Planning my Projector retrofit

[GottaBeTRD]

GO TO the last pages to see the final results, this is also a retorfit build thread using the morimoto projectors.
Teaser PIc

hey guys, Sorry this post is gonna be loaded with questions

so after driving around with my HID's in stock housing, ive realized how much more i would rather be able to see farther then closer, and have a more focused light... I though it would be fine but oh no... i almost dislike driving at night now.

So i've read all the threads about a retrofit however i have some questions of my own that i cant seem to figure out. I have the 35W H4 hi/lo DDM (Apexicome kit) in there now.

1. Do I have to buy new bulbs to make it work with a projector?

2. If i do need bulbs, can i just use the d2r or what ever bulbs and use my current 35 watt ballast?

3. I've been looking at the retrofit resoucse site (i cant remember what its called) but it looks like there is a flap inside the projector that adjust the hi-beam? What kind of wireing is involved with making that work?

Im hoping this is just gonna involve a little cutting and some minor lego work im thinking on getting the fxr projectors, Im not really interested in those plug and play ones YET because of the halo ring thing... not a fan, maybe ill change my mind though after i see all the work involoved haha

4. Im seeing a ton of the TSX projectos for sale on ebay for pretty cheap, would these work?

here are my plans so far.. im going to be ordering these ANZO housing's but im planning on black chromeing them like i did here in photoshop

thanks in advance guys

 

[Clemsonfan15]

You'll probably have to get new bulbs, but you can use the same ballasts. DDM sells their bulbs for $15.

Why get those housings?

You can just paint the ones you have now if you are doing a retrofit.

 

[Elton H]

give this a once over How To: Install PnP Projectors - TTORA Forum

 

[chad99]

hey guys, Sorry this post is gonna be loaded with questions

so after driving around with my HID's in stock housing, ive realized how much more i would rather be able to see farther then closer, and have a more focused light... I though it would be fine but oh no... i almost dislike driving at night now.

So i've read all the threads about a retrofit however i have some questions of my own that i cant seem to figure out. I have the 35W H4 hi/lo DDM (Apexicome kit) in there now.

1. Do I have to buy new bulbs to make it work with a projector?

2. If i do need bulbs, can i just use the d2r or what ever bulbs and use my current 35 watt ballast?

3. I've been looking at the retrofit resoucse site (i cant remember what its called) but it looks like there is a flap inside the projector that adjust the hi-beam? What kind of wireing is involved with making that work?

Im hoping this is just gonna involve a little cutting and some minor lego work im thinking on getting the fxr projectors, Im not really interested in those plug and play ones YET because of the halo ring thing... not a fan, maybe ill change my mind though after i see all the work involoved haha

4. Im seeing a ton of the TSX projectos for sale on ebay for pretty cheap, would these work?

here are my plans so far.. im going to be ordering these ANZO housing's but im planning on black chromeing them like i did here in photoshop

thanks in advance guys

I just did mine last week.

First thing is im glad your not doing the 55w thing since they are NOT meant to be placed in a 35w projector housing (a roughly 60% heat increase and expect no damage? come on now) and you MUST do it with a bi xenon projector (which you area) since doing all that work for only low beams is a waste.

1) Yes you need new bulbs that match your projectors.

2) You can just buy the bulbs then buy they cable that will attach from d2S base to your ballast.

3) The flap/shield drops down via a solenoid. Depending on what kind of bi xenon projector you end up with it could be simple or slightly complicated. I went with the Bosch 3" D2S style M3/SL500 known as the "3 wire" type (the complicated one) which needs a special ground setup for it to work reliably, not hard to do but just more wiring. I went on the cheap and got them off ebay for 69 after shipping...I think the TSX ones are a bit more, I know lots of people like the FX (2.5" I think and fully enclosed). I honestly like the sharper cutoff from the TSX or FX projectors with the "clear" glass. You can google the cutoff images and compare them...quite a huge difference.
4) Im sure the TSX will fit since mine were 3"

All I gotta say is make sure you have them mounted so they match the stock cutoff, this is a VERY important step...I marked the stock cutoff from the halogen bulb on the garage wall then I roughly mounted the projector in the housing and adjusted it till it matched the stock halogen cutoff...if they are vastly different then you might not have enough stock adjustment to compensate via the plastic up and down adjustment nuts.

