The old school incandescent headlights in a TJ are a classic and iconic look for the TJ but the light output is poor by today’s standards. The Quadratec Premium LED Headlights are a great addition to any Jeep to brighten up the night. These aren’t just ordinary LED lights, they are made by JW Speaker, are quality made and have some extra features that some less expensive models leave out.
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Brighter output, lower current draw, and improved visibility make it one of the most practical lighting upgrades you can do. The TJ uses standard 7″ round sealed beam headlights, so most aftermarket LED headlights are designed as drop-in replacements—assuming you account for the wiring.Brighter output, lower current draw, and improved visibility make it one of the most practical lighting upgrades you can do. The TJ uses standard 7″ round sealed beam headlights, so most aftermarket LED headlights are designed as drop-in replacements—assuming you account for the wiring.
The Quadratec Premium Heated High Performance 7” Round LED Headlights are a plug and play fit for both the Jeep CJ and Jeep Wrangler TJ models. They are similar in size to the factory style lights and will mount to the light cans using the factory rings. Installation is quick with mostly just a screwdriver.
The lights are engineered for Quadratec by J.W. Speaker and offer Dual-Burn® high & low beam optics, giving a driver an extra punch of light for night driving. The unique heated Headlamps feature SmartHeat with LED light sensors that automatically activate the heat elements at startup or as outside temperatures drop to freezing. Once any accumulated ice or snow has melted and the lights have met the high temperature threshold, the SmartHeat grid system automatically shuts off.
Specifications
Low Beam – 1,770 Raw Lumens / 750 Effective Lumens
High Beam – 3,200 Raw Lumens / 1,260 Effective Lumens
Operating Voltage – 9-16v
Tools & Materials
- Phillips head screwdriver
- T15 Torx driver
- Dielectric grease (optional but recommended)
Installation
Step 1 – Remove the Headlight Bezels
Pop the hood. The chrome headlight bezels surrounding each headlight are held in by four T15 Torx screws. Remove the screws and set them aside. The bezels will lift off once the screws are out. Be careful—don’t strip the torx heads if they’re corroded.
Step 2 – Unscrew the Retaining Ring
With the bezel removed, you’ll see the steel retaining ring that holds the headlight in place. It’s secured with three torx screws. Loosen these while keeping a hand on the headlight so it doesn’t drop forward. Once the ring is off, set it aside and pull the headlight forward gently.
Step 3 – Disconnect the Factory Plug
The stock sealed beam is connected via a 3-prong plug. Wiggle it loose and remove the old headlight entirely. Take a look at the connector—if it’s dirty or corroded, now’s the time to clean it and apply a small dab of dielectric grease.
Step 4 – Connect the LED Headlight
Most LED headlights use an H4-style 3-prong connector, which plugs directly into the TJ’s factory headlight socket, these Quadratec Premium Lights are direct fit to the H4 style connector. Position the headlight into place and secure it with the ring loosely, test it before final reassembly. Turn on the headlights and cycle high/low beams to confirm correct operation.
Step 5 – Reinstall the Retaining Ring then Bezels
Position the LED headlight in the bucket and align it so the beam cutoff is flat. Reinstall the retaining ring using the three torx screws. Don’t over tighten them—just snug is enough. Line up the bezels and reinstall the four T15 Torx screws per side.
Step 6 – Aligning the lights
Look for a full article, coming soon on aligning your Jeep headlights.
Thoughts and Review
These lights do look pretty attractive but they do fall away from the classic look. The Quadratec Premium LED lights are dark and make the front of the Jeep look a little more mysterious. Taste on the this look varies from person to person.
Looking past the appearance of the lights the light output is very significantly better compared to the stock incandescent lights. They are much brighter with a nice color temperature. These lights are very white and have no real blue-ness to them like some cheaper LED lights have. The spread of light is very even and clean.
The high beams are very bright, especially since these lights use both the low and high beam bulb, aka Dual Burn, at the same time.
These lights are pretty simply well worth the money and make a nice upgrade to the front of a TJ.
Update: Quadratec no longer sells their branded version of these lights but the JW Speaker 8700 Series Lights are nearly exact.
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