Which headlight bulbs?

TRDteen

TRDteen

New member
Can't decide between the two. The hyper white's look really bright and crystal clear but I'm not sure if they're just rip-offs and will burn out. Then again I've heard a lot of good things about the SilverStar Ultra's. I want both to work for High/Low beam. (I'll be using H4's for the hyper whites.)
If anybody has pictures of the two on their rig, please post!

Hyper White's: Hyper White Headlight Bulbs by HeadlightBulbs.com

SilverStar ULTRA: SilverStar Ultra/Headlight (9007SU-2) | AutoZone.com

Off Topic: Does anybody know a brighter bulb I can use for the fog lights? preferably LED or HID?
 
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my experience (and it seems Im not the only one) with silver stars is that they tend to burn out pretty fast. around 6 months.

I understand the similar version of osram bulbs seem to last a lot longer.
in other words... bulbs without tinted lenses are better.
 
I had a set of silverstars in our Yukon for a good 14 months before one burned out, I have had a set in our Explorer, that doesnt get driven as much for over a year as well, so I would be one to go back to that bulb, but I have heard many others say they burn out fast, but I just wanted to share my experience.
 
After going thru 2 sets of Silverstar bulbs I bought the Sylvania Xtravision bulbs. So far they work great at almost half the price. Wally World had them for $18/pair last weekend.

Personally, I like a warm colored headlight because I can see shadows better than with a whiter light. The Xtravision were brighter than stock but easier on the eyes IMO. They run cooler and last longer.

According to this chart the Silverstar bulbs are only 5% brighter at twice the cost. I'm not sure most people can appreciate the 5% difference in headlight brightness.

Sylvania-SilverStar-chart.jpg
 
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:wink2:Disconnecting the DRLs will add alot of life to the silverstar ultras. That is why I diconnected mine. Check ebay for the Silverstar ultras. I found mine for $40 shipped for the pair. I love them. I would like to go HID eventually but would want to upgrade the "big three" first. The stock gauge on these 4runner cables is really small.
 
Piaa

ive run the silverstars and i wont ever run them again, they are junk, i had set of h3 bulbs that blew out in less than a month, brand new too, they told me it was an installation error and my fault ect. i also ran the phillips bulbs(what came in my truck) and i liked them. i only pulled them out to put in my PIAAs, i put the phillips bulbs in my wifes car and she used them for about a year before one went bad so they lasted a good while. but the PIAA bulbs are where its at, i have had nothing but great experience with them, bright quality bulbs that last.
 
I have had the silverstar ultras for like 2 years I'm pretty sure. I can't quite remember when I bought them. I have no complaints, but I read lots of peoples do burn out quick.
 
In Asia they use 55/65 W (Low and high) bulbs. Here in US it is 45/65 W bulbs. If you can find KOITO or STANLEY (Made in Japan) they work fine and last about 10 years!

You will also find 100/110 W unbranded bulbs on ebay/amazon. No use. If it is Koito or Stanley go for it.

I run on Stock 55/60 H3 bulbs

Check the wattage and the make before you buy the bulb.
 
I_bRAD said:
$40 for two bulbs? Stock bulbs will last for years and you can get two for ~$10
Click to expand...

I take it that you have never driven with anything brighter than stock? I have a LED flashlight that if I held out the window as I drove would be an improvement over the stock headlight bulbs.


23-25$ is a great deal on the silverstar ultras. They sell for 49.95 at Oreilly's for a pair. I thought I did good for $40 shipped on ebay but I will check amazon next time when I need new ones.
 
chimpy said:
I take it that you have never driven with anything brighter than stock? I have a LED flashlight that if I held out the window as I drove would be an improvement over the stock headlight bulbs.
Click to expand...

I've driven with some pretty high end HID systems actually and yes, they are brighter. Brightness isn't the only thing though. There are other people on the road too-- which is an especially important consideration when your headlights are at the height they are on a 4runner and NA regulations don't accommodate extreme height variations the way European regs do.

I've got the 99+ lights with stock bulbs and they are more than sufficient for my uses.

If they are so great, why don't any OEM vehicles use them?

Lots of light is great. The appropriate time to use it though is when you're on an empty road or in the woods, at which point you can turn on your supplemental lighting or even just the high beams.

Low end "upgrades" like the silverstar bulbs will at best give you slightly more light at a huge durability cost.

Once you get into stuff like HID capsule replacement bulbs or higher wattage halogen bulbs you start overtaxing your wiring, risk melting/charring your headlights and will more than likely ruin your beam pattern or exceed legal brightness regulations.

IMHO, If you're driving on-road it's best to stick with stock for primary lighting and add good supplemental lighting. There's lots to choose from, and while more expensive will provide safer results on-road, and better lighting off-road. If you're exclusively off road, go for it and make sure your wiring/fuses are up to the extra current draw.

FWIW, I design OEM external automotive lighting for a living.
 
I_bRAD said:
I've driven with some pretty high end HID systems actually and yes, they are brighter. Brightness isn't the only thing though. There are other people on the road too-- which is an especially important consideration when your headlights are at the height they are on a 4runner and NA regulations don't accommodate extreme height variations the way European regs do.

I've got the 99+ lights with stock bulbs and they are more than sufficient for my uses.

If they are so great, why don't any OEM vehicles use them?

Lots of light is great. The appropriate time to use it though is when you're on an empty road or in the woods, at which point you can turn on your supplemental lighting or even just the high beams.

Low end "upgrades" like the silverstar bulbs will at best give you slightly more light at a huge durability cost.

Once you get into stuff like HID capsule replacement bulbs or higher wattage halogen bulbs you start overtaxing your wiring, risk melting/charring your headlights and will more than likely ruin your beam pattern or exceed legal brightness regulations.

IMHO, If you're driving on-road it's best to stick with stock for primary lighting and add good supplemental lighting. There's lots to choose from, and while more expensive will provide safer results on-road, and better lighting off-road. If you're exclusively off road, go for it and make sure your wiring/fuses are up to the extra current draw.

FWIW, I design OEM external automotive lighting for a living.
Click to expand...

This is good info, thanks. I upgraded to 99 headlights and Sylvania Super Whites over 6 months ago and have to say I really like them compared to my stock lighting. Just the 99 headlights alone may have made a sufficient difference, but the stock lighting was terrible. I remember my dad driving with me one night and mentioned how terrible the lighting was (he drives a stock 09 Tundra). Plus I have bad eyes (I can just barely pass the vision test without needing glasses) so I feel that I really need the brighter light at night. And then like you said, a person needs to be smart about using the light. I drive a lot on back roads here in the woods of Wisconsin at night, so I use my fog lights and brights a ton.
 
Making sure your headlights are properly aimed makes a HUGE difference as well, if the focus of the light isn't in the right place, then adding more lumens won't help much.
 
Thanks for all the great information on headlights. I think I will be going with the Sylvania Silver Star ULTRAS. This is because its a low budget upgrade yet is still better then my stock 99 lights. In the near future I will forsure be adding more lights around the car.
 
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