I might try those plug and play halo ones for my gf's car but the final cost for my projector retrofit (projector, ballast, bulbs, and bulb wires to ballast) was only $110 so its about the same if not cheaper than the bi xenon halo ones (most of them don't come with ballasts).

It seems like a lot of work but once its done you will LOVE driving at night and having use of your high beams.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

You'll probably have to get new bulbs, but you can use the same ballasts. DDM sells their bulbs for $15.

Why get those housings?

You can just paint the ones you have now if you are doing a retrofit.

Im thinking since im painting them ill need some headlights during that process so ill just keep the OEM's in there until i finish the retrofit, then if i like the new ones so much ill sell the OEM's and hopefully get a good amount for them to where i almost break even?? may have to sell some more stuff too.

give this a once over How To: Install PnP Projectors - TTORA Forum

that thread is awesome! thanks for posting that i didn't even see that in my search. i think i actually might go that route. is this what you did?

I just did mine last week.

First thing is im glad your not doing the 55w thing since they are NOT meant to be placed in a 35w projector housing (a roughly 60% heat increase and expect no damage? come on now) and you MUST do it with a bi xenon projector (which you area) since doing all that work for only low beams is a waste.

1) Yes you need new bulbs that match your projectors.

2) You can just buy the bulbs then buy they cable that will attach from d2S base to your ballast.

3) The flap/shield drops down via a solenoid. Depending on what kind of bi xenon projector you end up with it could be simple or slightly complicated. I went with the Bosch 3" D2S style M3/SL500 known as the "3 wire" type (the complicated one) which needs a special ground setup for it to work reliably, not hard to do but just more wiring. I went on the cheap and got them off ebay for 69 after shipping...I think the TSX ones are a bit more, I know lots of people like the FX (2.5" I think and fully enclosed). I honestly like the sharper cutoff from the TSX or FX projectors with the "clear" glass. You can google the cutoff images and compare them...quite a huge difference.
4) Im sure the TSX will fit since mine were 3"

All I gotta say is make sure you have them mounted so they match the stock cutoff, this is a VERY important step...I marked the stock cutoff from the halogen bulb on the garage wall then I roughly mounted the projector in the housing and adjusted it till it matched the stock halogen cutoff...if they are vastly different then you might not have enough stock adjustment to compensate via the plastic up and down adjustment nuts.

I might try those plug and play halo ones for my gf's car but the final cost for my projector retrofit (projector, ballast, bulbs, and bulb wires to ballast) was only $110 so its about the same if not cheaper than the bi xenon halo ones (most of them don't come with ballasts).

It seems like a lot of work but once its done you will LOVE driving at night and having use of your high beams.

yeah im trying to make it last, i dont want any fires. So im planning on buying the bulbs from DDM since i have the ballast already and the bulbs are pretty cheap, Will these act as the bi-xenon? im still kind of confused how this all works. I'm thinking ill have to ditch the hi/lo relay that i origianlly got and replaceing it with the cable your talking about?

as for the aiming... LOL yeah i aimed my HID's pretty low so i wouldn't blind anybody so I may have a problem there here is where i have them aimed now

but yeah thanks for you input im going to do this regardless; however, i gotta wait for the tax return I cant believe you did it for so cheap! im hoping i can do this on a budget like that

Do these things make the housing pretty hot? im kind of concerned about painting it if it does.

