2018 LC200 High Beam Q

[UT08LX570]

This looks interesting, do you have any real world pictures side by side at night against factory? I'm guessing from the lens that that is a driving/combo SAE pod? I'll try to have a look at your posts and see if there's some info there, they look nice.

When they're all sealed up I'll be pulling out my lux meter do some some side by side comparisons. Ive also swapped out the low beam projector for a morimoto mled 2.0 so its got a sharper cutoff eith a bit better throw, and its own high beam (plus the additional BD pods).

Correct, SAE sport driving pods will be the final install in these.

 

[bloc]

Unfortunately, there is no way to upgrade the optics for the factory high beam or adjust them independently of the low beam since they are mounted to the same bracket.

Implication being all 16-21 US market 200s should have the same issue as Kurosawa?

 

[UT08LX570]

Implication being all 16-21 US market 200s should have the same issue as Kurosawa?

Everybody is going to interpret the output different due to eyesight and driving conditions but theres no internal differences between the years. Ive had 2016, 2019, and 2020 opened up. The koito high beams just aren't very heavy hitters imo.

 

[K9LTW]

Everybody is going to interpret the output different due to eyesight and driving conditions but theres no internal differences between the years. Ive had 2016, 2019, and 2020 opened up. The koito high beams just aren't very heavy hitters imo.

Once you get everything tested, I'll step in line for a solution if you go that direction. I have a '16 as well...and have nearly the same experience that Kurosawa has. The lows are amazing...love 'em. The highs are abominable. They barely illuminate any higher and it's distractingly dim. I actually have a dark band above the low cut-off and before any discernible "high" light throw. Definitely something I'll be remedying with additional lighting when we, finally, move out west.

 

[2021 LC200]

The 16+ low beams are great. The high beams not so much. One has to wonder though why you want the typical “sea of light” with high beams. Perhaps fast off-road or rally driving at night? If so I would fit aux lights and leave the stock headlights as is, since 90%+ of your driving time will be with low beams.

Whatever floats your boat of course.

 

[rscoleman]

I run monthly from Austin to Winnie TX. This time of year the Friday night drive starting at 6pm till 10pm is all in dark. I never even turn on the high beams cause the low are so good. I guess if I still lived in Western Colorado or some place much more remote I might want high beams but as it I never use them.

 

[40Man]

My low beams are so good in my 16 I don't really need highs. Best low beams on any vehicle I have owned. Added brighter fogs and the combo is great. I never get flashed by oncoming traffic, but I did adjust after lifting.

I do notice the highs seem to throw at a less than ideal angle.

 

[Kurosawa]

My low beams are so good in my 16 I don't really need highs. Best low beams on any vehicle I have owned. Added brighter fogs and the combo is great. I never get flashed by oncoming traffic, but I did adjust after lifting.

I do notice the highs seem to throw at a less than ideal angle.

Which fogs did you go with (SAE?) and did they add slightly to the throw of your low beams as well as the expected near field and peripheral fill? To add some context I never had this problem when living in a metro area but I'm many miles from a streetlight now and it's forest dark past that high cutoff of the bright low beam.

 

[UT08LX570]

Which fogs did you go with (SAE?) and did they add slightly to the throw of your low beams as well as the expected near field and peripheral fill? To add some context I never had this problem when living in a metro area but I'm many miles from a streetlight now and it's forest dark past that high cutoff of the bright low beam.

Fogs will not add to the throw when properly aimed. They will actually hurt distance vision because of the added light up close will force your eyes to adjust near field. They can add good width if an sae fog pattern is used. Diode dynamics ss3, morimoto 4 banger, baja designs squadron fog, in that order, have the tightest and widest fog patterns. Baja Designs had the redo their sae setups a couple years back due to crazy light scatter, they are better now but not as good as the other two brands.

 

[40Man]

Which fogs did you go with (SAE?) and did they add slightly to the throw of your low beams as well as the expected near field and peripheral fill? To add some context I never had this problem when living in a metro area but I'm many miles from a streetlight now and it's forest dark past that high cutoff of the bright low beam.

I put in Stedi fogs with DRL halos. They brighten the area low and close in as factory fogs are supposed to, just brighter than the factory fogs. Wired mine so the drl halos stay on when the headlights are off. I have mine in a bull bar setup, but I'm pretty sure Stedis can fit in the factory location, may require a bracket. Stedi has changed their offerings since I purchased mine.

 

[FJRanger]

Unfortunately, there is no way to upgrade the optics for the factory high beam or adjust them independently of the low beam since they are mounted to the same bracket. I designed plug and play brackets that replace the factory high beam with a Baja Designs squadron pod. This set is waiting for me to have time to finish them up before posting for sale. I havent seen anything else out there outside of aux lighting.

View attachment 4041981

View attachment 4041982

Are you still putting this type of setup together?

 

[UT08LX570]

Are you still putting this type of setup together?

Yessir. Still have this same set nearly finished on the bench. Got pushed to the back burner for other projects to come out. Brackets are fully done, just havent finished up that build for final photos.

 

[FJRanger]

We may have just passed through your neck of the woods returning from Western Colorado and my folks property.

As many have already stated, the highbeams for these leave a lot to be desired. I could say they are marginal for the canyons. However, for open highway and rural back country roads they are horrendous. My eyes are constantly straining to see beyond the hi beam projection of light and out running them is very easy, even at the speed limits.

@UT08LX570 Great approach to helping solve the issue.