Hey guys,

So I built a driving light bar that bolts right on top of my tow hooks and gives me three driving lights. The reason? My stock headlights have grown really dim over the past few years (they were terrible to begin with). I feel very unsafe driving at night. I'll post pictures of the bar once I get everything wired in.

When I was trying to find the relay for the headlights so I could add another relay for the driving lights, I discovered through MUCH internet searching that the '97 does not have headlight relays. It's wired straight through the switch, much like my Jeep. Now I know why my headlights are so dim.

So, I have almost everything I need to upgrade my headlight wiring with relays and heavier-gauge wire, but I needed some information that I can't find on my own.

The lightbulbs themselves are wired with a two-prong pigtail connector, right? Where can I find replacement pigtails with heavier-gauge wire? I would like to switch to 12-gauge wire, but if I have to wire straight into the 16/18-gauge wire in the stock pigtails, then the only "upgrade" I am doing is adding a relay. Doing this will help, but getting the power to the lights with better wires will increase my light output a lot more.

Also, I am assuming that there are two bulbs with two wires each. If there is one bulb with four wires then I need to know if the pigtail itself can be modified to use heavier-gauge wires or if I can buy a new heavier pigtail.

Anyone have more information? I've searched the web extensively.

EDIT: I don't know what the pigtail connectors are called. If someone can tell me what they are called, I can look myself and try to find what I am looking for.

EDIT AGAIN: Okay, I searched some more and I think I need two each: 9005 and 9006 female connectors. Is this the best way to get what I am looking for? : http://www.theretrofitsource.com/com...l#.Uwf7EYVnhw4

 

I found Candlepower. Seeing as how I'll be upgrading my Jeep with relays as well, it was more economical to get the connectors from them, especially once you consider that the Candlepower connectors are high-quality ceramic wire-it-yourself connectors.

I bought two 9005 female connectors, two 9006 female connectors, and two H4 female connectors.

Excellent. Now I just need the inline fuse from Amazon and I'll be able to do a write up on this process. Details (and pictures) to follow.

EDIT: also, it seems with hours of searching, I WAS able to find everything I needed to know. I'll post a write-up when I'm done.

 

Glad you figured it out, Searching does an amazing job, I can say that. Do post the write up when done, photos would be helpful as well.

I'm sure an admin would add it to the DIY pinned topic.

 

I am very surprised at how little information there is on this topic, considering how abysmal the headlights are on this truck. For the Jeeps there is TONS of information.

I guess it's a difference of ownership. Jeep owners are more likely to be in to modifying and working on their own vehicles, Blazer owners... not so much.

 

I just did this recently, and posted a write up on here. I soldered 10 gauge wire onto the old connectors, after removing the old wire completely.

https://blazerforum.com/forum/articl...dlights-83998/

Sounds like what you're trying to do, hope it helps out.

 

New bulbs and headlight lenses would probably do better for your light output than adding relays and high temp plugs. I'm sure it'll help a little, but probably not a whole lot.

 

Check your bulbs too. They deteriorate a lot over time. I pulled out my NightHawks because the glass on the bulb was so sooted(?) on the inside that you couldn't even see the filament inside anymore.

 

Adding the relays and heavier wire actually helped a lot, especially on the high beams. 20 and 18 gauge wire is not enough for lighting, especially when the power has to go through the headlight switch. Conductivity in a switch deteriorates over the years, and safety is an issue. When your headlight switch eventually corrodes over, you'd be lucky if your lights only stopped working. Sometimes the bulbs are trying to pull so much amperage through the corroded contacts that you get a fire.

I should replace the bulbs, yes. The high beams do have some soot inside the bulbs.

I have no way to measure how much light output I gained, but I feel much safer now. I am not completely done (it's been raining and I have no garage), but I don't fear deer jumping out at me from the shadows next to the road. My lights used to be yellow, but they shine a bright white now. Definitely more voltage getting to the lights.

My wife still wants me to hook up the driving lights, so that is coming when the rain stops, as well as cleaning up the wiring a tad.

EDIT: I'll mention it in the write-up, but I figured I'd add it here too: I lost my Daytime Running Lights when I added the relays. I don't know why. I am glad I did. I thought I was going to have to pull the fuse to keep the DRL circuit from turning the headlights on at full brightness whenever the truck was running. I guess the relays I got aren't sensitive enough for the low-voltage signal that powers the DRLs?

I bought the ceramic plugs because I figured they'd be better than the plastic plugs that I could buy at the same price. Now that I've installed them, I am not sure ceramic is better than plastic unless you're running high-wattage bulbs. Oh well. I bought them, so that's what I have. I didn't know until I read Cleburne's write-up that the plastic plugs came apart.

Cleburne, sorry I didn't mention this earlier: your write-up was helpful. Thank you.

Diata, you got a write-up on the solid front axle swap?