Good, Better, Best 9055 Bulb?

Hamilton Felix

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Well, having finished with the new headlights on the 1999 Grand Cherokee, I turned to the fog lights.

The bulb I pulled from a factory fog light was right angled and looked a bit like a 9006. But the arrangement of the three mounting tabs was slightly different, and it was marked 9055. This one is Sylvania, and appears to be marked 51 watt (not 50 or 55).

What grabbed my attention was that, unlike a 9005 or 9006, it had a transverse filament. What surprised me was that when I put the bulb back into the fog light and rotated it into position, the filament was horizontal, not vertical. I'd have that a rectangular fog reflector and lens would make better use of a vertical filament.

Is there a "better" or "best" bulb for the 9055? I know we're not looking for huge light output in a fog light, but some bulbs are better than others.

BTW the Grand Cherokee has a 5-1/2" aftermarket suspension and 33" tires in place of the stock 29's. So the fog lights are about 7-1/2" farther above the ground than stock. I'm not sure if they are much help in fog, but they do help me see what is to my immediate right or left, when offroad at very low speed. I do want to keep them in top condition.
 

-Virgil-

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The bulb I pulled from a factory fog light was right angled and looked a bit like a 9006. But the arrangement of the three mounting tabs was slightly different, and it was marked 9055. This one is Sylvania, and appears to be marked 51 watt (not 50 or 55).

Same as HB4 (9006), which is rated 51w at 12.0v and 55w at 12.8v. The 9055 is basically a 9006 with a transverse filament instead of axial.

the filament was horizontal, not vertical. I'd have that a rectangular fog reflector and lens would make better use of a vertical filament.

If I were a wagering man, I would put significant money on the barrel that there has never been a transverse filament oriented vertically in a road-illumination lamp (headlamp, fog lamp, "driving" lamp, etc). They are always horizontal. In a parabolic reflector, a horizontal filament produces a horizontal bowtie-shaped beam pattern. If you were to rotate the filament vertical, it would produce a vertical bowtie, useless for any realistic road-illumination task. A complex-shape reflector is not a parabola, but it's quasi-parabolic; a horizontal transverse filament can be advantageous depending on what is desired in terms of lamp geometry and intended beam pattern.

Is there a "better" or "best" bulb for the 9055?

No, there are no upgrades. Just a good brand of standard 9055.
 

Hamilton Felix

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Thank you, that is interesting. While looking online for 9055, I saw a bulb, and the photo was good enough that I could make out "53W" in the markings. So I won't obsess over wattage.

I did not realize that about reflectors and filaments. It just seemed like the filament supports would been in the way, and you'd get more light outward toward either side of the reflector. So much for intuitive calls. :)

I'm guessing that even if you could stuff a 9006 in there, the beam pattern would turn to trash. So name brand 9055 it is. I'll just work on making sure the lights are in good shape and properly aimed.
 

-Virgil-

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Fun factoid: many years before the 9040, 9045, 9055 bulbs appeared, there were "9005J" and "9006J" bulbs in the Japanese market. Very similar to 9005 (HB3) and 9006 (HB4), but with different base key/tab locations and transverse filaments (as shown here). The weird parts: although the base key/tab configurations are different for 9005J versus 9006J, they are both 55w bulbs -- the 9005J is not a 65w bulb. And what is more, they both have a 20mm shank diameter, like the 9005 (HB3). The 9006J does not have a 22mm shank like the 9006 (HB4). Also, the 9006J does not have blacktop, and nor does the 9005J. So what is the point of having two differently-keyed bulbs that are otherwise the same? Search me!
 

Hamilton Felix

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Marblemount, WA, USA
Just to reinforce what I hope everyone here already knew:

While searching for and ordering correct 9055 bulbs, I saw a lot of LED bulbs offered. Curiosity got the better of me; it wasn't much money, so I ordered a pair.

They claimed to be yellow, and I'm all for selective yellow. It turned out to be sort of a sickly greenish yellow.

I put one into a new factory fog that has not yet been installed, and lit it up inside the shop. It turned a fog light into a flood, light all over the place. These bulbs would clearly be dangerous if used on the road. If you are using an old fog light for a work light or truck loading light, well, OK. But they utterly ruin the beam pattern of what was a proper fog, with wide flat beam, upward light cut off.
 

LeanBurn

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Feb 3, 2010
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Alberta
HID, LED bulbs in an enclosure designed for a halogen bulb never ends well for both pattern and intensity. Just light puking all over the place, none of where it should be.
 
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