TJeep_1999
New member
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!
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!