I agree with MONSTA. Silverstars are widely available and give you the best bang for the buck. I also have a Go-Rhino Push bar with 8" stainless 130 watt pencil beams, but when the heck are you going to use those on a day to day basis? I've tried the Blue Bulbs and you can't see worth a damn with those. Not enough contrast. I've put the Silverstars on my Excursion and Bonneville and the difference is immediate. For day to day use, you can't go wrong ! Best bang for the buck at 35-39 dollars for a pair. You can still go to the bigger add-ons later as finances allow. Good luck.

 

more food for thought to ease into it?

Since I don't know what bulb you have... (I'll assume h13 - 9008's for now)

Many make an upgraded harness that will get full battery power to your stock lights or any plugged in there...
(some have said stock wires lose 2 volts !)

www.gosracing.com as an example:
harness --> http://www.gosracing.com/inc/sdetail/2267
install --> http://www.gosracing.com/inc/sdetail/3001

Upgraded bulbs are next on the $ scale:
http://www.sylvania.com/cgi-bin/MsmG...13&hiword=h13+

9005's in your fogs will boost their output...

many make kits to have (lows and highs) and/or (Highs and fogs) on at same time..
http://www.gosracing.com/inc/sdetail/596

or u can do what I did on my 03 with ALL the above AND
a westin bull bar and piaa BRIGHT drving lights on em...

I could even blind MYSELF in the right conditions

but understand your local laws - some places won't allow extra lights - even if off !

 

George www.autobarn.net/silverstar/html ---- these are the headlight bulbs everyone is talking about and worth the money. I too got stung by an EBAY special oh well live and learn.

On a side note may I recommend that round lights will always give better light pattern than rectangular ones due to the physics of how light waves like to bend. Also when you do add lights get a flood light on each corner pointed low into each ditch --- good for seeing inbound wildlife.

Me and IEH have Westin Bull Bars which I like better than Racer's bar BUT by the sounds of what he paid you can buy 4 of those or one of ours . I like your RoadArmour idea --- check out www.alien-patrol.com apperantly they are made by a former RA designer.

 

Racer,

I was just yankin' ya, you are absolutely correct that you should spend the money and get the best lights you can. I have had a bad experience with HIDs so I have stayed away. My concern with HID driving lights is cycling them on and off frequently because of traffic, so I stay with conventional lights that I have been using for decades. Back to the post...

Guiri,

Lights are not the type of thing to buy blindly (Yeah, I know), you need to see them or get other's opinions, so you are taking the correct approach. On e-Bay I have purchased "hot" bulbs that were junk and headlight assemblies (APC) that were junk. When I bought the PIAAs for my X they were a known quantity and quality to me and I got them specifically for the dual beam capability (and size, 8 inches) so I would have coverage immediately in front and to the sides with a nice wide beam. Deer can be funny that way. Aiming the lights is also critical.

Now the Pro-Comps, that was a leap of faith. Brand new light for them, 9 inch size, but a long range driving light which is what I wanted. Actually more like a pencil beam, but still enough fringe light. Aiming these was more work, trying to get the best compromise for me. Initially too high, which gave me confidence that nothing on tree tops or overpasses could get me, then too low, melting the asphalt on roads, messy to clean up, I finally found the sweet spot.

On low beams with the factory fog lights I can have any combination from two to eight lights (I haven't performed the fog light mod yet!). It's nice. I dim for other vehicles, and make others cry when they don't dim for me. I will do the upgrade harness for the headlights, always a good idea, (I've melted two wiring looms on 60s and 70s Detroit iron and wires were larger then than now) and I will upgrade the bulbs for the factory fogs and the headlights.

This works for me. Happy Fourth!

 

If all else fails you can spend about $150 and some true, ballast, harness, and relay HID lights in a group buy in the vendors and discounts forum here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...1-shipped.html

I'm getting some and they look pretty good.

