JW Speaker Model 8700 J LED headlight for JK Wrangler

[MTSN]

Hmmmmm; nifty. Look what just arrived!

What's the part number on those? On the JW site it looks like they're still calling those the 8700 Evo 2, but the vendor websites don't seem to show that style with the upper halo yet. They don't appear to be heated - are they by chance?

 

[Hilldweller]

Not heated.
Looks like they're dubbed "8700 Evolution J"
Item number is 0550771
Description EP-001 8700-EVJ-12V DOT, BLA

They're not released yet, btw. I'm testing pre-production units.

 

[lysol]

Very nice. I've read online of people saying the heated TruckLights do not work well with snow as the light surface is still flat allowing snow to accumulate on the "lip" in front of the headlight.

I think if a manufacturer created a headlight that has a sloped lens as in it sticks out further toward the bottom to fill in the headlight lip, it wouldn't allow nearly as much snow accumulation to form. That should return the snow accumulation characteristics to that of most OEM headlights on any vehicle.

Next, I think an aftermarket manufacture should design/sell an external heated cage for the headlights. These could be removable for non-snow seasons. They would cut down on light output however.

 

[daveh]

Not heated.
Looks like they're dubbed "8700 Evolution J"
Item number is 0550771
Description EP-001 8700-EVJ-12V DOT, BLA

They're not released yet, btw. I'm testing pre-production units.

I believe these are the same units currently listed on OK4WD stating summer release.
http://ok4wd.com/featured-products/...eadlight-conversion-for-2007-jeep-wrangler-jk

 

[WininUtah]

I am anxiously waiting for your review and if it's good I'm in for a set. I've held up removing the grill waiting on these!

 

[Hilldweller]

Installed during lunch break.

I don't have DRL enabled (Georgia) and the dealer will try to figure out how to program it on Wednesday. They never had anybody ask and didn't even think of it...

First impression: I'm not a "halo guy" but I sorta like them. The half halo, or eyebrow, is on all the time when the light is on. Both high and lowbeam. If I can figure out how to do the DRL, only the eyebrow will be on when the lights are switched off.
They're distinctive.

I'm guessing that the light pattern will be identical to the 8700 Evos that I already had. The additional light from the eyebrow might provide a bit of fill but it's mostly for conspicuity and I don't expect it to produce too much to see by.

I can't wait 'til I head to the gym tomorrow morning. Luckily it was cloudy outside now and I was able to aim them...

Lowbeam, top LED

Highbeam, bottom LED

Off

Installation is a breeze. Plug and play. No delay, no harness, no adapter, no problems.
Take off the grill, take off the rings, swap the lights, reinstall the hard parts, aim.
Painless.
More light.

 

[Comanche Scott]

Ya know... they look pretty cool!
Would be kind of fun if the halo was the bottom half. Kind of a Monster's version of a smiley face.
Looking forward to how the light pattern works out for you. :beer:
Wouldn't be too hard to add headlight squirters to help with the snow issue.

 

[Hilldweller]

I was out the door at 0315 this morning to play with them.
Totally pleased. The eyebrow has no impact on the stellar beam pattern of the already proven 8700 Evolution.

I'll have to get to the lab early one day to get numbers but I don't expect them to be any different than the previous iteration.

The first truly plug-&-play JK LED headlight upgrade.

 

[WininUtah]

Great news, thanks for being the test pilot!

 

[Hilldweller]

Well, I went to the dealer yesterday and they flashed Snoopy with the new code for dealer-installed Quad-LED headlights ---- which was supposed to enable the DRLs. But didn't.
So we tried flashing it to a Canada build since DRL is a legal requirement in the entire North Country. And that didn't work.

Anybody a Jeep tech here? Know how to turn on DRLs without a Superchips or Procal? There has to be a dealer way to do it if they're going to be selling these through dealerships...
I'm off to LBL in KY now and won't be able to call Muther Chrysler until Monday.

 

[kojackJKU]

Bill, you could try an aev procal. You can turn on and off DRL with one of those.

 

[Kiddmen57]

I'm curious as to how the DRL circuit on these work. I only see three wires which to me says GRND, HI+/ LO+. The procal has options for HIGH/LOW beam, Fogs, Turn lamps, European (not sure what this does to NA vehicles) or OFF.

Wouldn't there have to be a dedicated circuit to run the halo by itself, and that circuit would need to be part of the jeep? I'm very interested in these lights and curious to know.

 

[Hilldweller]

I'm curious as to how the DRL circuit on these work. I only see three wires which to me says GRND, HI+/ LO+. The procal has options for HIGH/LOW beam, Fogs, Turn lamps, European (not sure what this does to NA vehicles) or OFF.

Wouldn't there have to be a dedicated circuit to run the halo by itself, and that circuit would need to be part of the jeep? I'm very interested in these lights and curious to know.

View attachment 285399

A tech should be able to flash it ------ would run the highbeams at 30% power. The JWS circuit would smell this reduced power setting and divert the power to the half-halo and run it at full power.

From reading pdfs on the starscan site, it looks like DRLs only appear on the starscan's menu if DRLs were in the build code. So a dealer has to change your build code first and then go into the TIPM settings and enable the DRL feature.

I'm waiting for a call back from Chrysler's tech dept about it.

 

[Kiddmen57]

Looks like the DRL control in the JK is already reduced voltage (6v) on both the HI/LO. Therefore, if the JW looks for a reduced voltage on the HI input and diverts, then the Procal should be able to get it working.

 

[Hilldweller]

Looks like the DRL control in the JK is already reduced voltage on both the HI/LO beam option, full voltage on the FOG and Turn Signal options. Therefore, if the JW looks for a reduced voltage on the HI input and diverts, then the Procal should be able to get it working.

The ProCal will work, no doubt.
But, since it will be a Jeep dealer-installed part, there has to be a Jeep method of making it work....

Two of the ProCal options should work, the high or low beams.