I agree factory leveling is ideal, but trying to compare the occasional circumstance where you might “flicker glare" another driver (due to a bump in the road or entering/exiting a drive) to an HID bulb in a reflector housing that is always producing glare is a weak argument. Maybe my '01 Powerstroke 4x4 Excursion has a smoother ride than yours...I dunno...

Just tonight I was driving home on I-20 West of Fort Worth and was treated to the obnoxious glare of an F250 running HIDs in his factory headlamps. I would have much preferred he had used projectors for his setup and endured the off chance of a “flicker” of glare as he crossed that bridge transition/hump in the road rather than being blinded for several seconds until he passed by.

BTW, I didn't flash him, but I should have. To each his own I guess...

Best,

Brad

 

Ahhh yes.... MUCH clearer Brad, thanks for that!!

Sometimes when having to "space" a bulb, a hot glue gun... and metal washers helps. I know you said the high-temp O-ring is working... so I thought I'd share (I use this method in spotlights, but they don't have as much vibration as a vehicle). I'm sure those o-rings will last quite a while as long as they can stand the heat, which shouldn't be too bad.

What was the cost for your aftermarket headlight bezels?? And which brand? ... which bulb types did they use? ... just curious (and sorry if you've already posted this info).

 

I cringe... and nearly want to back hand some of the installs I've seen, or been blinded by. I think education is key. Since too many sellers aren't even educated, let alone end user or installer on Glare or a blinding install. All too often, there's someone (just) wanting to "make a buck" and won't take the time to educate themselves or anyone in between.

... HID is my hobby, turned hobby 15yrs ago and now as a side thing for dirt-bikes (similar to my love for saltwater fish, so bad... that I started a business importing my own fish - to be able to afford them). So for years, I've seen the pattern go from pre PIAA Super Whites... to everything in between claiming Xenon... or "brighter" (even though just a 55W halogen bulb) just lightly coated blue. Now between marketing, hype, and lack of knowledge... I'm not sure which frustrates me more... it might be the 8000K and up HIDs on the road!

I enjoy seeing, and reading what people are doing these days... and reading that there's some thought behind the install(s). It's refreshing.

 

No problem. It seems there can be several conversations occuring at the same time within the same thread!

The headlamps were less than $300 shipped with two HID kits. This is a different seller than I purchased from, but the same headlamp:

2 SET HID 05-07 FORD F250 F350 HALO PROJECTOR HEADLIGHT:eBay Motors (item 330390639227 end time Jan-27-10 22:30:20 PST)

I believe they are H3 bulbs?

I asked for 6000K bulbs and have those in the headlamps now, but ended up ordering two more slim HID kits with 5000K bulbs. As mentioned by
Sbrennan earlier you can find cheap HID kits for less than $40-$50 shipped. At that price just buy a spare set or two!

Before this setup I was running a McCulloch set for probably four or more years without any trouble. So, that set of ballasts is my backup set in case one of my cheap sets fails.

Best,


Brad

 

Agreed. Your input has been helpful and certainly with 15yrs of HID background you have far more hands on time than me!

My next project is coming up with a HID projector retrofit for my '89 MKIII Supra. It has the 7" x 6" rectangle sealed beam headlamps. So far I've found these guys, but $1000 a set is out of the question.

Headlamp Conversions Rectangle

For that kind of money I can have a new fiberglass bezel made and painted to house an Infiniti FX35 or similar projector.

Best,


Brad

 

.... Brad.

Now go update the "install/buy" thread I just read (LoL).

 

Kudo's to you both for having an intelligent conversation with strong opinions and minimal poop throwing. Very impressed, and shows how true enthusiasts are open minded and willing to learn listen and admit someone may know something they don't. I wish a lot of professionals had the attitude you do.

 

Woody, can you help shed some light on those housings you got? It looks like there's one projector lens and one reflector. Does that mean it takes one single-element HID (for low beams) and then one H3 halogen next to it in the reflector for high beams?

 

Firekite,

Yes, the pair of headlamps I have require a total of four H3 bulbs. Two for the low beams and two for the high beams. The low beam is a projector housing and the high beam is a standard reflector housing. Each low & high beam has its own set of left/right - up/down adjustments, so you can adjust all four bulbs independently. This is a big advantage when aligning your light output & pattern.

The 2005 F250 aftermarket headlamps that I purchased (I list an EBay link above) do physically fit very well in my 2001 Excursion. All the edges and lines of the headlamp match up to the 2001 bodywork. I would even go as far as saying the 2005 style headlamp fits better in a 2001 truck than the 2001 headlamp!

You have to trim out a fair amount of the composite plastic behind the headlamp, but I did not need to cut any metal. Once you do this there is no going back to the 2001 style headlamp as you literally cut out the 2001 headlamp mounting points. However, you can always install a 2005 OEM headlamp at a later time if you decide you don't like the aftermarket headlamp.

You will need four screw clips and four screws as Ford designed the 2005 headlamp to mount differently than they did in 2001. These screws/clips can be found at any auto parts store by the hard to find screws & clips section or certainly at the Ford Dealership.

