How-to Sealed beam to h4 headlight conversion

[Loquincy]

Hey everybody, just finished my h4 headlight conversion on my 1991 gmc vandura 2500 and figured you guys could use a write up. I've done this conversion on a jeep cherokee as well as my gmc van and it should work for all sealed beam vehicles with the components I list. The purpose of this whole conversion is to obtain four times brighter headlights on low beam than a standard sealed beam headlight, and twice as bright on high beam. Anyone who has sealed beams will be able to appreciate that!
     DISCLAIMER I am in no way responsible for any damage to you or your vehicle, this write up is for educational purposes only! 
  Okay now lets get started. You will need a set of h4 housings. These can be found on ebay cheap or you can go the higher dollar route like I did and get hella h4 housings. When you go to pick out your housings, you will need to know what size your current headlights are, in my case they are 5x7 or 200mm. After you figure out what size you need, you need to decide if you want DOT compliant headlights, or European compliant (E-Code), the DOT approved models for those of us in the USA, and the E-code for our European brothers and sisters. I chose to go with the E-Codes for a better light output pattern as I don't much care what the DOT thinks. The housings im using are http://www.quadratec.com/products/97009_6011.htm.
    Next your going to need an upgraded wiring harness with some relays to keep all your power going to your headlights, and not burn anything up on these older vehicles. For this I use http://www.amazon.com/Putco-230004HW-Premium-Automotive-Lighting/dp/B001P29X4G. That harness will allow you to run up to 100w bulbs should you want to. I only run the standard 65/55 watt bulbs to keep everyone happy and keep the cops off my ass. 
   Okay now we are ready to install our nice new parts. First you want to remove your headlights, headlight bezels, grille, and headlight retaining rings. Most headlight retaining rings require a torx bit, so be sure to have those handy! The rest are going to be small bolts, and small screws. Once all that junk is out of the way you want to unplug your existing sealed beam headlights. Next determine what side your battery is on, the right side of my particular van. Now you need to feed your harness behind your headlight buckets, with the male end pointing towards your battery. The male end needs to plug into your existing headlight bulb socket on whichever side your battery is on. Once that is plugged in go ahead and clean off some paint in a solid grounding location and use a self tapping screw to attach the battery side ground **not to the battery**. Now clean yourself off a ground location for the opposite side ground and attach it in the same manner. Zip-tie your wire loom up and out of the way behind where your grille would be. Next you need to find a spot for your relays to go, I chose behind my grille on the radiator core support. Make sure you have your relays oriented so the you have to plug them in from under them. Go ahead and plug them in now. The final step is attaching the two red wires with eyelets to your positive on your battery. Now plug your new headlights into them and reattach your grille, bezels, etc and your mostly done!
      The final step in all of this mess is to make sure you aim your new headlights, so you don't blind other drivers. If you google "how to aim headlights" you will find all the information you need on such a subject. There you guys go, bright new headlights in your shaggin' wagon!

 

[highdesertranger]

I like, I agree with your thread. I am glad you included the relays and upgraded wire harness. the only thing I would advise against is the lesser quality lenses. while I have no experience with the Hellas I am pretty sure they are good quality, I can't see them making inferior lenses. I myself like Cibie's. this is a great upgrade for older vehicles with sealed beams. in fact just the relay and wire kit will vastly improve you night vision. highdesertranger

 

[Loquincy]

I like,  I agree with your thread.  I am glad you included the relays and upgraded wire harness.  the only thing I would advise against is the lesser quality lenses.  while I have no experience with the Hellas I am pretty sure they are good quality,  I can't see them making inferior lenses.  I myself like Cibie's.  this is a great upgrade for older vehicles with sealed beams.  in fact just the relay and wire kit will vastly improve you night vision.  highdesertranger

hey highdesert, thanks for your reply, Yeah the hellas are very nice but also 100 dollars, where as the auto pals from ebay are 25 dollars, and I hear the autopals from ebay are alright in quality. It really comes down to a matter of budget I suppose

 

[SternWake]

The rectangular 5x7/200 Hella's that replace a 6054 sealed beam have the high beam hot spot up in the trees when the low beam is adjusted correctly. Adjust high beam correctly and low beam hits the road too close to the vehicle.


All those cheaper E bay junk replacements have polycarbonate lenses which will cloud up in no time, and Horrid horrid beam patterns. which will cause excessive glare to other drivers.

The Best 6054 replacements are Cibie 200mm, with a low life, higher luminence bulb like a phillips extreme getting 14.x volts through an upgraded wiring harness.

The Cibies are on my want list.  For now I have GE nighthawk 6054 sealed beams getting only 0.3v less than alternator voltage.  The GEs are the best sealed beam available in terms of beam pattern.

Proper Aim is Key as well.

Beware of feel good excessive foreground light, It actually compromised distance vision as it constricts the pupils allowing in less light. Driving over 25mph with your fog lights on is unwise, for this reason.

Humans are very poor at judging how well they can actually see.

When on a lonely road, back away from a landmark on the asphalt, like a manhole cover until it is barely visible in the low beams, Then stop and turn on your fog lights, and magically it disappears from your retinas unless you look off to the sides of it.

Please do not put LED or HID bulbs into headlight housings designed for a filament bulb.  It is like wearing somebody else's prescription glasses and tricking yourself into thinking you can see better.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html

 

[highdesertranger]

I knew there was a reason for having Cibie's on my wish list. thanks stern. highdesertranger

 

[Loquincy]

i got to disagree on the hella high beam hot spot, with the e-codes and low beams adjusted correctly im very comfortable with where my high beam is sitting, not up in the trees at all. I suppose alot of variables will come into that though such as how tall your vehicle sits/ how far your headlights are from the ground.

 

[highdesertranger]

I actually heard that somewhere else about the Hellas, I think it was an off road site. maybe expedition portal. I just didn't remember until stern brought it up. I also heard about the off brands not being worth a plug nickel. on the off brands I have had actual experience with them. highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Back when I was racing Cibie and S.E.V Marshal were concidered the top end of automobile lighting.  Hella was not concidered as high quality.  If I remember right, the difference was in the lense: Cibie and Marshal used lead glass and tested each lense with lasers.  I still have a pair of Cibie Z-beam 7" headlights that have a very defined low beam cut-off and a high beam that will blind oncoming traffic.  Paid $80.00/pair sometime in the '70's.  You get what you pay for.

-- Spiff

 

[Loquincy]

ive heard the autopal set from ebay is just as well as hella's, all the cherokee guys rave about them, but i wouldnt run them. Only got experience with hellas. After a quick look around the web everyone seems to agree the hellas are just as well as the cibies but cheaper, and the hellas have thicker glass