JamesDINAN

Looking to upgrade headlights on '97 T4R and been reading thru peoples' retrofits and old posts. I do not have time to dig through yards for used '99+ lenses so, doesn't look like retrofit is in my future and looking for another route. Do I just spend the $200+ for new OEM '99 lenses w/upgraded Silverstars....or (and assuming so)...would I be happier w/HID using my current lenses? I am NOT looking for Ebay cheapo's...just ran across a Plug n' Play setup from NOTTO for $100. Anyone else using their setup, or, is there a better/different PnP that people have migrated to recently and having great luck with?? Or...did I miss something and do not want to use ANY HID w/my '97 OEM lenses? Thanks!

Notto's link: http://www.carid.com/1997-toyota-4ru...kit-77434.html

ETRNL

From personal experience I say save your money and be nice to oncoming traffic. If you want higher light output build yourself a piggyback 12g headlights harness connected directly to the battery and order you a set of 90/130w hellas. That is what my current setup is that I replaced hid setup for.

warpigg

you could get the kc hilights aux driving light kit from summit for around $100, ive been thinking about getting it. but then i just think about all the different ways they could get ripped off offroad and i dont get them.

ETRNL

Something else I forgot to mention that I didn't like about these kit was the fact that the first set I bought (from xenonlink.com) didn't have high beams. So while driving at night when people flashed their rights when I went to flash mine my lights went off. The second set I bought did have a "high beam" but it was just a 55w halogen bulb. So when I would flash my lights back at them it would be with a much dimmer halogen light making me look like a Jack.... I did some further research and found that factor projection hid have a shield on them that moves when high beams are turned on changing the location of the projection cutoff. I was going to go that route with a BMW retrofit but I didn't want to spend the 400- 500 that would have cost. I was dead set on hid so I went that way and spent $300 on both pairs of lights before I learned. Before I did my current setup that cost under 50 bucks.

JamesDINAN

Some of this is greek to me but, I think what you are talking about is a bi-xenon setup (gives both lo/hi)? I believe the setup for both low/hi HID on that site I provided is ~ $125. I do appreciate your input, but I'll have to google some of what you mentioned as I am pretty illiterate when it comes to this. Right now, I'm not sure if you talking about mounting hellas to my bumper as an extra set of lights, or a mere bulb change, or somewhere in between. lol

JamesDINAN

Maybe I didn't catch this but, after you spent the $400-$500 for the BMW HID setup, why did you then replace it after you spent that $$? Not sure if it was a failure of some sort, you were able to sell the BMWs, etc. Thanks.

Outsane

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/index.php

these are the kits to get.. takes more work and more money

but it will have the cut off needed to not blind oncoming traffic.

Elton

when i bought my civic had the classic 6000k ricer hid kit sure there where awesome but i felt like a dick driving it home that night they came out the next day and i ordered a morimoto mini H1 kit

ETRNL

Yes my first set were regular xenons, my second set were bixenons. I never did do the BMW retrofit due to the price plus the time it would take to actually do the retrofit. I was actually about to start buying the parts when one of my bulbs went out after just four months. When I saw the price for a replacement bulb was $75 that's when I found the hella bulbs.
Hella makes H4 replacement bulbs. I am talking about replacing the bulbs in your headlights with 90/130w "off-road" bulbs. It still keeps the factory beam pattern with a higher light output.

JamesDINAN

I am going to take your advise on the piggy 90/130w setup. Will research on where to buy the harness and get everything ordered in the next week or so after payday (sidenote: also buying OME full suspension from Toytec and already starting to feel like a kid on Xmas-Eve!). I will keep my eyes out for '99-'02 lenses which should improve light output even further...if it'll even need it.

JamesDINAN

ETRNL: My initial harness search brought me to RJM Injection Tech @ $69/ea, "Painless Wiring" @ $130. Looks like I am back into the $$ range of HID.

Taking price out of the equation, is this still the better option or should I gravitate back to bi-xenon HID?

mwc0404

i have a 99 lmt with factory headlight set up and between that and the lady that pulled her honda out into the front of my 4rnr with all the bending, tweaking, and the countless adjustments my lights point at the ground about 10 ft out and my brights are alittle better but not much so if anyone has any ideas im open to suggestion as well

paddlenbike

iTrader: (1)

Silverstars are good bulbs but they do not like being run at 60% brightness if you happen to have the daytime running light option like I have.

The 99+ headlights put out a noticeable amount more light than the frosted lenses.

You can upgrade the headlight harness to get more voltage to the bulbs, like THIS.

Just say no to non-projector HID kits. When the blue-lit HID bulbed Civics blind me I turn on everything I have full blast and let them know their "upgrade" is not appreciated.

At this point you're probably wondering what I've done. Answer=nothing. My stock 2000 4Runner with stock bulbs put out more light than any other non-HID vehicle I have ever driven. To add light directly in front of the truck for trail-use and to the side for driving on curvy roads at night I added the stock Hella Micro DE foglights in the factory holes in my 2000 bumper. I then upgraded the bulbs to HID. "Now wait!" you say. The Micro DE's are a true projector setup with a cutoff shield just like an OEM HID setup, so it does not blind oncoming drivers. In fact, Hella sells these exact projectors with an HID bulb option. I have never, ever been flashed.

JamesDINAN

That's great for you but unfortunately, '97's do not have any factory cutouts in the bumper for extra lights (think those started in '99). Also, not looking to drill lights into the bumper. If I go the route of upgraded harness/Hellas, once installed THEN I will know if I even need/want to think about getting '99 lenses for better refraction afterwards. From what I've heard of the improvement of harness/lights, sounds like I won't need to. I checked out the link you sent - says out-of-stock and they are working on a new version...thanks tho, I'll keep hunting around. Yes, I agree, "say no to non-projector HID kits"...that's why I had been thinking about bi-xenons if any xenon at all.

ETRNL

I built my own harness. The only thing I could not find was the h4 plug to plug into the stock harness to trigger the relays. I took an old bulb and soldered the wires to it making my own adapter. Everything else I found at auto zone for under $25.

Doug18

this has probably already been said on here but, you cant just get the HID bulbs and Ballasts and put them in your stock headlight without projectors ... the factory headlights lack projectors so they are unable to properly focus the higher light output in turn making you blind everyone on the road.

Evilmunkey

Me myself the only HID conversion I want is for my factory fogs, and yes if you're going to do the "painless" kit, do it right and convert your assemblies to focused beams.

4Tard

Putting projectors in your headlights isn't hard. There's G1s, G3s and Morimoto projectors that yield progressively better out put and are direct fit to your housing without any modification aside from separating the lens from reflector frame.

Any cheap ballast and bulb will work. I use the DDM stuff for $25. Lifetime warranty and never had an issue yet. Don't waste your money on "premium" kits, its all the same junk with different stickers on the ballasts.

ETRNL

That actually looks amazing 4tard.

tunnelmotor99

I actually just took out my HIDs last night, tired of oncoming traffic flashing hi-beams at me. My kit came from HIDPalace.com. At one point I used Silverstars, but they burned out after about 3 months. After changing each bulb out 4 times in one year (NOT kidding!) I gave up. I've had better luck with Hella blue bulbs, they seem to last a little longer and are about the same price. The best bulbs I used were $65 PIAA Intense White, wish I could afford more of those! I kept the Hella bulbs so those went back in. Hella is just across town so if they burn out hopefully I can go swap them....