HID kits?

[GrandSport]

ok, My learning mode is activated... so bare with me... teach me what I don't know I don't know...

I'm thinking the same route as OP, adding one of the 3 following bulbs to upgrade my head lights... I don't like the DIY projectors, so I'm try'n to find something 'pre-made'.... if one was on the shelf... maybe consider it depending on price... but for now I'm considering the following...

A) $66 AuxBeam - (2PCS/SET) T1 SERIES H4 TEMPERATURE CONTROL LED HEADLIGHT BULBS

B) $88 AuxBeam - (2PCS/SET) W SERIES H4 HI-LO BEAM LED HEADLIGHT CONVERSION BULBS

C) $99 PIAA - H4 (9003) High Output LED Bulbs 6000k Twin Pack

I'm considering just plugging these into the housing, and enjoying... but I do want to be safe... I don't like how dim my 99 bulbs are, they can be better... I've replaced to 2001 bulbs, but they are the same...

what do I "don't know?" about this swap?

edit: 7000, not 700 lumens :lol: So 3500 each. Too early, no coffee. That's a ton. Not sure I believe that. Standard H4 is like 1400.

I'm curious what the output is on those PIAA bulbs. How many Lumens. I trust them more than "auxbeam"

double edit: Seems about right, though a bit high. LED puts out about 80-85 lumens per watt. So if that's 35 watt, 3000 is still really ambitious, but still a lot more than 1400.

 

[I_bRAD]

what do I "don't know?" about this swap?

Ever tried to start a fire with a magnifying glass? Picture this- you've got the lens oriented as needed to focus it. Now fix the position of the magnifying glass and put a different sun in a different place. How's your fire going?

 

[GrandSport]

+1 the beam pattern is everything. You're way better off with crappy output and a good focused pattern than a really bright bulb that just dissipates it everywhere.

 

[Twan]

I can explain in one pic why a retrofit is worth it. Keep in mind, this is before proper aiming, and I was just testing output.

 

[SnowLizard]

How do you know it's going to be out of focus?

My 1965 mustang had 7inch round headlight housings... added HID bulbs and ballasts that came with their own lenses/glass, worked great and pattern was more tuned than your un-focused picture. but that's not using the stock lense, which the 4runner has... so my next thought is as follows...

My thought/theory would be get something that was 'made' for the 4runner... the AuxBeam site let me select my vehicle/make/yr, those are for the 4runner... How do you know they won't be in focus??? would you not think they thought of that? and possibly designed with that in mind the light pattern?

ok, so ALL H4 bulbs won't be focused, have to get something to help focus (projector), but if a company says it's for my application, shouldn't they have them in focus with my specific vehicle? (light bulb design?)

still learning, not say'n I didn't consider it all, but I have considered the above... hence I want something 'out of box' 'ready to fly' 'turn key'... keeps me safe, and others.

IF I can't just plug in the auxbeam or piaa, and have it illuminate properly, what is out that will give the proper beam, without the DIY projectors?

 

[Wedgy]

I'm not saying that none of the LED's work but part of the problem is getting the multiple sided lights to focus as a beam, they tend act more like a flood light. You could put a piece of duct tape over the top half of the lens and it would still shine in a flood pattern into oncoming traffics eyes, not like the garage picture with the dog

 

[I_bRAD]

How do you know it's going to be out of focus?

My 1965 mustang had 7inch round headlight housings... added HID bulbs and ballasts that came with their own lenses/glass, worked great and pattern was more tuned than your un-focused picture. but that's not using the stock lense, which the 4runner has... so my next thought is as follows...

My thought/theory would be get something that was 'made' for the 4runner... the AuxBeam site let me select my vehicle/make/yr, those are for the 4runner... How do you know they won't be in focus??? would you not think they thought of that? and possibly designed with that in mind the light pattern?

ok, so ALL H4 bulbs won't be focused, have to get something to help focus (projector), but if a company says it's for my application, shouldn't they have them in focus with my specific vehicle? (light bulb design?)

still learning, not say'n I didn't consider it all, but I have considered the above... hence I want something 'out of box' 'ready to fly' 'turn key'... keeps me safe, and others.

IF I can't just plug in the auxbeam or piaa, and have it illuminate properly, what is out that will give the proper beam, without the DIY projectors?

In the mustang example, you replaced the entire unit. The light source, reflector and lens work as a system. In order for it to work properly they have to be designed to work with each other.

I would put money on the fact that the auxbeam bulbs are designed for a 4runner as much as it will fit in an H4 hole. No more. It even says on the PIAA product specifically "not FMVSS 108 compliant" Which is a roundabout way of saying "this product is not street legal" without saying it directly and losing a sale.

The only light source that will give a legal output for sure is a 55W H4 halogen bulb

Now some of the fancypants ones try to mimic a halogen light source and that's likely better but it's still trying to approximate a glowing filament in a certain orientation with several point sources.

 

[SnowLizard]

so the consensus is as follows... no one 'really' knows but speculates it will probably blind other motorists because of the housing.

 

[I_bRAD]

so the consensus is as follows... no one 'really' knows but speculates it will probably blind other motorists because of the housing.

I would say the consensus is that it will be illegal for sure, and if you get lucky it MIGHT be acceptable, but probably not.

The only light source that will give a legal output for sure is a 55W H4 halogen bulb.

A projector retrofit would give you an acceptable beam pattern, but would also be illegal.

