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Triumph TR6 - Bright lights

I've made the change from OEM to Bosch quartz headlights on my '74. The kit comes with 60/55 (high/low) watt H4 bulbs. During a long haul this summer - Seattle to Calgary - I was disappointed with the quality of the Bosch lamps. I like the lens effect but the lights are not bright enough. I'm seeing lots of talk about upgradeing these bulbs to 100/80 or 100/55. Has anyone got any comments about these higher wattage bulbs vs TR wiring? Also aiming and the effect of chrome wire stone guards? SC
Steve C

100/55 only gives you a brighter high beam but does nothing on low beam.
100/80 gives you great low beam improvement but is illegal and does blind on-coming drivers. I used these on my cars but you do have to aim them lower and more to the right. I stopped using them because I got tired of having others constantly flash you thinking you you have your highs on. The warning from the cop didn't help either.

White fogs do help in lighting your path as they disperse a wider but shorter path of light which helps alot in going around corners and lighting the immediate front and side. The mains are more like pencil beams and certainly will light up down the road. I never been to thrilled about Bosch lights as I prefer Hella's...they have a better lighting patern.

I have had no problems with the electrical system and the alternator and wiring providing the output to power these.
Steven

Try some of the new zenon bulbs that the japanese and Euopeans use.
Don K.
DON KELLY

Last winter when I replaced every bulb in my 72, I installed new headlights they are Wagner halogen HD6024. I took pains to make sure they were aimed right mostly from an old bosch fog light manual, line yourself up level and 12ft. from a wall or other such and try to aim the low beam knee level drivers side dead ahead of the car, the pass. side just to the right of the nose maybe 1ft. and knee or slightly lower. As you use High beam you may have to tweak a little to keep the beams more centered but it should work I think the Bentley (green?) manual had good info on this too. But I did feel that the beams on mine were quite good even if only 60/24. The high beam was quite good I didn't find myself feeling that I was out driving my vision. Granted not real high speed touring, but swift country road.
Regards, Keith
I would be interested to see if there are any xenon(zenon) bulbs out there for our cars.
K.B.Dixon

SteveC

I enquired about the same thing with our local ex-Lucas guru who used to work for Lucas in the good old days and now has a successful auto electrical business (lucky me!).

Increasing the current draw by increasing the wattage puts the relays at the most risk - he felt that the original wiring (in good nick) would handle 100watts although he got a bit twitchy when I suggested 130w (which you can get here). He felt that the risk free setup would be to use the existing wiring to switch two heavier duty relays and run feeds directly back to a source (fuse box/ battery) in a heavier cable (less volt drop). The main current would then also bypass the column and dash switches which could also be under threat.

Incidentally, he suggested locating the two relays (one for each lamp) as close to each headlamp as possible. This would also make them a bit less conspicuous.

Roger
Roger H

P.S. I haven't done it yet as they only let me out for exercise once a month!!
Roger H

Steve, Steven & Roger:
This might just answer more questions than you could ask: http://www.team.net/sol/tech/light-up.html
He mentions the flat face Marchals as the best lamp he has seen, and that it is no longer available, at least in the states. I can speak highly for the Candlepower flat face lamps, had a pair on our MGB, and they got the light out there, with a very precise cutoff so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Have a pair ordered for my 74 TR6. Thinkin' 'bout them relays, too........

Rod
Rod Nichols

My first car, a Lotus Cortina , came with those flat face H-4s. I loved them and haven't found a pair to equal them.
Don K.
DON KELLY

This thread was discussed between 22/01/2003 and 24/01/2003

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