headlight relays

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blackagatha
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Joined: March 10, 2007, 12:49 am
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headlight relays

Post by blackagatha »

I just installed a set of relays in my truck. Straight from a termination on the alternator line, using 12 guage wire.

HOLY SHIT!

ANYBODY who has not made this modification NEEDS to do it!!!!

My lights used to look brown, even at night. Now they are pure white, even in the daytime.

I think the upgrade cost me in the neighborhood of $60, but I feel that it was worth every cent.

a couple of bucks worth of wire and terminals
2 Napa BriteLites~$15 ea
2 5 pin relays with pigtails~$15 ea
2 headlight pigtails~cheep
(I had to disassemble these and replace the 18Ga wire with 12 and 10. not hard.- I felt that this was a better option than messing with the original 44 year old brittle plastic ones, which would no-doubt shatter if I was too rough with them)



I actually used 10 Ga wire for ground leads, because at some point in the near future, I intend on getting a diode (electrical one-way check-valve) to stick between the Hibeam trigger circuit and the Lobeam trigger circuit so that the lows stay on when the highs come on.


I carefully removed the original headlight harness and put it away. Taped off the connector that goes to the driver's side light, and plugged a spare connector into the plug on the right side to wire into the relays.

Now I don't know why I or anybody would ever want to re-install the original headlight wiring, but no part of the system is permanently modified (for those of you who hate messing with things).

When you do this, make sure you actually reference the relay schematic. I did not.... I took the idiot at Napa's advice as to hook it up.
55 is the trigger, 56 is the ground, 30 is the load in, 77 is the load out, and 77a is an auxiliary out.

he told me 77a was the trigger, and 55 and 56 were both grounds. that didn't make much sense, but I took his word for it instead of referencing the schematic. I was out there with a flashlight correcting my idiot-induced mistake, though simple.

I can't believe I didn't make this mod sooner. It makes a world of difference.
The wire guage may well be excessive. I don't mind that. It didn't cost too much more too be excessive, and it ain't hurtin nothin. I wanted to make damned sure that I wasn't making another under-done system. And when I make a custom grille someday, with 4 headlights, the extra wire guage will really come in handy....




I am also planning on installing a pair of door pins and a relay to operate the domelight, sometime in the close future. I think it will be really nice for the light to come on when I open the door! Like any newer car.

And I have a set of electric lock solenoids that are gonna go in at some point, so I don't have to lock the door with the key every time. That will be really nice.
I will have to re-energize the stupid cheap alarm system to do that though. I think I am going to remove the freaking 6-tone alarm, and just hook it to the horn, maybe put a switch on it so that nothing happens but the blinking lights when I want it to be quiet. The door pins will help make it behave better than it did originally.
I think I will also remove the stupid vibration sensor, so that only the door pins can set it off.

An underhood light would also be nice.... I will probably wire that to have a little toggle switch next to it. I don't feel like messing with trigger pins and relays, or spending for those mercury type tilt-switches.

And at some point in the future, I need to figure out some way of locking the hood down. I'm becoming less and less excited about the prospect of somebody messin around in there. Although I've never had trouble like that.
haha I just remembered, a couple of days ago, I had this REALLY weird dream that Aggie was parked in a big dirt parkinglot- like they have at the county fairgrounds, and I came back to her, and somebody had popped the hood, and unbolted EVERYTHING off the engine block and threw it on the ground next to and under the truck... It was incredibly strange.

A kill switch is also a must that I need to install. I can't believe I haven't done it yet, especially in light of the idiot that picked my doorlock and my ignition switch with a paperclip and drove my truck who knows how far before parking it on the far end of the parkinglot. I used my CLUB for a while after that, but the thing is a pain.
'63 with 390 & lots of juice. But never enough. Always want more.
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Ford4jack
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Post by Ford4jack »

Worth every cent for sure. Its nice to be able to see at night.
douglloyd
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Location: Kingston, TN

Post by douglloyd »

I installed these too, but have had problems with them. They really did make a difference. Now once in a while the passenger side light goes dim then back to full brightness. I swapped headlamps as a test, then checked my ground connections. Still happens once in a while - thanks for the tips on alternative wiring.
Doug
ICEMAN6166
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Post by ICEMAN6166 »

it is one of the best things you can do for any old ford. did you wire it up so you can have the hi and low beam on at the same time? this is the way to do it .why they ever made the low go off when the hi came on is pretty stupid.