 

Well, I wasn't necessarily going to use the pencil beam ones, probably the regular driving lights which are a little wider I suspect.

So, found some Silvarstars and according to their site, this is what fits the 05 X.
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...RG-Results.htm
As you can see, there are three kinds but I'm not sure what the difference is..
However, isn't 60/55w awful low, or? Is this what everyone's driving around with?

2005 FORD Excursion
High & low beam headlamp
H13 (9008)
H13ST Silverstar High Performance Lighting: The Whiter and Brighter Halogen
H13XV XtraVision Halogen - The Brighter Light

George

 

Go with the H13XV's George you'll like them. By the sound of your previous posts you will still want to add aux lights but these bulbs are still light years ahead of stock. You may also want to consider upgrading to headlight assemblies with better than factory reflectors in them as it is actually refraction which makes light seem brighter than it actually is.

 

So, do these go into the regular headlights like a regular bulb?
How much difference do you think they will make between the silverstars everyone's telling me to buy and these HID's?

George

 

I still want extra lights for the light AND the look but out of curiosity, how much are new headlight assemblies and how much do they do in output?
I'll still replace my regular bulbs regardless of whate else I'm getting for a quick solution and I can always use them or my regular bulbs for backups.

Thanks, George

 

These Alien bumbers look just like the road armor stuff but less money. I'm guessing someone's ripping someone else off and the pic of the blue truck is on road armors site too

How much are the Westins?

George

 

First, it's not what bulbs I have but what bulbs will FIT isn't it?

What DOES fit into the 05 X (v10)

Second, that box that lets you have brights and lows at the same time sounds cool but it doesn't mention 9008's. It says 9007 and 9004..?

So, the new harness has better components/less resistance I assume so it gives you 2 more volts.

Are the components better which is WHY it doesn't melt or what?

Bottom line, do I NEED the harness?

As far as hooking it up. I can hook all the extra stuff to the brights and IF I want to be able to turn some of them off and on separately, I could conceivably just put a switch in between the wires, right?

I can't decide if I should get dual filament stuff like the PIAA's which is what I REALLY want but, I DO like the idea of the TITANIUM colored KC Slimlites and the Eagle lights that I posted earlier.The eagles are only driving lights I think but they come in THREE sizes which is cool.

THe KC's I think only one size (maybe two) but come in Fog, driving and off road/pencil beam I think.

Hell, I'm not going to go baja so I need something that's fairly wide so pencil beams are probably not something I want/need so good driving lights.

However, if I do the dual filament, I REALLY have options don't I?

Not sure what to do with the law/cops here.

A. Is it best to have ALL (regular driving lights with H3 bulbs) come on with the brights?

B. To have dual filament PIAA's where the low beams come on WITH the regular brights and have a separate switch to get the PIAA's BRIGHTS come on for an ADDITONAL boost for when you're in the country or

C. Have dual filament PIAA's where the lows are connected with the regular low beams and the highs with the regular highs? I think THAT will definitely attract attention..?

George

 

Western,

It doesn't look like the Westin will hold more than TWO lights at the most..?

George

 

The Westin only has holes for two but a good drill bit will solve that problem; if you really consider it a problem. I paid $500CDN for mine. I have heard one of RA's origional designers has gone solo with alien planet and most likely has some right to have similar designs. Look close there are minor minimal diffrences and that's really all you need to beat copyright laws. Headlight assemblies are available all over EBAY and seem to run $200US or so. Maybe you just need glasses with the anti-glare option

 

I missed the anti glare option part..?

500 is too much for me right now.I'll have to buy a cheaper one. Also, although I can drill a hole in the westin, it didn't seem to have enough room.

ANy though on my A, B and C questions?

George

 

guiri, I was also not impressed with the high beams so I bought a wiring harness that keeps your driving lights on when you turn on the high beams, I was impressed with the difference. The link is mrtaillight.com I think I paid $20.00 for the harnes and it took maybe 20 min. to install.