bucker18

hey whats up guys i a new owner and had a fue questions. i have a 2nd gen 4runner and i was wanting brighter head lights. iv been thinkin about the hid light kit or just a pair of super white bulbs. i need brighter bulbs becuase i have some trouble seeing at night were im a welder. are the hids safe and worth it or just a waist of money

tim a.

I got 55/110's in my 92.Sweet baby Jesus,do they light up the road on high beam.Before anybodys chimes in that they arent legal,neither are hid's.I got the replaceable bulb 6054 set from ebay,made by autopal,they arent DOT but they are so stealth that I have made it through 3 insepections without even a raised eyebrow.

iamsuperbleeder

what year specifically?

there's two front end designs that have two different head light setups; one that uses sealed beams like the pickups, and one that has composite lights that use the smaller bulbs


you basically have 4 options; one which is fully legal, one that can be legal OR illegal, one that's COMPLETELY illegal, and one that costs a lot, requires the most work, but if done right will be legal and give the most light



1) Just get a set of higher end direct replacement bulbs, like Silverstars; completely DOT legal, and you can get them from any parts store

2) Buy a set of new aftermarket headlights that throw a different light pattern. some will throw a better light pattern and be a huge improvement, and some wont do squat for lighting, but look neat. This is the one that can be completely legal, or be completely illegal; the lights need to be DOT approved, and have the DOT stamp on them to be legal

3) Install those HID kits into existing light housings (stock composite headlights, or composite 6054 headlights); this is 100% ILLEGAL!!! The housings are not designed for the light that HID bulbs put out, and they scatter light all over the place. Even if the light housings are DOT approved, they're DOT approved for halogen bulbs, NOT HID bulbs.

4) Retrofitting a DOT approved complete HID housing and bulb into a composite light. This requires a lot of cutting and fitting, but this produces the most light, and it's completely legal as long as HID housing are used that a DOT approved.

TNRabbit

There are several options here: http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=744

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

What voltage are you getting at the lamp sockets? A little corrosion, loose connections, and small guage wire equals poor light output. Voltage should be about where the bat is charging 14.7 volt. There are a couple kits for sale that bypass the stock light harness to power the lights but use it as a trigger so all your switches stay the same.

Proper voltage and a good set of bulbs will do wonders. Just my $0.02

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Link to a kit like Muddpigg mentioned, also has idea to fix other issues

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...adlights.shtml

pennywize

ipf h4 lenses/housings, 55/100 lamps and a wiring harness upgrade from 4crawler = crazy amounts of bright light.

iamsuperbleeder

where have you gotten this information?

I'm not debating on if it's true or not, I've just never heard it, and would like to see it myself

shaeff

Google "Daniel Stern" and do lots and lots of reading.

For inexpensive options, your best bet would be to rewire the headlights with a minimum of 14awg wire using proper relays, ceramic headlight sockets, and Osram (NOT Sylvania) Silverstars, or Osram Nightbreakers. (Sylvania and Osram are NOT of the same quality, despite popular belief!) This is assuming you have housings with replaceable bulbs.

If you currently have sealed beams, you'll still be amazed at how much of a difference a proper rewire makes. Ideally, 10awg would be the best for output, but 12awg is the best for ease of routing, price, and parts.

The absolute best option, in my opinion, is to do an Infiniti FX35 bi-xenon HID retrofit. It's a hi/lo setup that uses a solenoid to control the inner shield in the projector housing. I did this very same (actually, a modified version of the fx) retrofit on my '95 M3, and the output is astounding compared to a standard halogen setup. The cutoff is razor sharp and it's like daylight in front of me. I'll be doing the same retrofit on my Pickup within a year's time whenever I find the time to actually do it.