Has anyone tried sanding down angles in 96-98 headlights

TejasRunner01

New member
So we know of course that 99+ headlight housing are a vast improvement in light output due to the lens not having the angled lines found in the 96-98 lenses. Is it is all possible to sand and buff these lines out? Post your opinions!

Thanks everyone!:cheers:
 

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Reflector bowl inside will still be smooth, so unless you're doing a projector retrofit, no real point.
 
Rockauto.com has 99 headlights for less then 50 for the set... greatest cheapest improvement you can make on a 96-98.. changes light output by far while looking cleaner/newer.
 
can you send me a link to the $50 for the set. I don't see that.

Thanks!

Look up 2001 4runner, they are there. Under 96 (mine) they only show more expensive options. Guessing the 2001s are cheaper because they are plastic instead of glass???
 
Look up 2001 4runner, they are there. Under 96 (mine) they only show more expensive options. Guessing the 2001s are cheaper because they are plastic instead of glass???

2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 3.4L V6 Headlamp Assembly | RockAuto

There is the link for the 2001 on Rock Auto. They are $35 a piece, I don't see anything for $50 a set. Considering that I only need the front lense I feel pretty silly spending $80 after tax on two lenses. I will be keeping the bowl from my 97.

So did we decide that it just won't work to sand down my current 97 lenses?
 
2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 3.4L V6 Headlamp Assembly | RockAuto

There is the link for the 2001 on Rock Auto. They are $35 a piece, I don't see anything for $50 a set. Considering that I only need the front lense I feel pretty silly spending $80 after tax on two lenses. I will be keeping the bowl from my 97.

So did we decide that it just won't work to sand down my current 97 lenses?

Aren't the 97 lenses glass? Can't sand glass lenses. I'm pretty sure mine are OEM glass. Maybe some were plastic...
 
2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 3.4L V6 Headlamp Assembly | RockAuto

There is the link for the 2001 on Rock Auto. They are $35 a piece, I don't see anything for $50 a set. Considering that I only need the front lense I feel pretty silly spending $80 after tax on two lenses. I will be keeping the bowl from my 97.

So did we decide that it just won't work to sand down my current 97 lenses?

You'll get poor light output if you keep the '97 bowl and install the newer glass since the '97 bowl is a smooth finish. The newer headlights have reflective lines in the bowl that do the reflecting, instead of the glass like in the older models.
 
2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 3.4L V6 Headlamp Assembly | RockAuto

There is the link for the 2001 on Rock Auto. They are $35 a piece, I don't see anything for $50 a set. Considering that I only need the front lense I feel pretty silly spending $80 after tax on two lenses. I will be keeping the bowl from my 97.

So did we decide that it just won't work to sand down my current 97 lenses?

I've tried sanding pits out of glass headlight lenses and using cerium oxide to polish them. DIDN"T WORK. The amount of time and effort it would take would be insane, if you didn't crack the glass. $80 for a set of headlights is cheap.
 
Has anyone put 99-02 housings in a 96-98 who can say for sure if housings alone make the headlights brigher? I'd be down with that, TYC's aren't pricey at all.

P.S. Rockauto has some really good bulbs for cheap!
 
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Has anyone put 99-02 housings in a 96-98 who can say for sure if housings alone make the headlights brigher? I'd be down with that, TYC's aren't pricey at all.

P.S. Rockauto has some really good bulbs for cheap!
I am sure they are brighter because they are being impeded. I purchased TYCs for my retrofit and they are awesome.

Sent from my Mi MIX 2S using Tapatalk
 

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