What headlight size/style provides the best light?

Uglydog56 · May 16, 2012, 12:42:01 PM

A larger reflector is better at getting the light onto the road. If I were in your shoes, this is what I would do:

H4 conversion lamp like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/HELLA-002395031-Vision-Conversion-Headlamp/dp/B001G76Q2W
or somthing like this one if you are rectangular:
http://www.inlandmotorsports.com/store/index.php/lighting-illumination/headlamps/conversion/headlamp-conversion-4-x6-projector-beam-conversion.html

whichever one fits your existing bucket. Then go to www.vvme.com and get a 55w 4300k bi-xenon kit. They make them in 12v and 24v. They are around 60 bucks.

Now, i freely admit that these are cheap and chinese. Having said that, I have had this setup on my motorcycle for a year now trouble free. I bought a car kit and pulled the second headlight wiring out of the harness; this way I would have an extra ballast if it failed. You can see all the way to the end of the road with these. Some people have had less luck than I have. Some people also didn't solder/shrinkwrap their connections, or relay the power. One thing about HID kits, they won't overcome a bad reflector design, so a good reflector/bucket thing helps alot. Sometimes when it's real cold, the ballast won't fire and I will have to turn them on a few times until they stay on. That irritates some people, I just deal with it. Check legality before using these; I didn't. YMMV.

Lin · May 16, 2012, 01:03:46 PM

Cibie's seem to have a great reputation. I bought the Hella's simply because of price figuring it would be good enough. They are certainly better than what I had before even though I have not done any scientific aiming on them. I seriously think that you can not proceed trying to improve on what you have until they are correctly adjusted.

belfert · May 16, 2012, 01:22:33 PM

I certainly will do the alignment work before I worry about finding an alternative. The folks who aligned my headlights had to adjust the right headlight so much that the alignment screw is turned out over an inch. The headlight is at such an angle I can't get the trim back on around the headlights.

It appears that New Flyer uses HID lights on some of their transit buses. Do they just end up blinding oncoming drivers since I assume they do not have automatic leveling? I really don't want to retrofit to HID if I end up blinding others.

Jeremy · May 16, 2012, 01:50:20 PM

Quote from: belfert on May 16, 2012, 01:22:33 PM

It appears that New Flyer uses HID lights on some of their transit buses. Do they just end up blinding oncoming drivers since I assume they do not have automatic leveling?

I dare say that buses - especially ones with air suspension - don't change their attitude much, no matter how heavily they are loaded. But it's still an interesting point - buses with HID lights here don't have either self-leveling or cleaning systems on the lights, so I guess the law requiring those features must exempt commercial vehicles.

Here's a light which is fitted, according the website of the bus parts supplier that I got the image from, as OEM equipment to Volvos, Auwarters, MANs, Neoplans and Liebherrs - it's clearly just a plain light, designed to be bolted into a square opening.

Jeremy

belfert · May 16, 2012, 08:44:33 PM

It turns out those headlights that New Flyer is using can be speced in halogen too so they may not be using HID. They do use LED headlights on some of their models of bus.

lostagain · May 17, 2012, 06:52:05 AM

How about LED headlights?

I see them on some transport trucks now.

Are they any good?

belfert · May 17, 2012, 07:38:41 AM

Quote from: lostagain on May 17, 2012, 06:52:05 AM
How about LED headlights?

Are they any good?

They have somewhat mixed reviews. It really depends on the brand of the LED headlight. The problem with the LED headlights is cost. JW Speaker actually makes LED headlights here in the USA, but the 165mm versions are $400 each! $800 for the pair. That is low beam only. The high beams are another $400 each. JW Speaker says that most users of their LED headlights with four lights only do LED for the low beams due to cost. Most of the users of JW Speaker LED headlights seems to be fire departments. Halogen headlights on fire trucks apparently burn out pretty quickly when they alternately flash them.