debating and questioning headlights

[mikey2409]

Blew a headlight on my 70 and now I'm trying to decided whether to stay with the o.e.m style headlights or buy the projection or halo type off eBay and I'm also questioning if it a 5-3/4 or 7in headlight and if a c10 suburban lights fits cause a majority of the vendors info say they're not compatible any advice from anyone that's done a swap like I plan to to or any info to help out
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[Mister-B]

I personally would avoid anything that looks like a Pep Boys Fast and the Furious prom queen car when you turn them on. If they provide good night time lighting, cool. But, if its all blue and weird looking, I think it's a turnoff on these trucks
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[mikey2409]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

I personally would avoid anything that looks like a Pep Boys Fast and the Furious prom queen car when you turn them on. If they provide good night time lighting, cool. But, if its all blue and weird looking, I think it's a turnoff on these trucks
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I'm not to big on the blue either just looking for good lighting with these cold dark rainy winter roads and I agree on the cheap pep boys fast and the furious look so I might delete the halo affect by not wiring the halo unless I can change the color effect to white
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[Stocker]

IMO, it depends if you want better light on the road for better night vision or if you want a trendy look with questionable performance. The relay mod is a great first step for full voltage at the lamps, regardless of which lamps you use.

I'm not sure what you have though.... are you asking whether you have 7" or 5.75" lamps? Just measure the diameter -- also, single lamp (per side) systems like Chevy use 7" lamps, and GMCs with two lamps per side are 5.75". Any 7" lamp, such as from a C10 Sub, will fit any other 7" application.

If you're upgrading from OEM, I think the best bang for the buck is a brand-name European E-code, such as Hella, Bosch, or Cibie. Hellas seem to be the most widely available and are also much less expensive than Cibies. They work very well with standard 55/60W H4 bulbs, and overwattage bulbs are also available.

Whatever you do, avoid blue bulbs. Not just because of the glare problems towards oncoming drivers, but they light up the road very poorly.

Also, be careful with some aftermarket lamps including halo-types -- some are too deep to fit into your truck's headlamp buckets.

[mikey2409]

Originally Posted by Stocker

IMO, it depends if you want better light on the road for better night vision or if you want a trendy look with questionable performance. The relay mod is a great first step for full voltage at the lamps, regardless of which lamps you use.

I'm not sure what you have though.... are you asking whether you have 7" or 5.75" lamps? Just measure the diameter -- also, single lamp (per side) systems like Chevy use 7" lamps, and GMCs with two lamps per side are 5.75". Any 7" lamp, such as from a C10 Sub, will fit any other 7" application.

If you're upgrading from OEM, I think the best bang for the buck is a brand-name European E-code, such as Hella, Bosch, or Cibie. Hellas seem to be the most widely available and are also much less expensive than Cibies. They work very well with standard 55/60W H4 bulbs, and overwattage bulbs are also available.

Whatever you do, avoid blue bulbs. Not just because of the glare problems towards oncoming drivers, but they light up the road very poorly.

Also, be careful with some aftermarket lamps including halo-types -- some are too deep to fit into your truck's headlamp buckets.

Thanks on the info yeah I'll agree blue lights aren't the greatest creations especially in snowing conditions it's like having or hi beams on and makes visibility terrible
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[Andy4639]

First is buy the relays and get the wiring all up to date. Then find a nice set of lights. I bought these at the Run to the Sun car show and they have plenty of good light at night. These are 7"

[mikey2409]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

First is buy the relays and get the wiring all up to date. Then find a nice set of lights. I bought these at the Run to the Sun car show and they have plenty of good light at night. These are 7"

So what type of relays should I be running and what type of upgrade on wire shout I be doing as for wiring a thicker gauge and relay a higher voltage cause I'm confused on the relay pics would be helpful if anyone has any to help the process
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[Andy4639]

Buy 2 relays 30amps and run a hot wire from battery to relays then cut the head light wires for low beam and high beam. Connect them to the relay then run wires back to head light plugs Ground the relay.
There is a write up in the electrical threads about what all you do.

[mikey2409]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Buy 2 relays 30amps and run a hot wire from battery to relays then cut the head light wires for low beam and high beam. Connect them to the relay then run wires back to head light plugs Ground the relay.
There is a write up in the electrical threads about what all you do.