 

[chad99]

Sorry I think I confused you the high beam part of the bi xenon has nothing to do with the ballast or the bulbs, the high beam is from a solenoid that is mounted on the projector its self, this solenoid when activated pulls down a shield which allows the light to hit the bottom of the projector glass which deflects the light up. So you have to connect the wires from the solenoid to the highbeam wires on the 4runner's H4 connector.

No matter what type of projector you get you will need a new bulb, you could go with DDM since according to their website they will sell a D2S bulb with the pig tails that allow you to connect directly to your ballast so you could by bass getting a new wire that goes from bulb to ballast FYI the wire im refering to is this one its for D2S bulbs http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/D2S-Adaptor-Cables-Pair

The only advantage of going with D2S is the ease of getting a replacement bulb on the off chance the bulb dies since D2S is one of the actual "real" HID bulbs (i mean real as in not rebased, its what many new OEM luxery cars have).

Honestly after looking at the morimotos I wouldn't mind giving those a try since they do make it really easy to install...it is almost 2x what I paid for my projectors but thats what.....about 2 tanks of gas in todays declining dollar? plus the cut off is nice and sharp.

Oh and as far as painting goes just use the high temp paint...sometimes called BBQ paint (used to repaint a old BBQ) or engine block paint.

Here is how mine turned out

after walking around home depot for 20 minutes trying to find something to make shrouds out of I decided to go ghetto and make the shrouds out of the two solid round ends from the accordion dryer hose...just ripped out the accordion part and stacked the ends upon each other (they slid over each other), painted the outer part inside flat black with high temp paint.

The only thing I don't really care about projectors is how they make the 99 and latter 4runners look even more like a fish with the fat lip bumper and big eyes hahah

 

[GottaBeTRD]

LOL it actually looks pretty good for doing it with a budget, Plus im sure it puts out a dang good light pattern?

Thanks for clearing that up for me though, So when i order the ds2 bulbs i should probably order those wires as well and then i could just plug that in to the ballast and the projectors, (im pretty positive im getting the morimotos in that link that Elton posted) but from that everything should function? Gosh I kinda wish i would of waited to buy projectors before i bought my HID kit o-well maybe i can my h4 bulbs now. haha

As far as you talking about the ease of getting the ds2 bulb do you mean they sell them locally?

As for the painting i like the flat black look, in fact one of the guys here did it on his black runner and it looks amazing! however im thinking on trying this black chrome stuff and maybe a high heat clear coat, do you think that will work? Im just wondering how hot it it actually gets in there, I painted my emblems black chrome using reg clear coat and they lasted through some hot summer days and have shown no signs of flaking or anything so maybe it will work?

Gosh i cant wait to do this!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

one more question for anybody, is there a deifference between the sabersport and "JDM" lights i posted above? there only $100 on ebay but the sabersports are a lot more, thanks!

 

[rjaudi]

First, if you have the time shop around and get OEM 99 and up housings. I bought mine for 120 with shipping off ebay ( I bought each individually.) Then when you open them just paint them if you want. Mine are chrome which caused headaches. The chrome will reflect what is behind the shroud unless you can get the shroud as far back as possible. I wanted a true OEM look which I achieved. I ordered my setup from the retrofit source. The prices are reasonable and customer service is excellent. If you run into trouble you can call them and someone immediately picks up and helps out. They have a wiring harness that plugs into everything and took 15 minutes to install. I have a FX-R set-up the E46 extended shroud. You must have a dremel to do this and some patience.

 

[K092084]

For the easiest install I would go with what elton H linked to.
The morimoto H1 and D2S projectors are plug and play much like the G1 and G3 but have better output.
The retrofit source is the website you are thinking about and they carry everything you would need. You can give them a call and they can help you decide what you need and usually give a discount on mutiple items.
You also need Bi-Xenon so TSX projectors won't work since they are low beam only.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

This is awesome information guys thanks so much! keep the ideas coming, and if you have pictures please post them i want to get an idea of what kind of setup i would like too.

