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Running IPF 820H Headlight Housings


Tungsten
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While I like the OEM Pathfinder head light housings, the DOT version has a pattern that doesn't focus the light like I want it to. On top of that the low beam bulb is only 45 watts. So I decided to try something new. Swap to a Hardbody front end and use H4 conversion housings. So I went to the junk yard and got some sealed beams with buckets, the grille, and the corner lights off a Hardbody. I took the headlights apart and put IPF 820H housings in them along with some basic H4/9003 bulbs rated for 55 watts low beam. Then made my own harness and installed everything with the new front end.

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I will get one against a big white wall soon but the pattern on these is very good for night time driving.

 

EXTRAS

 

I have used new fasteners to mount the headlights. The bolts holding the entire assembly are M6x1.00x20 with 6mm washers and the bolts in the trim piece are Allen key hole 8-32x1/2.

 

Here are the new screws that I used for the housing fastener trim pieces:

 

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This is the install manual that came with the housings:

 

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Here are the 3 bulbs compared side by side:

 

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Left to right: 9004, Sealed beam bulb, H4/9003

Edited by Tungsten
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Be careful when extracting the old fasteners. One corroded for me and the head came off. They tend to break at the lower corner by where the grille will mount. I have to drill it out and re-tap when the weather gets warmer. Also don't forget those plastic pieces that go into these oval holes otherwise the grille will bounce around.

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Nice work, I like those IPF's.
Another good oprtion to go with this conversion is Cibie housings. They are really rare these days but can always be found at http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html

Cibie (pronounced C B A) are E-code lights (european liging standard) and offer a sharper cutoff with more light focused below the cutoff. This makes them superior in foggy weather because no light is cast upward into the fog.

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Cibie housings are hands down the best housings you can buy. They are very costly though. If I was doing this on a car I would definitely get Cibies. I wouldn't mind smashing these IPFs off-road. :lol:

 

There are other even cheaper housings than IPFs. Be careful about them because a bad housing with a higher wattage bulb can be worse than a good housing with a lower wattage bulb.

Edited by Tungsten
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I used an Eco-watt bulb because my unfinished 12v conversion still doesn't put out enough power yet. It lights up the road pretty good, I can only imagine it would be awesome if get a normal bulb or even a 65w/85 in there...

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Actually the bulbs are rated as Hi/Lo not the other way around...

 

My standard ones are 60w / 55w and they work great. In fact it feels like I am now driving a car with properly setup headlights. They even give some luxury cars a run for their money. Simply an amazing setup. On top of that, they do not produce road glare and do not blind other drivers. Even the high beam is very good. Too bad H4s were only legalized after 1992. That's probably why WD21s got stuck with the crappy 9004 lights as so did many other vehicles. When I set these up, I realized just how many idiots there are on the road that are running completely wrong set up headlights. For example those disgusting blue hue beams or using HIDs in halogen housings. It's just so bad.

 

The ideal conversion for a USDM WD21 would be replacing DOT housings with ECE housings. They feature the same H4 bulb and have an identical pattern to mine. The only problem with those is that they are a little costly to import and should you brake one it would cost even more.

 

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Perfect. Those look very nice. I would however try to get genuine Nissan housings because those will be quality for sure. I'm not sure if the listing is for aftermarket or genuine Nissan ones.

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I like the stock lights too but that actually looks pretty good, red into chrome into black. So it was all bolt on except the plugs?

 

You got it. That was all bolt in. I made the wiring harness myself but you can actually buy one too.

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opps, actually I just looked them up they were 100/55 watt bulbs, In my pathfinder I just swapped the plugs for the sealed beam headlights that I am running now, no problems at all. I suppose if I switched to the Hella's with the 100/55 bulbs I could upgrade the wiring and use relays.

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I'll probably pick up a pair of these one day:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-2-Hella-H-4-Rectangular-headlights-7-1-2-x-5-/390528505516?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5aed5016ac

 

I bought my sealed beams from Walmart, they should be the standard wattage.

Edited by ahardb0dy
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Both 65/55 and 65/35 are standards. Usually says on the box what they are.

 

I would look at the pattern against the wall of those Hellas before buying. Maybe read some reviews too. The reason why I went with IPFs is from all the praise they got with the Jeep crowd.

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I liked my Hella's when I had them no problems. Where did you get the IPF's from?

 

Praise from Jeep owners, that right there would send me the other way !! LOL

 

here's the Hella:

 

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Edited by ahardb0dy
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Well I figured since ARB was willing to distribute IPFs they had to at least be reasonable. ARB typically tends to not sell stuff that sucks. You can get them from the Quadratec catalog or from Amazon.

 

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97017_1600.htm

 

http://www.arb.com.au/products/vehicle-lighting-accessories/ipf-range-accessories/

Edited by Tungsten
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Also the ones in the ARB and Quadratec catalogs look like they may have changed the pattern. I would call ARB and find out about the lights.

 

http://www.arb.com.au/products/vehicle-lighting-accessories/ipf-range-accessories/headlight-insert.php

 

Here is the Amazon link to the older ones (which I'm running): http://www.amazon.com/ARB-820H-Replacement-Headlamp-Bulb/dp/B004LQCIR2/

Edited by Tungsten
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