H4 Install...is it REALLY that easy???

[will hung]

Originally Posted by Jesse16

And to add an option, the "combo" look. Old fashioned, 7" round reflector (albiet, a really nice Cibie unit), high wattage H4 bulbs w/relay kit, and the original trim ring, with a clear glass cover. Still the same minimal one screw hold-down method, still seems to work. Have a plan to body shop the trim ring and remove all the bolt holes except the bottom one. (have to do a little inside revision to firm up the mount and remove the adjust screws sticking out.)

I'd love to see more of this. Maybe it's own thread?

[will hung]

I like the zip tie method mentioned earlier to hold everything in place.

It was enough of a concern with rally teams that they came up with some pretty hardcore, but unique solutions.





I'd rather have the same results with a hidden method.

[Uber-fanatic]

Finished project with a little help from my youngest. How did he help? By staying at least 12 feet away until I was finished. About 3 minutes after this photo was taken you would have found me climbing dangerously high in our neighbors tree to extract the stuck kite that was flown into it while I was doing the headlight swap (it's a miracle I get anything done on the weekend).


Next up is installing the relay that I just ordered from our host. I'm guessing there will be instructions regarding the location of said relay?

[tobluforu]

The drivers side went on like butter for me, but the passenger side got to a point where I gave up due to that side of the car having a little body damage. I then posted about it and was told to use zip tyes which worked great. Wish I would have known that before I spent hours trying to massage the chrome ring into shape while scratching my paint in the process.

[Jesse16]

There was no thread. Basically did it via Daniel Stern's info., can be found at his site. He suggested the 69 VW housing and lens cover. I did a bunch of "fitting" with a grinder and metal cutting burr to make the fit. I removed nothing that I couldn't back up and do the Euro Light option. I have more of his info. saved if someone wanted it e-mailed or just go to his web-site and look or send him an e-mail.

[chadloose]

So is this an outer VW lens since it's mostly clear? Or is this an H1? The beam pattern directional fluting is on the inner lens.



.vs the newer H4 lens that has the pattern on the outside lens.

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by rouxroux

Yep, and they sure look better IMHO....here's a "1/2 and 1/2 comparison" from years ago:

And my 1/2 and 1/2 from a couple of months ago, followed by the finished version with painted trim rings. Big improvement, IMO.

[Jesse16]

The Hella Lens in #27 looks like a very simple pattern. The Cibie Lens I have has alot more going on and distributes a very distinct cut-off and then the pattern flares higher on the right (US right side drive). I've only owned Cibie, others say the Hella 7" works fine but I've not seen the pattern. H1 refers to a specific bulb, does not have two filiments I think. My lights take an H4 bulb with two filiments. I see the clear cover shown in #27 has hella on it, otherwise looks the same. I like this look personally.

[Jesse16]

Also, didn't address the question. Right what you said. My version is basically a sugar scoop type bucket with a std. 7" round lens but covered with a second glass cover and I managed to use my original painted ring to hold it all on. No fluting on the outside glass.
I'd like it to look like a Singer headlight (minus the HID) meaning no visible adjust screws. Not quite there yet.

[Tidybuoy]

I just installed a set of Bosch H4's 3 weeks ago.

Yesterday, we had a club road trip that included one very bumpy road. My passenger side popped out and the smashed on the street. Then the guy behind me ran it over.

Yes, when i get the replacement, I will definately be doing the zip-tie method. just FYI, my lights seemed very tight but the difference from the Hellas' is there is only one tiny goofy screw holding the entire fixture in place vs. the Hella having 3 screws for the fixture and one for the trim ring.

Lastly, I installed the relay and this procedure took a total of 10 minutes to install. Eventhough I have the 55/60 watt bulbs, the brightness increased a noticeable amount.

[chadloose]

Jesse16, I really like the look you've created.

[donporfi]

Hope not to hijack this post.
The paintable trim ring only has a hole for the small screw to be held in place. How is it held in place to the upper part of the headlight ?

[Uber-fanatic]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I just installed a set of Bosch H4's 3 weeks ago.

Yesterday, we had a club road trip that included one very bumpy road. My passenger side popped out and the smashed on the street. Then the guy behind me ran it over.

