Real World Headlight Review (Delta, Truck-Lite, & JW Speaker)

I read a ton of online info and reviews. This included pictures, forum comments, professional reviews, and one very detailed amateur review. I thought I would share my experience on how each of these worked out as I ended up owning all three of the below models:

Delta H4 Glass Housings:
I started with these. Cheapest option, decent reviews, and I really liked the idea of having a glass lenses instead of a plastic one that would discolor over time. Install was straight forward and the rubber gasket they provided made for a snug/solid fit. Light output was decent, but the glass lenses created a weird reflective pattern. If the Jeep came with these installed I don’t think I would have minded it, but as I was hoping for an improvement I didn’t think the light output was that much better.

Truck-lite 27270C:
I figured I would up the game and go to the truck-lite’s. I wanted something that would make a noticeable difference in light output and everything I read said these would get it for me. Maybe it was the hype/expectation, but I was disappointed in this product. While I had no issues w/ the Delta housing fitting snuggly I had to “pad” sections of the grill insert w/ electrical tape to prevent the truck-lite headlights from moving around. Ironically one fit fine, but the driver’s side was loose and required me to use some electrical tape to have it fit snug. I expected better for the price point especially after the Deltas. Light output was okay, but the light color gave a washed out look and most street lights lit up the road better then the headlights. The light output was not uniform and the upside-down “V” shadow was distracting. Saying that the bright lights on these were very impressive. Huge output and range. It lit up very nicely on highbeams, but considering how little I use the bright lights and how poor I felt the standard lights performed I did not think it was a good trade off. I would argue the factory lights + factory fogs provided better useable light then the truck-lites alone. Not exactly a fair comparison, but given the choice I would just run fogs full time over swapping in truck-lites.

J.W. Speaker 8700 Evolution J LED Headlights:
Back went the Truck-Lites… at this point I seriously considered just running fogs full time on all factory lights. However, I was committed at this point and as part of the Truck-Lite return worked out a good deal on some JW Speakers. Installation went smoothly. Fit just as well as the delta’s so no issues there. Light output was much more uniform and the color light didn’t wash out everything to a grey like what I had on the truck-lites. Light output is not at the level of my factory S2000 HID’s, but by far the best lighting option I tried on the Jeep both in high and low beams.

In Summary:
Bench testing aside I didn’t see much about folks having tried all of these options in actual driving conditions so I thought I would share the above. Based on that experience I would recommend just running your fogs full time. I actually rate that as a close second behind the JW speakers as far as overall visibility and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. If you do feel the need to replace your headlights (or aren’t okay w/ running fogs full time) wait for a good sale on the JW Speakers.

One man’s humble opinion… Happy Jeeping!

Interesting. I have had two JKU's ('09 and '15) and have found the headlights so deficient in both, even with the fogs, that I consider the stock setup to be borderline dangerous. That said though, I absolutely agree with you that the difference between the Trucklite high and low beams is profound both in coverage and light output (it actually makes me wonder why the low beams aren't more like the high beams). IMHO, the high beams are so good that they make A-Pillar cube led's pretty much useless.

Sharkey said:

IMHO, the high beams are so good that they make A-Pillar cube led's pretty much useless.

Click to expand...

In reference to my heated TLs, I couldn't agree more with this statement. I rarely at best used my A-pillar lights for any purpose, and now really have even less reason to. Even lighting up fishing areas after dark is better accomplished by either the fogs or TL high beams. My only complaint is the delay when switching back from high-beams to low. You get used to it after a while and learn to switch back as quickly as possible (almost predictive) to avoid blinding oncoming drivers with the high beams.

X2 - High beams are so damn bright I never re-installed my light bar when I went to my new bumper in the Fall. If anything A pillar lights aimed for more side illumination would be helpful, but they really aren't needed for the view ahead.

I also love my Trucklight headlights. Had a set replaced under warranty for turning a dim purple color. Was a painless and hassle free warranty experience. Now that I have a good set, I love them. The stock headlights with the fog lights on isn't even a comparison to the Trucklights low beam IMHO. On high beam, I have no need or desire to add any other lights to the front of my Jeep. The color temp and brightness is excellent.

For what it's worth, I went with Quadratec stealth Q LED's. They're a huge improvement but I"m a light geek and didn't like the cut off that much- there were two splotchy high spots. I put them in my dad's rubicon and he's thrilled. I'm now running the JW speaker J's and they are awesome. Nothing beats real projectors. I too got rid of my 30" light bar- just need the high beams and a pair of lifetime cubes to augment to the sides when in the middle of nowhere.

I don't mind the hot spots on the Trucklite low beams. You can become accustomed to it, and they are far superior to stock & a good deal better than the Hella e-codes I ran.

I haven't tried anything aside from stock and my TL's. I love the extra output from the TL's! The lighting artifact was a little distracting at first but after six months of looking through it I hardly notice it any more. The low beam is good enough that some times I feel sorry for the drivers in front of me.