I see so many negative posts about HID's and KO2's...

[adaml]

I felt like I need to add a post so that when people search (because people search, right? :naughty: ), the good will show up along with the bad.

HID's - I read all kinds of stuff about glare and not "retrofitting" your housing and other cars flashing you and how you even set the Baby Jesus aflame if you install these wrong. I bought the Phillips HID kit from Xenon Depot. Followed the install they have on their website which is lifted from [MENTION=129593]MTN4RNR[/MENTION] on here (H11 HID Headlight | 2016 Toyota 4Runner HID). Install went just as described in the writeup and the hardest parts were just figuring out the mess of wires and then gently getting the bulb in the headlight. Other than that, the bulbs are GREAT and I LOVE THEM. I did have to lower them after the install by a few turns but I've never been flashed by another driver after lowering them and they're simply amazing.

KO2's - I read all kinds of stuff about flat spots, and balancing, and special Toyota cones, and road forces, and death wobbles, and the list just goes on. I ended up deciding it was time to ditch the Nitto Terra Grapplers that came on the truck after learning the hard way how horribly bad they perform in snow. After a lost of searching, I went with the KO2's and I got them from Discount Tire. They matched the lowest price I could find and paid me a decent amount for the old tires. I was in and out in under an hour and the tires are balanced perfectly despite NOT being road force balanced.

All that being said, it just goes to show that the unhappy people are always over-represented online than the happy people so don't be afraid!

 

[Vinsil]

Love my ko2's, balanced perfectly and do much better than the stock junk dunlops. They rock the snow!

 

[Foques]

I love my HIDs and my KO2s. not sure what you're reading..

 

[proimion]

I posted a non-judgmental, experience-based, reasoned essay about why I un-installed my HID kit. And I also am totally in love with my KO2s from Discount. So don't despair. You can find really good, balanced thought around here. And you can ignore the rest.

 

[Jaydub514]

Tell me more about how the Nittos were horrible in snow...

 

[PK930]

If you don't have a proper projector lenses for HIDs, then I think you're a douche for running them.

They blind oncoming drivers, and as a night driver, it is unsafe. Oncoming or from the back. **** you and your shitty HID job.

 

[ToyoDriver]

I'm sorry.

Do you think I was making up the fact that KO2s installed by discount made my steering wheel shake?

I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it - you didn't have any problems so the 400+ people polled here that did are irrelevant.

 

[SR5Bart]

Can't we all just get along??

 

[TRUSTYAXE]

Can't we all just get along??

No doubt!

I know nothing about KO2's but I do know I'm getting some Ridge Grapplers in a few months.

HID mods are usually more hacking than I like to do, you can get 5000K bulbs that give off a nice clean light without burning peoples eyeballs out of there sockets. I was driving my wife's car last night and a lifted Silverado pulled up behind us at a 4 way stop with HID's and you would have thought a UFO landed, I'm sure there is still a shadow of my skull burned into the front of her headliner. I can't believe PO's don't gig that.

 

[salong53]

You do see a lot of hate toward the KO2, but you see a lot of love for them too. They're a super popular tire, so there's gonna be a lot of conversation about them.

That being said, I love the way mine look and perform, but they are heavy (E load) and they have been tough to balance. Discount Tire has recommended that I just have them balanced every time I rotate them to prevent the vibration.

 

[Jhalko]

If you don't have a proper projector lenses for HIDs, then I think you're a douche for running them.

They blind oncoming drivers, and as a night driver, it is unsafe. Oncoming or from the back. **** you and your shitty HID job.

No reason to get personal with the guy. Plenty of ways to debate HID replacements being a bad idea without calling them names.

 

[Krayziekid]

Isn't it normal for people to be outspoken about things they don't like, and remain relatively quiet if they are satisfied? If a forum member has problems or issues with the KO2s or HIDs, they will likely come here to talk about it and give their negative opinion. But a person with positive opinions about HIDs and KO2s likely won't give their opinion out of the blue because there is no need to start conversation. Positive opinions/reviews tend to be given when prompted or asked. So maybe this is what you happen to be seeing on the forum [MENTION=145226]adaml[/MENTION] ?

 

[LawnDart]

Why did this even need to be a thread?

 

[spencenasty]

I felt like I need to add a post so that when people search (because people search, right? :naughty: ), the good will show up along with the bad.

