Ditch Light Idea: HID Retrofit in PROJECTOR Housings?

[JSeligman2828]

Hi guys,

I am in the market for some ditch lights (to spot deer while driving through the mountains in the North Cascades) but am one of those people that have a hard time pulling the trigger. Between all the lighting options and my current price range I'm having difficulty figuring out what I want to do.

I am not too technically inclined but I'm a millenial, thus able to follow a youtube video and can recruit a generation y friend to do more of the mechanical work (you know, because they aren't lazy and grew up in the "good ole days" when one had to do their own work :blabla: ). These decisions led me to the HID Retrofit into offroad light idea.

I've learned that these type of lights are relatively inexpensive for the power that they give off, however they come with all the other issues that retrofitting HID's into reflector style housing has. I stumbled across Hella retrofits and KC Daylighters fyi. As I was searching I came across these

http://www.amazon.com/Projector-Race-Light-Triple-Bumper/dp/B00MGFHUF0

Now has anyone tried to retrofit HID into projector style off road lights? To me this seems like the best of both worlds and would finally give me the optimal lighting that i want at a reasonable price. I want to do this once and I want to do it right. My budget was around $250 which I know is being cheap ($50 for the brackets + $60 HID retrofit ebay bs and $70 per light). Since the bulbs in these lights don't matter and it's the housing I'm after I was thinking of trying to find a cheaper Projector style off road light but am having trouble.

What do you think? Has this been done before? Do I need to learn how to use the search button? tell me straight.

Btw I do search by going to google and typing in "site:toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/ xxxx" so I'm not the biggest noob out there.

roll tide

:thanks:

 

[COn4mer]

I am in the market for some ditch lights (to spot deer while driving through the mountains in the North Cascades) but am one of those people that have a hard time pulling the trigger.

You might want to keep it that way in case there are any game wardens reading this! :tsk: :hunter:

 

[cpark_12]

I would think those 7" lights would be a little big for ditch lights.

 

[paperchasin]

HIDs for ditch lights would be unnecessary and overkill IMO. How far away are these ditches that you are trying to illuminate? Keep in mind that HIDs require a warm-up time to get to full illumination capability and require many components that can be burdensome to mount/install.

From the comparison photos that I've seen regarding HIDs vs LEDs, I would say that current high lumen LEDs is the best answer for ditch lights. They illuminate very quickly, do not require extra components making them a lot easier to install (much smaller unit too), have sufficient throw, and last a very long time. Just my $0.02

 

[JSeligman2828]

You might want to keep it that way in case there are any game wardens reading this! :tsk: :hunter:

I don't mean i'm spot hunting deer, I mean to literally see them. The roads are windy, and it could be useful to see up to a mile down the road. Many times I'm driving on a road that is in the middle of 2 hills and deer will run down and into the road.

I guess "ditch" lights are the wrong choice. I like the brackets because they are out of the way and seem to be a better choice to reduce glare rather than putting them on the roof. I have read about the "warm up" time for HID lights and considered that a definite negative. I wouldn't be flashing these on and off but I imagine that it could be an issue.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

You'd be better off with some LED lights, no retro needed

 

[kevinpt]

people seem to like hid's in hella 500's

 

[JSeligman2828]

people seem to like hid's in hella 500's

That's essentially what i was going to do, but thought i could one up it so to speak by finding a projector style housing.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

 

[kevinpt]

That's essentially what i was going to do, but thought i could one up it so to speak by finding a projector style housing.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

i really dont know of any projector style off road lights that would be good quality without being overpriced.

 

[JSeligman2828]

i really dont know of any projector style off road lights that would be good quality without being overpriced.

That's what i figured. I was thinking if I had just the projector housing from a super cheap chinese manufacture it wouldn't matter because the HID light would compensate.

Thanks for the input!


EDIT**

would this work?

These http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-P...une-/260639974401?hash=item3caf5a6401&vxp=mtr or http://www.ebay.com/itm/Halogen-Pro...oad-/260645372622?hash=item3cafacc2ce&vxp=mtr

+ http://www.ebay.com/itm/55W-Xenon-H...131340008234?var=&hash=item1e94797b2a&vxp=mtr

? Obviously it's not a high quality bulb but in theory would it work?

 

[kevinpt]

That's what i figured. I was thinking if I had just the projector housing from a super cheap chinese manufacture it wouldn't matter because the HID light would compensate.

Thanks for the input!


EDIT**

would this work?

These Universal Projector Halogen Fog Lights Offroad 4x4 Dune | eBay or Halogen Projector Fog Lights Dune Dirt Sand 4x4 Offroad | eBay

+ 55W Xenon HID Headlight Conversion Kit H1 H3 H4 H7 H10 9005 9006 880 881 9004 7 | eBay

? Obviously it's not a high quality bulb but in theory would it work?

both those lights are reflector lights from what i see

 

[JSeligman2828]

both those lights are reflector lights from what i see

Thanks Kevin, good looks. Do you think there's anything in here work considering or is effort futile and I should just abort the mission?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=automotive&field-keywords=off+road+hid