Retrofitted headlamps - Long term reviews?
- Thread starter kaloman
- Start date
Finally got around to installing these and also taking some photos. Sorry, only had an iPhone to work with. I also couldn't find a good dark area to get the entire beam output so unfortunately my garage wall will have to do. I'lll try and get a shot out in the open later.
The installation was pretty straight forward thanks to the help of [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION], [MENTION=68685]Ducmonsta[/MENTION], and all of you guys that provided input. I ended up not having to pull the entire bumper off but instead pull it out enough to reach the 10mm bolt beneath it. All this time, I was nervous about the "yank and pull" with sides of the bumper, but actually, it was a piece of cake. For all of you worried about the bumper, it's a simple tug and the inner clips detach with ease! With regards to the lower clip that holds the headlight housing in, I was able to use finger pressure to lift it up enough to release the housing arm, instead of using a long flat head screw driver.
As for the wiring and ballast mounting, I followed [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION]'s idea of mounting the passenger ballast to the lower sheet metal, however I really didn't "mount" the driver ballast anywhere. I simply zip tied it to another harness and tucked it away. Same for the relays. So far, they haven't been affected by moisture or vibration. I was on a time crunch to get back on the road so I didn't plan it too thoroughly.
As for the lights themselves.... simply amazing. LS430 projectors are incredible. The output is WIDE and LightModz did a wonderful job sharpening the cutoff. I was a little concerned about rotation because the driver's side looks rotated a little when bout 4-5 feet from a wall, but at 25 feet, it levels off with the passenger side. Not sure if this is normal, but it doesn't bother me too much. I can't believe the difference between these and halogens. I have noticed people looking at my car especially since there are a ton of 4Runners here. I have yet to see another with a retrofit.
Anyhow, if you guys have any questions about the installation or retrofit in general, shoot me a PM! I'm happy to provide any insight!!
Cheers!
The installation was pretty straight forward thanks to the help of [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION], [MENTION=68685]Ducmonsta[/MENTION], and all of you guys that provided input. I ended up not having to pull the entire bumper off but instead pull it out enough to reach the 10mm bolt beneath it. All this time, I was nervous about the "yank and pull" with sides of the bumper, but actually, it was a piece of cake. For all of you worried about the bumper, it's a simple tug and the inner clips detach with ease! With regards to the lower clip that holds the headlight housing in, I was able to use finger pressure to lift it up enough to release the housing arm, instead of using a long flat head screw driver.
As for the wiring and ballast mounting, I followed [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION]'s idea of mounting the passenger ballast to the lower sheet metal, however I really didn't "mount" the driver ballast anywhere. I simply zip tied it to another harness and tucked it away. Same for the relays. So far, they haven't been affected by moisture or vibration. I was on a time crunch to get back on the road so I didn't plan it too thoroughly.
As for the lights themselves.... simply amazing. LS430 projectors are incredible. The output is WIDE and LightModz did a wonderful job sharpening the cutoff. I was a little concerned about rotation because the driver's side looks rotated a little when bout 4-5 feet from a wall, but at 25 feet, it levels off with the passenger side. Not sure if this is normal, but it doesn't bother me too much. I can't believe the difference between these and halogens. I have noticed people looking at my car especially since there are a ton of 4Runners here. I have yet to see another with a retrofit.
Anyhow, if you guys have any questions about the installation or retrofit in general, shoot me a PM! I'm happy to provide any insight!!
Cheers!
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Thanks guys. I actually raised the passenger side up a little bit so the lower beams line up better. According to LightModz, my projectors slope a little and it's a characteristic of them so they may not be completely level on the top. I know that sounds confusing but I'll shoot over a photo later. I think with the tuning that was done to the projector, the sloping might have been the trade off to the color and sharpness. I'm totally fine with that.
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