For the most part I agree with you. I'm only stating my opinion and experience for others to evaluate on their own. Isn't that the whole point of this forum? 
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Lighting upgrade
- Thread starter Spike555
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DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
Completely! And that's what makes this such a great place!For the most part I agree with you. I'm only stating my opinion and experience for others to evaluate on their own. Isn't that the whole point of this forum?
Just felt the need to clarify and explain some things, but good to know we mostly share the same opinion.
What about something like this? High Beam: 9005 LED Headlight Kit | XenonHIDs.com
A buddy and I have something similar to those for our high beams, they work great!
Luke111
Supporting Vendor
Do they still work as a daytime running light?
- Thread starter
- #26
My LED's do, only not as bright as the high beams because they run at a reduced power.
I am not interested in the high beam kit. Do they sell a regular kit for nighttime lights?
Luke111
Supporting Vendor
Can you show an output shot with the high beams on?
I am buying the OPT7s for my 01 LC tomorrow. I have them in my new Tacoma and they are great!
I did some experimenting on my own to see what was true in a test situation.
My experience so far is that LEDs will perform slightly better than halogens in a stock housing from a distance perspective but far out perform halogens from a brightness and overall lighting perspective (width and height of beam). HIDs will likely outperform LEDs due to taking better advantage of the old (meant for halogen) housings but with deficits I am not willing to settle for (life of bulb). Neither LEDs or HIDs are perfect in a stock housing but I am unwilling to pay for an LED headlight housing when I can solve the problem another way.
I have a set of PIAA 520 driving lights I been using since 2010. I am using the PIAAs in conjunction with my new LED headlights. The PIAAs have aways reached further than my stock halogens and still do. I just replaced the bulbs so the reach is pretty mind-boggling again but very narrow. With the combination of LED headlights and PIAA 520s I have a better lit pathway when off-road (brighter, wider and taller due to the LEDs) and much further than any halogen with my PIAA 520s. The HIDs MAY out perform my PIAA 520s from a distance perspective but probably not in a stock housing. As it stands, I cannot see any further than my 520s can illuminate. My distance vision is 20/13 and that means nobody else can see much further than I can so HIDs become a mute point when deploying the correct combination of driving lights.
Supporting photos in the next couple of days showing stock halogens vs. LEDs and then LEDs with PIAA 520s with the ultra white plus bulbs.
Sometime soon I will purchase LED driving lights which I'll mount on my ARB front bumper. They will be set to come on with my brights. I will also purchase a roof-top rack where I'll install a very bright LED light bar for use off-road.
This combination will make the entire discussion of HIDs even more of a mute point. The previousl PIAA bulbs lasted 7 years and the LEDs should last much longer based on current studies.
Here are the HID lights I purchased (best sellers on Amazon Prime). They have very high lumens:
HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -HB3(9005),CREE XHP50 9600lm 6K Cool White,2 Yr Warranty
HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -HB4(9006),CREE XHP50 9600lm 6K Cool White,2 Yr Warranty
My experience so far is that LEDs will perform slightly better than halogens in a stock housing from a distance perspective but far out perform halogens from a brightness and overall lighting perspective (width and height of beam). HIDs will likely outperform LEDs due to taking better advantage of the old (meant for halogen) housings but with deficits I am not willing to settle for (life of bulb). Neither LEDs or HIDs are perfect in a stock housing but I am unwilling to pay for an LED headlight housing when I can solve the problem another way.
I have a set of PIAA 520 driving lights I been using since 2010. I am using the PIAAs in conjunction with my new LED headlights. The PIAAs have aways reached further than my stock halogens and still do. I just replaced the bulbs so the reach is pretty mind-boggling again but very narrow. With the combination of LED headlights and PIAA 520s I have a better lit pathway when off-road (brighter, wider and taller due to the LEDs) and much further than any halogen with my PIAA 520s. The HIDs MAY out perform my PIAA 520s from a distance perspective but probably not in a stock housing. As it stands, I cannot see any further than my 520s can illuminate. My distance vision is 20/13 and that means nobody else can see much further than I can so HIDs become a mute point when deploying the correct combination of driving lights.
Supporting photos in the next couple of days showing stock halogens vs. LEDs and then LEDs with PIAA 520s with the ultra white plus bulbs.
Sometime soon I will purchase LED driving lights which I'll mount on my ARB front bumper. They will be set to come on with my brights. I will also purchase a roof-top rack where I'll install a very bright LED light bar for use off-road.
This combination will make the entire discussion of HIDs even more of a mute point. The previousl PIAA bulbs lasted 7 years and the LEDs should last much longer based on current studies.
Here are the HID lights I purchased (best sellers on Amazon Prime). They have very high lumens:
HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -HB3(9005),CREE XHP50 9600lm 6K Cool White,2 Yr Warranty
HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -HB4(9006),CREE XHP50 9600lm 6K Cool White,2 Yr Warranty
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
Is this on an LX? If so, please also post here: LX Headlight Upgrade Database
Luke111
Supporting Vendor
You may not need LED driving lights if your PIAA"s open up like the IPF XS900. I purchased a 55w internal ballast conversion kit on eBay AU
Scroll down on this page and when you get to the output shot you can see a fence at the end road. That fence is on the far side of a four lane road..
New 80 In Virginia
Update:
I have opted to return the Hikari lights. LEDs don't work in stock housings - the light scatters. I am going back to halogens. Ordered PIAA 19615 9005 (HB3) Xtreme White Plus High Performance Halogen Bulb, (Pack of 2) and PIAA 19616 9006 (HB4) Xtreme White Plus High Performance Halogen Bulb, (Pack of 2). With the PIAA 520s I should have plenty of driving light power. I plan to add a 25 inch light bar to my ARB front bumper for off-road driving.
Those "white" halogen bulbs have covers or coatings on the bulb to give the whitish hue and have a reduced output over the regular bulbs.
The most informative writeup on halogen bulbs and upgrades are detailed here:
Ryan's guide to: Halogen bulbs - HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum
You can upgrade the 9005 high beam bulb to a 9011 with a slight trim of the 9011 bulb tab for significantly more output. also, I noticed you are buying 9006 bulbs. the LX uses a H1 bulb for the low beam. The LC uses 9006 bulbs for low beam.
Ryan's guide to: Halogen bulbs - HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum
You can upgrade the 9005 high beam bulb to a 9011 with a slight trim of the 9011 bulb tab for significantly more output. also, I noticed you are buying 9006 bulbs. the LX uses a H1 bulb for the low beam. The LC uses 9006 bulbs for low beam.
I am looking to upgrade my headlight bulbs, would like something thats along the lines of my fogs for the low beams. Ryan recommends the 9011 regular phillips and the Vostra +30 HIR2 for the 9012. Will these 2 different bulbs be a similar color? Should I just go Phillips for both? Light newbie! I like my fogs and they are bright, should my low beams "match" them? Here is what I have for fogs, thanks for any input!
LEDKINGDOMUS 2 X 27W Spot Beam High Power LED Work Light Round LED Pods 2700LM Headlight DRL Fog Lamp Offroad
LEDKINGDOMUS 2 X 27W Spot Beam High Power LED Work Light Round LED Pods 2700LM Headlight DRL Fog Lamp Offroad
- 9pcsx3w High Intensity Leds,Total of 27W at 7,000K Color Temperature,More Brighter
Sylvania Ultra's suck, they don't produce that great of a light and they burn out quickly. If you want some good lights, hit up Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply. He'll point you in the right direction, email link is at the bottom of the page.
He'll tell you the best light for the housing w/o impacting other drivers.
I wound up replacing the Sylvania lights with PIAA bright white's. They light up extremely well. I also have a set of the PIAA 520's and I just added a light bar so I am set on lighting. This combination is awesome. The PIAA 520s light up an incredible distance and the light bar lights up a couple of football fields. I was on a hill recently overlooking a sports park late at night and this light combination lit up 4 baseball fields.
Daniel gave me some great info and recommendations, I am going to purchase the bulbs he recommended and will post back here with pics!
