AU XR headlight upgrade update!
Have upgraded my bulbs (H4's & H1's) in the AU XR to Phillips + 50's. A definite improved difference on the standard Ford (+30's). On a low beam the light is much more concentrated and brighter however with a shorter length than the standard bulbs put in by Ford. High beam the world just lights up, and this is during runs on a clear night with 3/4 moon! Specifically the reflectives on the road and marking paint really light up bright.
When comparing bulbs with standard issue, the metal insert in the +50's H4's appears to be a little longer than the +30's, which explains the reduced distance on low beam.
Have fixed this problem by raising upwards the main lights using the up/down adjustors ( at the top of the main lights towards the inside) being at the back of the lense. You can't blind oncoming traffic as if you raise it too high the high beam will be way over the actual road level, havn't had any flashes back on low beam/adverse reactions from oncoming traffic, and anyway you can clearly see the 'hood' of the low beam light being below oncoming traffic sight. Raising the lights to increase the low beam length has had no detriment to the high beam.
As an approximate measure of raising, park the car back from a wall outside of daylight by about 9 metres and raise the top of the beam (the hood) seen against the wall by no more than 15 cm's. You need to do this to ensure that you have raised both lights to an equal level from the original settings (unless you can remember how many turns you've applied to the adjustors)
Interesting in that the adjustors have a 'factory setting/groove notch' in them that you can feel when you turn them clockwise/anticlockwise which will always get you back to the original settings if you're not satisfied with the adjustments.
Anyway, I've checked out quite a few options in bulbs and now genuinely feel that I've got the right combo being an improvement on the premium factory bulbs, without paying for upgraded lights/amperage etc.