Slantvaliant has already linked to my headlamp relay site, so I don't need to do so again, but I do see a couple things with your schematic that I would do differently:
• Don't run your main power feed through just one fuse as you've shown. If you do this, a fault anywhere in the system takes out your whole, entire headlamp system.
• Your diagram shows sheetmetal grounds adjacent to each headlamp, the way the factory did it. No good! You want to do a complete job of running new, heavy-gauge (use 12ga) wire from the alternator output terminal to the relay #30s, and from the relay #87s to the headlamp feed terminals, and from the headlamp ground terminals to a good ground (alternator housing or battery negative terminal).
• You don't mention wire gauge. Again, you want to use 12ga. It is worth your time and effort to track down headlamp sockets and other supplies that will accept this large-gauge wire (I keep 'em in stock, but I'm also not the only source).
• Rather than splicing or piggy-backing to run two headlamps off the one 87 terminal on each relay, use relays with dual 87 terminals. It's cleaner, easier, more reliable and eliminates the chance of "left brighter than right" type results. Again, I keep 'em in stock, but if you shop elsewhere, remember two things: An 87a terminal is not the same as an 87, and relay quality matters, so don't use the Taiwanese or Chinese garbage that's so easy to find.
• You've got your relay trigger contacts backwards. On some relays it doesn't matter, but on the better relays, equipped with diode and/or resistor spike suppression across the coil, you will make electrical smoke if you hook it up your way. 85 is the ground, 86 is the feed.
• Be very choosy about the headlamps themselves. Old sealed beams are junk. Almost all new sealed beams are junk, including everything Sylvania's selling, especially the "Silverstar" garbage they're hyping so hard. There are a few sealed beams on the market that are half-decent for what they are. First choice in sealed beams would be GE NightHawks, H6024NH, but they are devillishly hard to find. A distant second preference would be a set of New Old Stock (not current production) 6014 or 6015 non-halogen units, and a very distant third would be Wagner BriteLite H6024BL. There are many replaceable-bulb upgrades out there, only a few of which are actually upgrades. The good ones are much better than any sealed beam, but the bad ones are grossly unsafe. Of course, all of them are marketed as being amazing, great lights. If you are looking at upgrade headlamps, find a genuine expert and ask a lot of questions before you buy.
There's other stuff you can do for better exterior lighting, too. Good quality center 3rd brake lights are tough to find, but they are out there (me again!  ). There are better bulbs for the brake and turn signal lights. There are ways of restoring dulled brake and turn light reflectors. Etc.
|
