Wipac Crystals vs standard light units?

[WesBrooks]

Hi All,

I would like to implement the electrically levelling lights as per the defenders on my project. Wiring looks simple and I've seen a few all in (bowls, frames, lights, motor) kits such as http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php/408645/0/headlamp_self_leveling_rhd_defender

I was looking to run the Wipac Crystals following recommendations on here. Is there much difference in use between them and lights in the link? I guess most people are comparing new to old?

Does any one know of someone selling complete sets like the one above with the crystals?

I'm creating a custom loom for my truck so there will be no problem with voltage drop to the lights. I will be running halogens rather than HID.

Thanks.

[Farmerfred]

Do some research on what the legal lighting power of bulbs are before you go fitting more powerful and brighter lighting, some of the higher powered and brighter lights and bulbs are not road legal.

[WesBrooks]

Thanks for the warning. Wipac Crystals are a reflector and lens, the halogen I'm considering would be a road legal 55/60W standard halogen bulb.

I'm aware of the lumen limits and requirements for using HID/high lumen LEDs in type approved applications. I don't want to discuss LED & HID here as that is a can of worms for car modifying enthusiasts.

The levelling system I'm referring to is a driver controlled system normally controlled by the 4 position 0-1-2-3 switch on the dash generally used to dip low beam headlight angle to correct for heavy loads in the back or towing.

[V8 Freak]

I've got the Crystal / Wipac style lights in my 90 with Osram Nightbreakers and lighting loom wired directly to the battery etc. and they are very good....

Clear light definition and definitely good enough for my motorway / road or off-road use..

Regards

Neil

[WesBrooks]

The osrams are what I was looking at. I might just buy the units with the standard optics and wipacs and ebay off the standard units. It would save hassle if they could swap the units over as the price in my original post is about the same as a levelling motor on it's own!

[Snagger]

I'd rather have helper springs than levelling lights - you'd be treating the problem, not just covering one of several symptoms.

I haven't used the Crystal units, but I do have Wipac halogen conversion lights on my 109 and RRC, and the make a vast difference over sealed beams. The Halfords 55/60W H4 extra bright bulbs with the blue band are very good too. The important thing is to uprate the wiring with relays and heavier cable.

[Farmerfred]

Didn't want to open a can of worms regarding legalities of lighting and bulb strength but you'd be surprised how many people are running around with lights that are not road legal, just thought it worth a mention. I have a pair of stainless steel 8 inch Wipac spots on the front of mine with 100W halogens, wired through a relay and the main beam circuit of course so that they go out on dip

[WesBrooks]

The loom will be a ground up custom loom. I'll be over sizing the cabling to avoid significant voltage drop and double check the calculation to ensure voltage drop is less than 3% as per: http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/cable-sizing-selection.html

Any direct comparisons between the standard style of optics and the Crystals with the same bulbs in both? I'm sure I'd be happy with the Crystals, just seeing if it's worth paying more to get them and the set-up in the original link rather than just using the originals. If I can't find an all in solution with the crystals a guess the sensible thing would be start with the kit above and upgrade later or if struggling.

I'll double check the helper/leveller systems but suspect the cost may be significantly more. If I'm wrong I completely agree about it being the better solution.

Didn't want to open a can of worms regarding legalities of lighting and bulb strength but you'd be surprised how many people are running around with lights that are not road legal, just thought it worth a mention. I have a pair of stainless steel 8 inch Wipac spots on the front of mine with 100W halogens, wired through a relay and the main beam circuit of course so that they go out on dip

Sorry Farmerfred, didn't mean to imply that you were Trolling, just replying quick before anyone took the thread down that hole!

[mmgemini]

How standard is standard to you ?

I use HELLA headlight units IMO much much superior to anything Wipac make

[WesBrooks]

How standard is standard to you ?

I use HELLA headlight units IMO much much superior to anything Wipac make

Fair point I probably don't mean standard as in OEM. The Crystals have been recommended and these have the clear lens and shaped reflector design rather than the patterned lens you see on older headlights. I guess a better way of asking the original question is are the clear lens head lights that much better than the patterned lenses, or is it more an aesthetic thing?

