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Yes, GUNSMITH referenced this "For the super trick option, make sure to get dual-HID lamps. So they ship with 4 ballasts. Then, if you opted for the complete wire harness (recommended) which is easy to install, you can also utilize the "diode trick" which allows your low beams to stay on when you run high beams. Obviously, very bright as you'd be running 4 HIDs all at once! (use it with caution, it's blinding"
He meantioned in the post about OEM. Unfortunately I can't PM him directly as I haven't posted enough being new..
I hear non-OEM is basic crap and don't want to skimp on improving headlights.
I'm running OE 05-07 housings with HID retrofits, absolutely love them, but high and low beams are done by a mechanical shutter in front of the bulb. The ballasts do not go in the housings, but between the battery, and housing. Info is in my thread.
They're the best mod I've done, and equal to quality and intensity as my JW Speaker LED's on my Jeep Wrangler. I don't see a wattage listed in my 2018 Email quotes, possibly not an option back then. The bulbs were $115.00..
Thanks! I see retro fit, but was it a direct replacement? Most 05+ headlights you have to cut some plastic off to make them fit. It's not a big deal, just takes some time.
No, no cutting was done. I bought new housings at Ford, sent them to Lightwerkz, and they opened them up, added the projectors, then resealed them. So, I had already replaced the headlight header with the 05-07, and modified the 05-07 grill to work with my 01 front bumper. Whatever pics I have are in my thread.
They're the best mod I've done, and equal to quality and intensity as my JW Speaker LED's on my Jeep Wrangler. I don't see a wattage listed in my 2018 Email quotes, possibly not an option back then. The bulbs were $115.00..
Hey bud, just wanted to confirm that you are saying your custom HID retrofits in your Excursion and JW Speaker LED h6054 sealed beam units in your Wrangler are comparable in terms of light output, quality of light, and beam pattern?? I am on the fence about doing 05 based housing HID retrofits in my '99 with a header panel modification versus getting some used factory sealed beam hardware from a Super Duty and getting either Trucklites or JW Speaker sealed beams. Been curious about how the performance of both options stack up for a while now. I'm looking at it from performance standpoint and aesthetics which is tough because i like both looks (fond of amber corners on my rides).
Many thanks for your time and info! Much appreciated.
Not good at really making assessments, but, I do feel the light intensity, clarity, and color temp between both the JW Speaker, and the HID retrofits are superb, and similar. I'm satisfied with beam pattern in both, although different. In both applications following install, I had to lower the housing adjustment to prevent blinding others. Where they are adjusted now, I have full light spread left and right, as well as far enough down the road, with no-one flashing me. Obviously the JW's are a sealed LED unit, and therefore the inner reflector and LED were designed to work together, whereas the the HID's really don't use the rear chrome reflector, and there are no light directing sculpts/prisims in the polycarbonate lenses. The glass projector lens is satisfactory. In both cases, I seldom use the high beams, am able to see anything reflective, eyes, signs, etc, easily a half mile away. The JW's I have (from 2013) do not have lens heaters, and therefore will cause issues in snow, and ice, they are not needed for the HID's.
The HID retrofits must draw some current as I had to repair a burnt crimped on eyelet, the only issue so far. I had to add an anti flicker pigtail in-line of each JW on the Jeep due to the high speed can bus network caused flicker. (Not an issue with the superduty platform)
I also had to add spacer washers (plastic) to the Excursion housings at the bottom pointing the housing upward, so I could make the inner beam adjustment down to counter the spacers. The retrofit shop set up the inner beam adjustment using the adjuster screw based on my current housing height with my lift, but this put the up/dn adjuster screw near the end of it's travel. This caused the inner projectors to jiggle when driving on rough surfaces. Spacing the housings away at the bottom and making up for that with the adjuster screw allowed me to better stabilize them, They still wiggle a bit, but that's a tradeoff I'm OK with. So the projectors must have some weight to them. But I am 4.5 years now of driving on real crappy SC roads, the adjustment has stayed in place.
Not good at really making assessments, but, I do feel the light intensity, clarity, and color temp between both the JW Speaker, and the HID retrofits are superb, and similar. I'm satisfied with beam pattern in both, although different. In both applications following install, I had to lower the housing adjustment to prevent blinding others. Where they are adjusted now, I have full light spread left and right, as well as far enough down the road, with no-one flashing me. Obviously the JW's are a sealed LED unit, and therefore the inner reflector and LED were designed to work together, whereas the the HID's really don't use the rear chrome reflector, and there are no light directing sculpts/prisims in the polycarbonate lenses. The glass projector lens is satisfactory. In both cases, I seldom use the high beams, am able to see anything reflective, eyes, signs, etc, easily a half mile away. The JW's I have (from 2013) do not have lens heaters, and therefore will cause issues in snow, and ice, they are not needed for the HID's.
The HID retrofits must draw some current as I had to repair a burnt crimped on eyelet, the only issue so far. I had to add an anti flicker pigtail in-line of each JW on the Jeep due to the high speed can bus network caused flicker. (Not an issue with the superduty platform)
I also had to add spacer washers (plastic) to the Excursion housings at the bottom pointing the housing upward, so I could make the inner beam adjustment down to counter the spacers. The retrofit shop set up the inner beam adjustment using the adjuster screw based on my current housing height with my lift, but this put the up/dn adjuster screw near the end of it's travel. This caused the inner projectors to jiggle when driving on rough surfaces. Spacing the housings away at the bottom and making up for that with the adjuster screw allowed me to better stabilize them, They still wiggle a bit, but that's a tradeoff I'm OK with. So the projectors must have some weight to them. But I am 4.5 years now of driving on real crappy SC roads, the adjustment has stayed in place.
awesome, many thanks for the details! Very helpful. Your Wrangler sealed beams are different than the h6054 of super duty XL trucks but I’m sure JW uses shared component among their products.
side note, your build thread rules. Appreciate all the time and content you put in there. If you still have that black Ex parts truck, please let me know if you would sell the sealed beam headlight buckets, retaining trims, adjusters, and amber turn signals. Please PM me as I guess I am too new to PM.
sorry to thread jack Yoda. Thought the comparison of headlights would be useful to the group.
awesome, many thanks for the details! Very helpful. Your Wrangler sealed beams are different than the h6054 of super duty XL trucks but I’m sure JW uses shared component among their products.
side note, your build thread rules. Appreciate all the time and content you put in there. If you still have that black Ex parts truck, please let me know if you would sell the sealed beam headlight buckets, retaining trims, adjusters, and amber turn signals. Please PM me as I guess I am too new to PM.
sorry to thread jack Yoda. Thought the comparison of headlights would be useful to the group.
You only have 2 posts, you will not be able to PM yet, I can try the send a message to Email instead.
EDIT, scratch that, that's not an option either...
You can jack the thread all you want, no problem on my side. I have placed my order with Lightwerkz, so I am good. Just paid my 50% deposit and ordered the black trimmed 05 Harley Davidson headlights that is shipping to them..