Ok it's starting to make sense the pics really help me since I was trying to picture it in my mind and wasn't making any sense at all
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[Andy4639]

If you look in the electric threads there is plenty of info on this.

What I stated is just a over view of the whole thing.

[mikey2409]

Yeah I'm going to look more in to the info that thread but or overview has really been helpful thanks for the help
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[SS Tim]

Read through this...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/usmcdoc/lights/index.php

[skorpioskorpio]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Read through this...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/usmcdoc/lights/index.php

Hmm, personally I completely disagree with what that article said, E-code (Europe) lights have a way better beam pattern than SAE headlights. If you ever try a set of Hellas or Cibies or if you can find them and afford them Marchals are a whole other world. I had Marchal E-codes on a car years ago and they were amazing, cut and ground quartz crystal lenses, razor sharp focus, road side signs just exploded with light farther down the road than you could possibly read them, yet practically zero stray light above the hood of oncoming drivers. Superior in every way except one, high corner cross street signs might as well have been invisible, but hey you can't have everything. Just remember E code lights are specific to right hand and left hand drive so light from Europe, great, lights from the UK, worse than bad.

[mrein3]

In my humble opinion, the only way to go is sealed beam halogens and the relay upgrade.
It will be a LONG time before you can't find a stock replacement sealed beam for this vehicle. A rock or burnt bulb is a simple trip to Wal*Mart or parts store away. If you go with some trick aftermarket setup and a rock goes through one, where are you at?

The relay thing makes nothing but sense. The factory wiring on these trucks to the headlights goes from the headlight switch, to the dimmer switch on the floor, then to the headlights. What is that? 20 feet or so of wire? 40 years old it is cracked and the connections are green with oxidation. That leads to a higher current draw. Stock, working perfect wiring still only gets you about 10.5 volts at the headlight. Doing the relay upgrade not only gets you 12.x volts straight off the battery, it turned your headlight switch into a headlight relay selector. You'll never have to replace it again. I'm a 28 year veteran of driving GM vehicles of this vintage around. I've replaced TONS of headlight switches. None since I started running the headlights off of relays.

[RexDodge]

X 1000 on the relay mod. I'll also toss into the mix to upgrade to an internally regulated alternator while you're at it. That really cleans up the wiring mess these trucks come with. When I did mine I also installed a remote starter solenoid. I think could have filled a 30 gallon trash can with the wire and crap I removed. Here are a couple of wiring diagrams I used. The head light diagram is for a gmc 4 headlight set up but still applies to high beam/low beam. Be sure to use circuit breakers and not a fuse on your head lights. The other schematic is what I came up with when I did my alternator swap (from this site and edited a little). I grabbed my power at that first junction off the back of the alternator instead of running (another) wire from the battery. The last pic is of a bracket I made with relays and circuit breakers. Head lights, electric fan and wipers. Just take your time, think it through and ask lots of questions if needed. It's actually an easy mod and pays off with reliability and bright headlights. Have fun!
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[67cheby]

Check out Delta Tech Lighting, they are the Hid's that i am running in my truck, beautiful light with crystal lenses, they arent cheap and they dont look cheap they look more like stock ones but are extremely bright ! I think right around 300 for the complete setup and you have to do a little modifications to the buckets, here are the mods

[67cheby]

and here is a picture of the lights

[RexDodge]

Hey Mike, did you put your turn signal/park lights in the buckets? That's slick...

[ls1nova71]

If you have any salvage yards around you, you can get better relays with water proof connectors for cheap off of many '80's and '90's GM vehicles. I use these for my headlights, since they're made to be in the elements. The ones in the pic are for my fuel pump, A/C clutch and starter, but are the same relays, I just didn't have a picture of the headlight relays handy.

The relays along with a set of Sylvania Silverstar halogen sealed beams work amazing.

[67cheby]

i used my stock turn signals, but these do have an extra light in the bottom that you can make turn signals or running lights, i made mine running lights

[LockDoc]

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You might check this thread out too...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=447572

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

My lights took no mods to install. They are a direct fit in the buckets and have rubber boots over the terminals.

[RexDodge]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

My lights took no mods to install. They are a direct fit in the buckets and have rubber boots over the terminals.

Pics or it didn't happen

[dznucks]

I'm running cibie's with brighter bulbs.

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by RexDodge

Pics or it didn't happen

Post #6 & 7 but I don't have any of the back side. I can get some though.