Ok, so if the exact same housing adds HID for less than $50 more, why wouldn't you do it if the output is almost twice? I guess because you don't want to blind everyone? (which is a good reason, don't get me wrong). But assuming you can get HID for just a tad more, are there any other drawbacks?

 

Other than potentially getting a ticket as technically they're illegal if used in the wrong housing, and the aforementioned blinding of people, not really. Halogen and Xenon bulbs like the ones I PM'd you put out just as much light, and you get dual filaments which allow for high and low beam from the same bulb. The main problem with running HID in a single-bulb housing is the lack of a dual-beam bulb. HIDs don't have dual filaments, so you get 24/7 low beams. You can compensate for this by adjusting them higher for more range, but you're still throwing a ****-ton of light out the sides and straight up and just wasting their potential. Having said that, you CAN get HIDs that offer a high-beam feature but they're more expensive. The basics behind them is when you flip the high beams on, a magnet in the base of the bulb gets energized and pulls the rear of the bulb down, raising the front and throwing the light further. That's why the Recon's say their high beams are halogen or xenon. Actually , any car that has HID's stock and has dual-bulb housings will have your traditional halogen/xenon bulb for the high beam. Why? Because HIDs have a warm-up period of roughly 25-45 seconds before they're at normal power. Usually when someone flips their high beams, they want more light NOW (flashing some slowpoke in the fast lane, telling someone to go ahead and go first at an intersection, someone drifting into your lane etc).
Alaskan may have his adjusted super low in order to not blind people, but at that point IMPO what's the point in HID over quality 9007 bulbs? It's all a matter of preference in the end dude, run what you want to run. You've heard my points against HIDs in the wrong housings plenty of times now. It's your call what you want to do.

 

Actually they are not aimed very low at all, just down a tad and to the right a tad. i've driven head on to all my trucks in the dark on my dead end 1/4 mile road and have no issues with my eyes being blinded. Plus i've never been high beamed in the years i've been running this set-up.

I run Hi/Low HIDs the bulb moves and gives me a great highbeam. in both cases its MUCH MUCH brighter then any 9007 halogen bulb hands down.

examples of my set-up, i do have 4 hella 500's with yellow 100w bulbs on the light bar in the front also hooked to the high beams.

 

Well, to be perfectly honest you'd already convinced me to go with quality 9007 bulbs over the HID anyways. I just wanted to learn more and since you seem to know so much about the differences, I thought I might as well ask.

02TB250's setup is a bit of an exception, right? He's had his housing retrofit to house projectors which is a bit different than merely throwing HID bulbs into the same housing, which is what Mecdac and Alaskan are doing (and I think the purple is pretty cool looking, myself, but obviously not the best light output). Again, I ask for information purposes. I'm not considering it for my truck.

Edit: And I really do appreciate all the advice you given me. I really enjoy picking your brain. Most of the time people give opinions which you have to wade through. Your posts have had a lot of quality information. I hope this thread will be helpful to others.

 

Update: I just had my headlights replaced. I'm going to take some pictures when I can. I'm still having other work done.

 

So what did you end up going with? I posted some pictures a few pages back and am fine for city driving but if I get out in the dark it just doesn't reach out like I want. I am considering some P36 housings with aircraft landing lights for high beam help when no one is around.

 

I went with this:

99-04 Ford F250 F350 Excursion 1-Piece LED Crystal Headlights - Chrome

I installed Phillips Crystal Vision bulbs, with chrome lights for the blinkers, and Putco 9005 for the fog lights. I plan to post pics later but my truck is back at the shop for some minor tinkering to my gauges. I haven't had a chance to really drive when it has been dark yet. But given what others have said about replacing the fog lights with 9005 bulbs (which are a bit higher wattage than the 9145) I expect the fog lights to really produce some decent light. I think the headlight changout looks way better and probably would produce better light even without new bulbs (just because my older lights were starting to get a little cracked from being 11 years old).

 

Here is the first of my photos.

 

wow that is a good looking front end man. Was your grill painted factory?

-Really not normally a fan of aftermarket headlights, but they almost look factory. The look good without sticking out too much.

 

Looks excellent Aaron, nice work.

 

Mark's rig has nothing to do with rice. He's built an awesome truck. I'm the ricer. I actually serve more rice than Uncle Ben at a Nintendo convention. I riced out my house during my recent DIY renovation.

Nice hickory cabinets, granite, and stainless in the kitchen...



JUST ADD RICE!!!







Then there's my master bath. Hickory, travertine slab and tile..




STEAMED RICE IN SHOWER!!!









How's that for rice?

Matt, HID's work fine in some stock housings. I'm just sayin. LOL

Sent from my Moto X using IB AutoGroup

 

The grill is factory painted. It is one of the features of this particular model, which is an XLT Sport. It is about to undergo a repaint since the top is a little thin due to age and sun (I already had bumper, hood, and top of cab repainted).

 

You always have to wonder when your thread about your truck is going to get spammed by a guy who wants to post pics of his bathroom.

 

That's hijacking, not spamming.

 

Well played William, as always.