Headlight Upgrade Help
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2012
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Headlight Upgrade Help
I am looking to upgrade the headlights on my 2003 Excursion Limited. I would like to have some 4300k HID units and would like to not have to make any modifications. I have been all over the internet trying to find headlights, but there are so many to choose from, I'm not sure which ones need modifications and which ones don't. I would prefer the smoke colored ones if at all possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2014
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If you have the two piece setup right now, you'll need to either swap the header panel or trim it to make the one piece units fit.
HID's really need to be in a projector housing meant for that bulb. Halogen projectors work, but you still lose efficiency around 20-30%, pending the housing. In a stock Excursion housing, you're going to have so much scatter it's ridiculous and you'll lose a TON of lumens on the surface as well as **** most most oncoming traffic. Keep in mind most HID single bulbs don't include a high beam feature.
More expensive alternative is having an HID retrofit done to your stock housings, but those typically run between $350-450 pending parts and builder.
HID's really need to be in a projector housing meant for that bulb. Halogen projectors work, but you still lose efficiency around 20-30%, pending the housing. In a stock Excursion housing, you're going to have so much scatter it's ridiculous and you'll lose a TON of lumens on the surface as well as **** most most oncoming traffic. Keep in mind most HID single bulbs don't include a high beam feature.
More expensive alternative is having an HID retrofit done to your stock housings, but those typically run between $350-450 pending parts and builder.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2016
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Tony has a thread here on upgraded headlights that many (including myself) are happy with. As long as you stay with the 2 piece set no retrofitting is required and everything is included. You just have to find a place to put everything.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...eadlights.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...eadlights.html
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Loveland,CO
Up to 2004 they are two piece if my brain remembers correctly. The one piece started in 2005. If yours are still OEM then you have 2 piece. They can be retroed by tony, as mentioned in the above link. I am fixing to have some done for me as well, but I opted to upgrade to a 2005 grill and will swap everything out.
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Junior User
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This all seems too complicated....I just want to be able to buy some headlights that are brighter than the oem ones that I have without having to cut anything away. Does anybody know of any lights that will do that?
Thanks
Thanks
Logistics Pro
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Headlights aren't complicated, it's a max of four screws per housing. Just wait til something actually goes wrong, you'll be in for a treat, lol.
If all you want is brighter light, then forget the HIDs as they'll scatter and you have to do wiring and such for ballasts, etc. Get some Philips or similar bulbs that drop it and go. If you want more light closer to the rig, put 9005 55w bulbs in the foglights. They drop in, way way brighter. I've had mine in for years and no issues whatsoever.
If you do not have the crystal clear lenses, and have the fluted plastic ones, you can swap the headlight housing for the crystal one easily enough. They have a revised reflector that will maximize the performance of a better bulb.
If all you want is brighter light, then forget the HIDs as they'll scatter and you have to do wiring and such for ballasts, etc. Get some Philips or similar bulbs that drop it and go. If you want more light closer to the rig, put 9005 55w bulbs in the foglights. They drop in, way way brighter. I've had mine in for years and no issues whatsoever.
If you do not have the crystal clear lenses, and have the fluted plastic ones, you can swap the headlight housing for the crystal one easily enough. They have a revised reflector that will maximize the performance of a better bulb.
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Junior User
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Now we're talking....I can buy just the lenses??? Is that what you're saying? Where can I get them?
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Logistics Pro
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No, you can't do just the lense as they're sealed to the housing and typically require an oven to soften the rubber butyl or whatever they used. I did say housings in the previous post... What I was asking is if you have the fluted lense or the crystal ones. If you do not have the crystal lenses, you can swap the entire housing out for some. No cutting, no trimming, no wiring... Just clips and screws and done.
As for where, 1A Auto has them as does RockAuto.
As for where, 1A Auto has them as does RockAuto.