First, if you have the time shop around and get OEM 99 and up housings. I bought mine for 120 with shipping off ebay ( I bought each individually.) Then when you open them just paint them if you want. Mine are chrome which caused headaches. The chrome will reflect what is behind the shroud unless you can get the shroud as far back as possible. I wanted a true OEM look which I achieved. I ordered my setup from the retrofit source. The prices are reasonable and customer service is excellent. If you run into trouble you can call them and someone immediately picks up and helps out. They have a wiring harness that plugs into everything and took 15 minutes to install. I have a FX-R set-up the E46 extended shroud. You must have a dremel to do this and some patience.

Yeah if i find some ill buy them for sure. The funny thing i have them now but am scared to death to just use them for this project. Plus, if this retrofit turns out the way i want, im going to sell the OEM's I kind of like the black ones and they are fairly cheap IF they are all the same. I know the light pattern sucks but doesn't the projector eliminate this?
And as for the gap, does it cause a bad glare?

For the easiest install I would go with what elton H linked to.
The morimoto H1 and D2S projectors are plug and play much like the G1 and G3 but have better output.
The retrofit source is the website you are thinking about and they carry everything you would need. You can give them a call and they can help you decide what you need and usually give a discount on mutiple items.
You also need Bi-Xenon so TSX projectors won't work since they are low beam only.

awesome thanks i was close LOL. but yeah after all this reading i want the easiest route so ill be getting these. and it looks like they are bi-xenon too?? so thats good. Ive read that he gives you free shrouds with your projectors too. this guy rocks! I do have a question though whats the difference between the H1 and D2S projectors is it just the bulb that goes in it?

so here is the list of what i (Think) i need... please add to or take away if needed

I already have the 35W ballast from apexicone so i dont need that
extra light housings
Morimoto projectos w/ shrouds
the relay wire that works with the D2s projects and bulb right?
finally the DS2 bulb

then of course the paint and sticky stuff

 

[K092084]

This is awesome information guys thanks so much! keep the ideas coming, and if you have pictures please post them i want to get an idea of what kind of setup i would like too.



Yeah if i find some ill buy them for sure. The funny thing i have them now but am scared to death to just use them for this project. Plus, if this retrofit turns out the way i want, im going to sell the OEM's I kind of like the black ones and they are fairly cheap IF they are all the same. I know the light pattern sucks but doesn't the projector eliminate this?
And as for the gap, does it cause a bad glare?



awesome thanks i was close LOL. but yeah after all this reading i want the easiest route so ill be getting these. and it looks like they are bi-xenon too?? so thats good. Ive read that he gives you free shrouds with your projectors too. this guy rocks! I do have a question though whats the difference between the H1 and D2S projectors is it just the bulb that goes in it?

so here is the list of what i (Think) i need... please add to or take away if needed

I already have the 35W ballast from apexicone so i dont need that
extra light housings
Morimoto projectos w/ shrouds
the relay wire that works with the D2s projects and bulb right?
finally the DS2 bulb

then of course the paint and sticky stuff

They are Bi-Xenon.
The H1 uses an H1 bulb instead of an D2S bulb which are more common.
Here's a thread debating the 2 on a forum that matt also runs: Link
Can look around that site as well and learn alot.
The H1 does come with free shrouds as well. Its pretty much up to what you want.
Can also find some bulbs for cheap on HiDplanet as well if you want to save some cash on OEM bulbs.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

thanks for that thread im gonna be dumpin cash on this project im afraid haha. Its gonna be worth it i hope... common tax return!

 

[awpsome]

its really worth it, the focused light output is crazy.
and with the TL projectors i have my light spread is probably close to 160degrees with just the projectors ahha

a little tip would be to make sure when you measure triple check it.
go back out and before you jb weld or finalize the position of the projectors mount it back on the truck to check your vertical and horizontal lines..
the closer you get this to center the much easier your life will be.
the adjustments on the housings dont move the light much, i broke some tabs because i wanted to keep pushing it upwards.. but its maxed out without me knowing.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

hmmm, ok so you actually have to adjust the projector itself to get the level you want? Is this before you stick the glass lens back on too? And with that, im planning on getting the morimots they're just plug and play do you know if you still have to JB Weld them in? sorry one more question Do you have any pictures against a wall where you aimed yours?


