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Headlight Swap Complete

38K views 255 replies 66 participants last post by  Giantrider 
#1 ·
So when I got my 2015 JKU, the first time I drove it at night I did not feel safe at all with the stock headlights. I could have strapped 2 LED flashlights to the grille and gotten a better light output.

Last night my buddy and I swapped my stockers for H4 Cibies. I don't think the pictures do justice! I wish I had gone on the road to take some before and after pics but I think the biggest difference in exactly what I was going for, light pattern.

The stock lights felt like if I didn't have the fog lights that there was a 10-15 foot dark gap right in front of the Jeep and then the pattern started. The brights weren't terrible stock but still not fantastic.

From Amazon I ordered the KC Lites H13 to H4 headlight conversion cable, Cibie headlight housings and Phillips Xtreme Power 80 bulbs. The entire install with both of us took maybe 15 minutes. I was shocked how easy it was. I still need to make some adjustments to the passenger side as it looks to be aimed a little high but you can see the Cibies bow low and high beam on the wall of the house spread lower so you don't have blind spots and the high beams on the road seem to spread forever! The beams are directed more down road and illuminate very well all over rather than the stock that seem to pattern all over the place.



Overall I haven't spent a ton of time driving in the dark but I am thinking I am really going to like these. $120 and 15 minutes is a small price to pay for feeling safer driving my JKU at night and also $120 was more what I was looking to spend rather than better than break-the-bank $399 or $799 for LEDs. Don't get me wrong, I'd love some JW Speakers but it's not in the budget right now. I can't justify nearly $800 on headlights when I'm this young.

Once I'm out on some back country roads at night I'll post a pic of the lights high and low on the road. For those looking to upgrade headlights without breaking the bank, this is definitely the best bang for your buck. Thanks to @Kadonny and @Hilldweller for the recommendations and feedback when I started looking into this.

Below are stock pictures:
Pic 1 Low Beam
Pic 2 High Beam

H4 Cibie Swap:
Pic 3 Low Beam
Pic 4High Beam
 

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#3 ·
Edited. The only site I could use (while possibly being at work :pcwhack:) doesn't seem to like WF anymore. Had to add as attachments via iPhone.
 
#5 ·
Congrats!
It's nice to see where you're going, isn't it?
 
#7 ·
By far this is one of the best mods you can make, the ones that make you feel even safer in your own vehicle! I felt the same way when I had my first car, a 1995 Mustang GT (bought in 2006) with horrible stock headlights. Coming from a 2013 Charger with stock HIDs the stockers on the JKU were a major nighttime downgrade. I'll never look back on this swap in a negative way. Now to see down the road if that H4 LED bulb you posted about comes true!
 
#6 ·
Looks good. I was also a little shocked at how bad the stock headlights were. I would constantly find myself checking the headlight switch to see if the lights were even turned on. I installed the H4 conversion in my Jeep a few months after I bought it. I put in the IPF kit. The low beams work fine, but I do not like the high beams. I may switch to the Cibie reflectors. And I am with you, I could not justify spending hundreds of dollars for the JW Speakers.
 
#12 ·
I did the same mod last weekend, then went out for a night ride with a friend who has stock lights. When we got back, he had me send him the Amazon links.

Amazing difference on both high and low beams with the stock harness. Now I am thinking about the upgraded harness to put the full 12v on the lights.
 
#15 ·
Very Nice! I think this post and those from @Hilldweller have convinced me to move forward with this mod (in hopes of the LED option will be available in the future).

I did a quick search on Amazon, could you please confirm these are the correct parts?

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-9003-X-treme-Power-Replacement/dp/B00480KPLW/ref=sr_1_1?&s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1440001104&sr=1-1&keywords=Phillips+Xtreme+Power+80+bulbs

Amazon.com: Cibie 082440 Light Unit: Automotive

Amazon.com: KC HiLiTES (6307) H13 to H4 Headlight Conversion Cable - Pair: Automotive

Thanks in advance for the help!!
 
#16 ·
Very Nice! I think this post and those from @Hilldweller have convinced me to move forward with this mod (in hopes of the LED option will be available in the future).

I did a quick search on Amazon, could you please confirm these are the correct parts?

Amazon.com: Philips H13 9008 X-treme Power Replacement Bulb, (Pack of 2): Automotive

Amazon.com: Cibie 082440 Light Unit: Automotive

Amazon.com: KC HiLiTES (6307) H13 to H4 Headlight Conversion Cable - Pair: Automotive

Thanks in advance for the help!!
Confirmed! Thanks for posting the links. BUY THEM NOW! They are usually $36 but I got them at a sale price of $17.99 and free shipping and that's what they show right now. Just be careful because your link is defaulting to 9008 bulbs. I tried posting one with 9003(H4) bulbs but once again it defaulted to 9008.

The H13 to H4 from KC Lites is the same, the only odd point is the Cibies are now showing $6-7 more than I paid per unit. Maybe the seller bumped the price up because a lost of us WF members are scooping them up! :pullinghair:
 
#27 ·
They would put out a whiter and brighter light but that in turn effects the usable life of the bulb. The Power 80+ with normal use should last longer than the Power 130+
 
#28 ·
I got a little miffed with Philips over that blue crap they put on the +130. It's not in the brightest and most focused part of the light... but still. It's pandering to the PIAA crowd with no performance improvement.
 
#37 ·
The Cibies are a good improvement over stock and better than the Hellas. I used them for 4-5 months. I keep switching things up so I recently switched to the JW Speakers.
 
#43 ·
When switching to the JWS from the Cibies, I added the extra adjustment screws so I now have vertical and horizontal adjustments. So that is an option for those who want to do that.
 
#44 ·
I assume the JWS were something you don't look back on and rethink? They seem to be the best of the best. If only they didn't cost an arm and a leg....
 
#48 ·
Hopefully I'll get some night time back country road pics this weekend!
 
#52 ·
The Cibies are better in every way. The Hellas have a strange beam...too low and too high. I have Cibies in the classifieds, since I went to the JWS. They have a nice cutoff and pretty wide beam. With an optional harness they become really really bright. I still find it surprising that Jeep puts those pos stock headlights on.
 
#55 ·
Then go with the Q-Tec's. The H4 conversion only compares to LED when you add the full voltage harness.

I've had great luck with my Hella's, but they were bought when quality LED was $700...
 
#54 ·
Would love to see beam comparisons between the QTec and the JWS.
 
#57 ·
Let us know what you think going from one housing to the other.
 
#59 ·
yea, quite a difference. My Hella's have a spread more like the Cibie's in the photo, but I don't have the lumens with the lower watt lamps and no harness.
 
#62 ·
You'll definitely be able to see a lot better now!
 
#63 ·
I thought I saw in one of the lighting threads where someone had to "re-clock" one of their headlights because the tabs that line up the headlight didn't put it in a "level" position. Does anyone recall that?

I installed my Cibies and they are MUCH brighter, but I notice one of my patterns does not appear to be level. I'm thinking I may have to slightly modify my clocking to get it lined up.

Anyway, I just thought I would ask since I was waiting on the rest of my lift before messing with headlight alignment. Now that it is finished, it's time to make night-driving safe again!
 
#64 ·
I experienced the same thing. As you can see in my pics, the passenger side beam was a little higher than the driver side.
 
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