So last night I was driving up Mt. Wilson here in So. Cal. and my buddy was following me up the mountain in his GMC Sierra. Now, I've always noticed my headlights were a little dimmer and illuminated less area than the headlights of my '98 Dodge however last night, as we were going up the mountain, I saw my own truck silouhetted in my high beams in a shadow being cast by the low-beams of my friend's Sierra behind me.

I must say, I'm getting really tired of having payed the Toyota premium for a truck with less steel in the frame, thinner body panels, a cheaper interior and crummier seats than it's American counterparts. I admit, the aftermarket support is tremendous but I'm really beginning to get the feeling I should've purchased a mid-size or even full-size from one of the american manufacturers.

I've begun to get the genuine impression that at one point in time Toyota made a very good mini-truck which, once accepted and widely recognized, they began to cut corners on in an effort to improve their profit margin eventually yielding a compromised vehicle which no longer deserved the reputation of its predecessors. The later the model your Tacoma the more compromised the vehicle.

While I am still happy with my vehicle I can't help but wonder what will be the next thing I find that is lower quality than other year-old trucks on the road and on the trail.

 

I use 100W bright white bulbs from SupremePowerParts.com

They rock!!

 

Try the sylvania Silverstars, they are better, also which I think is weird, is that your headlights are plastic where as the 3rd Gen 4Runner has glass?

I was really surprised to see that.

 

Yeah, I have a 97 and the headlights are pretty weak. If it makes you feel any better, we have Jeep Cherokees at work and they are no better-proably worse.

 

Upgrading the stock wiring harness is a good way to start:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...#WiringHarness

I added this harness to my '85 4Runner and it was a night and day difference in light output. One way to doa quick check is to slip the headlight connector back off the lamp a bit then stick a pair of voltmeter probes on the lamp terminals. Check the voltage drop across the bulb (when it is on) and compare that with the battery voltage. If your lamp voltage is not within about 1/2 volt of the battery, you are losing significant light output. Just sent a kit to one '96 Tacoma owner who saw a 2.0 volt drop in the headlight wiring. That equates to a 40-60% reduction in light output.

 

I've taken the first step to correcting any electrical deficiencies in this area. I've replaced the following links with 2 gauge wire and installed military style battery terminals:
Alt - Fuse Box
Fuse Box - Battery
Battery - Chassis Ground
Battery - Engine Ground

For those of you looking to do this on the (2004) Taco, the post sizes for the connections are:
Alt - 1/4"
Fuse Box (Alt and Battery side) - 1/4"
Chassis Ground - 1/4"
Engine Ground - 3/8"
Starter - 5/16"

All parts were "heavy-duty" and purchased at West Marine. Lugs were the solder, not crimp, kind and all connections are covered with water resistant heat shrink and then given a generous coating of dielectric.

If you're using large gauge cable (like 2) you'll probably want to allow an additional inch for every tight bend you make due to the increase in bend radius. You'll also have to make new holes in your fuse box since there's no way the wires will make it out the existing portals. You can get the larger wire into the factory split-loom but it will dang near make your fingers bleed.

Roger, thanks for the info on the wiring harness and voltage drop. Next time I'm under the hood I'll double check the voltage getting to each light.