Quad projector Install

Just got my lights from JJ on Monday. As some have read, I'm in the middle of a blizzard, so I've had to delay going to that job in Medicine Hat until the roads open and clear up.

Perfect timing for the Projectors to show up.


I took a couple of before photo's of the Spec-D's before I started the dismantle.

JJ's custom lights from www.retroshop.us are what's going in. Top left picture.

Here's some shots of the output. Surprising, the HID's in the Halogen projectors was way better than stock and the halogens in the Spec-D's

The Highs... bad. Lows on left Highs on the right.

Part of it was I had to modify the Hi-beam socket to accept the H1 HID, It set the bulb off center a bit. The H1 HID's didn't have a problem going in the Halogen projector and did well. as you can see.

The halogen highs had to be modified to accept the H1 HID. The bottom bar on the HID was in the way. Took the back plate out and made it bigger with a Deremel.

Here's a back picture of the lows on the left and highs on the right.

I didn't have the fogs on. You can see the highs really didn't do much. The lows were good.

More of the lows on the left and hi's on the right. As you can tell There's a lot of snow here in the last 6 hours. The tracks in the snow are mine.

How hard were they to instal?
I just replaced my HID's from my spyder with halogens because of the aggravation they were giving me.
For some reason that I cannot understand, they had both sides wired into the pass side of the truck.
Anyway, those look great. And by the way, we are getting some of that snow you have been sending this way.

Looks great and it looks like you don't even need high beams

The previous owner, who put the Spec-D's in, made a mess of the wiring. He had the LED's and halos tied into the head light wires.

He cut 2 of the 3 passenger ones and 1 on the drivers side. I had to fix those with connectors and heat shrink tubing. At least he used taps on the other 3. Easy fix.

I got as far as fixing the wiring, mounting the new harness from JJ at Retroshop, and installing the bulbs fron the Spec-D's to JJ's awesome lights that he built. They looked better in person than in the pictures.

JJ did a great job on the projectors. I had a ton of questions last night and drove him nuts I'm sure. He made it Plumber proof for me.

It was a simple 1 connection from the factory plug on the truck which also controlled all 4 shutters and also sent the signals to the ballasts to fire. Not an easy request and I don't know how he did that. Everything was in the lights.

The large black plug was where the green truck harness hooked up to. The orange male connector was where the OEM connection from the harness connected to. There is one on the top for the low beam as well as I'm running HID's in both.

The smaller balck and red wires are for the halo's. JJ was thoughtful enough to leave the ends so I could pull them through the grommet holes. He did supply the connectors to go on them as well.

If you look in his site, you can see the picture of the harness. I'm hoping that these pictures will help anyone else take the project on.

I still haven't figured out how he made that work. propriety information...lol

LETHAL GTS said:

How hard were they to instal?
I just replaced my HID's from my spyder with halogens because of the aggravation they were giving me.
For some reason that I cannot understand, they had both sides wired into the pass side of the truck.
Anyway, those look great. And by the way, we are getting some of that snow you have been sending this way.

Click to expand...

Not bad, The hardest part a figuring out where to mount 6 ballasts. Before I was running the low HID's off the truck OEM connection. The Hi's, which are also my DRL's at a lower voltage, was split off the OEM plug and run to a relay harness/controller. It's the only way so I don't flicker or burn out my hardware due to the lower voltage.

When using the harness, the passenger side High beam connection was not used. It's 3 pronged for those that do not know. Common ground in the middle.

In Canada on my truck, and most newer Dodge products, when the DRL's are on, and you turn the signal light on, it shuts that side DRL off so approaching drivers can see the signal light better.

With the harness getting the required voltage to the ballast from the battery now, when the drivers side signal gets turned on, it kills both DRL's as it's getting the signal from the drivers side light. When the passenger signal is activated... both DRL's stay on. No big deal. I'm not in England making right hand turns across traffic.

This set-up does not affect the lights when they're on. Only in DRL mode.

Why they went on the passenger side is beyond me? The harness has to go to the battery. I suppose if you just split the wires, and no harness or DRL's to mess with, it shouldn't make a difference?

Etroze86 said:

Looks great and it looks like you don't even need high beams

Click to expand...

Those are the Spec-D's pictured. They're aimed 2" lower 25 feet away from center of the bulb height. The further it goes out, the lower ( on the road) it is. The hi-beams were useless. There is no shutter on the halogen projector so your only using half the projector all the time.

Also, running HID's in the Hi-beams isn't always the preferred way. They take a bit to warm up when they first get activated. That's why most leave them halogens. Instant on. I could've done that... but what's the fun of modding and making it different...lol.

At least now, with JJ's lights, when I call for hi's, the shutter drops and the lows are hi-beams as well and the matchbox projectors in the hi-beam area will take over a good protion of what's missing when the fogs go out.

I need to see the ditches up close. It's Rut season for all the deer and moose around here in the country.

More pictures to come. Halo's and switch backs to do today.

I'll get some pictures of the Ballasts installs and where I put them. I'll check in periodically, so if theres something you want a picture of before I close them up, let me know.

Heywood

Heywood said:

It was a simple 1 connection from the factory plug on the truck which also controlled all 4 shutters and also sent the signals to the ballasts to fire. Not an easy request and I don't know how he did that. Everything was in the lights.

Click to expand...

I could tell ya..........but I'm confused too.

Also, if you dont' have the plug (black one on the lights) plugged in on the pass side, do that.

Finished up.

Big thanks to JJ.

The High and Low Ballasts. Where?

Drivers side left and passenger Right

You can see the Relay from Retroshop over the ballasts. I used All Round galvanized strapping and Tech screws to the rubber spacer. I could've ran both relays here, but I had already installed the other behind the DS headlight. I had just enough cable to get to the passenger side ballast from this location with these Relays. The other one I have from a different suplier had an extra 18" so I left it where it was.

Passenger side, I turned the 2 brackets towards each other, bolted them to the strapping then wrapped around and tech screwed into the frame, This is just below the air box intake.

Wiring of the lights.

The right photo shows the connectors on the drivers side. Using JJ's harnesses, or others, This is where you plug in the "OEM Input" connection.

Different view of the drivers side.

Left photo. The black connector just below the signal light? That's the connection where the green headlight connector from the truck goes.

From here it operates the shutters in both the Mi's and Matchbox projectors. It also passes the signal to the orange plugs that tie into the relays "OEM Input"

Pretty cool how he did that. You won't find the Orange connector on the passenger side.

Right photo just shows the thick black wires to the H1 HID's, Thin black and red are the halo's.

Passenger side. Not as busy.

It does show the 3 wire connection that goes to the trucks green head light connection. Operates the shutters on the passenger side.

The others are of the Switch Backs also fron JJ at Retroshop. Way better the the cheap ricer ones from Canadian Tire. Solidly built.

These shots are just the Halo's and switchbacks. It gets dark here around 4 pm this time of year, so the halos over power the pictures... but they are really bright. They could be my DRL's if we could figure out a way.

That reflection on the open garage door gives you an idea of how bright that is.

This is the out put of the new lights. I know, I know, I have to turn them a bit more... and I will

These are taken 25 feet from a wall for aiming purposes. Lows and Highs,

Back to the same spot as the first photos

Spec-D Halogan projectors lows and JJ's H1 Mini's

No fogs

Highs.

All 4 lights on both. No fogs.

Back shots

Big thanks to JJ at Retroshop for helping me out with my set-up.

Trust me... I asked a lot of question and he helped me out a lot. The lights came out fantastically.

Once daylight comes around, I'll try to get some photo's of how great they look. Better in person.