Silverstar Headlamp bulbs????

[Abesonite]

Just wondering if anyone has purchased these and if they are any good. I saw them on quadratec and they don't look too bad. I read up on the HID conversion kits and they seem expensive and unsafe. So any ideas on upgrading these headlights for cheap?? Thought bulbs might help some. Is this the best bulb I can get without changing my whole setup?

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I have them and i like them, they are not as bright or pricey as HID's (obviously) but they are better than stock for sure.

I don't know if there is a better alternative or not.

Actually, it seems lighting is more subjective than you would think. I adjusted my headlights, so did the dealership, they absolutley sucked on highbeam. Lows & fogs where great though. My better half thought they were fine the way they were, she couldnt understand why i didnt like them. She has said since i changed them out that the Silverstars are better, but not as much as i seem to think. *shrugs* I guess she just sees better in the dark, i need more light.

oh, if you use the search thingy over there----> http://www.jk-forum.com/search.php and just type "silverstar" there are about 14 or 15 postings about this subject, there are more opinions in there good & bad alike about them, i dont want to rehash all that here, but it may be worth a read to you.
For me, they were a good balance of better performance and cost.

[gergy9]

Just bought and installed them tonight. Let me tell you that they made one heck of a difference! For a whopping $35 for both i highly reccommend you buy them! I traded in my Lexus with Xeons for my JK and they are not quite as good but almost. Id say 100 times better than stock.

[jameswharton]

What are the Silverstar replacement numbers? I know I'm lazy but I want to get the correct ones when I go to the parts store.
Thanks,
Jim

[HappyCurmudgeon]

What are the Silverstar replacement numbers? I know I'm lazy but I want to get the correct ones when I go to the parts store.
Thanks,
Jim

Jim, the bulbs are "H13" I just went to Autozone and grabbed them off of the rack. I don't have the package to give you the Sylvania numbers offhand, but the owner's manual has a list of all the bulb types on page 394 if you forget the numbers.

"Page 394 - Maintaining your vehicle

Exterior Lights Bulb Type

Backup Lights (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3157
Center High Mounted Stop Light (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . L.E.D.
Fog Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9145
Front Park/Turn Lights (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3157
Front Side Marker Lights (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Headlights (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H13
Stop/Tail/Turn Lights (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3157
Underhood Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
License Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

NOTE:
Numbers refer to commercial bulb types that can be purchased from your local authorized dealer.
If a bulb needs to be replaced, visit your authorized dealer or refer to the applicable Service Manual.

BULB REPLACEMENT

Head Light
1. Open hood and support using prop rod.
2. Remove the front grille. Turn the retainers along the top 1/4 turn counter-clockwise and remove.
3. Pull the bottom of the grille away starting at one side and working toward the other.
4. Turn both park and turn signal socket assemblies 1/4 turn counter-clockwise and remove.
5. Remove the four screws holding the metal retaining ring.
6. Remove the lamp from the collar.
7. Grasp the bulb and turn 1/4 turn counter-clockwise.
8. Pull the bulb from the housing."

I know Quadratec has them (and the fogs too) i am sure places like 4wd hardware etc. would have them as well. i think i paid about $18-20 each for the headlights (fogs are more about $25 each i think- didnt get those.)

[jameswharton]

Thanks Happy!
Jim

[Abesonite]

The Cibie upgrade sounds like it will be around 100 dollars more than just adding the silverstar bulbs. Would the bulbs be worth it compared to other options like these?

Sounds kinda shady too how you have to go through this Daniel Stern joker and give him you CC number. thanks but no thanks.

[Trynity]

I've bought the Silverstar bulbs for the headlamps and I cannot say that I have noticed a real difference. After spending around 40$ for 2 bulbs I figured that, for the difference that they make, I should have gone the extra mile and got myself an HID kit. I know there are disagreements on this forum about the use of HID in Jeeps but I believe that since the lighting on the JKs is so deficient, purchasing an HID kit isn't such a bad idea. However, I agree with those saying that most people who go out and buy HID kits give their rides a kiddie racer bluish look but there are other bulb intensity to choose from (5000K) that give out a good, clear, almost white light.

[tahoe_jeeper]

The part number is: H13ST
Just ordered them this weekend ($37 delivered for the pair) - will let you know in a few days what I think of them.

[TSmith0820]

I have these in my Cobra and love them. I will get the set for my JK as soon as one of the factory bulbs burns out.

Ty

[SteelBlue07]

I have these in my jeep and love them. I ordered them from quadratec. Seems to be a good price. They also have the foglight bulbs.

[waldramos]

WATCH OUT because the fog lamps are 42w and look like if you put another bulb it dosent work i tried nokyas artic whites from usalightning and belive me man it sucks twice because even the 42w ones did not turn on the fog lamps and the headlamps one looks like im driving with the headlamp covers on so my advice leaved it like that and save some money for a real driving and fog lights aftermarket i mean!:yup:

[bodybrdng]

I put them in and what a difference they made. I highly recommend them.

[harley25]

I've had the Silverstars in my JK for a few months now and they do make a difference from the factory bulbs. Also, I have been using Silverstars in my Honda for almost 4 years now and loved them. They are a decent cheap solution to better lighting. I just always pick them up at a local auto parts store.

[jrharvin]

I found a pair at Advance Auto in stock. AutoZone did not have them in stock. They were about $20 ea.

[scouter4life]

I have them in my headlights, fogs & Hella 500's and they work fantastic.

