Suburban needs more light

[BaileysBoat]

Never been happy with the O.E lighting on my 96 Suburban K1500. All in spec with an optical aimer. Tried high performance bulbs but the factory lens don't give a nice pattern. Do a lot of highway driving at night in deer country.
Thinking of adding some 2 Hella 550 driving and 2 Hella 550 fog lights. Anybody tried these or something better?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Hella makes great lighting products. But I will caution you about the installation. After market driving and fog lights are almost always improperly installed and aimed and many are actually illegal for highway use. Driving lights need to be installed with a relay that is triggered by the high beams. That allows the driving lights to be ON ONLY when the high beams are on. Fog lights should be on with the low beams. There is nothing more annoying or dangerous than meeting someone on a two lane road when their often illegal and improperly aimed driving lights are blinding you.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Agree!!!!!!!!

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Are the headlight housings turned kind of milky colored and are no longer clear?
My Tahoe has done that with the plastic housings.
You can get after market housings online for about 100 bucks for the set.
Then get an HID kit with ballasts for the bulbs.
It will light up way more road than you will ever need.

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Good thought Gary, but the lenses are as new. The big issue as I see it is not the brightness of the bulbs but the poor optical characteristics of the lens/reflector as designed. North American cars are behind the europeans in this regard.
Not to worry Silvertip. These will be wired with relays and
will be aimed correctly (have access a headlight aimer).

I agree, nothing worse than poorly aimed lights of any kind, and courtesy goes a long way.

 

[haskindm]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Also try a set of Syvania "Silver star" replacement bulbs. These are still street legal (HID replacements often are not) and made a huge deifference in my Yukon. It is very inexpensive improvement.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Please don't anybody take this the wrong way, but if you're getting up there in age, it may not be the trucks' lighting problem. You may want to get your eyes checked. My grandfather was having a hell of a time driving at night and a worse time boating at night and thought it was because of "poor lighting in these newer cars" and " too much light pollution from all these shore lights these days". Turned out his eyes were failing him. Just a suggestion.

Short of that, a true HID system will run somewhere in the $1000.00 range and require some amount of wiring. These "HID" kits they sell in the parts store for $100 are NOT the same. They are just high-wattage bulbs and the parts you need to wire them so your factory harness doesn't melt from the increased amp draw.

Some of the Hella lights are illegal for use on the highway regardless of how they are wired, so be sure of what you are buying beforehand.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Suburban needs more light

You may look into a clear lens projector type headlight.
I have them on my car and they are way brighter than my Tahoe lights..
http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=734

 

[JB]

Re: Suburban needs more light

I don't drive at night any more (cataracts) but when I did I was often in deer country.

I used a pair of "Oscars" (don't remember who made them) or a pair of Lucas Flamethrowers. High wattage driving lights that were on only with the high beams. I could see a mouse at 100 yards with those things but had to be VERY careful not to shine them at an oncoming vehicle.

The worst lighting I ever had on a vehicle was a 1995 Ford Windstar (my daughter's '99 Chrysler Town and Country van was even worse) and the best have been my MLs. If I still drove at night I wouldn't feel the need for driving lights.

If I get the cataract operation my Optometrist wants me to I may change my mind.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Many US vehicles except for the past few years had poor lighting patterns and better bulbs don't do much, as was noted. I was able to get a set of ECE (european spec) aftermarket headlamps for my 98 Jeep (made by Crown manufacturing) and they are much better. They use the superior H-4 bulb. You can get some improvement with fogs for low beam and driving lights for the high beam, if they are legal in your state. Do a search for Dan Stern Lighting. He has a website that will give you many options, and if the ECE lamps are available for your vehicle, he may know how to get them. If it was ever sold in Europe they must be out there. The aftermarket HIDs I hear bad things about.
Another option, although pricey, is this. The base model Subs in that style did come with a different grille, with single large rectangular lamps. Also used on the 1500 work truck models. These lamps can be replaced with the large Hella rectangular H-4 Euro headlamps, and they are easily available. Not legal in all states though. I used them in older cars, before these composite lamps came out. You'd have to replace the grille and the wiring may have to be changed/upgraded. But in my opinion (also have poor night vision) worth it.

 

[Splat]

Re: Suburban needs more light

Agree with trying Silverstar bulbs, But get the Silverstar Ultra's. Abbout $8 more expensive that a standard silverstar but worth every penny.

Also maybe consider adding a relay so when your high beams come on your low beams will remain on as well. I used to have a 95 Tahoe (same front end) and wired it this way. Never had a problem.

Or you can go all out like I did, but that might be a little over kill for street driving, but it's great for snow plowing and off roading.

Bill