CJ5 Headlight Upgrade Help

I'm with these guys. No need for fancy bulbs, just relays.

The basics are install two relays, one for low beam, one for high beam. Drive the coils with the existing wires going out to the bulbs, gray and gray stripe in the case of my 1980 CJs. Then run battery power through a fuse and up to the relays, along with a ground wire. Run the power through the relay contacts and distribute it out to the lights along with ground wires. Boom! Done! Better lighting.

I'm in the middle of rewiring my CJ5 right now and that was one of the primary things I wanted to do. I'll post up a design next week.

keith460 said:

You can get ground buss bars at the junkyard for cheap if you have one close by to pick from. GM tucks and SUV's from the 90's will have them on the firewall. It also makes a great power buss bar for the headlight relay system too. You won't be disappointed with this simple upgrade that AMC/Jeep should have done in the first place, but they were cheap of course.

I used Daniels Stern's made relay system as well. Very nice components in the kit.

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Looks clean, nice work! The only other thing I would add is that you should probably cover the positive buss bar studs with something. If any load or straight ground comes into contact with the studs you can get current flow. That can lead to very high current draws and cause other issues. Contact directly to the studs is not fused.

Slightly off-topic, but still about getting more output from our headlights:

Has anyone tried these Hella H4 conversion lights?

http://www.myhellalights.com/index.php/products/auxiliary-lamps/sealed-beam-conversion-headlamps/vision-plus-7in-conversion-headlamp/

Or the ECE version 002395801? The ECE version can be purchased as a kit for just over $56 while the DOT version doesn't appear to be available in kit form and is about twice as expensive when you put everything together.

keith460 said:

Since that photo was taken many years ago and during the install of the relay harness, the studs have red colored rubber/vinyl covers on all of them that protects them from dead shorts. But nobody is ever under my hood except me, so I know, even if they were exposed, it will not be a hazard.

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That's all it takes, just a little insulation.

I look at it as a general hazard, having seen the results of someone not doing it in an industrial setting.

Overall it looks really nice, though!

John Strenk said:

This is so easily accomplished just by removing the main feed from the light switch and routing a power lead from the accessory circuit.

Since all they switch is a relay, current load is not a problem to use the accessory circuit.

If anyone is interested, I could draw up instructions to do this. I think I may do this myself.

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I'd be interested in seeing what you're thinking. I have my own idea, but it sounds very similar to yours.

John Strenk said:

I was working on this yesterday but I'm going to have to figure out the load all the parking lights put on the circuit and select the proper fuse size.

It would be best to connect it to the back of the voltmeter to draw power so as not to load down the rest of the circuits.

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Ok, you're definitely not thinking what I'm thinking. Now I really want to see what you're up to.:surprise:

John Strenk said:

Simplest is to do it this way.

I was not sure if the fuse could handle both the fan motor and the parking lights. Might need to pick a different plug like the "Cruse" Plug but that has the cigar lighter on the circuit. Maybe even the "Radio" of "Clock" position and change the fuse size.

OR just hook it up to the back of the voltmeter with a inline fuse.

Either way, you lights will be OFF in the LOCK, OFF or START position but can be ON in the ACC of RUN position.

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:thumbsup: