How to improve driving lights?
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 745
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From: upstate New York
How to improve driving lights?
I'd like to get some opinions on something, I just installed Sylvania Silver Star H13 9008 lights in my 2010 f 350 , they are definitely an improvement from the stock driving lights however its still lacking something hard to describe its just so focused and narrow my F 150 seemed to light the entire roadway. Without going LEDs are there any other bulb manufacturers I could try, I do not want to go illegal I drive this truck every day to work and don't need the hassle of a questionable set up. One other question does anyone else agree the headlight should be the other way around why the directional signals on top and the driving lights are on the bottom I'll never know, in my FX 150 I installed Silver Star and really enjoyed the difference they made a much larger dispersion of the light with that larger reflector on the F150, especially at night on old country roads. One thing I'll give Ford the fog lights on this truck are a big improvement over the F150s fogs Well Any Suggestions Would Be Appreciated Thanks Again
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2007
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The only other option is to go with the hid kits, they are legal some places, I am sure they are probably not in new york. On my 2008 f-250 I took the turn signal light bulb assys. from the top socket and installed them in the yellow light bays in the middle of the assy. next to the parking lights, and installed an hid kit in the top bay for intermittent use. If you get the 6000k temp. color they don't look illegal like the blue ones. I hooked them up to an upfitter switch and only use them when I need more light like a high beam. That is a quick easy and effective mod. for lights, and costs less than a hundred bucks.
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 745
Likes: 10
From: upstate New York
thank you that sounds like a great idea, I'm just curious if anyone else has tried different bulbs the new Sylvania bulbs are great a much brighter white, it just seems so narrow wondering if there's a different kind of diffuser that would spread the light out in an oval pattern. One other thing is there something different about the 2010 truck versus 09 and back, I don't really hear anyone else complaining about the lights did they just change it in my year. And if anyone can mention a good manufacture of LED headlights it would be greatly appreciated I'm looking for road legal something reliable for everyday use without ballast problems which I here happens a lot with aftermarket LED lighting thanks again
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
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The beam patern is more about the lens and reflector than the bulb itself....
Would think u can go to a slightly higher wattage but I'd check with people that have done that with YOUR model and yr truck.... call a few vendors....
Two thing that helped both my 03 and 05 was a wiring kit to run the lites right off the batteries and just used the stock circuit to energize some selonoids....
that way the lites would get the full push of the battery not have to run with the lost power of the stock circuit....
and got higher wattage bulbs for my fogs....
when that wasn't enough, went with a small bull bar and two PIAA driving lites on a separate circuit/switch....
good luck...
Would think u can go to a slightly higher wattage but I'd check with people that have done that with YOUR model and yr truck.... call a few vendors....
Two thing that helped both my 03 and 05 was a wiring kit to run the lites right off the batteries and just used the stock circuit to energize some selonoids....
that way the lites would get the full push of the battery not have to run with the lost power of the stock circuit....
and got higher wattage bulbs for my fogs....
when that wasn't enough, went with a small bull bar and two PIAA driving lites on a separate circuit/switch....
good luck...
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,362
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From: Juneau, ALASKA
From what I have read and I plan on doing this to my truck. The wiring harness that you can buy that are a simple plug and play really increase the light out put. I don't have a specific one picked out yet but basically they run a wire from the battery to the light bulb and use the factory wiring to power relays that turn power on and off.
Are you at all interested in adding lights or do you just want the stock lights to be brighter?
Have you moded your foglights so that they stay on with the high beams?
Are you at all interested in adding lights or do you just want the stock lights to be brighter?
Have you moded your foglights so that they stay on with the high beams?
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
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Now YOU got some nice lites there !
mine hadn't started mating yet & just wanted to grow up to be like yours
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=25203&width=0
mine hadn't started mating yet & just wanted to grow up to be like yours
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=25203&width=0
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Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 745
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From: upstate New York
Well guess what my lights are as bright as can be, I asked the dealer about wiring the lights directly to make them brighter he looked at me as though I were insane he asked me why I was complaining about the lights he took it inside the shop and gave it a look over apparently I had a dead short in the trailer light box on the back bumper funny thing was I thought the dash lights were really dim I hope I didn't do any permanent damage he replaced the connection on the back of the bumper everything is perfect now boy are they bright LOL. I am almost tempted to put the stock lights back in and see what they look like, but the Sylvania's Silver Star are always an improvement I didn't think Ford would reduce light output that much I should've known something was wrong I couldn't believe no one else was complaining about the pathetic output of these lights goes to show you go with your gut instinct I'm just glad it's fixed take care and thanks for all the suggestions
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2009
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The stock wiring is really terrible. All to many people jump on the HID bandwagon, which is illegal in all 50 states, plus Canada and Mexico and all major European countries. HID conversions are unsafe and are a waste of money because they give a false impression of improving your night vision.
In contrast, all most setups need is to get more direct power to the lights by using heavier gauge wire and relays as opposed to running the lights through the high resistance of the headlight switch and multifunction switch. You can double the light output of most stock setups in wiring alone, not to mention the brighter bulbs you can get. As for poor reflector patterns, no bulb will fix a poor design. You can often replace lights with aftermarket ones, or with headlights from another year. Most the stock reflectors are pretty descent. If you have fog lights, they can fill in the areas that the headlights miss, if they are aimed correctly.
In contrast, all most setups need is to get more direct power to the lights by using heavier gauge wire and relays as opposed to running the lights through the high resistance of the headlight switch and multifunction switch. You can double the light output of most stock setups in wiring alone, not to mention the brighter bulbs you can get. As for poor reflector patterns, no bulb will fix a poor design. You can often replace lights with aftermarket ones, or with headlights from another year. Most the stock reflectors are pretty descent. If you have fog lights, they can fill in the areas that the headlights miss, if they are aimed correctly.
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: upstate New York
yes I know about the aftermarket lights, I was talking about the factory stock lamps from the day of delivery about three months at night the lights had been really dim it turned out the back bumper wire harness for trailer hook up was dead shorted and causing the entire truck lighting to look dark and dim tomorrow afternoon I'm going to reinstall the factory bulbs just to see what they look like and then reinstall my Silver Star I just couldn't imagine something on the back of the truck could affect the headlights quite shocking take care
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 153
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From: Palmer, ALASKA
The stock wiring is really terrible. All to many people jump on the HID bandwagon, which is illegal in all 50 states, plus Canada and Mexico and all major European countries. HID conversions are unsafe and are a waste of money because they give a false impression of improving your night vision.
Where are you getting your information from? There are TONS of people driving vehicles here in AK with HID's & I'm sure IF they were illegal they would be getting pulled over left and right!
Bleed Ford Blue
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,578
Likes: 157
From: Anchorage Alaska
i've been running them since '04 and never had an issue with cops(APD or AST) and in that time i've been pulled over a few times at night. if you have them aimed correctly they will NOT blind and give you tons of usable light output.
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 745
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From: upstate New York
Now for the million dollar question, forgetting about LEDs for one moment does anyone manufacture a replacement reflector assembly which puts the driving lights on top and directional single down below and would fit in the constraints of the F350 body design basically a new light assembly anyone know of any companies producing such a thing thanks
Posting Guru
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Hid's are not illegal in all states, and you will not double the output of stock lighting by adding an isolating relay and fog lights will not fill in the gaps, where do you get your info from? Hid's give you a false impression of improving your night vision? Do you even have any hid lights on your vehicle? B.S. .