[IMFletch]

I have tried a number of replacement bulbs in my last rig and the Silverstar's seemed to be the brightest and provide the best illumination of all. HID conversions are nice but too $$$ for my palate. The Silverstars should be a nice upgrade over the stock Halogens.

[naplesrubicon]

for the price you cant beat em
the only thing i noticed is the silverstars that come as reg glass lights like the tj seem better
so that means the optics of the headlight buckets on the jk suck
an upgraded bucket might be in the future mod list

[LGNDLIVS]

I just took my first drive on a clear dark night since installing SilverStars in the headlights and fogs, and I now see (no pun intended) the issues of JK lighting a lot better. It's not a simple matter of the OEM headlights not being any good, it's that they're heavily biased to the road shoulders. I assume this is by design, given the type of driving the lighting engineers probably expected JK drivers to do. The high beam pattern, which is vague and useless at 65 mph on an unlighted rural road with the OEM bulbs, actually does a good job of illuminating the shoulders for a decent distance with the SilverStars. But there's still no distant point of focus in the center. For my night driving needs out in the country, the solution will be to mount a pair of decent pencil-beam driving lights to complement the high beams, which will eliminate the danger of outrunning my lighting while at the same time exposing the Bambis and Thumpers lurking in the woods. This would be analogous to having both the high beams and low beams on at the same time in a sports car, for example.

On an unlit rural road on a clear night, the fogs complement the low-beam pattern very well. and I tend to use them in all weather. It will be interesting to see how the SilverStars perform in actual fog or snow with the OEM fog lenses, which may not provide enough diffusion to eliminate bounce back with the brighter bulbs installed. Also, because they are recessed into the bumper, they don't disperse the light to the sides as far as I expect from traditional fog lights, so I tend to think of them as part of the low-beam pattern for everyday (everynight?) driving, at least out in the sticks, anyway. In this regard, the SilverStars reveal that the OEM headlight lenses DO have a fairly distinct cut-off that gets lost in the mush of the underpowered OEM bulbs. Makes me wonder if the lenses were designed with the OEM bulbs in mind.

I'd be interested in hearing from JK owners who have mounted large aux lights on their bumpers, directly in front of the radiator. Any effect on coolant temps? Also, Quadratec tells me they have no plans to offer hoops with tabs for aux lights that will bolt to OEM JK bumpers. Can anyone recommend a source for such a part? Thanks.

Is this what you're looking for?

http://www.central4wd.com/inventorydetail.aspx?page=id%7C49130

[mattdeez]

this link has photos of my jeep w/ silverstars in the headlights and Nokya fog light bulbs. click to see link (http://www.jk-forum.com/showthread.php?t=25317) photos at the end of the thread. :puke:

[Sahara]

Silerstar has a new Ultra Bulb that should be out soon

[jrharvin]

Does anyone have the factory directions on replacement of JK Headlight bulbs?
I purchased a pair for my wife's Jk Rubi. It appears I can reach the dirver's side but the passenager's side is behind the power steering fluid bottle.
As for the SilverStar headlamps, I have a pair on my TJ (01 60th Edition) and their great. A big improvement. The only drawback may be they are suppose to last only about a year or so before needing replacing. I see this as a minor inconvience.
Many thanks,;)
Old-Silver-Hair:thinking:

[JK-KJ]

Silverstars

Before:
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/06liberty/Jeep%20JK/1014071953.jpg
After:
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/06liberty/Jeep%20JK/1014072019.jpg
Before:
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/06liberty/Jeep%20JK/1014071952.jpg
After:
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/06liberty/Jeep%20JK/1014072018.jpg

[fish]

does not look like a big improvement from the pics jk??? Are they much better in the real world???

[JK-KJ]

does not look like a big improvement from the pics jk??? Are they much better in the real world???

Not really... unless you're on a really dark road, then they are a little better I guess. I'm not sure they're worth the $40 I spent on them, but maybe if you can find em on sale for $25 like I've seen at Advance Auto Parts sometimes then it'd be a better deal:yup:

[ROKLIMO]

does not look like a big improvement from the pics jk??? Are they much better in the real world???

Nope. I picked up a set for $25 and installed them. A little whiter light, but not much brighter. High beams still suck. Not worth replacing unless stock ones fail, and you have to buy bulbs anyways IMHO.

[JMP8562]

hey the lights are super bright i had them on my other jeep the down part of them is the life of the bulbs they burn out 4 to 1 and at $30.00 a pair (on sale) :thinking:

[tackindy]

My only problem with Silverstar is that they do burn out faster. Seems they last a year and then you need to replace them. Anyone else?

[mattdeez]

Does anyone have the factory directions on replacement of JK Headlight bulbs?
I purchased a pair for my wife's Jk Rubi. It appears I can reach the dirver's side but the passenager's side is behind the power steering fluid bottle.
As for the SilverStar headlamps, I have a pair on my TJ (01 60th Edition) and their great. A big improvement. The only drawback may be they are suppose to last only about a year or so before needing replacing. I see this as a minor inconvience.
Many thanks,;)
Old-Silver-Hair:thinking:

Refer to your owners manual...it has a good description

[jrharvin]

Folks,
I am sad to say but Sylvania's Customer Rep send me an email when I enquired about them. She said their life is about 12 months before they need to be replaced. :naw:
I have purchase a pair but have not installed them because my wife (she owns the 2008 Rubicon Unlimted) want to see if the dealer has corrected the roof leaks (3 of them have been dealer induced).:crazyeyes: In addition, I put a pair on by 01 TJ and I can see better. :yup:
Old Silve Hair
:eek2: