High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights are typically 3-times brighter than halogen, last 10-times longer, use 35-percent less power and produce a blue-white light that is safer because it is closer to natural daylight. Plus the HID system will generate much less heat during operation. HID lighting also improves durability by 10 times since road vibrations can cause damage to halogen bulb filaments; there is nothing to break inside an HID bulb. Light is created by igniting xenon gas between two electrodes in a tiny sealed quartz capsule. The process is similar to the lightning phenomenon in the sky. The only drawback has been the cost these high-end off-road lights.
Up until recently pretty much every HID off-road light was in the $300-$700 range. So when we caught word of these $99 7-inch HIDs (PN 99000CSK) offered at Kragen.com we had to see if they would actually work and stand up to off-road use. Most aftermarket bumpers have tabs for simply bolting on a pair of off-road lights. However, running the wires for these lights on a JK is perhaps the most frustrating part of the installation. So if you're adding HIDs or any other off-road lights to your '07-'09 Wrangler we have a few wiring tips too.
It's nearly impossible to...
It's nearly impossible to find a spot to drill a hole in the JK firewall for wire routing, especially if you have a manual transmission. There is however an easy way to do it. You'll need to gently pry off the passenger side dashboard panel as shown.
Behind the side panel is a...
Behind the side panel is a small hole that goes on through the firewall and into the engine compartment. It's filled with foam so you'll need to clear it out with a small rod (an old solid radio antenna works well) before pulling the wires through. We hid the fuse behind the panel as well.
There really isn't a lot of...
There really isn't a lot of room for switch mounting in the JK Wrangler. So we installed a Daystar switch panel and rocker switch in our dash. The wires are tucked up and out of the way behind the panel.
The wires enter the engine...
The wires enter the engine compartment here and are then routed on to the battery and off-road lights. If you are running three or more lights that draw 5-plus amps each you should install a relay. At 35-Watts our Kragen HIDs only draw about 3 amps each so we wired them directly to the switch.
How Do They Work?
The amount of light that our two 7-inch HID off-road lights produce is unbelievable. It's like turning the sun on at night and focusing it in front of your Jeep. Once you've driven at night with these lights, running just the factory headlights on high feels like driving by candlelight. We've had the Kragen HIDs on our Jeep for nearly a year now and have even put them through the local high-pressure carwash many times without issues. Overall the lights look like quality parts from far away. But when you get up close you notice there is a lot of plastic. Up and down adjustability is a little limited compared to the more expensive HID lights on the market. However, these cheapie HIDs have glass lenses, which is characteristic of high-end off-road lights. The Kragen HIDs come with a fused wiring harness and clear lens protectors which snap firmly into place. Our lens protectors have done their job but have yellowed a little over time. Fortunately it doesn't look too bad and has not affected the lighting performance. For the price, they are hard to beat. We'd certainly purchase the Kragen HIDs again.