[bentwings]

My 41 Willys has the worst headlites on the road. I drive about 1/3 of my miles at nights often alone and I really need to be able to see beyond 20 feet!!!
They are a halogen conversion by the only maker of Willys headlights. These use an H-4 bulb.

I have the lights running thru a relay so there is really 12+ volts getting to them.

Currently the best compromise is to have the low beam about 20 feet out and the high beam falls just below the "turn your lights down" point. Roughly a hundred feet. It is so dim out there on high that I can barely read the road signs. I just missed a deer tonight and I was only going about 45. Didn't even see it until I almost hit it. Good thing I have good brakes.

The get to the root cause I examined the bulb. there is a cup shape piece in the bulb that is the low beam....I think Anyway the open side of the cup is down, now another aftermarket conversion kit maker says that the cup should be up. Which is it???

It is a huge thing to take these pos apart just to test so I'm asking for some help. Turning the bulb over will be an all day job as the whole inside will have to be removed and remounted.

I really am considering going to a 5 in or 7 in halogen bulb and fabricating an adjustment ring. This will entail almost a total remake of the guts of the headlight assy. The hold up is that the front lens is deflecting some of the beam either down or up depending on the high or low beam. I really need a clear lens. I can probably do this but molding Polycarb is really tough and tedious. I could even use a flat piece of polycarb which I have in stock for a test. It would look dorky but better that and not hit deer than look cool with a smashed front end.

[Irelands child]

I have found that all H-4 Halogen bulbs are NOT made the same and some are just not suitable for headlight usage. Mine were about as good as yours too. I've attached this a couple of times for others:





Then - the reflectors might just be wrong too .

I'm using Sylvania Extra Vision 9003's now (Silverstar's just don't last long)

Dave W

[timothale]

Years ago I put sealed beams in my model T ford Cans, I cut up some old buick cans and welded the pieces together. I am mixing up parts of a 60's ford pickup and the gear drive Model T generator for my speedster to have a 12 V gear drive The 6 Volt T generator would not keep up with the after market ignition and headlights and tail lights. I need to upgrade the headlights. on the antique and a T bucket That. I have 1912 Brass carbide light cans on. Rod and Custom had an article a couple of years ago on how to grind the sealed beams and take them apart and use newer insert bulbs and reflectors with the old lens . that way you should have the bulb matched to reflector curve and oriented corectly rtv the lens on to the newer pieces I need to get the copy out of the box and file it in the T project folder.

[bentwings]

There is no doubt the quality is poor on these. I've had the base welds come loose just installing them and even had one with no weld attachment at all.

If they work at all they still are poorly focused. the reflector is very poorly made. thie is why I'm considering a sealed beam type instead. I really just don't feel like completely rebuilding $500 worth of headlight assemblies.

I will go over to the RV place near by and see if they have a sealed unit I can adapt. this looks like the only practical way to fix these.

Are there some kind of adjusting rings/frames that might work???

[matts37chev]

i've run silverstar ultras in all my older stuff, and have for a long time, with very good sucsess
it's one of the first things i do when i get a new to me, car
they make a huge difference and seem to last a long time