dim ellipses

[///m42 sport]

I upgraded from sealed beams to smoked ellipses recently only to be dissappointed by the low light output.  Anyone else have the same problems?  The output is probably about the same as the sealed beams.

My bulbs are osram "nightbreakers" so I don't think its the bulb.

When wiring up my lights, I did not solder the connecters, I just used male/female terminals.  I also used thick copper wire.  could this be the cause?

[magnum2066]

How thick of wire did you use?  Too thick and there is potential for power loss since it requires more power to go through the wire itself, too thin and you risk melting wires.  (Usually only the case when it comes to high-powered audio setups.)  Did you use solid or stranded copper wire?

Soldering your connections will greatly increase the quality of your work since there is less risk of the lights coming unplugged or coming loose, and soldering does help create a better connection but not by a mind-blowing amount.  If you are going to solder the connection remember to heat up the wire/connection and not the solder itself.

[haledj]

How are the lights smoked?
if they have smoked lamin-x over them or some kind of tinted paint, than that will kill your light output.

[///m42 sport]

whats the difference betw/ solid or stranded wire?  I don't remember what I used.

Whats the recommended thickness of the wires?

[lindol]

Proper aiming of the lights is critical to light output as well-see the how-to section for a very good pdf write up. Another thing that will impact the strength of the light beam is your ground for the lights, it's on the left front corner, take the nut off and clean all the oxidation off of the post as well as the wire connectors before reattaching the nut. These two things made a huge difference in my lighting output.

[Cobra Jet]

The question about the tint was totally bypassed...  How are the lights tinted, is the glass (or plastic if aftermarket) actually tinted, was there a tinting agnet or paint used on the lenses, or has a tinted palstic been added (like window tint)?

Any light that has to shine through a tinted surface will definitely be dulled and not as bright as it shining through a non-tinte or clear surface.  Personally, tinted headlights are a good "show" item or only on a vehicle used only for day driving, but for night time driving, they are not all that safe due to their limited light output for both the driver and any oncoming traffic.  In some US States, you can also be fined or ticketed for having tinted headlights or taillights (and of course window tint if on the front pass. & driver side windows).

[///m42 sport]

Update, I found a cheap solution. My problem turned out to be worn out reflectors, so I lined it with aluminum foil with the shiny side facing the bulb. Did my best to smooth/ shape the foil to the reflector. Just went outside tonight to see the results and it is DRAMATICALLY brighter than before, so thought this might help out others. I'll just stick with this for now since new reflectors are $100/each.

I smoked my lenses according to the method hella does them, detailed in the writeup on r3v.

I'll have to double check my ground to see if it improves anymore.  Thanks!