Guys... still trying to decide if i want to paint the housing or not. If I dont then i may just use the light housings i have now and save the money but it really depends. i love the blacked out look!
so i did a photoshop job, on what it could look like with the black chrome on the headlight housing.
Ive noticed some of my work looks a little darker on other computers so it should resemble the black chrome effect.

Yea or Nay?

 

[awpsome]

im not sure which brand you have and what plug and play but any projector taken from any vehicle needs to put into the glass housing some how..
and AMAZING, i looked through my photos i dont have much install photos. but whatever you need let me know.

but yeah try to postition them as straight as possible with the glass lens off before you permantly set them in (jb weld) makes life much more easier after you put the glass back on and do minor tweaks with the housing adjustments, but i warn you they dont adjust much..


btw i love my retrofit for sure, but i mean it can be way better. usually gets better after the 2nd time you do it.
but its a pain in the ass, for sure its not easy. it takes patience and time. reason being why i havent redone mines yet.
lets just say i didnt measure as good with the height and im getting more width then how far i can see.
but still got that sexy blue color cut off line and super bright output. on a six lane freeway when the street lights are out, ill light up all six lanes next to me. only thing is i wish i had a little more distance but nothing the "hi beams" cant fix.
when i really need to see far ahead of me the high beams do more then enough wayy farther then stock or stock with hids.

buy your stuff from retrofitsource its a great place. has everything you need. another advice would be to try see if you can savage the stuff locally, usually is cheaper. or be patient and look for deals on craigs.
thats how i got my stuff to come out pretty cheap.
stuff i had to buy from retrofitsource is those uber bright phillip d2s bulbs. and those bmw zkw lens.

i ended up salvaging my hid ballast from my previous hid kit, and only thing was bulb adapter and the bulb itself.


GOOD LUCK!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

dah! i want to do this! haha

yeah im planning on keeping my 35 watt apexicone ballast, Ive been trying to find some headlights around here for cheap however the salvage yards around here have no 4runners. I may have to make a trip to salt lake and see what they have over there.

This plug and play projectors look pretty simple to work with but i duno im sure ill change my mind when reality hits. Im planning on taking my time on this though, so hopefully i get it right the first time.

Gosh yeah i love the hi-beams with projectors its just crazy how effective those projectors are. My hi-beams just blow with no projectors

Thanks for that info i was a little skeptical about the d2r bulbs not being bright enough but it sounds like they will do the job!

 

[awpsome]

i forget if it was d2r or d2s? go on the retrofitsource webpage and look up the phillips bulb its like around ~80-90 i think for the set well worth it though.
its wayy brighter then any other xenon bulb ive seen.
and although they are 35w rated bulbs they are strong enough to go with 55w ballasts and be even brighter! i only got 35w on them and its already ridiculous bright.

and before you jump the gun on plug and play projectors look more into other OEM projectors.
at the time i was buying mines the TLs or the FX projectors were on top.
TSX as well but those are only low beam projectors without the high beam solenoids.
but look into and stuff about different "clear" lens and stuff. choke info everywhere.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

yeah i was on that website all night last night looking at the goods, So much good info there! I was thinking on going OEM originally but im pretty sure im too re****ed to put something like that together maybe not though, i gotta see some more pictures of people's setups and see what i like the best.

your probably right on the D2S bulbs, ive been reading so many acronym's my im pretty sure i forgot how to spell. but thanks again. i wish some aftermarket company would make these... it would make life so much eaiser!

 

[chad99]

..... stuff about different "clear" lens and stuff. choke info everywhere.

haha see hawaii people are so helpful. :bigok: