Does this look familiar? Much better price!

08+ FORD F250 SUPER DUTY PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS CCFL BK:eBay Motors (item 350300897870 end time Jan-10-10 23:04:57 PST)

OR

HID 08 09 F250/F350/F450 BLACK HALO PROJECTOR HEADLIGHT:eBay Motors (item 170429554882 end time Feb-06-10 13:37:49 PST)


I bought a set of these and have two sets of 6000K HIDs in them. I disabled the halo rings and the LED lights because I think they are a little too ricey for an Excursion.

HID 05-06-07 FORD F250/F350 2 HALO PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS:eBay Motors (item 170429555008 end time Feb-06-10 13:38:02 PST)


It took a little work spacing the bulb slightly back in the socket so that the cutoff line and focus of the light output was correct, but they turned out pretty good. I added the Brite-Box relay kit to enable the low beams to stay on with the high beams. The result is an amazing amount of light.

Compared to Johnny's setup there is almost no light scatter, but the pattern and light cutoff is not as good as a true HID projector retrofit. I also bought two new sets of HIDs that are 5000K, because I think the 6000K bulbs I'm using now are a little too blue in color for my taste. I'm after a factory white look, so we'll see once I get around to swapping out the bulbs to a slightly lower Kelvin rating.

Bottom line is it's a lot better than putting HID bulbs in a factory reflector housing, but not as good as a true HID projector retrofit.

My truck hasn't been washed in nearly a month, but as soon as I get it cleaned up I'll post pictures.

Best,


Brad

 

see responses in BOLD;

 

Can't wait to see the pictures of it complete.

... but how are you comparing "Johnnys setup" to claim less "light scatter"? from pictures, first hand experience... head to head comparison?? Very curious.

And yes, those lights are a bit ... well ... belong on a rice rocket if ya ask me (Don't shoot me, it's all personal opinion). I have a buddy with them, and he's one of those who like that kind of thing (yes, hid LEDs and Halos are all 'working'). Somewhat of a showboater. They work, but I still prefer OEM over those... and still think they aren't giving any better light than OEM with the proper HID fitted and adjusted properly.

 

Hello all-

I've been following this thread for a while now and wanted to comment some on this as I've been working with HID's and Projector's for several years now. This has all been on my personal vehicles.

First off, as I think just about everyone could agree, Projector's are the 'proper' way to go with HID.

This is how a correct HID light pattern should be:


I will also state that I do not sell HID's personally, but have a friend who is a wholesaler and the prices that I see people asking for HID aftermarket kits these days are just crazy. I have seen the EXACT kits sell at one site for $200 and on another for $57.99. And yes, they are the EXACT same kits, just in a different box. I have personally seen these at my buddy's place.

Sometimes I think that people think that just because it costs more that it's better. I'll tell ya, I have seen the wholesale prices on these kits and they range from about $13 to $85. The lights that are being advertised on this thread for $195 cost $85 from the wholesalers.

The new 'Slim' HID kits, are about $26 tops, including your choice of bulbs.

Here is some additional info that was done on a few different ballasts:
Full Review: Philips - Mod Express - Klight - Xentec - Halo - McCulloch HID Light Conversion Kits Reviewed!

These bulbs that are in discussion here are officially referred to as an H13-4 Bulb. As one poster stated, the reason you don't see them offered much at all is they have a tremendous history for failure.

I'm actually about to embark on a full 2009 Super Duty Projector Retrofit. The original poster is correct in that this bulb will work, but the beam pattern isn't really that great, don't get me wrong here, it works and puts allot of light on the road, but it also scatters light all over the place. This is what causes people to flash you.

This is another picture of how you'd want your final set up to look. In these examples, you'll notice that there is a clean cut off on the light pattern. This keeps the light on the road and not scattered all over.


Notice how the Low Beam keeps the majority of the pattern under the window line, and how the High Beam projects light higher:


The other lights mentioned on this thread are commonly referred to as H13-3's. They are a single bulb that is pulled back to the same location as where the factory high beam filament is at. Is it a perfect science? No, but this is because with HID's your producing literally 100x more light than with a standard Halogen bulb and the factory reflector housing wasn't designed for that intensity.

More to follow on my project here. Before I actually start, I think I might try a standard aftermarket kit in my factory housing just to see how it projects and how the beam pattern is. From what I have heard, the new ('08-'10) housing isn't real good with HID's.

On a side note, I'm just here to provide facts and input, not to start any issues with anyone.

 

sbrennan,

Excellent post! Your pictures came out far better than any I have taken. The cutoff line your pictures show for the low beam is exactly like the cutoff line I was ultimately able to achieve after spacing the HID bulb slightly further back in the socket. This placed the HID arc in the right position, so that the light output and pattern was vastly improved.

I agree that one factory reflector housing style/year to another will likely produce different light scatter patterns when using an HID bulb. Some with really bad results and others with possibly acceptable results, but still far more light scatter than a projector.

 

EDIT: Whoops, didn't realize there was a whole other page of posts...

 

How exactly did you set it back? Did you modify the socket? How? I just got a set of 05+ lights for my 01 and will be installing a 5000K hid kit. I'd like to not **** people off on the road since my truck is already up high.

Thanks.

 

Sean,

What '05 headlamps did you get? Factory reflector or one of the aftermarket projector styles?

If your using a factory reflector headlamp, than that's what we've been discussing here and how hard if not impossible it is to achieve the correct light pattern with a sharp cut off line. Without this sharp cutoff line of the light pattern there will be light scatter or glare to oncoming traffic. You'll probably have to point your headlamps so far down to prevent this glare that it defeats the purpose of improving your lighting to begin with. Sbrennan007's low beam pictures are what you're after to prevent blinding oncoming traffic.

If your using an aftermarket projector headlamp, than simply experiment with your HID bulb placement in the socket on the bench until you have the light output and proper cutoff line in focus.

I ended up using a high temp rubber o-ring to space the bulb seat slightly back in the socket. My first choice was an aluminum spacer like a flat washer, but I didn't have what I needed at the time, so the rubber o-ring has sufficed for the time being.

You may also need to rotate the projector bulb retainer clip 180* in order for the clip to latch. This is what I ended up doing and it actually further improved my light pattern and sharpness of the cutoff line. I think each installation is going to vary slightly from one brand of bulbs/projectors to another. Right now I have 6000K bulbs and they're a bit too blue for my taste, so I ordered a different brand of 5000K bulbs that I plan to install whenever I get the time.

Best,


Brad

 

They are factory style. I was just wondering what you used to space it back. Thanks.

It will be a bi-xenon kit and when in low beam mode there is a physical cutoff shield attached to the bulb itself. This creates a better cut off in a halogen housing. I know it won't be as sharp as an actual projector lamp, but It's as close as I'm going to get. I had a set in my 94 rx7 (poorly designed housing) that had the cut off piece on the bulb and they were FAR better than those without.

Lets face it. Even with a projector set up on a lifted truck (4" lift with 35" tires) 80% of drivers on the road will be in the beam path and not above the cut off thereby defeating the purpose. The actual beam will blind people even if you get rid of the glare, though I think it is the main cause of annoyance when dealing with HID kits.

My goal is to have minimal glare while being able to aim the headlights fairly close to the correct position. This is not a problem because the cut off piece on the bulb creates a similar cut off line to a projector housing. Again, I am aware it will not be as sharp as a projector set up. It will be a far cry from the lights you see on that oncoming honda civic that would probably blind an airline pilot on a clear night.

 

Do you have any pics of the bulbs spaced back? Also can you use a H13 bulb in the for low and high beam or did you use an H1 bulb?

 

Woody-

I'd love to see some detailed pics when you get a chance of your set up.

In regards to the bulb type, most of the aftermarket projectors use an H7 bulb.

Just as a suggestion to those that are wanting to 'test' or 'play' with doing this on either your factory housing or an aftermarket projector. Go with the least expensive kit you can find on e-Bay. I prefer to 'play' with the Slim Ballast models and you can pick up a set for right about $55 now including shipping.

Trust me, the large majority (99%) of ALL of these aftermarket kits are all made in China, which let me say, don't let that scare you away, because pick up just about anything in your house today and guess where it's made, China.

If we were ever interested in doing a group purchase of some kind, I can get through my buddy standard, single beam HID Slim Ballast kits for $24.50 and the Bi-Xenon type that pull the bulb back to where the high beam is at for I think $38.50 for the same HID Slim Ballast kit, and this kit actually comes with a full relay harness.

Again, I just want to make it clear here, I do not sell these, I just have been playing with HID lights and the such for many years now and also just happen to have a friend that buys all kinds of stuff wholesale.

And when I say 'test' and 'play' with things, after all, isn't this what life is all about. Having our toys and playing with them.

 

Interesting post.

I will agree, that your pictures of a vehicle with projectors look great!! And I hope are a factory set projector... and have factory leveling (however looks to be a retrofit into a Toyota Corolla). Which yes... (with factory leveling) it's the proper way to go. If you do not have leveling, you are again... in the same boat as a standard retrofit (actually it could be worse! Due to the fact a projector... is just that, and amplifies the HID to produce more light. A halogen lens or reflector, is only reflecting or diffusing what light is given off by the HID, not amplifying it. A big reason to use leveling with projectors!), and will blind anyone on the road as your vehicle's suspension and the dips in the road cause your lights to cycle up and down. That cutoff, cannot be lowered enough to cancel this problem.... simple as that. If you do lower the projector beam low enough... then you'll never have enough "throw" to see out in front of you.

I've done several retrofits in several vehicles, from JEEPs, to GMCs, and everything in between. EACH vehicle is different in several ways... from the bulb, the lens, to the install and proper adjustment. NOT ONE of the vehicles I've installed... has been high beamed because of the install HID. Sound to good to believe? Ask me for their cell numbers... I'm sure they'll be glad to tell you their HID story.

Your claim on pricing... sure, I agree... most kits can be found for cheap. But not ALL! In fact, your "wholesale" prices are far below... what it costs for a "shipped" product. I mean... ridiculously low. If you truly believe... you, or your buddy know all about the quality of bulbs mentioned here in these posts... in the kit for $195, then please.... let us (me) know where I can get them for so cheap. I'm all eyes and ears! I'd love to pass on the savings!!

But don't patronize with calling ALL KITS equal or the same. That's just plain ignorant. Hella, Phillips, McCulloch.... are just to name a few names of the leaders, and within China... you have 3 different levels of quality. Just because they come in different boxes, or use the same outer shell (for ballasts), means NOTHING about whats inside. Let alone, there's tons of different manufacturers in China. I'm sure there's a few making the same exact parts and off'ing them on Ebay for cheap. Maybe thats where your deriving your numbers and fictitious facts from?

Am I defensive... sure, because I'm tired of people explaining things incorrectly... installing incorrectly, buying incorrectly, and even the seller not knowing their own product... which in the end, gives retrofits a bad name.

I'd love to see the end result of this projector retrofit, the costs associated, and if it's do-able by the average Joe who takes his car to Jiffy lube for oil changes.

 

I believe that good lights, shouldn't need a spacer. But hey... I'm only one opinion... and a bit flustered, because I continue to hear how people have to try and correct a bad fit. That fit being... bulb, to housing. Kind of a pain in the butt for any do-it-yourselfer.

I mean, I space my HIDs in my hand held spotlights... but, those are true retrofits and I'm MAKING them match.

I'd love to see a picture of your bulb... with a built in shield for low beam cutoff. So far, all I've seen is H4 Dual HID for low beam cutoff. In fact, your reflector housing should be doing the cutoff, with your HID pellet being in the right place anyway. If not... then, thats the reason for the spacer. Hoping that your high beam pellet is also in the proper spot.

.... I'm sure everyone knows, the HID pellet placement needs to be in the right spot to produce a true low beam... and a true high beam, (in a dual HID bulb) right?! All too often I see them side by side... and oh boy... (more frustration)

 

Ahh yes.... I see;
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...3113_large.jpg

Your example vehicle in the pictures, is in fact a Corolla with a nice set of retrofit Projector style headlamps. (sadly, no auto-leveling)

 

I think there has been some confusion relating to my "spacer" comments, so I'll try to clarify.

I chose to use an aftermarket projector headlamp design for my HID setup because I wanted a better/safer light pattern than what I believe can be achieved using a factory reflector style headlamp.

The aftermarket headlamp I used has a projector low beam and a conventional reflector high beam. So, I have two separate bulbs in two separate sockets per headlamp. I purchased two HID kits (one set for low beam and one set for high beam) for my aftermarket headlamps.

I found that simply sticking a HID bulb in a projector designed for a halogen bulb placed the arc (or as Johnny calls the HID pellet) in the wrong position. I didn't like the results, so I began moving the HID bulb in & out while it was lit on the bench. I was able to observe how positioning the bulb slightly further back in the socket dramatically improved the light output, focus and sharpened the cut off line.

I do not know if moving the HID bulb in or out when using a factory reflector style headlamp will have the same result.

Hopefully that clears up any confusion regarding the "spacer".

Best,

Brad