IPF’s replacement headlamp kit

No, this isn’t a rerun of Gremlins; it’s what you will get when you replace your regular halogen lamp headlights with a set of IPF replacement lights.

Not so long ago, IPF released their headlight replacement kits, which came with a new set of precision ground lenses and high performance H4 bulbs. Our test vehicle for these new lights is our ’74 Toyota Land Cruiser with terminally dim, yellow headlights. Every attempt, including a new wiring harness, switch, alternator and battery couldn’t cure our illumination illness. After talking with the folks at Stage West Four Wheel Drive Center in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, they suggested we try a set of the IPF replacement headlight kits.

IPF as many of you may know specializes in building high-quality off-road lamps and are the brothers to ARB and Old Man Emu. So, needless to say, they know what they are doing when it comes to building 4-wheel drive parts, including their lighting systems.

The replacement headlight kit from IPF is comprised of two main components. First, the replacement headlamp (lenses) are made of precision cut glass and the reflector is double coated to provide a much sharper, clear light pattern. The lenses can handle up to a 145 watt bulb and are designed to be used with the bulbs supplied in the kit. Lastly, the lenses have been cut with a 15% rise in the light pattern to the passenger side of the vehicle. This spreads a bit more light to the right side of the vehicle to help you see in ditches and off the side of the road without blinding oncoming traffic. The second component is the H4 style bulbs that are very different from their conventional brethren. The bulbs themselves contain an extremely high pressure exotic gas mixture, which when excited by the heat from the filament, increases the bulbs brightness by some 40%. Lastly, the bulbs are coated with Cobalt, which filters out most of the visible red spectrum to eliminate the yellow hue. The end result? A brighter, whiter light that helps you see better in the dark. All that and a one-year replacement warranty.

If you’re wondering about whether or not they really work, they do. We replaced the right (passenger side) headlight with the IPF kit (all in about 10 minutes) and rolled the cruiser out on the street at night. The passenger headlight was much brighter and considerably whiter than the replacement Sylvania sealed beam. The beam on the right headlamp had a sharp “cutoff” point, or horizon, to the beam, where the stockers had a yellow hue and more of a floodlight effect. Lastly, the IPF headlamp kit gave us about an extra twenty feet or so of night driving vision. The bright light setting on these lamps are nothing short of incredible. In fact, they are absurdly bright, and can all but replace the need for auxiliary off-road lamps. With both headlamps installed, the headlights produce a sharp pattern that reduces the glare and increases the visibility, all while not blinding oncoming drivers.

Bottom line, the IPF headlamps cured our dim, yellow headlights and have given us better night driving capabilities. If you are in need of brightening up your nightlife and maybe even in the need of some auxiliary off-road lamps, you may want to get a set of the IPF replacement headlamp kits first. You could save yourself some money.