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Thread: Discovery 1 best brightest headlight Setup?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Bauxite, AR, USA
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    464

    Default Discovery 1 best brightest headlight Setup?

    I have a 98 D1 and am tired of the very dim headlights. What is the best bang for the buck headlight setup? I see so many options for better headlights and have no idea what is the best. Would love to buy something that is totally plug and play. Any suggestions appreciated.
    Benjie Edmonson
    Senior North America Photographer
    Overland Journal
    www.benedmonsonPHOtO.com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Prescott, AZ
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    12,803
    I am aware of some folks upgrading to Disco II lights. I find my DI lights to be excellent. Maybe a bulb and wiring upgrade will yield the best (and most stock) results.

    The Sylvania Silverstar bulbs get good reviews.
    Scott Brady
    Overland Journal
    D1 | LJ78 | LR4 | MKIII | J8 | G-Wagen |

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Bauxite, AR, USA
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    464
    Quote Originally Posted by expeditionswest
    I am aware of some folks upgrading to Disco II lights. I find my DI lights to be excellent. Maybe a bulb and wiring upgrade will yield the best (and most stock) results.

    The Sylvania Silverstar bulbs get good reviews.

    Scott are the Sylvania Silverstar's the one's I saw at Wal-mart? if so they are cheap and very doable..... Just thought that there must be some magical solution that I was missing.
    Benjie Edmonson
    Senior North America Photographer
    Overland Journal
    www.benedmonsonPHOtO.com

  4. #4
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    Mar 2007
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    Tracy CA
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    525
    Quote Originally Posted by benedmonson
    Scott are the Sylvania Silverstar's the one's I saw at Wal-mart? if so they are cheap and very doable..... Just thought that there must be some magical solution that I was missing.
    I have the silverstars. they are bright.

    a good HID look for like a fraction of the price.
    1997 DI "crawler"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Land between the Rivers
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    784
    '94 D1 - no wiring mods at all here ...

    My o.e. bulbs must have been ten years old when my little brother gave me some fancypants iPF bulbs with glo-in-the-dark-rings.

    The bulbs were indeed an improvement, but they only lived a few months.

    Replaced with ordinary Sylvania silverstars, and all is well. when I really need to see where the heck I'm headed, the Hella 4000's do the trick.

    KAA
    Last edited by Monkeyboy; 12-02-2007 at 11:27 PM.
    Don't worry, you're biodegradable.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Lawrenceville, GA
    Posts
    160
    I found myself needing brighter headlights as well after moving to GA. I absolutely recommend the IPF HD Wiring Harness and Hella H4 bulbs - available through Expedition Exchange! My low beam is a few yards longer now and my high beams are comparable to FF1000 light output (at a wide angle).

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    A town called Malice
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    I had the Silverstars in my Disco before converting over to H.I.D.s and they were much better than the regular bulbs that were in the truck before. For the price the Silverstars couldn't be beat.
    You can upgrade to the 99-02 DII headlights but they are only cosmetically different as they use the same bulb and city light set-up.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Rexburg, ID
    Posts
    159
    I had the Sylvania Silverstars for almost 3 years. One burnt out so I replaced them with the IPF X51 Super Low Beams.

    I noticed with the Silverstars that traffic coming from behind would cast a slight shadow of my Discovery in my beam pattern. I don't notice that as much now with the X51s. I don't now if the tint on the bulb is filtering out some of the light, but driving in the rain at night with the Silverstars would not light up the road, compared to other bulbs. This I believe is a common problem.

    I need to upgrade my wiring harness for the X51s to get the full potential of the bulb. Haven't had the X51s for that long so I will have to see how long they last. Usually higher wattage means shorter lifespan.
    Skyler Neibaur
    KE7ZYL
    1997 Land Rover Discovery SE7
    2003 Honda XR50R

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Posts
    124
    x2 on the Hella

    I've tried tons of bulbs and I am most happy with the Hella replacement bulbs as a drop in solution. The only issue is they seemed to burn out quickly (1 year) so I just carry spares

    https://www.expeditionexchange.com/c...7&cat=0&page=1

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Maryland
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    99
    Quote Originally Posted by benedmonson
    I have a 98 D1 and am tired of the very dim headlights. What is the best bang for the buck headlight setup? I see so many options for better headlights and have no idea what is the best. Would love to buy something that is totally plug and play. Any suggestions appreciated.
    Hey Ben,

    Your best bet for much improved headlamp performance is to source a pair of e-code factory headlamps from a left hand drive market. There was a stateside vendor that was importing and selling these, but I can't remember who it was at the moment (been a few years since I had my Disco I). Maybe try searching or asking around on some of the more specific Land Rover/Discovery forums like discoweb.org.

    Beyond that, you will see much improved performance by upgrading the wiring, by either crafting a harness yourself, or purchasing a ready made harness like the ARB/IPF harness Expedition Exchange sells. Getting full voltage to the bulb makes all the difference in the world.

    As far as bulbs go, my advice would be to stay away from any bulb with a tinted globe. That includes the Sylvania Silver Star bulbs ( I know a lot of people swear by them, but..). Any bulb that has a blue tinting to achieve a more 'HID' like look will reduce light output, and make vision very difficult in rain and snow. Sylvania also makes a bulb called 'extra vision' that is a bit brighter and whiter than standard halogen, without the globe tinting. This might be a better choice if you are looking for a bulb available in a local auto parts store. I’ve run them in my Miata with good results. Get quality bulbs, don't fall for gimmicks.

    But if you haven't read Daniel Stern's Lighting page, do yourself a favor and do so. Drop him an e-mail as well, he is very helpful, and has allot of good insight on lighting, from a number of years experience in the business...

    Hope this is of some help to you...
    ~Scott T.
    '95 D-90 ST
    '05 Subaru Outback 2.5i
    '96 Discovery (Now gone, but missed)
    '89 Pathfinder built to wheel (Gone but not forgotten)
    '00 Miata SE

    [__,[____],
    [---[:O==O:]
    ()) ())-o---))


    "If you're not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!"

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