Yes, when i get the replacement, I will definately be doing the zip-tie method. just FYI, my lights seemed very tight but the difference from the Hellas' is there is only one tiny goofy screw holding the entire fixture in place vs. the Hella having 3 screws for the fixture and one for the trim ring.

Lastly, I installed the relay and this procedure took a total of 10 minutes to install. Eventhough I have the 55/60 watt bulbs, the brightness increased a noticeable amount.

This reply alone makes me glad I posted my fears when I did. I will be attempting the zip-tie-H4-to-car install tonight...funfunfun.

[porwolf]

Looks like the lanyard/zip-tie is the safe way to go. I have not seen a reference to a supoposed thread or post here. Does anybody have it?

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by donporfi

The paintable trim ring only has a hole for the small screw to be held in place. How is it held in place to the upper part of the headlight ?

The top lip curls over the edge of the chrome/black mounting ring of the H4. You fit it over the top of the light, then press it firmly into place, then attach with the screw. Same theory as what retains the H4 assembly itself.

[Jesse16]

With the older headlight bucket assy's, the entire unit is attached from the back to the "trim ring" and that complete unit is put into the female opening and hooks at top, is pressed onto the opening and is secured with the single screw at the bottom. Thats what I have gone back to, sort of a step backward but it looks good.
With my original crappy H5's the entire unit (minus the trim ring) was secured inside the female opening with three screws to tabs inside the opening. Then only the trim ring is secured last with the single bottom screw so only that part can fall off. Much less weight so probably never happens. (didn't for 23 years)

[kodioneill]

When I install these lights I bend the sheet-metal at the top of the opening ( on the fender) very slightly outward with a small set of channel locks it helps on the install and seems to hold very well.

[Uber-fanatic]

Just an update on the 'secure-H4's-to-car-with-zip-ties-MacGyver-style' - well, of course nothing ever goes according to plan. The zip-ties I procured were too large to fit in the empty bolt holes within the bucket. Necessity being the mother of 1/2 ass'd invention, I looked around my garage to find that I had a roll of 18 gauge wire from various projects, and viola! - my new investments are securely wired into place. Two 10" long pieces of wire are now looped twice through the unused bolt holes in the headlight bucket and then through two smallish holes on the actual H4 assemblies and cinched up as tight as I could pull them before then tilting the headlight assembly up and over the top lip. Should either of them decide to make a break of it after a particularly harsh bump, they will only get about 2 inches. After turning off my windshield wiper, I should then notice their attempted departure, and take the necessary action to keep them from doing any further damage to the car.

I will say that I was fairly confident that the assemblies were mounted properly and securely on my car to begin with, and that I only took this additional precaution because ONE screw and a steel lip on a nearly 40 year old car did not instil much confidence. That and I couldn't bare to watch $250 disappear from the front of my car. At least Fuch's are held on with 5 lug nuts for crying out loud...you'd have to be pretty stupid/inept to allow one of those to fall of your car.

[jorian]

Originally Posted by Uber-fanatic

Just an update on the 'secure-H4's-to-car-with-zip-ties-MacGyver-style' - well, of course nothing ever goes according to plan. The zip-ties I procured were too large to fit in the empty bolt holes within the bucket. Necessity being the mother of 1/2 ass'd invention, I looked around my garage to find that I had a roll of 18 gauge wire from various projects, and viola! - my new investments are securely wired into place. Two 10" long pieces of wire are now looped twice through the unused bolt holes in the headlight bucket and then through two smallish holes on the actual H4 assemblies and cinched up as tight as I could pull them before then tilting the headlight assembly up and over the top lip. Should either of them decide to make a break of it after a particularly harsh bump, they will only get about 2 inches. After turning off my windshield wiper, I should then notice their attempted departure, and take the necessary action to keep them from doing any further damage to the car.

I will say that I was fairly confident that the assemblies were mounted properly and securely on my car to begin with, and that I only took this additional precaution because ONE screw and a steel lip on a nearly 40 year old car did not instil much confidence. That and I couldn't bare to watch $250 disappear from the front of my car. At least Fuch's are held on with 5 lug nuts for crying out loud...you'd have to be pretty stupid/inept to allow one of those to fall of your car.

Truth be told I had to make a similar mod to my zip-tie assembly to attach them to the old H5 mounting holes.