You will also need the 2005 turn signal and 2005 running light bulb sockets. The 2001 has a right angle bulb socket and the 2005 has a straight bulb socket. I think I spent about $40 for all four sockets at the dealership.

If you have clear turn signal bulbs you will need to replace them with the yellow/orange colored bulbs. These can be found at any auto parts store for a couple bucks a pair.

I also opted for the Brite-Box conversion harness.

Innova Design & Distributing, Inc. - The Brite Box, Bulbzilla / Fogzilla, Diesel Turbo Lifesaver, Eclipse Sun Sha

This kit keeps your low beams and fog lamps on when you turn on your high beams. The harness kit comes with relays to power all the lights with the additional power/amperage they need when running all of them at the same time. The Brite-Box kit wasn't cheap at $130ish retail, but I'm glad I did as it made wiring everything up a bit easier.

Enough rambling from me for now. Hope some of this information is useful.

Best,


Brad

 

I agree! ... nice to have an 'adult' conversation, without too many panties in a wad.

I read up on Brad's info and his retrofit, and he's doing a great job. It's lots of work, but he's open about it... and honest, which I find admirable. Not too many will tell every detail for fear of ridicule... as an example, after purchase of a costly headlight, having to replace the HIDs that came with it... modifying the harness, buying a brite box... shimming the bulb... etc.etc. I mean, no simple install, no easy 1-2-3. Hats off to the guy for such a good job, and such effort to see it through to the finish. Let alone posting about it all and explaining it. I'd drink a cold one with the man any day!

All I can do is give the guy props!
.... also, I think whichever way you go to add HID to a vehicle it's either expensive or a hassle. He's gone the more expensive (not the most expensive of course) do it yourself way, where a simple retrofit with quality bulbs is my way, with less hassle. However, per his "finished" pictures... I would say I have a bit more road glare. Not much, or not what you'd think to cause grief... but when put up against a wall, a definite difference.

I guess part of my thing with "Glare" is that some glare is okay.
If you have none... you can't see the road signs, building numbers, or street signs. Some of the complaints I hear are from OEM projector type owners... and they wish they'd have a bit more stray light to see such signs.

One reason I'm a strong believer in OEM, with high-end bulbs. But I'm also talking dual HID... not single HID. Single HID can be found very cheap... Dual HID is very critical to bulb alignment, spacing (as Brad knows), and length... as well as where the low beam pellet is in regards to the high beam pellet. So with a proper bulb, some glare or stray light... you can have a simple install, for a decent cost. And the results are just phenomenal.

Shoot... sorry... I got off on a tangent. I guess I'm a bit passionate about HID, and the time and research I've put into it. Pretty cool stuff it is!!

 

That's actually pretty cool! And allows for a lot of adjustment! ... do you also have the adjustment ability of the whole headlight housing??

 

Hey, guys, thought I'd throw some additional info in for those that are 'interested' in it.

In regards to the HID kits mentioned such as Phillips which tends to be a popular brand that folks will jump on as it's a 'known' name, you'll be very surprised to know that Phillips, the actually company that produces OEM, does not produce aftermarket. They have contracted with a company in China to produce and distribute 'Phillips' branded bulbs, of course with a fee back to Phillips for selling and marketing with their name on the kits. If you'd like, feel free to contact Phillips and ask them if they make or sell aftermarket HID kits.

I have the company, in China that produces them. The same goes for the other 'name' brand bulbs and ballasts.

Please believe me here, I'm just trying to do the same thing as Johnny is and that is assist and educate others that are interested in HID technology etc...

I thought I'd add a visual as to what Johnny and the others are talking about in regards to the pellet and it's position, and how it can differ from bulb type to bulb type.

To start, this is a standard H13 single beam bulb:


This is what is usually referred to as an H13-3 bulb, which is a single bulb that is pulled back to move the pellet into the high beam position:


And this is the type of bulb, typically referred to as an H13-4 bulb that is dual bulb. As you can see, this particular bulb has the pellets in the exact same location, which as Johnny has indicated doesn't really help much as the light output is coming from the same position on both bulbs:


I'll try and find a detailed picture of the type of 'staggered' pellet that Johnny is talking about for reference.

Additionally, the car that I have shown in the picture isn't mine. And yes, the proper way to do HID with a projector is with a leveling type, there are different types of leveling methods as well.

One will use a leveling sensor off of the rear suspension to adjust the height of the projector when the load in the rear of the vehicle changes and the other is actually a manual switch inside the car that lets you adjust it to the best position as will.

Two of my cars with factory HID projectors have this setup but my Z06 Corvette with projectors doesn't. I think the thought here is that the suspension is so tight that it's not going to move enough to make a difference. I'd probably have to agree with this.

Corvette projector:

 

Bam! My Acura TL HID projector, ballast, and bulb retrofit. To this day the best money spent on my old truck. Thinking about doing it to the new truck. These lights are still up for grabs.

 

And SBrennan sick Z06 bro!

 

oops. sorry, wrong acct.