CJ Headlights
JeffP
Senior Jeeper
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- Peoria, AZ
- Vehicle(s)
- '75 CJ5, 304, T18, D20, D44s w/3.73 1974 CJ5, 304, 4 spd., Dana axles 3.73 gears. 1973 CJ5, 258 I6, T18, Dana 20, Dana axles 4.27 gears. 1972 CJ5, 304, 4 Spd, Dana 20, 4.27 gears. 1976 CJ5, 304, T150. 1976 CJ5, 304, T150, J20 w/4.10 gears. 69 CJ5 Hurricane 4 cyl, 4spd all original! ‘53/‘54 M38a1 100% original but also 100% apart! Low 3 digit Vin! One of the very first m38a1s!
Any CJ owner will tell you that the factory headlights suck. Here is a cheap and easy fix to remedy that.
The high & low filaments in the sealed beam headlights are identical, just in different positions with respect to the reflector.
Step one... install Halogen headlights!
The factory switch isn’t capable of handling the extra current of Halogen bulbs for long so you need to add a pair of relays. This way the only current the switches will ever see is enough to energize the relay coils. Merely miliamps so your switches should last indefinitely.
Rewire it so the headlight switch turns on the first relay, thus turning on low beam. Then remove the low beam wire from the high / low switch. Rewire the high / low switch so when the headlights are on, and the switch is “on” you activate the 2nd relay, turning on the high beam.
What you end up with is both high and low at the same time without overloading your wiring or switches. That’s more than enough light for a blind person!
I’ve been doing this for years on a variety of vehicles and it works especially well for older model Jeeps.
To clarify... when the regular headlight switch is “on”, the low beam is on. When you turn on high beam, low remains on but high beam is added. You can use the dimmer switch to change from high to low or turn off the dash switch and everything turns off.
If anyone needs a wiring diagram let me know. I’ll draw one & post it.
The high & low filaments in the sealed beam headlights are identical, just in different positions with respect to the reflector.
Step one... install Halogen headlights!
The factory switch isn’t capable of handling the extra current of Halogen bulbs for long so you need to add a pair of relays. This way the only current the switches will ever see is enough to energize the relay coils. Merely miliamps so your switches should last indefinitely.
Rewire it so the headlight switch turns on the first relay, thus turning on low beam. Then remove the low beam wire from the high / low switch. Rewire the high / low switch so when the headlights are on, and the switch is “on” you activate the 2nd relay, turning on the high beam.
What you end up with is both high and low at the same time without overloading your wiring or switches. That’s more than enough light for a blind person!
I’ve been doing this for years on a variety of vehicles and it works especially well for older model Jeeps.
To clarify... when the regular headlight switch is “on”, the low beam is on. When you turn on high beam, low remains on but high beam is added. You can use the dimmer switch to change from high to low or turn off the dash switch and everything turns off.
If anyone needs a wiring diagram let me know. I’ll draw one & post it.