Bob Beauchaine

Try this it's where I got my relays www.galco.com/frbody.htm

Bob

BearKiller

Forget the relays and solenoids and all that non-sense.

All either is is a remote-operated SWITCH.


You can do better in the cab with a BIG toggle-switch, one that sounds like the hammer on Matt Dillon's .45 when he ***** it.


Run 10AWG wire into the dash, to the switch, and back to the lights.


This is how older big trucks do it and they never give trouble.


I have several big loads on 75-amp toggles and have yet to have to replace a switch.


Although they are good for remedying poorly thought out switching systems, and for doing things that normal switches cannot handily do, Remember, all a relay is is a SWITCH, and not a very reliable one at that.

Jim Lane

Mark,
Sorry to hear that you burned up your relays, just think what would have happened if you connected them without the relays.

Were the relays genuine Bosch or were they generic ones? Also are you using one relay for both headlamps or do you have one for each lamp, which is how I have mine set up.

How is the battery voltage AT the headlamp socket?
And what gauge wire are you using to the relay #30 and from the #87 terminal to the lamps?

Remember that as the voltage goes down the current or Amps goes up.

That is why the old cars with 6-volt systems used heavy gauge wiring.
Using the 90/160 watts I made some calculations on the current draw for this lamp.

Assuming my math is correct:
90 watts @ 09.0 volts = 10.00 amps
90 watts @ 10.0 volts = 9.00 amps
90 watts @ 11.0 volts = 8.18182 amps
90 watts @ 12.0 volts = 7.5 amps amps
90 watts @ 13.0 volts = 6.9230 amps
90 watts @ 14.0 volts = 6.42857 amps

160watts @ 09.0 volts = 17.7777 amps
160watts @ 10.0 volts = 16.0000 amps
160watts @ 11.0 volts = 14.5454 amps
160watts @ 12.0 volts = 13.3333 amps
160watts @ 13.0 volts = 12.3076 amps
160watts @ 14.0 volts = 11.4285 amps

This is for EACH lamp, now add the second lamp, so if it is running at 12.0 volts the pair would be drawing 15.0 amps but if there is any voltage drop and the voltage was down to 9.0 volts the pair would be drawing 20.0 amps now.

On the High beams at 12.0 volts the pair would draw 26.666 amps and at the same 9.0 volts it would be 35.554 amps.

What is it that actually burned up on your circuit? Was it the relays themselves or the wiring, I have had both burn up on some of my projects.
I find that most of the .250 female spade connectors will nor handle much current and then when they get hot they loose their grip on the terminal and will start to burn.

What I use are High Temperature terminals used in the HVAC field on AC compressors and inside ovens. You can get them at Johnston’s, Grainger’s or any decent HVAC supplier.

With a lamp of that much wattage I would use a relay with at least twice the rating.

If anything I do gets near 20 amps I will go to the larger Power Relay, it is rated at 75 amps and it continuous duty



The pinout designation is the same as its smaller cousins.



There is also a small cube relay that is rated at 70 amps, notice the #30 and the #87 terminals are 3/8 spade terminals.
Tyco #VF7-11F11-SO1 12V 70A

You can get any of these relays at any decent Heavy Duty Truck Parts or even Napa can get them.



If you still needed more capacity you could use a DC Power Solenoid
White Rodgers #120-105711
Grainger Item #6C017 @ $25.15
Current Rating 100 Amps
Contact Material Silver Alloy, Duty Cycle Continuous.
These are the same solenoids used on our Grid Heaters, and you can get them at Grainger’s. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/6C017


When working with DC battery voltage I like to Overkill on everything, I haven’t had a problem yet.

Just makes sure you use a heavy gauge wire, good connections and a heavy relay and you should be ok.
And don’t forget the circuit breaker.
Let us know how it goes.
Jim

haloman

did you ever get these headlamps installed?

OilyJeep76

I never did see info on 'where to get'. Maybe this will help. Pretty sure Jeeps headlights are the same size. Maybe this will provide a solution to crappy lights:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=906034

Theron

Totallyrad

Here's another site to look through. http://www.suvlights.com/index.php?cPath=24

1985cucv

cars coming at you will definitly hate you after you melt their retinas with those things

mhuppertz

No, been chasing (in vane) an intermittent battery drainer. I did try them one, but bar-b-que'd a set of relays instantly.

EClancy

that jim lane guy is always full of good knowledge...isn't he?

Gutterslug

For what it's worth I know Cole Hersee now makes a 12V 70amp latching relay. Like I said though - "for what it's worth". Who knows if it'll work for those things. I gotta say though, those are a little overkill aren't they? Just get a set of those gawd-awful HID cop-bait headlight kits.

mhuppertz

I missed this reply somehow, but I really appreciate the info. I am still going crazy trying to find my intermittent short, but I will start gathering the parts to wire up the headlamps properly. The 30 AMP relays I have on there are barely enough for the headlights I have on there now. I intend to get a terminal block from the surplus store, and to strip out the old crappy two battery setup the original owner put on there. I don't think it's the problem, but it doesn't do me any good.
When you say "heavy truck parts store", do you mean like semi trucks or 4x4 shops?

Thanks again,
Mark

Jim Lane

Mark,
Yes, Heavy Truck Parts are the parts houses for the big semi-tractors, BPS, Triangle Trucks, some of the 24-hour Truck Stops like TA might have them.

Check these out,
I have used these relays in a few of my projects, they are used extensively in the RV industry mainly Class-A and are used to disconnect all of the battery power with a push of a switch.

They are a unique relay being that it looks like a Ford type starter solenoid but that is where it ends, it is a 100-amp continuous duty relay but piggybacked to the opposite end if the coil is a pivoting magnetic toggle that when it is called to latch, current is applied, the plunger pulls in and the toggle flips down locks inline with the solenoid shaft and holds the contact disk closed now since it is mechanical it can be left in the on position indefinitely since the coil was only energized momentarily.

Now when you want to unlatch the relay you need to energize the coil with reverse polarity and as the plunger pulls in the magnetic toggle is repelled by the field and flipped away from the end of the plunger and the contacts are released.

To actuate them all you need is a DPDT center off toggle with the 4 outside poles crisscrossed.

I have a few of them and I will see if I can get a picture of the latching mechanism.

Quite ingenious little thing I was introduced to when I did some troubleshooting on big Class-A coaches like the Country Western Singers have, they are amazing in themselves.

They come in a complete Batter Control Center with relays and fuses for every circuit in your coach.
Jim

http://rvpowerpartsplus.com/oscommer...a06e27559e1de1

mhuppertz

Thanks Jim.
I remember latching relays from long past projects, but had forgotten about them. I'm thinking they sould be good for the headlights and for the shutdown lever, so I can shutdown the truck electronically rather than a pull cable (or the clutch in 5th!). I could hook up the cool down timer again.

sdstriper

Follow Jim Lanes advice and you won't need a fire extinguisher...

mhuppertz

It's a Chrysler product. I will always need a fire extinguisher!