Not long ago there was a thread here about JDM racing selling turn-key HID Projector kits on E-Bay for '08 (and other year) trucks.

This kit remedies the obviously lacking situation from Dearborn where they have not yet (nor have others) figured out that work trucks need more light and less draw (notice the increasing use of LED's and HID lighting on construction gear)

Here is the link to the album where the photos are posted:

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - pbeering's Album: '08 HID Projector Headlight Install

Here is the link to the E-bay site:
08+ FORD F250 F350 F450 PROJECTOR HEAD LIGHTS CCFL+LED:eBay Motors (item 110396850993 end time Jun-04-09 16:12:38 PDT)

Assessment:

The price point for the kit is pretty reasonable. For the $310 you get two complete lamp assemblies with all the bulbs installed. It is shipped in foam and arrived reasonably quickly. I would have preferred a direct transaction with the seller, but that isn't always an option on E-Bay.

The instructions that shipped with the kit were a lot lacking. No issue for us, but could be if you are unfamiliar with wiring. Our application involves a snowplow wiring harness, which adds a dimension of complexity, but no real hassle.

The kit is essentially turn-key. We remove the plug in favor a direct heat-shrink connection which tends to fail less in our application.

Since the '08 has no DRL, we tapped the CCFL (the fluorescent light rings around the fixture) (think Audi and BMW) into the marker light circuit.

I might like a bit heavier wire on the CCFL, but there is very little draw on this so no real issue.

Total install time was about 3 hours which included application of wire loom and checking all the plow relays.

The comparison is with 35W/75W pop in HID. There is more glare coming from the stock lamp assembly than there is from the projector assembly.

The projector has a good cut-off and impressive distance lighting, typically a deficiency of pop-in HID systems.

Since we carry no load in the summer months, we'll wait to fine tune the aim until we load up the truck with the snow/deicing gear.

Overall this was well worth the investment. Perhaps our friends will add this feature from the factory.....

 

I think more guys would be interested in this if they had put the HID lamps at the top of the housing. Every time I see an 08/09 coming down the road, my first thought is "what a hideous vehicle".

Good set of pictures, shows the difference well.

 

They can't put the lamps up top due to DOT regulations. All the manufacturers have had to mount the lights lower to avoid blinding the econo-boxes.

 

This is awesome! Just a couple Q's:
Cant gain access to ebay from my Gov't computer. Do they have this for the 06 F250/F350 Superduty (I have the aero headlights)?
Do the HID bulbs come in varying intensity (brightness)?
You mentioned your HID lights are 35/75 (watts I assume), is that for just the HID bulb, or is the HID a 35 watt(?) and the second light fixture is a 75 watt bulb?
What is the bulb # in the secondary position (the one surrounded by the CCFL)?

 

HID lamps are 35W, which is plenty. The difference is color temperature measured in Kelvin. Sunlight is 4600K Blue is 8000K I prefer 5000-6000K which is pretty close to true white.

The high beam is a halogen, not sure what wattage is because I seldom use the high beam. Most find that once you have HID you don't particularly need the high beam.

The vendor seems to have a variety of systems for various applications.

 

Looks like I screwed up.
Actually, the wattage #'s are misleading. Since wattage has nothing to do with light intensity (output), wattage is really the amount of energy converted to heat (I teach electronic fundementals for the Air Force) and since the HID lighting system is far more efficient than Halogens, their wattage is misleading. Again, sorry. But, according to you, the output with the HID is more than sufficient. Are the projectors adjustable, or is the entire assembly adjustable?
Thanks,
Spencer

 

It is possible to aim the headlights, since this is a replacement unit for the OEM, it aims the same way.

I have groused at Ford's engineers since the late 90's about HID and LED lighting, particularly for those of us who throw a big load against the electrical system. This technology is now ubiquitous so maybe they'll figure it out......

In our application the truck is set up to play in the snow, so it has little weight on it this time of year. I fiddled with the aim some last night by adjusting the airbags (handy to have the in-cab control for them)

 

Looks great Peter! Nice write-up as well!

 

So how come the other manufacturers have their lights up at the top of the fenders? Definitely higher than the Ford setup.

 

Just remember, if you buy projectors make sure the lens is glass not plastic. Made this mistake once. Huge waste of money and horrible light output!

 

So let me get this straight...the $310 kit on ebay is just the housing and is designed for standard halogen bulbs right? You still need to add on the whole HID kit also right? What kind of bulbs does it take? Just curious if it is actually approved for HID... I bought a halo projector kit for my F150 and it specifically said not to use HID. Those were junk as far as light output was concerned, and the cutoff was so sharp that the lights wouldnt even illuminate road signs well, or on an unlevel country road and you dipped down a little the lights would even let you see more than a couple car lengths ahead it seemed. I'd like to get something like this, especially if I can get it in black housing, but not if they are not designed for HID (especially the focus of the lense).

 

This is the whole enchilada. HID bulbs, ballasts, CCFL rings and all the wire. Remove stock, install these.

I was more interested in the projectors than anything else since HID bulbs and ballasts are easy to come by.

They are working very well. I am very pleased.