i have thought about converting

[JEM]

If you want good light, and not just something that looks pretty, IMO you need to look at what GM did for vehicles exported to parts of the world where US-market headlights of that era are considered so bad sometimes they're illegal.

I ended up with these (bought a spare, too, because they'll be unobtanium eventually) for low beams:

http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=3929

with a set of Osram Silverstar +50 H4 bulbs (you can go bigger on wattage if you want, they've got steel reflectors and glass lenses and should take the heat, but I'm happy enough with a decent modern 60/55W +50) for the low-beams, and a set of the 4701 high-beam replacements from here:

http://www.eurolamps.com/eurolamps/c...headlights.htm

with a set of +30 H7 bulbs (never mind their crap about 'xenon' and 'ion' and etc. bulbs, their lamps take a standard H7 halogen bulb, I threw out the blue things they sent and put in good Osram ones.)

The Bosch/Guide lights are European OE-quality, and the best optics you'll find in the little 150mm package. I bought only the lamp assemblies (two low-beams plus a spare) and not the full harness, because I wanted to do my own wiring. The Eurolamps stuff is of indeterminate (India? China?) origin but adequate (they're not plastic) for high-beam use.

Then you need to wire some serious amperage to them because the tiny stock wires can't carry enough current to light up a decent flashlight.

I pulled out the front-body harness and did some serious reworking, used the existing hi/lo headlight wiring to switch a pair of relays (the sealed metripack kind used for the fuel pump on TBI trucks) that feed the headlight circuits directly from the +12 distribution block on the firewall. One walk through the pick-n-pull will yield all the relays and fuse holders needed, then you just need some new metripack terminals to rewire them.

Bought a pile of TXL wire from Waytek (lots more than I needed for this, but I've got a couple other cars to rewire), Metripack terminals from pcsconnectors.com (love them) and mouser.

Very pleased with the results. It'd be fruitless to post pics of the lights because they look stock, I'll try to snap a pic of what my harness ended up looking like.

[Fer79]

[86454k30]

I am going to do this on the 87 I just bought. Is the wiring pretty straight forward? I know it isn't plug and play.

[Jonboy]

The colors match up the same (at least they did on the 85 I converted). I had to pull the tan wire out of the original harness that goes to the plug down by the proportioning/combo valve on the frame- the 90 harness did not have it.

[Driveway Dreams]

Same thing for my 86.
I am a wiring idiot, but with a couple phone calls (and realizing the colors all matched up) I had an easy go at it. And like I said earlier, make sure you spread out your connections so you can fit it back in the split loom easier.

[86454k30]

Thanks for the input. Since mine is a dual headlight truck I am pretty sure I will have to get a harness for a four headlight before I splice the 89-91 harness. Or will the dual headlight harness work?

[Driveway Dreams]

Sorry, just though it was easier to show you what mine came from in case your wording and mine were not the same. My truck originally looked like this...

Now, all I did was cut my truck harness (minus the 1 wire that goes to the brake proportioning valve) about half way forward on the fender. I cut the suburban harness off near the same spot. Then I spliced the matching colors together. There are 2 instances in which one harness has 1 wire of a color while the other has 2 wires of that same color. Tie all 3 of those together. (sorry I cant remember what colors right now.)
I hope this is actually helping. I feel like I am having a hard time making sense.

[86454k30]

Nope that makes sense I appreciate the explanation. And mine has the same headlights yours had.

[Driveway Dreams]

Glad I could help. I got all my info when I did it from people on here. So, I am just glad to offer it back up. That is why we are here after all.

[jitteryguy]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

Same thing for my 86.
And like I said earlier, make sure you spread out your connections so you can fit it back in the split loom easier.

Dang ! I thought I had invent'd the "spread out the wire splice's" idea, you are right , nothen look's worse than a big bunch of butt connector's all hang'n out of the wire loom.

[motornut]

just a thought but i moved the low beam lights down and the highs up,this kinda adds a lower look to it.....not why i did it ,just seemed to make sense,low low high high

[BGRAFX]

Jittery Guy- what's the drop on your dually? I like it!

[87 chevy silverado]

Originally Posted by motornut

just a thought but i moved the low beam lights down and the highs up,this kinda adds a lower look to it.....not why i did it ,just seemed to make sense,low low high high

i have already did that

[87 chevy silverado]

Originally Posted by BGRAFX

Jittery Guy- what's the drop on your dually? I like it!

x2