All my headlights lenses have yellowed and are dim. I have used a couple of different polishing kits, over the last couple of years, with mixed results. The lenses discolor after several months. I plan to buy new headlight and turn signal assemblies. I don't mind spending a little more for some decent quality but don't want to spend the money for OEM. I found a complete set on Amazon for $100.0 they are manufactured by SPPC. I am looking for a recommendation from anyone on the forum that has replaced their OEM lenses with aftermarket. I am not interested in HID conversion or smoke/black out look. I just want something that looks stock and will last a few years.

 

What do the reviews on Amazon Have to say??

Something like this your original ones are 14 years old

How long has anyone been running aftermarket ones.

I know people on Tacoma World where talking about some on Ebay

 

I used a 3M kit on someones truck with the same results.
I was bitching about it turning yellow when another friend who's a painter overheard me. He said they all turn yellow again in short time because they need to be painted with some type of special UV protectant sealer that doesn't come with any consumer "Refurbish" kits.
He went on to say they do it at his shop and some upper end detail shops also do it.

Moral of the story, check paint shops and detail shops for this service but don't expect it for cheap. I'd guess it would cost about 1/2 the price of a Dealership replacement or about the same price as a new China replacement that has god knows what kind of optics.

 

Thanks for the info. I ordered a set on Amazon based on the user reviews. I will retain my factory lights for future use, should I find the aftermarket lights discolor or are greatly inferior.
I will update this post when I install the new lenses.

 

Is this what you got?

Not sure I like those negative reviews
"Overall it is much more dim than the OEM lights that came with the truck (mine even have yellowing on the lens, why I replaced them). There is a concentration of light that points at the shoulder of the road and this cant be changed as there is no side to side adjustment. Not happy and even feel unsafe as there is just not enough light. I will be reinstalling the original lights I replaced with these until I figure something else out."

"Total junk. I should have heeded the other negative reviews. They look nice, but can't be focused and scatter light everywhere except the road. They are dangerously unsafe!"

"Easy install, not super happy with the lighting though, it throws a very odd pattern out"

Seems that the only thing some people were happy with (unless the OEM lights were extremely yellow'd) is the price vs Factory stuff.

 

What about HIDs? I've been wanting an upgrade. Is it difficult to change headlights on a 95 pickup?

 

I am not interested in HID lights. I have HID lights on my Acura. I just wanted basic lights to replace my old worn out lights. I installed the new lights today. They seem to fit fine. I Re-used the original inboard brackets. The brackets use a ball swivel joint and the Toyota one seemed more robust.
Not sure about the light pattern...looked good in the garage. The real test will be driving at night.
Interesting review on Amazon about the adjustment. The factory lights have a vertical adjustment but no lateral adjustment. The FSM has instructions for adjusting height only. I guess i could probably shim the horizontal adjustment if I have to.

 

Alright I received the lights and installed them. My recommendation is to stick with OEM replacements. The lights fit fine and look good but the optics SUCK. The ｌ/ｈ light seems to be pointed toward the sky. I adjusted the vertical down completely but still too high. I removed the light and reused the factory adjusters, no joy.
Interestingly the factory headlights have a one piece curved mirror/reflector inside. The replacement lights use multiple mirrors to maintain the curvature. I don't know why this is...suspect it has to do with manufacturing costs. (Cheaper easier to use segments than to replicate the curvature with one mirror)

I am going to leave these on for now because they are still better than the faded factory lights but eventually I will replace these with OEM. I am not going to bother returning these on Amazon but I will give them a poor review. The kit came with blinkers and peaking lights. These seem to be fine.