This is the exact reason I went with a full retrofit (to get the best cutoff and control of light as I could) as opposed to possibly scattering light onto other drivers if I went with just a bulb replacement on stock projectors. I also purposely aimed my lights lower to prevent blinding other drivers, which is a must especially when you have a lift. I see way too many lifted trucks and SUV’s that don’t take the time to adjust their lights. It’s dangerous. I haven’t been flashed yet, and I don’t expect to.
Headlights suck
- Thread starter Ripper238
- Start date
This is the exact reason I went with a full retrofit (to get the best cutoff and control of light as I could) as opposed to possibly scattering light onto other drivers if I went with just a bulb replacement on stock projectors. I also purposely aimed my lights lower to prevent blinding other drivers, which is a must especially when you have a lift. I see way too many lifted trucks and SUV’s that don’t take the time to adjust their lights. It’s dangerous. I haven’t been flashed yet, and I don’t expect to.
jmickle11
New member
I traded in a 2010 FX35 for my 2019 SR5 Premium. I think the FX had HID from the factory so I'm slowly getting used to the reduced output. The lights on it were bright but not near as bright as what I'm seeing out there today. I rarely got flashed with them and would love to get the same setup in the 4Runner but I'm not willing to spend that much money and risk blinding people.
Chris In Milwaukee
New member
I put the Morimoto HIDs in this past weekend and re-aimed, but I did get flashed yesterday a couple of times. Apologies to those affected. I'll be tweaking that alignment some more. If it comes down to the point that the beam pattern of the adjusted lights makes them unusable for me while not blinding oncomers, I'll remove them.
Ripper238
Senior Member
The stock headlights are okay. But with options to make them better to help improve safety for all its only logical to try and improve them if one can.
People are not intentionally upgrading there headlights to blind people (I hope not). Not blinding others is part of safety while driving. Otherwise i would just run my brights all the time.
My Acura had one of the best stock HID set ups that were 100x brighter and better coverage than my 4R. They were far better than many of the upgrades suggested. Though it was stock i would get people flashing me now and then, and i sure as hell was not going to downgrade my stock HID lights just for a few flashing me.
It was down right dangerous in my 4R with the passed snow and rain storm on the highway. I could not see the road well or the sitting water on the road.
So with the majority of headlights blowing away the 4R i see no harm in trying to make them brighter while respecting others that have to see them head on.
A properly housed retrofit is fine or actual headlight swap like the Morimoto XB. Unfortunately most people do the drop-in HIDs which are not cool. I had to upgrade to something better because the headlights become basically useless in the early darkness, rain-filled pacific northwest evenings/nights.
I will say I have gotten flashed with the Morimoto XB headlight assemblies but that was only when I was towing with a 30-gal watertank-filled 2900lb travel trailer. Even with the weight distribution hitch, it was enough to tilt the front end enough to get some people to flash at me. Unfortunately, even OEM halogens will blind people under those circumstances.
I'm not going to re-aim my headlights every time I attach a trailer.
I didn't think "**** you losers" when I got flashed, I thought "sorry, there's really nothing I can do about this right now when I'm towing something that is set up about as properly as it possibly can be and it's dark as **** right now on these country roads."
In fact, the ******* in that situation was the douche in the jacked up full size pickup truck who thought it was proper retribution to turn on his lightbar in order to punish me.
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Ripper238
Senior Member
What full retrofit did you go with? That's my goal because i appreciate the important's of lighting up the road better but not blinding others.
Thinking something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Morimoto-Hea...22&keywords=morimoto+xb&qid=1575654798&sr=8-1
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I went with Kustom54 lighting LED retrofits.
I did the H9 mod last week and it really makes a difference! A well spent $15!
Blah blah. Just turn your eyes to the right for a fraction of a second, problem solved.
Axix23
New member
I agree. The stock lowbeams with the fogs are more than adequate lighting. Maybe bc I wear contacts? They are actually brighter than any of my other cars that came with halogen headlights.
Of course, the halogen color headlights make the car look cheap and not as cool as the other cars with leds.
John in NC
Member
Is that what you'd say to your wife/ sister/ mom?
After I wrote my rant yesterday I was blinded last night by a guy with super bright fogs and headlights. Not a fraction of a second, 25 mph speed limit plus a 4 way stop, lasted about 8 seconds. I laid on my brights.
Ok YOU tell me, what is your response when people flash you for your headlights being too bright?
If you don't get flashed ever good job.
thennen
New member
Yeah, because after all, nobody needs to see what's in front of him. The guy with super-bright lights is always right. Give him a break and look away.
Ripper238
Senior Member
Ok, since ill be doing more research for a headlight replacement what H9 bulbs should i be getting for my 2019 4R? Apparently there are a few? I just want the best.
This?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YMPN3...olid=12UK8YYKL4S69&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
This?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YMPN3...olid=12UK8YYKL4S69&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
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patkelly4370
New member
Maybe if you need headlights on public roads that are brighter than everyone else, you possibly shouldn't be driving at night.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Ripper238
Senior Member
That would make sense if the 4R replacement bulbs were brighter then everyone else's, but they are not. And just to note, all cars have brights so all cars need lights brighter than everyone else.
There is no question the 4R stock lights work, but they are by far the least bright compared to just about every other car i pass on the highway.
Also keep in mind people drive in different areas with different weather. Snow sleet and rain greatly changes the performance of headlights.
Right because no one has ever looked away for a second to look at their phone, change radio, check the nav screen, adjust the climate control, turn on the defroster and lived.
According to the preachers here, using your fogs makes you one of the bad men.
If the headlights were adequate, you wouldn’t need the fogs except in...wait for it...fog.
thennen
New member
Most of my encounters with overly-bright lights last much longer than a second.
Picked up a 2020 Venture today (dealer didn’t have any ORPs) and the headlights are in fact pretty awful. I’ve about driven myself crazy looking at lighting options so for anyone that has a set that they like, weren’t overly complicated to install, and have lasted for a while, can you please post up what you have?
Right now I’ve narrowed my options down to:
XD HIDs w/Phillips 4300 bulbs (heard bad CS?)
HR sv.4 (doesn’t throw well?)
Morimoto headlights (not sure if worth it?)
Last 2 cars had factory leds and this 4Runner feels almost like I’m driving with the lights off. I’m in a mostly rural area and drive a fair amount in the dark if that influences things
Right now I’ve narrowed my options down to:
XD HIDs w/Phillips 4300 bulbs (heard bad CS?)
HR sv.4 (doesn’t throw well?)
Morimoto headlights (not sure if worth it?)
Last 2 cars had factory leds and this 4Runner feels almost like I’m driving with the lights off. I’m in a mostly rural area and drive a fair amount in the dark if that influences things
