switched to halogen lights

I replaced the sealed beams with halogen 6volt sealed beams. I also ran new 12 gauge wire plus a dedicated ground to the battery for the lights. While they are brighter, can't say I'm that impressed with them. I was expecting a more dramatic result like when I did the ones in my Plymouth Roadrunner or my 73 Triumph motorcycle, maybe because its 6 volt ? I was thinking about running a new power lead to the headlight relay and maybe a 10 gauge feed to the dimmer switch  ? 

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Are you using a relay?  If not, you might consider doing so.  Otherwise the power has to run through old wiring (unless you're re-wired) and possibly-corroded switches before it gets to the lights.  To see if a relay might help, run a wire from the neg. post on the battery, direct to the headlight connection in the terminal block.  If the lights brighten, you can see that a relay would help to bypass all the bad stuff.
  • Have you thought about switching to LED bulbs? I'm curious if others have tried that and what the results have been.
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    edited November 2020
    I am running halogen headlights in my 54 SWasp.  Installed with dual headlight relay switching both hi and low beams via relay.  Power from battery direct to relay. Headlight Switch controls relay and hi/low foot switch controls up/down beams.  Much brighter and cleaner lighting to the front.  Same set up used previous with T-3 Wagners.  Halogens Definite improvement.  6 volt pos ground using alternator and optima battery. 
  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    edited November 2020
    My stepdown relay location {running 100W bulbs}>


  • Is that one relay for low beam and the other for high beam?
  • I'm only running one relay, been on the car for about 14 years, got it NOS from Dale Cooper I believe it was a Echlin. I think maybe the dual relay is the way to go. All wiring to the headlights is new, 12 AWG wire plus a dedicated ground straight to the battery, connections soldered. 
    I did consider LED lights but the cost was high.