It wasn't that long ago I put up a blog about all the wagons in my driveway and how I was ok with that.  Well, after mucking around today for 7 or 8 hours with what should have been a 2 hour job, start to finish of cleanup, I once again hate the wagon.

See, I'm doing these 1-page stories reviewing products that I think are cool and applicable to us (Jeep people).  Usually it ends up I get a product release come across my desk, and I decide I want to see if it does what it claims it will do.

In this case I got a hold of the new dual-beam HID H4 conversion kit.  To date, not many manufactures made an HID conversion kit that was HID  in both low and high beam.  Either it had no high beam (some make the argument that it wasn't needed anyway) or they used a regular Xenon or Halogen high beam (which usually ended up with a dimmer high beam than low beam) or the bulb used a trick little flap inside the bulb itself to direct the same wattage where it needed to be (high or low).

I couldn't see the little flap lasting long off road... and I sure wasn't about to spend all the money on a kit that got rid of my high beams... or at least didn't improve them.  I've been looking into projector conversions, when I saw this kit from ElectroSport Industries (http://www.electrosport.com/off-road-truck/).

I ran a press release on it... and then looked at it a little harder and decided that this kit would be good for what I use Mileage Master for... but doesn't really do anything with Mileage.  So, I decided to get a hold of it and do a short install/review.

This kit, unlike others on the market, uses two HID elements per H4 sized bulb.  On low beam, on element is on.  On high beam, BOTH are on.  Well, the instructions say to lay it all out and test it first... I had to take out the welding helmet to see if they were lighting up the way they should... these puppies are BRIGHT!!!

The issue lays in the significant lack of space under an XJ hood.  The kit comes with a ballast for each side, and a "starter" for each side... after hours of messing with it, I finally got the ballast mounted (all these parts are fully potted, BTW)... and thought, after about 10 tries that I'd found a place for the starter, and mounted both starters.

Then I put the rectangular housing in, and try to put the header panel back on... <CLUNK> goes the back of the bulb on the starter.  Yeah, I eyeballed it first... and even test-fitted... but when the starter is securely fastened, it gets a bit cattywhompus back there, resulting in a 1/4 inch interference fit with the back of the headlight housing.

If I were in a TJ or YJ or CJ or M-truck, or anything with a dang frame under it, I'd be done by now... enjoying my searchlight of God like headlights.  Dang Wagons anyway.

I'm telling you now, these things are ridiculously bright, but check out the January issue of JP Magazine for the full story.