HID's - I read all kinds of stuff about glare and not "retrofitting" your housing and other cars flashing you and how you even set the Baby Jesus aflame if you install these wrong. I bought the Phillips HID kit from Xenon Depot. Followed the install they have on their website which is lifted from [MENTION=129593]MTN4RNR[/MENTION] on here (H11 HID Headlight | 2016 Toyota 4Runner HID). Install went just as described in the writeup and the hardest parts were just figuring out the mess of wires and then gently getting the bulb in the headlight. Other than that, the bulbs are GREAT and I LOVE THEM. I did have to lower them after the install by a few turns but I've never been flashed by another driver after lowering them and they're simply amazing.

KO2's - I read all kinds of stuff about flat spots, and balancing, and special Toyota cones, and road forces, and death wobbles, and the list just goes on. I ended up deciding it was time to ditch the Nitto Terra Grapplers that came on the truck after learning the hard way how horribly bad they perform in snow. After a lost of searching, I went with the KO2's and I got them from Discount Tire. They matched the lowest price I could find and paid me a decent amount for the old tires. I was in and out in under an hour and the tires are balanced perfectly despite NOT being road force balanced.

All that being said, it just goes to show that the unhappy people are always over-represented online than the happy people so don't be afraid!

That was dramatic. I rarely see people complain about HID swap, or the KO2.

You post seems to be about good service at Discount Tire than it is about the KO2.

 

[veloindy]

Take it all with a grain of salt. You're reading posts from a very small group of enthusiasts that have lots of opinions. The HID's are fine, and my KO2's have been nothing short of spectacular.

 

[adaml]

Love my ko2's, balanced perfectly and do much better than the stock junk dunlops. They rock the snow!

https://s27.postimg.org/5tw0dm66r/IMG_0113.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

That's awesome! I'm taking mine out today to the exact same spot I got stuck yesterday with the Nittos. Can't wait.

[QUOTE="Foques, post: 2559054, member: 66994"]I love my HIDs and my KO2s. not sure what you're reading..[/QUOTE]

I'm not going to copy/past them but theres enough threads about how "bad" they are that I had reservations about getting them. I'm just trying to provide a data point for anyone else searching in the future.

[QUOTE="proimion, post: 2559068, member: 139232"]I posted a [URL="http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/225957-i-un-installed-my-hid-low-beam-kit-heres-why.html"]non-judgmental, experience-based, reasoned essay[/URL] about why I un-installed my HID kit. And I also am totally in love with my KO2s from Discount. So don't despair. You can find really good, balanced thought around here. And you can ignore the rest.[/QUOTE]

Great!

[QUOTE="Jaydub514, post: 2559087, member: 138581"]Tell me more about how the Nittos were horrible in snow...[/QUOTE]

I first realized it when I was driving the Sea to Sky in BC. I was driving along at speed with a lot of other cars and the weather/roads worsened as I approached Squamish and Whistler. Around one gentle bend, I thought I felt the rear come out a little but I wasn't sure. The next bend, the same thing happened only the truck stepped completely out on me. There was a lot of fast hands and choice words but I managed to keep it on the road. I slowed down for the rest of the trip but had the rear step out two more times on that drive. In the meantime, I was being passed by all manner of cars, all of which were having no problem whatsoever.

Another time was when I was driving to Steven's Pass in WA. As I approached the turnoff for the parking lot, I slowed to around 15 mph, put on my signal, turned the wheel right, and the truck just went straight. I barely missed running into the side of a Chevy 2500 who was pulling out of the lot. Again, nobody else was seeming to have the problems I did.

Now I know no tire is "good" on ice and I know an actual winter tire is going to be better than an AT tire BUT certainly some AT tires are better in snow and ice than others and it seems to be a consensus that the KO2 is better than the Terra Grappler.

[QUOTE="PK930, post: 2559093, member: 140271"]If you don't have a proper projector lenses for HIDs, then I think you're a douche for running them.

They blind oncoming drivers, and as a night driver, it is unsafe. Oncoming or from the back. **** you and your shitty HID job.[/QUOTE]

If you put HID bulbs in a reflector housing, I agree. However, the updated fifth gen 4R's have projector headlamps that accept the HID bulb just fine.

[QUOTE="ToyoDriver, post: 2559100, member: 144979"]I'm sorry.

Do you think I was making up the fact that KO2s installed by discount made my steering wheel shake?

