J.W. SPEAKER HEADLIGHTS
Like many new JKU owners, you may be asking yourself what kind of upgrades can you make without affecting your warranty. And what upgrades if any should come first.
The answer is yes, you should make modifications. Make them to personalize your Jeep by enhancing the systems you find lacking for your driving ambitions.
I began with the lights. My previous 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 had terrible headlamps. I expected that Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) would have made some changes after 11 years of improvements in lighting technology. My first twilight drive proved they hadn’t done anything, as I couldn’t tell if my headlights were even on. Then as full night arrived, I peered into the night with nothing more than a hazy yellow glow to guide me.
I had just read about J.W. Speakers new 8700 Evolution J, a plug and play 7” LED headlamp specifically designed for Jeep. The ‘plug and play’ portion of the description refers to the fact that replacing factory halogen bulbs with LED’s often requires installing a special anti-flicker harness. Not so with the 8700 Model J. Just pull out the old headlights and pop in the new.
They are Transport Canada approved and are equipped with the daytime running lights (DRL’s) required by law.
With the stock headlights in your hand you’ll instantly ‘feel’ why you can hardly see. The stock headlights are about 50 cents worth of plastic and filament. Hey FCA, Kenner wants their Easybake Oven lights back.
Installation couldn’t be easier and doesn’t need further explanation here. What you should know is that you must aim the headlights after installation. Instructions for aiming are not in the box but you can find them on the JW Speaker web site here;
http://www.jwspeaker.com/content/ uploads/6543980a-Model-8700-EVO-JInstruction-sheet.pdf
You can see from the before and after pictures how much brighter the Evolution J are and that the colours are true – grass is green asphalt is grey.
In addition to ordering headlights I felt my Jeep deserved an upgrade to the fogs and taillights as well. Since FCA cheaped out on the critical headlights, I fully expected the fogs and taillights to be equally pathetic. JW Speaker’s Model 6145 fog lights are the brightest fogs they produce. Removal of the OEM fogs was an exercise in frustration and disbelief. You have two choices, disconnect the anti-sway bar and remove them whole for later use, or break the housing into pieces and chuck them. I went for number two, and it was very satisfying.
The new fogs provide intense bright light out to the sides and just in front of the Jeep. Perfect for foggy conditions and getting more light for picking a line in the dark on a trail.
Replacing the taillights was (for me) more a matter of style than function. There are a lot of Jeeps on the road these days, and turning your Jeep into ‘Your’ Jeep is an expression of the Jeep lifestyle.
The colour of an LED is a function of the material used to make it so you don’t need a red plastic lens to make red. As a result, the JW Speaker Model 279 J taillights can produce and intense, bright red light with white lenses. The black housing also encloses some red reflectors to meet Transport Canada requirements creating a very unique look, and a supremely effective taillight. Aside from the additional intensity to let drivers know you are in braking or turning, there is no red plastic lens to light up from reflected sunlight diminishing the warning to drivers behind. Installation was simple and the fit was perfect.
After 8,000 kilometres crossing everything from the high desert in Nevada to the coast mountains of British Columbia, in dense fog, snowstorms, torrential rain, and rain slick city streets in the twilight hours, I’m ecstatic with the performance of the JW Speaker lights and would recommend these to be the first upgrades to your new Jeep Wrangler.