with the new reflectors and bulbs.

[boat737]

I can't cite any personal experience with Wrangler headlights, and I doubt many can. I did a quick search and one vendor alone had 150+ plus options for an 06 Wrangler. What specifically are you looking at and what are your reasons to change? Brighter? Lower current draw? Different look? Or? I'm installing 7-inch LED headlights in my new build from Watson's Streetworks. The build is far from done, but I've confirmed the headlights fit the supplied buckets and mounts, are super bright, and draw less than 2 amps. More details and pictures in my build thread.

Hey Paul, I take it you used the FFR stock plastic headlight buckets, and not the Watson's Streetworks buckets? http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/e...s-7-inch-round

[edwardb]

Hey Paul, I take it you used the FFR stock plastic headlight buckets, and not the Watson's Streetworks buckets? http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/e...s-7-inch-round

Yes, I used the FFR supplied headlight buckets with the Watson's Streetworks LED headlight setup. It's a little tight, but the lens and bulb fit into the bucket. There is a cooling fan that ends up pretty close to the back of the bucket. I contacted Watson's Streetworks and they said it was fine that way.



There is a separate power controller that I mounted on a plate on the back of the bucket.



Can't be 100% sure, but that bucket in the Watson's Streetworks link looks like the exact parts supplied by FFR.

[Brastic]

First off, I have a bit of an un-natural affinity for LED lighting, especially the really white temperatures, and I'm not exactly sure why

The color temperature and the element used for creating the light are two different things. The LED lights can go higher in temperature (aka 4k -> 8k) which is that blue white color that you do not like. Most people consider anything less that 3,000 Kelvin to be warm light. For the house, we swapped over 250 small 40 Watt incandescent light bulbs to 2 Watt LEDs. The only thing I was asked about for the LEDs is to not have the blue white in the house. Once I showed people that you can get warm white LEDs, everybody was in. The same goes for car lighting. The thing to know here is that LEDs are more efficient at making light per watt in the higher temperatures.

The issue that I had with LEDs for car headlight is that the light pattern is different than the old incandescent. I have not found an H4 LED drop in kit that was legal. They tend to send why to much light higher. Not only is this illegal, but you are blinding on coming traffic.