Headlight and Fog Light Upgrade Suggestions

[gp55445]

I bought these https://headlightrevolution.com/2014-2018-toyota-4runner-low-beam-v-4-led-headlights/

Watch their YouTube videos on the comparisons they've done. I'm quite happy with mine and they work as advertised.

 

[aelarson]

I updated the low beams and high beams, haven't done fogs yet. But here is what I am running:

Low Beams: Morimoto 2.0 Stroke H11 LED's. Really like these so far. No drilling in the dust cap, all fits inside the light housing. Output is better than stock, nice crisp color. Bought from The Retrofit Source.

High Beams: DDM Saber 9005 50W LED's. These capture the power of the sun, the moon and the remainder of the galaxy and funnel it through the bulb...they are retina burning bright. Absolutely awesome light upgrade. Everyone who rides with me at night that has the opportunity to see the high beams thinks that I have a light bar. I disabled my daytime running high beams because 1) I think they look horrible, I really wanted just the amber running lights 2) these lights are way too bright to run full time, even during the day. Bought off Amazon.

Fog Lights: Will be upgrading to Baja Designs Squadron Pros...one of these days :shrug:


Just my $.02, best of luck deciding!

 

[BigTony]

I'm trying out 'Katana' H11 LED found on Amazon; they're reportedly quite similar to a popular v.4 option at a lower price point. So far so good I like them - bright with a clean cut-off. They do also fit behind the dust cover w/o drilling so that is nice.

 

[hrantvarozian]

I installed the Morimoto lights about a month or two ago and they came out nice. They are not by any means a light bar replacement, but it's an upgrade to the stock lights.

The HID headlights take a minute or two until they get to their full brightness but once they are warmed up they are real nice. The LEDs are instant and awesome.

My only concern right now is that the lights are hooked up directly to the battery. So I can turn them on at any time, even if the truck if off. And the truck no longer gives me a warning sound that my lights are on after I turn off the car and open my door.

Does anyone know how I can properly wire the lighting so that the warning comes on again?

 

[hrantvarozian]

Let us know if those LED highs flicker at all when running DRL mode op2:

They do not flicker.

 

[pointman]

What is the upside of the Morimoto's over any of the others like the Hikari? Reviews on Amazon don't indicate much, and overall reviews seem not so great. I want LEDs as to keep the dust cover intact. The Hikari's seem decent, but I can't seem to get them to align properly of having the cable pointing to 6 o'clock, with the LEDs facing 3 and 9. Any tips and comments appreciated.

 

[italbomber]

I just installed Opt-7 6000k led kit for my low beams. They are a nice crisp light. Big difference over stock. Next up..... replacing the fog bulbs to match.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ElectroBoy]

Why not try the “H11 to H9 & 9005 to 9011” bulb conversion?
It’s inexpensive and it works well. Lots of folks have done it. And you won’t get flashed.
Here’s the thread where the photos are posted. Post 122 & 123.

How To: Headlight Bulb Conversion (H11 to H9 & 9005 to 9011)

 

[msquared]

HID LED Retrofit Projector

This is the latest thread I'm seeing regarding headlight upgrades. I have a 2017 T4R here.

I've put different bulbs (Sylvannia SilverStars, 2Stroke LED bulbs, Phillips XTR HIDs) in my stock headlights before finally retrofitting projectors.
As of Feb 2020, the best and simplest retrofit I could find browsing & after talking with Caesar from Lightwerkz was the new Morimoto Bi-LED M LED 2.0. I was planning to retrofit some Lexus IS/GS350 projectors with DS2 HID kit but turns out these new LED projectors are brighter and wider than a D2S with 50w ballast. Output wise, lux is 471 a bulb? but I think the practical measured units for actual use are Candela at 73,000 for low beams.

Anyways, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Baseline wall:

Stock halogen headlights with stock bulbs:

Stock headlights with HID kit:
Morimoto HID H11 kit: 35W Ballast // Upgraded Phillips XTR HID 4300k bulbs
(I realized upgrading bulbs and ballast output was a waste of $$ at this point after plateauing my output. Real increase needed to change out projectors)

Retrofit projectors: (Morimoto Bi-LED MLED 2.0)

I gotta say that it was a PITA and took me a full day to complete with experience. That permaseal Toyota uses to seal headlights is no joke.

Couple links I could find regarding them.
YouTube
YouTube

Pic is right before I retrofitted the MLED 2.0 projectors. Running HID system in the stock headlights. Never had any blinding people problems as I made sure to aim my pattern lower than usual.

Overall, I still need to do more driving with the MLED 2.0 projectors but happy with the output and width. The cutoff is so clean that I do miss the little upward glare from the stock projector for long drives :heh:

 

[Srt4runner]

This is the latest thread I'm seeing regarding headlight upgrades. I have a 2017 T4R here.

I've put different bulbs (Sylvannia SilverStars, 2Stroke LED bulbs, Phillips XTR HIDs) in my stock headlights before finally retrofitting projectors.
As of Feb 2020, the best and simplest retrofit I could find browsing & after talking with Caesar from Lightwerkz was the new Morimoto Bi-LED M LED 2.0. I was planning to retrofit some Lexus IS/GS350 projectors with DS2 HID kit but turns out these new LED projectors are brighter and wider than a D2S with 50w ballast. Output wise, lux is 471 a bulb? but I think the practical measured units for actual use are Candela at 73,000 for low beams.