 

[Twisted Sid]

Without any doubt, they will blind other drivers.
The housing are not designed to use that kind of light source. I just removed led bulbs from my sister's car because they just scatter light everywhere but forward. Put stock bulbs back in and light went down the road where it's supposed to go.

 

[Scramble]

They don’t look awesome, they make the truck look bug eyed!!!

Agreed, the bug eye look is retarded.

The dual projectors with the chrome housing looks more factory than one big bug eye. There is a guy on E-Bay who sell's a projector housing that looks factory but you need to supply the guts (or the guts are crap & you replace with morimoto's cant remember) I'm pretty sure it was [MENTION=74071]Brilliant[/MENTION] that bought & modified them. Had a thread about them so look it up.

I agree with the others. Get good bulbs for the factory housings & add add some driving or fog lights like PIAA. I can see plenty at night. 4" PIAA's in the bumper & 6" on top.

 

[octanejunkie]

You know what else doesn't look "natural" on 3rd gens?

Aftermarket bumpers, halos, light bars, satoshi grilles, winches, bug deflectors, D-ring shackles, 6" fog/driving lights and other things that get your sister pregnant :ban:

 

[Jungoes]

so sick of these threads, oh my brotherin laws sister who has a roommate that banged an engineer who worked with hella as an intern and then screwed a guy who works with a HID manufacturer said the housings were not designed for blah blah ........foghart bullcrap:violin:


I have drop in projector housings with 55watt HIDS for more than 5 years and never for a day regretted it.. saved me more than enough times with wildlife lurking on the side hoping for a quick suicide and enough to dazzle the crap out of idiots with hids in normal headlights blinding me.

I tested my lights and I know i don't blind any oncoming drivers as my lights are focused properly.

to each his own.. I will take my bug eye look over some retarded led drop in's or stock headlights.

:50cal:
rant off*

 

[Scramble]

You know what else doesn't look "natural" on 3rd gens?

Aftermarket bumpers, halos, light bars, satoshi grilles, winches, bug deflectors, D-ring shackles, 6" fog/driving lights and other things that get your sister pregnant :ban:

Since your truck is Green it looks more like a frog than a bug. :tongue:

 

[Tyler James Inc]

Gotta love forums [emoji23]
So- as far as what guys' are saying about HID's blinding everyone- there is definitely some truth to that. It's also completely different from the kit in your Supra with projectors, so you can't compare the two. That being said, you can find a video on YouTube that The Retrofit Source made on comparing PnP HID kits, LED, halogen, and a proper projector in a Tundra housing. It's a great video, and the results would clearly surprise some guys here. The PnP HID performed surprisingly well, and the scatter wasn't bad at all. It's a good watch, but that also doesn't mean a PnP HID will perform the same way in our housings. I can't say that I would recommend the PnP route, and they DO typically scatter light all over the place- largely into oncoming drivers eyes.
LED headlights are trash. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn't understand what a good headlight setup should look like and accomplish. They have a beautiful crisp white color- and that's where their performance comes to a screeching halt. They scatter the light badly, and they don't throw the light very far down the road ahead at all.
Your BEST options are as follows-
1) A good halogen- like a Osram Nightbreaker- bulb, with a relay harness to get all the juice to your new bulbs that they're gonna try to pull.
2) A proper retrofit. This gets my vote.
Yes, they're ugly. I completely agree. But they're easy to build if you use projectors like the Morimoto D2S 4.0 with their threaded shafts. The light output is incredible, and well worth the sacrifice in looks. [MENTION=95183]octanejunkie[/MENTION] brought up a good point- the Satoshi grilles are ugly too, but at least the ugly bug eyes have a purpose- and do a VERY good at that purpose! [emoji6]
I went with an OEM look the first time, and they looked pretty good. Much more my taste than the black housings many guys do. They could look even more OEM with a more plain shroud.

The second set I did all color matched. I like them better than the chrome set, and am very happy with how they came out. Still the ugly bug eye look, but- for the light output- it's completely worth it. The fog lights help them look less out of place IMO.

Whatever you choose, just have your girl drive the Taco oncoming to you, driving ahead of you, etc multiple times if you care what affect you're having on other drivers.
Keep up the good work man [emoji1598]

 

[Scramble]

I couldn't resist. :rofl:

 

[MN4runnerman]

I couldn't resist. :rofl:

Insert 4 wheel/4 legged drive joke here

 

[octanejunkie]

Insert 4 wheel/4 legged drive joke here

I can resist, but I won't

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[I_bRAD]

so sick of these threads, oh my brotherin laws sister who has a roommate that banged an engineer who worked with hella as an intern and then screwed a guy who works with a HID manufacturer said the housings were not designed for blah blah ........foghart bullcrap:violin:


I have drop in projector housings with 55watt HIDS for more than 5 years and never for a day regretted it.. saved me more than enough times with wildlife lurking on the side hoping for a quick suicide and enough to dazzle the crap out of idiots with hids in normal headlights blinding me.

I tested my lights and I know i don't blind any oncoming drivers as my lights are focused properly.

to each his own.. I will take my bug eye look over some retarded led drop in's or stock headlights.

:50cal:
rant off*

I don't think anyone has an issue with the projectors. It's putting LED "bulbs" into the stock lamp that people have an issue with.

 

[absalom]

I don't think anyone has an issue with the projectors. It's putting LED "bulbs" into the stock lamp that people have an issue with.

I was confused by his statement as well