After reading through several threads about HID's, I am convinced I need them. My stock lights on my 2003 just don't light up the road like my wifes newer model SUV. I know next to nothing about which companies are great and which ones to stay away from. I have seen prices for kits on Amazon as low as $39 free shipping with prime all the way up to several hundred dollars. For our trucks, what is the best company out there, and is there anything to know in advance about installing to make sure I don't fry the alternator or batteries?

THANKS!

 

I posted a thread in the last month about Bright Source LEDs. They are amazingly bright and the easiest install. Plug and play.

 

Working on installing mine right now. I'm using a hodgepodge of (new) parts I've collected over the years. Having issues, but I'll post up my work in a bit

 

Sweet, love to see how yours come out. I just think it is crazy to see prices of kits vary so much.

 

My son ordered a set from DDM two years ago lifetime warranty for his truck and a set for his girlfriends car for $50 a set. No complaints, he got the 6000 which has a blue tint,I think I would rather have the 5000 bright white. But I'm going to check out the Bright Source LEDs that JIMB_FID mentioned first. I like the idea of plug and play

 

I've been using the 35w 5000K kits from DDM tuning for several years with the HD wiring harness so it pulls main power from the battery. I am also a dealer for Lifetime LED so next round I will be putting LED headlights in but till the HID's fail there staying.

 

I installed a 55w kit from custom HID conversions, HID kits, LED, CCFL specialists - retrosolutions couldn't be happier.

 

I am a VERY happy DDM tuning customer, but even I would go LED at this point...there is just no reason to do HID anymore. When the OEM go away from a technology, we modders should already be gone from it! HID's are too volatile and hot these days...I'm preparing my transition to LED as we speak!

 

I have a RetroSolutions 55w HID kit sitting in my garage, never been installed, because I haven't sourced a projector housing for them. Now LED are an option.

Sigh.....

For all you guys doing HID's, what projector housing did you go with?

Stewart

 

Maybe I should change the title of this post too, "led upgrade kits, best choices?" I took a look at the bright source website and they don't have an LED offering yet their bulbs are all high intensity discharge.

 

Looked up that thread, those are not LEDs, your thread was on Bright Source HID kit you installed.

 

That just shows how mindful you are of other drivers. I shelved mine after seeing how bad it was in the stock housing.

Probably "none."

 

I'm running my HIDs through the factory housings and I'm very happy with them and here is why:

The 2005-2007 factory housings have a cap at the end of the bulb (although I already use capped bulbs). The stock housings are designed to project the light in a certain way on to the road. Replacing the bulb really doesn't affect it all that much -the difference is the color temperature and intensity of the bulb. You don't magically have a cut off like you would with projectors because.. you're still reflecting, not projecting. Now the next thing someone will say is that because of where the light originates from (the filament on a halogen bulb) is in a different place that it screws everything up. For me that wasn't the case - the HIDs put out an almost identical light pattern to the halogens I had in there minus the fact that it's a whiter and more intense light.

I had tried the best Philips bulbs, silverstars and even hacked some HIRs into my lights - nothing gives me the bright white (5000k) I'm looking for.

In a vehicle without a built in cap or without using capped HIDs you're in for a different story since the actual bulb is exposed to the eye and oncoming traffic.

Cue Candlepower.com/hidplanet.com haters.

 

So what do you use from that site for an 03' Excursion with stock lights?

 

Sorry for the miss-type, I did mean HID. I just finished doing LED reverse lights so most likely that is what was on my mind when I talked about my headlights.