Doug-any problem relating to the relay wiring usually has to do with the ground.


http://fordtruk.com/index41.html


2 5 pin relays with pigtails~$15 ea
sorry but i just bought some -$25 each.
1966 F250 4x4
1964 Rambler Ambassador 990
Rest in peace departed Slick family members
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Lesley Ferguson
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blackagatha
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Post by blackagatha »

no, I have not wired the lows and highs together. I DO plan on it though, hence the 10 guage ground wires.

I just checked my receipt, the relays were $17.87 plus tax.



doug, if any wiring on your system that you are using for the relays is not new, especially the LOAD wires, check for any sort of fraying, or broken wires. The ground wire on my right bulb pigtail was halfway broken off at the plug, and 18 guage in the first place...
'63 with 390 & lots of juice. But never enough. Always want more.
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Combat_Medic
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Joined: September 26, 2006, 9:31 pm
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Post by Combat_Medic »

This is the kind of post that I like to read - in fact, it's the reason I'm on this sight... Thank you! I'll get this done next week. Good work.
"I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell." - Plain speakin' Harry Truman
fmartin_gila
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Joined: April 21, 2007, 9:58 am
Location: Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines

Post by fmartin_gila »

Installed dual headlight relay along with halogen sealed beams in mine about three years ago. Sure made a world of difference in night driving.
Fred
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ezernut9mm
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Post by ezernut9mm »

a guy over at fordification is making these in kit form for about 25$. i have heard nothing but good about them.
always
"i believe i've achieved satisfaction".-bubbles
"should i be gettin" baked for this boys?"-bubbles


i could no longer keep "r.i.p.ing" all of our fallen brothers and sisters, so i say here, slick loads of love and much respect to all you beautiful people.
blackagatha
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Post by blackagatha »

Combat_Medic wrote:This is the kind of post that I like to read - in fact, it's the reason I'm on this sight... Thank you! I'll get this done next week. Good work.


Thank You!

It makes me happy to hear positive feedback in regerd to things I post on here.

The mod made an incredible difference. I can't believe I was able to wait this long. Well, in retrospect, anyway. I expected a marginal improvement at best; and got my socks knocked off. Extremely simple, really. Scouting all the parts (which really wasn't a big deal at all, other than the fact that NAPA only had one in stock, then one of the ones they shhipped in didn't have a pigtail) took more time than the actual mod itself. If you are able to get all the shit you need in one trip, you will have a lot less headache than I did...
'63 with 390 & lots of juice. But never enough. Always want more.
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MadMaxetc
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Post by MadMaxetc »

I guess you won't need those duel headlights! :D

I would check out some places online for the relays. Most if you buy 10 you can get them for less than $2 each, and that is with the pigtails.

I will try to find the website.
Dan
Project: '63 F-100 LWB / 460 / C6 / 2x4
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Greg D
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Post by Greg D »

BA, you should repost this into the "Hints" so it doesn't get lost.
1964 F 100 - I am going to do "something" with it.......

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ICEMAN6166
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Location: Dove Creek, Co. elevation 6842
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Post by ICEMAN6166 »

MadMaxetc wrote:I guess you won't need those duel headlights! :D

I would check out some places online for the relays. Most if you buy 10 you can get them for less than $2 each, and that is with the pigtails.

I will try to find the website.


that would sure save me big$.
i have a minimum of 3 relays on all my trucks due to the off road lights on the cab roofs.
the 65 towtruck will end up with 5 because of the snowplow lights.
1966 F250 4x4
1964 Rambler Ambassador 990
Rest in peace departed Slick family members
Cam Milam
Lesley Ferguson
Steve Lopes
John Sutton
blackagatha
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Location: Arizona

Post by blackagatha »

MadMaxetc wrote:I would check out some places online for the relays. Most if you buy 10 you can get them for less than $2 each, and that is with the pigtails.

