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Headlight Help / Pic request


CaptKirk

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Like others have said. The Ebay headlights look great but you have to put extra silicone on there in order to make sure they are sealed. I just installed some in my HD and I sealed them up but they are still getting some moisture inside, so im trying to figure out how.

 

I would recommend getting some Amber bulbs for the turn signals, any amber bulb will do, but you can go with LEDs, but they will flash fast unless you install a resistor. Sylvania use to make awesome 3157 Amber bulbs that dont look amber but light up amber. They can still be found on the interwebs but it can be difficult. You can use an 194 amber bulb for the corner lights

 

I would recommend going with HID's, I have 4200K HIDs in my HD and I love them, but Silverado headlight housings are not designed for HIDs so the light spreads out and is not focused like it is in vehicles with projectors who are designed for HIDs. But it still looks good and is nice and bright. If you go with HIDs make sure you don't go any more than 6000K. The higher you go up the light temperature scale the bluer it becomes and the less light it puts out. 4200K are what stock HID systems use. 5000K are good too, and 6000K are quite a bit more blue, but they still have pretty good light output.

 

IF you decided not to go with HIDs, the best bulb I have found that is the brightest and closest you can get to HID is the Sylvania Silvestar zXe. I have those in my high beams, and I have them in both on my Subaru. Subarus are known to burn out HIDs so I just went with regualr bulbs.

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Like others have said. The Ebay headlights look great but you have to put extra silicone on there in order to make sure they are sealed. I just installed some in my HD and I sealed them up but they are still getting some moisture inside, so im trying to figure out how.

 

I would recommend getting some Amber bulbs for the turn signals, any amber bulb will do, but you can go with LEDs, but they will flash fast unless you install a resistor. Sylvania use to make awesome 3157 Amber bulbs that dont look amber but light up amber. They can still be found on the interwebs but it can be difficult. You can use an 194 amber bulb for the corner lights

 

I would recommend going with HID's, I have 4200K HIDs in my HD and I love them, but Silverado headlight housings are not designed for HIDs so the light spreads out and is not focused like it is in vehicles with projectors who are designed for HIDs. But it still looks good and is nice and bright. If you go with HIDs make sure you don't go any more than 6000K. The higher you go up the light temperature scale the bluer it becomes and the less light it puts out. 4200K are what stock HID systems use. 5000K are good too, and 6000K are quite a bit more blue, but they still have pretty good light output.

 

IF you decided not to go with HIDs, the best bulb I have found that is the brightest and closest you can get to HID is the Sylvania Silvestar zXe. I have those in my high beams, and I have them in both on my Subaru. Subarus are known to burn out HIDs so I just went with regualr bulbs.

 

 

Thanks a lot for mentioning the amber corner bulbs. I heard about those ambers that look blue on the outside. I'll see if I can dig any up.

 

And I guess I'll go with HIDs. I think preferably I'd like to find 5k's. I've seen 6k before and it's too blue for me, but I like the look.

 

Didn't know that about suby's, my STI never had them. I was so close to buying a spec B legacy before I pulled the trigger on the STI. Those cars are all a blast though. What a motor.

 

Thanks again

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And I guess I'll go with HIDs. I think preferably I'd like to find 5k's. I've seen 6k before and it's too blue for me, but I like the look.

 

Didn't know that about suby's, my STI never had them. I was so close to buying a spec B legacy before I pulled the trigger on the STI. Those cars are all a blast though. What a motor.

 

Thanks again

5000k is a good choice

 

The issues is with my Legacy. The 05-09 Legacy's use the low beam as the DRL. So the bulbs are on all the time and the DRLs are a lower voltage which is not good for HIDs. I put a capacitor on which stopped the low voltage issue but because the lights were on all the time I went through bulbs fast. So I said screw it and put regular bulbs in.

Edited by diggerdan11 (see edit history)
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'chrome bulbs' are better looking than the blue tinted ones. It's an amber bulb that's chrome coated so it blends in totally with the housing, even more so if the clear corner is over it. Still flashes amber and doesn't need any resistors cause it's a regular halogen light.

 

I had 4 in my drls/blinker, just the basic ones from Amazon. Just two in front blinkers now but too to be replaced by switchbacks

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'chrome bulbs' are better looking than the blue tinted ones. It's an amber bulb that's chrome coated so it blends in totally with the housing, even more so if the clear corner is over it. Still flashes amber and doesn't need any resistors cause it's a regular halogen light.

 

I had 4 in my drls/blinker, just the basic ones from Amazon. Just two in front blinkers now but too to be replaced by switchbacks

Those work too but I have seen the coating on them start to peel

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For those of you with HIDs: Are you buying the capacitors that help with flickering? I heard this was more for newer german cars. It seems that the relays are automatically included so I'm going to be getting those.


For those of you with HIDs:

Are you buying the capacitors that help with flickering? I heard this was more for newer german cars.

It seems that the relays are automatically included so I'm going to be getting those regardless

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For our trucks, just the basic hid kit works. I had the capacitor option on my first set back in my 00' sierra. They just got incredibly hot, even with heat sinking them to aluminum diamond plate and the lights wouldn't work sometimes. Took them out and has been fine since

Edited by bassmaster (see edit history)
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For those of you with HIDs:

Are you buying the capacitors that help with flickering? I heard this was more for newer german cars.

 

It seems that the relays are automatically included so I'm going to be getting those regardless

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I'll check out those chrome bulbs for the blinkers. thanks.

 

Can someone clarify my understanding of beams in these trucks: highbeams are all in the upper housing and thats all that's there. the lower housing inside bulbs are the headlights, and the lower housing outside bulbs are the drls ? And there is only a blinker in the lower housing, correct?

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I am running cheap HIDs on my Malibu. Had to disconnect daytime headlights. Hids do not like daytime headlights. I never start my car with Hids on. I have halogen on high beams. I use the cheap hids only at night. 35w 6k is around 3200 lumens . halogen high beams are around 1700. 55w hids are too bright in my way of thinking.. If you get 5k they are bright white. 6k has a hint of blue.

 

Leds have come a long way. The first ones looked bright but did not project light very far. Good for daytime driving only. The second generation had ballast and a cooling fan at the back of bulb. The next generation has cooling fins at the end of the bulb about one inch long. I cound not get this bulb to fit in the bracket after inserting it into the headlight. It protrudes too far out to fit into the holding bracket.

 

As far as light outout around 2400 lumens,instant on and no ballast. Around 55.00 on ebay. I put a set on a 2008 Chevy truck with no problems. They make a 20w and a 30w. The 30w put out pretty close between 35 and 55w hid. Look on ebay for led headlight and expect to pay 50 to 65 dollars. As far as lasting long, I have no idea as of yet..

 

I do have room on my Malibu for the leds and yes they would work in your fogs as you have unlimited space. . The holding bracket in our trucks get in the way or I would be running led high beams. They are plenty bright instant on and no ballast.

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Daytime running bulbs are on Ebay. Regular 3157 wont hold up very long. It calls for a 4114 which is a 14volt bulb. On ebay there are two vendors selling legit daytime running bulbs . One has them for about 20 and it says for GM products with the voltage spikes .The other guy gets around 32 dollars and I have been running his bulb for 4 years and no problem.

 

I read an article where a guy went to radio shack and bought a resistor to limit the socket to a max of 12 volts which is fine for a regular led bulb but if you put a regular led bulb in the 4114 socket without the resistor you might get 2 or 3 days out of it before it blows

 

Sorry for rattling on but I have been there and done that.

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