Driving Lights Add On-New User

[markdtn]

I have been lurking here for a bit and really enjoy the knowledge that you all share. I bought an '01 Tahoe with the factory fog lights about 4 months ago. I really love it! I had a '95 Suburban before this, but the Tahoe is an order of magnitude better truck than the 'Burb. It has 170k highway miles-still the original water pump. I bought a new one from GM and I carry it with me.
Anyway, on to the questions. I have gotten a good deal on some Hella 70mm driving lights with H9 bulbs and am quite impressed with the light they put out. I have a few questions so I hope you can help. I searched for the answers, but did not see an exact similar question post.
1) Can I use the Z71 lower valence (GM p/n 15766483 - Air Dam) with my stock chrome bumper? Anybody used aftermarket 2 3/4" diameter driving lights with it? I see I will have to do some cutting and make a bracket to mount them.
2) Fog light fuse is 15 amps. An H9 bulb is 65 watts so 2 would be 130 watts. Amps=watts/volts so if I use 130 watts/12 volts I get 10.8 amps so the stock wiring should be sufficient? I know I will have to change plugs.
3) I have seen mention of an auxillary lamp switch but the Factory Shop Manual does not mention it that I can find (8-299 fog lamp schematic, 8-496 exterior lighting info). Is there such a thing? How does it work? Will it allow power to the lights with both high beams and low beams?
4) Finally, should I give up on all this and just buy better headlights?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

 

[Hoebag03]

get some projectors and HIDs, youll never regret it

 

[markdtn]

Nobody has driving lights and a Z71 valence?

 

[markdtn]

Update: I bought the Z71 valence as mentioned above. It is a clip-on swap. I put it on last night. I will add the lights this afternoon. The valence is not inexpensive from GM at $150 + $25 shipping but I couldn't find anybody aftermarket with the Z71 valence. Everyone had the stock one for $30 or so, but I never found the Z71. I just need to do some cutting and wiring today and I will be ready to test them on the truck tonight. My preliminary test with just 1 was that it shone further than the brights.

 

[road1will]

post up a pic, i love the z71 valance

 

[markdtn]

I will post an installation pic next week. I am very happy with it. I hate cutting up factory wiring so I cut the original fog light bulbs off the sockets and made a short extension cord with the pigtail for the H9 bulbs. Took the sockets and cut the alignment nubs that hold them in the fog lamp. Soldered the pigtail to the bulb socket, shrink wrapped each one then shrink wrapped from the socket back onto the wires to close it all in nicely. Now I can plug right in to the stock harness and if I ever want to go back it will be plug and play. These lamps mount through the bottom, so I drilled a 7/16 hole in the new valance and bolted each new lamp down. I had some aluminum plate to make a bracket back to the bumper like the fog lamps, but the new lamps are pretty light and this seemed strong enough. They seem plenty stable. I can make a bracket later if it is an issue.

I live on a long dead-end street with little traffic, so after dark I pulled out on the street to aim them. They have a bit more range than the brights. I drove to town and back with them on and nobody flashed at me to dim them. I want to find a way to not have the brights turn them off. I need to read the shop manual a bit more. Maybe there is a wire that can be cut.... I wish there was a way to mount them higher, there is a lot of "wasted" light right in front. I guess that is just the nature of how they work. An H9 is a high beam in a C6 Corvette and recent GTO and maybe a Lexus too. I guess if they were up higher they would be high beams and would defeat the purpose of having them.

 

[markdtn]

Installation photo.