I will try to find the website.


oh hell! damn that is cheap. I am sure I paid WAY too much for mine, but whatever. Hopefully they are of better quality than those available online. However, I don't know how much difference there could really be. A relay is a relay, really. I never even considered looking for them online. I should have though. DUH!
'63 with 390 & lots of juice. But never enough. Always want more.
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MadMaxetc
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Post by MadMaxetc »

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/c ... elays.html

12V SPDT 30 AMP AUTOMOTIVE RELAY
CAT# RLY-351
$2.40 each or 10 for $20 ($2.00 each)

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/c ... ckets.html

SOCKET FOR AUTOMOTIVE RELAY
CAT# SRLY-2
$2.00 each or 10 for $15.00 ($1.50 each)

$7.00 for each order...so for $43.00 I could have 10 Relays with prewired conectors.

That is a little more than 2 would be if I got them at the parts store.
Dan
Project: '63 F-100 LWB / 460 / C6 / 2x4
My Build Thread
MadMaxetc
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Post by MadMaxetc »

blackagatha wrote:...A relay is a relay, really. I never even considered looking for them online...

Ya they probably all come out ar the same factory in china :roll:
Dan
Project: '63 F-100 LWB / 460 / C6 / 2x4
My Build Thread
blackagatha
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Post by blackagatha »

i dunno. Mine do say Made in USA, and came with 12 Guage leads, and clip-on pigtail connectors.

The ones on that site had 1 review, which was a 1 star. said they get hot. seemed impressed that they lasted a year. Sounds pretty typical for Chinese shit. I'd say I'd expect 10 years or more out of mine, though I don't know what to expect yet.

Sure, I would be happy to use those on a dome light circuit or such. But not my headlights. Thanks anyway!
'63 with 390 & lots of juice. But never enough. Always want more.
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MadMaxetc
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Post by MadMaxetc »

That was just the first dite I found. There are many others for around the same price +-$0.50.

I am going to look some more and see what else I can find.

I am going to make a new harness using parts from the 73 parts truck I have. I just got the headlights working and adjustable. Now I need to aim them tonight.
Dan
Project: '63 F-100 LWB / 460 / C6 / 2x4
My Build Thread
MadMaxetc
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Post by MadMaxetc »

blackagatha wrote:i dunno. Mine do say Made in USA, and came with 12 Guage leads, and clip-on pigtail connectors.

The ones on that site had 1 review, which was a 1 star. said they get hot. seemed impressed that they lasted a year. Sounds pretty typical for Chinese shit. I'd say I'd expect 10 years or more out of mine, though I don't know what to expect yet...


http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/i ... ELAY_.html

2 reviews - 5 stars.

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/i ... ELAY_.html

7 reviews - 5 stars

did you look at differant ones?? :hm:
Dan
Project: '63 F-100 LWB / 460 / C6 / 2x4
My Build Thread
ICEMAN6166
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Post by ICEMAN6166 »

blackagatha wrote:i dunno. Mine do say Made in USA, and came with 12 Guage leads, and clip-on pigtail connectors.

The ones on that site had 1 review, which was a 1 star. said they get hot. seemed impressed that they lasted a year. Sounds pretty typical for Chinese shit. I'd say I'd expect 10 years or more out of mine, though I don't know what to expect yet.

Sure, I would be happy to use those on a dome light circuit or such. But not my headlights. Thanks anyway!


the ones i have came with #14 awg on the pigtails, also made in usa. the set in my 66 f250 has been in for over 4 years no issues. cheap can be ok if they last. at least they are not heavy so 20 of them is not going to kill on shipping cost.
1966 F250 4x4
1964 Rambler Ambassador 990
Rest in peace departed Slick family members
Cam Milam
Lesley Ferguson
Steve Lopes
John Sutton
fmartin_gila
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Post by fmartin_gila »

The Headlight relay that I have always used is available from JCW for $42 which may seem a bit high, but is USA, and is in a metal casing(looks somewhat like a VR) with mounting feet, has an inside fuze, and is very durable and weather protected. I have used this type of dual headlight relay for at least 35 years and have never had a problem with them. NOTE: do not use the single relays sold by JCW, they are also old school as the duals but the terminals are not a good solid mount and make for a shakey connection.
Fred
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