Anyways, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Baseline wall:

Stock halogen headlights with stock bulbs:

Stock headlights with HID kit:
Morimoto HID H11 kit: 35W Ballast // Upgraded Phillips XTR HID 4300k bulbs
(I realized upgrading bulbs and ballast output was a waste of $$ at this point after plateauing my output. Real increase needed to change out projectors)

Retrofit projectors: (Morimoto Bi-LED MLED 2.0)

I gotta say that it was a PITA and took me a full day to complete with experience. That permaseal Toyota uses to seal headlights is no joke.

Couple links I could find regarding them.
YouTube
YouTube

Pic is right before I retrofitted the MLED 2.0 projectors. Running HID system in the stock headlights. Never had any blinding people problems as I made sure to aim my pattern lower than usual.

Overall, I still need to do more driving with the MLED 2.0 projectors but happy with the output and width. The cutoff is so clean that I do miss the little upward glare from the stock projector for long drives :heh:

This is the exact thing I am considering to do right now. I ordered a new set of TYC headlights and plan on trying the retrofit myself. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind answering.

1.) Did you use any premade brackets to mount the M-LED 2.0 projectors to the headlights? I was looking at using these since it appears the mounting holes are the same as the Mled1.0

2014+ 4Runner MLED Brackets - Retrofit Brackets - Components

2.) What other wiring adapters did you need?

3.) Did you use a shroud to cover the sides of the projector and which one did you use?

4.) Did you use anything for the factory high beams?

I have a set of Lexus IS projectors I wanted to use and the only advantage I can see with them is the bulbs can be changed without taking the entire headlight apart again. If I was to use the IS projectors I cannot find any premade retrofit mounting brackets like the above.

The thing that makes me hesitate to go with the mled2.0 is the long term reliability is unknown. I watched a year down video of them and they appear to be a nice upgrade over the 1.0 and we'll made.

 

[msquared]

For sure, I kept gradually trying to upgrade my headlights every year and finally pulled the trigger on a retrofit. I think its also safe to factor in what you have available. I actually had a hard time finding IS projectors for a while so I just went with what the best projectors were at the moment. Now I have too many extra headlight accessories.
The warranty on my MLED 2.0 are good for 5 years, which I think I will outlast my needs if I don't get an itch to upgrade again.

Heads up I did buy everything at 20% as I waited for the holiday sale earlier this month.

1) I did buy the Morimoto retro-quik brackets. The $24 was worth it for me. I seen Biggu's post on his DIY retrofit (2014-2017 HID Projector Retrofit DIY) and I decided I did not want to spend more time on them if I could help it.
I do want to say I did make the mounting holes larger to make my horizontal plane a 100% for micro-adjustments. I did spend like 5-10 minutes modifying.


2.) What other wiring adapters did you need?
Depending on what system, HID/LED you go with, I just had to buy headlight socket adapters (H11 male ->9006 female) and high beam splitters. Which I see is question #4. That's it. The socket adapters may have been just for my application so I highly suggest you reach out to these headlight guys to ensure the materials and build sounds solid before you dive in. Caesar @ Lightwerkz or Matt @ TRS are who have helped me before.

3.) Did you use a shroud to cover the sides of the projector and which one did you use?
I didn't use a shroud. I don't think a shroud may fit around it. Stock projectors are 3", so are the MLED series and IS 350 ones. There is about a 1/8 inch gap around the 3" projector. Just test fit your lens since the stock shroud is mounted on the lens. I did have to adjust the height higher a couple times since it sat on the bottom of the stock shroud lens when test fitted. I must say I do see a little bit of the CNC stainless steel housing if I look really hard but other than that I could of sprayed it black if it really bugged me.


4.) Did you use anything for the factory high beams?
I bought high beam 9005 cable splitters for like $4. My projectors were bi-xenon so I was able to keep the stock 9005 socket with upgraded Silverstars for keeping DRL's on. I did attempt LED light bulbs but they do not dim like halogen bulbs. So I have x2 high beams, stock + bi-xenon shield down which is nice.


This is my first time with LED projectors so I need more drive time with them. I do enjoy the ease of less wires and 'plug n play' for this build.
Here's a run down of what I bought while using the stock headlights:
-MLED 2.0 Projectors
-2x H11 headlight socket adapters
-2x 9005 high beam splitters
-Retro rubber butyl sealant.
My grand total was ~$330 and about 12 hours from bumper removal to complete assembly & driving. I felt half the time was spent opening and cleaning the permaseal. TYC should be way easier though.

 

[uh0h50]

This is the latest thread I'm seeing regarding headlight upgrades. I have a 2017 T4R here.

