720s Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 where can I get hid lights do I have to convert my original lights or just buy hid bulbs ? Where can I buy hids for my 85 720? Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 You have sealed beams. You need new housings to fit the bulb. Save your money and buy LEDs. Plugs right in to existing harness. Less hokey wiring. Equal, if not better, output. Way less headache. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 Your original lamps are sealed so you can't replace the 'bulb' inside anyway. You can replace the lamps with H4??? that do have removable bulbs inside and then use an HID bulb conversion. But as these lamps do not have an effective cut off to reduce glare and were never intended to be used with something so bright. They are not fair to oncoming drivers and I fucking hate assholes that blind me. If you look at any car that came with HIDs they use a projector style lamp 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 LEDs are a great option nowadays. But to go HID properly would mean but a set of H4 conversion housings, take them apart, install some HID projectors and then reassemble and install the bulb. I've never seen a "projector" conversion for our trucks that is proper for use with HIDs that you could just purchase. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 The rectangular lamp does not leave much room. An evolutionary dead end. Quote Link to comment
MaxChlan Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 They are not fair to oncoming drivers and I fucking hate assholes that blind me. THIS. I can not overstate how irritating and borderline dangerous HIDs can be for oncoming drivers. Absolutely blinding. 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Or you could buy 4x6 projectors, and ignore all the ignorance above :) https://www.dapperlighting.com/collections/projector-headlights/products/dapper-lighting-4x6-projector-headlight?variant=25176589192 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 And THAT is the first set of HID rectangles I've ever seen. Those make what I said before meaningless. Very cool. I didn't realize Dapper made the rectangle. 1 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 LEDs still pull less amperage, last longer, are still cheaper, and are easier to install than HID...My statement earlier about LEDs being less of a headache still holds true. Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 LEDs still pull less amperage, last longer, are still cheaper, and are easier to install than HID...My statement earlier about LEDs being less of a headache still holds true.Maybe. Seems like LEDs these days are like compact fluorescents...supposed to last so much longer than incandescent, but so poorly made they die even sooner... Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 I replaced the indoor and outdoor lamps with fluorescent ones, and they are not cheap. First indoor one blew in three months. Next one I kept the receipt. Took it back. The replacement one, in about three months. The outdoors ones (on only during dark hours) randomly blow about the same as the 2 for $1.50 incandescent ones. WTF???? we are being pissed on and told it's raining. I have no faith in these fucking things whatever. They simply don't last long enough to even pay for themselves. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 I've had LEDs in my Lexus and wife's Pilot for a couple years now. Headlights and fogs. No complaints. Bought H4 housings and LED bulbs for the 521. Installing soon. You get what you pay for. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 If LEDs are brighter than the stock bulbs then you're almost back to HID conversion in H4 housings which have little or no cut off for approaching drivers. Those rectangular HIDs are genius. I looked at LEDs but waiting till more perfected. May like them better for high beam use if brighter. Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 I replaced the indoor and outdoor lamps with fluorescent ones, and they are not cheap. First indoor one blew in three months. Next one I kept the receipt. Took it back. The replacement one, in about three months. The outdoors ones (on only during dark hours) randomly blow about the same as the 2 for $1.50 incandescent ones. WTF???? we are being pissed on and told it's raining. I have no faith in these fucking things whatever. They simply don't last long enough to even pay for themselves. This was true years ago but the technology has improved greatly. Also, those incandescent bulbs are no longer $1.50, they're like $5.50 now. About a year ago I needed to buy headlights for my 2003 Dodge 2500, so I looked around for good aftermarket units. Since a lot of that aftermarket survives on dudes willing to blow their money on appearance items, I decided to do my homework. Asking these guys, even the shops that sell them, why they are so much better than stock, the common reply was "they look great". No actual hard evidence that the performance was better. So based on the get-what-you-pay-for theory, I bought some on the upper end of the price range. They are a combination of LED and HID and they really do kick ass over stock. Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 autopal on ebay sells housings..... i use them they work good .. terhe h4 housings but be prepared for the lighting nazis...phixius is a converted one... used to not care then he bought that autzone dapper kit ... and while it works good it looks like the reincarnation of altezza lights .. Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 I replaced the indoor and outdoor lamps with fluorescent ones, and they are not cheap. First indoor one blew in three months. Next one I kept the receipt. Took it back. The replacement one, in about three months. The outdoors ones (on only during dark hours) randomly blow about the same as the 2 for $1.50 incandescent ones. WTF???? we are being pissed on and told it's raining. I have no faith in these fucking things whatever. They simply don't last long enough to even pay for themselves. lots of garbage out there these days Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 LEDs in halogen housings can be just as bad as HIDs. HIDs don't even attempt to have the light arc in the same position as halogen bulbs. LEDs at least attempt this so have a higher success rate. Right now the only ones worth getting are the ones with two Cree XHP50 LEDs on them. That said, a proper HID setup is still brighter than LED right now. Quote Link to comment
weldingrod Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Anybody have any experience installing trailer plug on 1985 4x4 truck? First I have to go in and remove the spider web someone else installed. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 I think this needs it's own post not in someone else's. This way all answers are yours. Go to 720 and top right is START NEW TOPIC. Fill out topic title and ask away. Quote Link to comment
Rjawm Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I used this set in my sons D21, with essentially the equivalent of casper shields installed by the manufacturer, in a set of Autopal housings. No weird glares, never been flashed, great light output, and I've driven it all over Skagit, Snohomish, and King counties on all types of roads and in all manner of traffic. The shields prevent the HID bulb from being reflected off the bottom of the housing, the part that makes the glare happen. They are 55w 6000k bulbs, I think they are closer to 5000k as they are closer to white than the blueish that 6000k usually gives. In the end I was pretty happy about it as I didn't want the blueish tint but couldn't find a set of 4300k or 5000k at the time. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLGBHNG/ And as a sidenote, I put LED's in a 2003 Ford Focus with brand new housings, OEM had heavy UV damage, and I'm pretty unimpressed with them. This is the LED set I used. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FR7577G Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 5,500 to 6,500 Kelvin is basically sunlight so don't worry about bluish tint. That is only at the outer edge of the light pattern where the glass acts like a prism. Your eyes have evolved over millions of years to distinguish colors based on sunlight or near sunlight conditions. Going lower 'cools' to yellow, above 'warms' toward violet. Both these directions, you actually 'see' less. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I had a used car that I inspected come through my stall Friday. 2015 Tundra. 22,000ish miles. Vehicle had HID bulbs installed for headlights and fogs also. Fog lenses was melted through on both sides and the back of the headlight housings were melted also. Repair was to replace all housings and remove the HID bulbs altogether. The wiring that was ran back and forth for the grill was a crazy spider's nest of wire. When I installed the LEDs in both my cars it really was a plug and play deal. I have about 15,000 miles on my lights. Wife would be closer to 30K. MY LEDs are just as bright as any thing I have seen on other cars. To the above post, I wonder if the hazing of your plastic lenses killed a lot of your light output. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Use glass. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Factory housing on newer cars don't really leave much option between materials used for lights. Ya know? 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Hard to compare anecdotal lifespan on car lights... Quote Link to comment
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