educate me on HID.xenon aftermarket lights

[Jetboy]

Here's my deal

I would love to have better lights for offroad/backroad driving. I don't like most light bars visually. I don't like having wind noise of lights on the roof. I DO like having my driving lights on the roof. In a perfect world I'd love to have a set of BAJA style lights on the roof rack light wise, but I don't want the rack or the lights wind/drag wise.

So... I'd like to use the brightest and smallest lights out there and mount them inside a custom housing that fits inside the OEM 5th gen roof rack end cap - or possibly make a special end cap in fiberglass that is slightly wider to the inside and/or outside to fit my lights. Think putting a left end cap next to a right side end cap here. Then having either 2 or 4 total xenon projectors up there. For offroad use of course. I think the light would equal or best most light bars and be much more aesthetically pleasing to me. Or comparable LED projector lamps would work too. I'm not set on HID. But I am set on physically small and very bright lights.

I have lots of experience fabricating stuff - and a big CNC router that I can make parts on. That's no problem.

What I'm curious about is what aftermarket HID/xenon light sets are the best value. I'd rather not spend $500 per light, but also don't want something that will fall apart in a year. What are the best brands that people like? Should I just take some from an OEM application?

 

[doro89]

What about flood lights? Either in bumper or by the windshield/hood?

 

[JSparky]

I'm not sure what the dimensions are offhand but those are going to be some compact lights. First thing that comes to mind would be a small aftermarket projector like a Mini D2S. That's a bi-xenon but you could remove the cutoff shield to have them be full-time high-beams. I retrofitted those into my 80 and can attest to their output. The problem would be fabricating an enclosure to keep them mounted, those are designed to be inside a headlight assembly so you'd need some sort of mounting box for them.

Second would be Hella Micro DE projector driving lights. They make a xenon version but they're quite expensive, I've read people having good luck with installing plug-n-play hid bulbs into them. They're a self-contained housing so you could just bolt them anywhere. I use their fog variant and liked them a lot, very flat cutoff for a fog.

I've had great assistance from Susquehanna Motorsports over the years, I may suggest giving them a call and let them know what you're trying to achieve, they know a lot about light. I'm unsure how the output would compare to some of the latest LED pod/bar modules, I do know the budget LED stuff often pale's in comparison to the higher end stuff. A lot of bikers use the micro DE so there's aux mount's available already.

To be honest, considering the fabrication, wiring, and overall planning, you may get more bang for your buck with a grill-mounted LED bar or the Baja Designs kit that swaps out your factory fogs for BD Squadron's. I know you've got tons of fabrication experience but just thought I'd throw it out there.

Edit: the Hella's are a magnesium housing so they can take he heat of hid's. This is a pic of them mounted to an aftermarket bracket for motorcycles.

 

[philsey]

Spend some time over here:

https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/

Given your space constraints up top, I think finding room for the HID ballast will be a big challenge.

You might consider this: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/p...-led-morimoto-m-led-headlight-projectors.html

I was told by Lightwerkz that it would fit (retrofitted) in my headlight, which makes it rather small. Plus it's all self-contained. I got some wall shots and it also has a very concentrated hot-spot.

I have to wonder how you'd weatherproof whatever you do up there though.

If I wanted some badass driving lights, I'd mount a couple of these bad boys in my grille. Frankly, I think it'd look lots better.

http://lightforce.com/product/genesis-210mm-professional-driving-light/

EDIT:

So... I'd like to use the brightest and smallest lights out there ....
.....But I am set on physically small and very bright lights.

These criteria pretty much mean LED IMO.

 

[JSparky]

Spend some time over here:

https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/

Given your space constraints up top, I think finding room for the HID ballast will be a big challenge.

You might consider this: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/p...-led-morimoto-m-led-headlight-projectors.html

I was told by Lightwerkz that it would fit (retrofitted) in my headlight, which makes it rather small. Plus it's all self-contained. I got some wall shots and it also has a very concentrated hot-spot.

I have to wonder how you'd weatherproof whatever you do up there though.

If I wanted some badass driving lights, I'd mount a couple of these bad boys in my grille. Frankly, I think it'd look lots better.

Lightforce

EDIT:


These criteria pretty much mean LED IMO.

I was thinking about the ballasts too, I figured you could mount the ballasts in the engine compartment and run a lot of extensions up there.. typing that makes me cringe though.

I used Retrofit Source projectors in my retro as well, went with D2s model though (different application than the 4Runner). Very happy with the projector performance. I also second the Lightforce recommendation, always wanted those!

 

[philsey]

...I figured you could mount the ballasts in the engine compartment and run a lot of extensions up there.
.....

Inclined to doubt this. I have never seen a ballast-to-igniter cable longer than maybe 18". There must be a reason ... I'm guessing it's the very high voltage the ballast creates to strike the HID arc.

I just don't see where there'd reasonably be room for all the ballasts/cables/connectors for a tidy install the way OP has envisioned. LED has way less junk.

 

[JSparky]

Inclined to doubt this. I have never seen a ballast-to-igniter cable longer than maybe 18". There must be a reason ... I'm guessing it's the very high voltage the ballast creates to strike the HID arc.

I just don't see where there'd reasonably be room for all the ballasts/cables/connectors for a tidy install the way OP has envisioned. LED has way less junk.

Maybe, I'm working under the assumption that as long as voltage drop is accounted for and everything is gauged right it should be ok, you're right though I've never seen it done either. It would seem impractical to me to run a bunch of thick gauge cable up there just for that when an LED setup could be had for so much less work. I agree entirely he should consider LED's, just exercising the options given the inquiry.

 

[Jetboy]

I've mocked it up with a flashlight in the location. I think it's not going to work. The problem is that the front roof rack cap is simply too far back on the roof. So the light is blocked by the front of the roofline and the light ends up shining too far down the road for any practical benefit. The lights need to be higher or further forward. I'm not inclined to do either. So... that would eave either the OEM headlights, something really thin that fits in the hood scoop cutout, or grill area lights.

Or some sort of pop up assembly that retracts when not in use. That's getting more complicated than I really want to.

Thanks for the guidance. Just won't work with the OEM rack location.

It would be cool if there was someone could make some sort of super LED that would just plug into the existing bulb location (with separate circuitry) that would have a 3rd setting that was something like 3 times as bright as the normal high beam. The OEM pattern is fine. It's just not bright enough at at night going fast in the dirt. Especially at late dusk. It's pretty hard to see far enough ahead to go very fast.

 

[Ed_C]

How about LED pods or small HID-equipped driving or pencil beam pattern (not fog) lamps in place of the fog lights?

Hella MicroDE's are nice lights, but they're fog lights and aren't easy to take apart to remove the cutoff shield. MicroDE Xenons are true driving lights but cost over $700 for the kit.

Hella has projector headlight modules for about $50 each Hella 60mm Projector Headlamp Module | Rally Lights - then put a 9005 HID kit with high-wattage ballasts.