I've put different bulbs (Sylvannia SilverStars, 2Stroke LED bulbs, Phillips XTR HIDs) in my stock headlights before finally retrofitting projectors.
As of Feb 2020, the best and simplest retrofit I could find browsing & after talking with Caesar from Lightwerkz was the new Morimoto Bi-LED M LED 2.0. I was planning to retrofit some Lexus IS/GS350 projectors with DS2 HID kit but turns out these new LED projectors are brighter and wider than a D2S with 50w ballast. Output wise, lux is 471 a bulb? but I think the practical measured units for actual use are Candela at 73,000 for low beams.

Anyways, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Baseline wall:

Stock halogen headlights with stock bulbs:

Stock headlights with HID kit:
Morimoto HID H11 kit: 35W Ballast // Upgraded Phillips XTR HID 4300k bulbs
(I realized upgrading bulbs and ballast output was a waste of $$ at this point after plateauing my output. Real increase needed to change out projectors)

Retrofit projectors: (Morimoto Bi-LED MLED 2.0)

I gotta say that it was a PITA and took me a full day to complete with experience. That permaseal Toyota uses to seal headlights is no joke.

Couple links I could find regarding them.
YouTube
YouTube

Pic is right before I retrofitted the MLED 2.0 projectors. Running HID system in the stock headlights. Never had any blinding people problems as I made sure to aim my pattern lower than usual.

Overall, I still need to do more driving with the MLED 2.0 projectors but happy with the output and width. The cutoff is so clean that I do miss the little upward glare from the stock projector for long drives :heh:

Nicely done!

 

[ride16734]

I installed Nineo H11 along with dual color switch backs in fog light housing.
cutoff is great with no glare to traffic.

 

[Jonny_04]

We often drive from LA to Kern River on Friday night so upgrading my headlights will make a drastic difference on visibility during the drive.

I want to focus on making the high-beams and the fog lights really bright. I wouldn't mind upgrading the headlights but I don't want to put anything in that will blind normal car drivers when my headlights are in their rear-view mirrors.

I was contemplating putting in a light bar but I just won't use it enough. I have a 3 year old so any off-roading I do is during the day.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.


Cheers.

i drive on hwy 395 about 15-30 times a year and haven't had any issues with the lights I'm running; go with HID for your low beam and LED for your high beam. i went with 35w 5500k morimoto H11 elite HID system and 2.0 LED bulbs

 

[atsprink]

Alpharex series thoughts?

Hey all,

Been a lurker for awhile reading the different threads on headlight upgrades. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the “AlphaRex 2014-202 Toyota 4Runner NOVA-Series LED Projector Headlights”? I did like the look of the Morimoto XB led ones but after reading about the issues I no longer want those. Living in Colorado driving through the mountains in the rain/snow I definitely need better headlight options. Thanks in advance for the help/suggestions.

 

[NB17Limited]

Hey all,

Been a lurker for awhile reading the different threads on headlight upgrades. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the “AlphaRex 2014-202 Toyota 4Runner NOVA-Series LED Projector Headlights”? I did like the look of the Morimoto XB led ones but after reading about the issues I no longer want those. Living in Colorado driving through the mountains in the rain/snow I definitely need better headlight options. Thanks in advance for the help/suggestions.

I have the Alpharex Luxx and just recently went on a ~3k mile round trip on the east coast. Encountered rain storms that were causing people to pull off the road and wait. The Luxx still lit up enough of the road I could see and keep driving. Occasionally had to turn on the BD squadron sport fogs to see well but I would not hesitate to put both those on a 4R again. IMO, save the few hundred from "downgrading" from the Novas to the Luxxs and spend that on not strictly street legal fogs.

 

[dajosh]

I went with Kustom54 AB6’s with the Morimoto MLEDs BiLED projectors. It lights up the road really well by itself. I also upgraded the fogs with Toyota OEM LED fogs (replaced BD Squadrons which I didn’t use much). The combination is amazing.

 

[mbm112]

Hey all,



Been a lurker for awhile reading the different threads on headlight upgrades. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the “AlphaRex 2014-202 Toyota 4Runner NOVA-Series LED Projector Headlights”? I did like the look of the Morimoto XB led ones but after reading about the issues I no longer want those. Living in Colorado driving through the mountains in the rain/snow I definitely need better headlight options. Thanks in advance for the help/suggestions.

I'm literally driving to Colorado right now for my vacation. I have the Alpharex Luxx's and they've been fantastic so far. Just went through a torrential storm in western Illinois that reportedly had 70 mph winds and had no trouble cutting through the rain combined with the newer style OEM LED fog lights.

I came out of a 2018 IS350 and I would say these are pretty comparable in performance. The output is nice and even and has pretty good width. My only complaint is the cutoff is a little sharper and deeper than I'd like so I had to raise them to cover more on the left.

OEM fogs add a TON of width and good foreground light. I tend to keep the fogs off when I'm on the highway to cut down on foreground glare and preserve distance vision.



Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[cb1111]

Long read but interesting and valid.

 

[atsprink]

I went with Kustom54 AB6’s with the Morimoto MLEDs BiLED projectors. It lights up the road really well by itself. I also upgraded the fogs with Toyota OEM LED fogs (replaced BD Squadrons which I didn’t use much). The combination is amazing.

Those look nice. I also upgraded the fog lights with the OEM LED ones as well. Thanks for the suggestion. I’m going to look at these.