[Snagger]

It's not an aesthetic issue - shaped lenses are thicker and absorb a fair proportion of the light, which is why they get warm, and scatter more. The plain lenses scatter and absorb less of the light and allow clear transmission far better. I haven't tried them, but I understand the design logic and it is not a snakeoil product (I'm quite happy to call BS on vortex exhausts and intake generators, electric fans, free wheeling hubs and such). My Wipac ordinary lenses and Halfords Gucci bulbs are fantastic on my RRC - I never bother with the Hella spots in the spoiler as they don't make any perceptible difference to those headlights. But as I said, you won't get the full brightness without uprating the wiring and using relays, and will probably melt the switches if you don't.

[SteveG]

As per Neil above, they are a marked improvement on standard lenses, especially when coupled with a better bulb like night breakers etc.. Once you have used them, you wouldn't go back to standard lenses. To add some perspective though, the standard lenses and bulbs work fine.

Equally, if you haven't used them, you can't miss them. So yes you can go for kit and then upgrade to the crystals later.

cheers, Steve

[Pepé le Pew]

I have thought about getting a pair for my serie 2a but the fact that the lenses are polycarbonate instead of glass has held me back.

They are much more prone to srcatching which then diffuses the light and the advantage is gone.

I have had several lorries with polycarbonate lenses and after a couple of years they look like matte glass and the transmission of light is severely reduced.

I have the normal headlights now with Philips X-treme Vision bulbs and that already is a big improvement.

So if there is someone out there who has used the Wipac Crystals for a very long time on a daily driver and can convince me that the lenses are still as new I might get a pair.

Eric.

[pete3000]

Hi All,

I would like to implement the electrically levelling lights as per the defenders on my project. Wiring looks simple and I've seen a few all in (bowls, frames, lights, motor) kits such as http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php/408645/0/headlamp_self_leveling_rhd_defender

I was looking to run the Wipac Crystals following recommendations on here. Is there much difference in use between them and lights in the link? I guess most people are comparing new to old?

Does any one know of someone selling complete sets like the one above with the crystals?

I'm creating a custom loom for my truck so there will be no problem with voltage drop to the lights. I will be running halogens rather than HID.

Thanks.

i have these on mine for last 7-8 years without problem, big difference to sealed beam candles i had before. Running halfords super brilliance 55/60w bulbs (not blue or yellow)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Wipac-S6071-Crystal-clear-lens-headlamps-E-mkd-inc-halogen-bulbs-/150641711617

they were sold as bemp2 or something similar

[Ratty43]

I fitted Wipac Crystals to both an MG BGT and theyou were brilliant. I only kept it for a year but they weren't showing any signs of wear. I also fitted normal style bowls with halogen H4 bulbs to my other half's Mini and whilst not as good as the Wipac units they were still a world away from sealed beams. Personally I'd fit the Wipacs and consider it money well spent even if they need replacing every few years.

[Snagger]

Poly carbonate is very tough, but it does suffer from UV. Most plastics do, which is why most modern cars' headlamp covers go opaque and yellow after 2-3 years. Occasional polishing with T-cut or similar prevents it and will repair the surface of the plastic, though I'm not sure it'd get the yellowness out of those which have discoloured (I suspect that is a cheaper plastic - as far as I know, polycarbonate doesn't discolour; BT phone boxes and many bus stations used it, and while it became more brittle and the surface went milky with age, I never saw a yellowed one).

[Retroanaconda]

Mine have been on for about 60,000 miles and are a bit scratched, though it appears to be more from cleaning than anything else.

For the cost of them if they ever get bad enough to warrant it I'll just replace them, £35 every 100k (for example) isn't too bad.

[Inigo]

I've had mine on for about 30,000 miles and they still look good. Massive improvement over standard lens (although I did upgrade to Osram 110% (or something) bulbs at the same time), so much so that I don't really need the spots (but I had already bought them, so fitted anyway). I have the headlight levelling, and it was just a simple straight swap.