Better Lighting?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 13,011
Likes: 742
From: Here in No. Calif
Originally Posted by rjmay
Will the 05 lens fit an 01?
For some reason Only that year will fit our trucks(01)but it`s not just the lens, it is the whole headlite,then you can add whatever bulbs you like
Hanklin
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Why not go HID's. Sure, you'll **** off anyone in front of you. But if you want lighting, that's the way to go. Phillips kits for around 365 and japanese versions for 210. I have a spare set for my Volvo and may put them in the truck (have to mod a fit for different style bulb).
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 3
From: Sapulpa OK
You guys with fogged lenses, you can polish them to look like new in just a few minutes with a product that Maguires makes. Don't remember the name but you can get it in most auto parts houses. Also if you live near a private airport you can buy a product made for lexan cockpits. They get crazed and fogged too and pilots regularly polish their windshields.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, Washington
Once you run HID's you'll never want to go back to incandescents. My wife bought a Infiniti QX4 back in 2002 that has HID's and ever since I drove it, I won't use any other type of lighting. I changed my Ranger and now my PSD. I just love the way they light up the road signs. If you have them aimed properly, they will not blind anyone. I never get flashed at, but will admit when I pull up behind someone driving a small vehicle, I turn their night into daylight. 
Check out my gallery if you like to see them....
Check out my gallery if you like to see them....
Last edited by RockyMtnRanger; Aug 22, 2006 at 02:27 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, Washington
I paid a little more then I did for the Ranger setup. Since I'm going to keep the PSD till I die, I wanted the better Phillips or McCulloch ballasts and starters. I got the McCulloch's for $335. Not much more than the cheapo's I put in the Ranger. I could tell the difference though in the quick start-up and steady light output. I highly recommend either brand. 
Marty
Marty
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Brett Foote
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,045
Likes: 5
From: Gig Em, Tx
HID Questions
1. I see HIDs bulbs on Ebay for cheap, are these imitations?
2. How would I know if I got the real HID lights (besides cost)?
3. How long do the HID bulbs last?
4. How much do real HID bulbs cost?
Sorry if these are dumb questions, just trying to get educated. I hate my stock lights. Can drive all night on high beams and no one flashes me proving they are trash.
2. How would I know if I got the real HID lights (besides cost)?
3. How long do the HID bulbs last?
4. How much do real HID bulbs cost?
Sorry if these are dumb questions, just trying to get educated. I hate my stock lights. Can drive all night on high beams and no one flashes me proving they are trash.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, Washington
Yep it ticks me off seeing people on Ebay selling HID bulbs for $14.95. 
Those are not HID bulbs. HID bulbs require ballasts to work. If the bulbs your looking at on Ebay does not have the ballasts, then they are just halogen bulbs with either a tinted glass or maybe even a special gas inside, but they still have a filament. HID's have no filaments. The light is caused by creating an arc of electricity through a nobel gas. The arc comes from the ballasts converting 12 volts to a much higher voltage. Most HID bulbs are made by the same factory, the difference in a good system and a cheapo that won't last comes down to the quality of the ballasts. Two of the better ballasts are from Phillips and McCullochs. A lot of the OEM systems run one of these. They say that the HID's last at least 3 times longer than incadecents halogens. The ones in my Ranger (cheapo system) are going on 5 years now. If you don't regularly catch air off road, you should get a good life out of them. As in my previous post, I got my complete kit for my 99 PSD for $335. You can buy a set of replacement bulbs (2 bulbs) for around $150 depending which bulbs you are using. The cheap HID kits are tempting, but believe me, on these systems, you really do get what you pay for.....
Marty
Those are not HID bulbs. HID bulbs require ballasts to work. If the bulbs your looking at on Ebay does not have the ballasts, then they are just halogen bulbs with either a tinted glass or maybe even a special gas inside, but they still have a filament. HID's have no filaments. The light is caused by creating an arc of electricity through a nobel gas. The arc comes from the ballasts converting 12 volts to a much higher voltage. Most HID bulbs are made by the same factory, the difference in a good system and a cheapo that won't last comes down to the quality of the ballasts. Two of the better ballasts are from Phillips and McCullochs. A lot of the OEM systems run one of these. They say that the HID's last at least 3 times longer than incadecents halogens. The ones in my Ranger (cheapo system) are going on 5 years now. If you don't regularly catch air off road, you should get a good life out of them. As in my previous post, I got my complete kit for my 99 PSD for $335. You can buy a set of replacement bulbs (2 bulbs) for around $150 depending which bulbs you are using. The cheap HID kits are tempting, but believe me, on these systems, you really do get what you pay for..... Marty
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