I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it - you didn't have any problems so the 400+ people polled here that did are irrelevant.[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry if you think this post was about you but I honestly dont know who you are or what you're post was. However, if you had a bad time and you posted about it, you're exactly the reason I made the thread. I'm not saying you didn't have a bad time or that you're not having problems but I just want to add one data point for other people out there to see that shows a good story about it. I'm sorry if you had problems and I hope youre able to get them ironed out.

[QUOTE="SR5Bart, post: 2559114, member: 126726"]Can't we all just get along??[/QUOTE]

It's the internet :fishing:

[QUOTE="salong53, post: 2559121, member: 107760"]You do see a lot of hate toward the KO2, but you see a lot of love for them too. They're a super popular tire, so there's gonna be a lot of conversation about them.

That being said, I love the way mine look and perform, but they are heavy (E load) and they have been tough to balance. Discount Tire has recommended that I just have them balanced every time I rotate them to prevent the vibration.[/QUOTE]

Why did you go with E? I went with C just because I don't do anything super crazy and I felt like if something was going to destroy a C tire, it'd probably do the same to an E tire. Maybe that's naive. Dunno.

[QUOTE="Krayziekid, post: 2559136, member: 127401"]Isn't it normal for people to be outspoken about things they don't like, and remain relatively quiet if they are satisfied? If a forum member has problems or issues with the KO2s or HIDs, they will likely come here to talk about it and give their negative opinion. But a person with positive opinions about HIDs and KO2s likely won't give their opinion out of the blue because there is no need to start conversation. Positive opinions/reviews tend to be given when prompted or asked. So maybe this is what you happen to be seeing on the forum [MENTION=145226]adaml[/MENTION] ?[/QUOTE]

No doubt! And that's why I said it at the end BUT I just want to do my part to throw a data point out there on the side of "no problems".

[QUOTE="LawnDart, post: 2559142, member: 124732"]Why did this even need to be a thread?[/QUOTE]

I felt like it did?

[QUOTE="spencenasty, post: 2559149, member: 115107"]That was dramatic. I rarely see people complain about HID swap, or the KO2.

You post seems to be about good service at Discount Tire than it is about the KO2.[/QUOTE]

Again, I'm not going to copy/paste them but when I was researching, I felt like I saw enough posts about the negatives of HID's, KO2's, and Discount Tire that it gave me pause when I wanted to upgrade. I just wanted to give someone something to read when they search that says it wasn't a bad experience.

 

[jetranger]

If you don't have a proper projector lenses for HIDs, then I think you're a douche for running them.

They blind oncoming drivers, and as a night driver, it is unsafe. Oncoming or from the back. **** you and your shitty HID job.

I agree, although, looking at his avatar, he clearly has a facelifted 5th gen with projectors.

 

[jrandom]

I'll bite

HID's in themselves are fine. I personally could really care less. On the other hand using 5000k to 8000k bulbs? go f'k yourself. :biggrin1:

That bluer spectrum of light sucks for oncoming drivers, period. THAT is what pisses most people off they just don't know that that is what it is. Of course ANY headlight light that is improperly aimed should be fixed.

KO2's haven't had a set. In general most people have issues balancing Load Range E tires. You may just be being a little over sensitive to KO2's since that is what you chose to purchase, it is a natural response. How many Sand TRDP's do you notice now since you bought yours?

 

[adaml]

I'll bite

HID's in themselves are fine. I personally could really care less. On the other hand using 5000k to 8000k bulbs? go f'k yourself. :biggrin1:

That bluer spectrum of light sucks for oncoming drivers, period. THAT is what pisses most people off they just don't know that that is what it is. Of course ANY headlight light that is improperly aimed should be fixed.

KO2's haven't had a set. In general most people have issues balancing Load Range E tires. You may just be being a little over sensitive to KO2's since that is what you chose to purchase, it is a natural response. How many Sand TRDP's do you notice now since you bought yours?

Nothing to "bite on" here. Like I said, I just wanted to provide a positive data point for others searching in the future.

You could be right about me just being "over sensitive" (although I might say it's just "sensitive") to KO2 reviews but I knew it was between them and Duratracs and before purchasing, it seemed like I read quite a few threads with complaints about (1) balancing KO2's and (2) having a shop other than the dealership attempt to balance tires.

 

[1engineer]

Why did this even need to be a thread?

Exactly.
Thread closed.
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