Am tired.... and its getting worse and worse of fiddling with the damm plastic lenses on the headlights on my 2002 2500 truck.

 

Clean them off and they look great and I can actually see at night, then another 2-3 months later and the damm plastic gets hazy again and its time to do it over again.

 

Was chatting with a guy on CL and he mentioned upgrading the truck to something like the 2005 style of headlights and be done with these older headlights. 

 

Anyone else do anything like this? 

 

Thx, 

 

FT

Are there any solid alternatives to the stock headlight option? I just checked with my local shop and they want 100 bucks a pop for a whole new housing!!

 

The reason I'm going that route is because I have condensation built up in my headlight housing currently, and I don't think sanding/clear will help in that situation.

I purchased my replacement housings on Ebay. I think the pair was about $140. The headlight and turn signal are all one piece on mine and the backdrop inside the housing is black. Looks pretty nice and performs pretty nice as well. I had the same issue of condensation on the inside of the housing.

 

You should be able to see them in the pictures I have of the truck in my "garage".

Rockauto

But which manufacture at Rockauto. I've used Dorman parts before, replaced all the window regulators in a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. They looked nice fit nice and worked right the first time. I don't know about the TYC or Various Mfg brands.

 

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1361999,parttype,10762

When I get the time/ money I will be installing morimoto bixenon projectors into my stock housings.  I did this on my 89 BMW and the improvement is truly astonishing. 

 

you can find the full kit for $200-$300 on ebay.  Very easy to install and the results will blow the sport housings out of the water.  The only downside is the bulbs are a non standard type, so it is recommended to keep some in the glove box. 

 

 

When I do get around to this I will do a write up on it.

But which manufacture at Rockauto. I've used Dorman parts before, replaced all the window regulators in a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. They looked nice fit nice and worked right the first time. I don't know about the TYC or Various Mfg brands.

 

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1361999,parttype,10762

 

Thanks for that link. I really only need the main headlight housing, my blinkers are still looking nice. Have you ordered any of those yet?

I haven't replaced them yet. They have a slight haze on them now and I'll give them a clean and seal to see how that goes. The truck is a driveway Queen and faces north all the time so the UV damage hasn't been to bad on them.   

I haven't replaced them yet. They have a slight haze on them now and I'll give them a clean and seal to see how that goes. The truck is a driveway Queen and faces north all the time so the UV damage hasn't been to bad on them.   

 

haha that's pretty strategic parking!

My headlights are quite acceptable...  I mainly park nose in facing the woods (North).      

 

I have a problem with random "upgrades" that put different bulbs in the housing.  I had off road lights before they were DOT approved...  I learned a lot.  The filament can end up located in the wrong place in the reflector.  While non-specified bulbs may put out a lot of light...  the combination can lack the light control resulting in blinding oncoming drivers like me.   If you blind somebody & they crash into you, you both lose.  Now maybe newer kits or bulbs have resolved these issues...  I don't know.  When we undertake to do mods, the responsibility falls only on us.          

My headlights are quite acceptable...  I mainly park nose in facing the woods (North).      

 

I have a problem with random "upgrades" that put different bulbs in the housing.  I had off road lights before they were DOT approved...  I learned a lot.  The filament can end up located in the wrong place in the reflector.  While non-specified bulbs may put out a lot of light...  the combination can lack the light control resulting in blinding oncoming drivers like me.   If you blind somebody & they crash into you, you both lose.  Now maybe newer kits or bulbs have resolved these issues...  I don't know.  When we undertake to do mods, the responsibility falls only on us.          

Anything you do to a vehicle or trailer, from changing oil to a brake job to an engine overhaul, the responsibility falls on us. Years ago  I did a wheel bearing repack. A few weeks later the customer runs the car into the center divider during a rain storm. She said the steering wheel jerked out of her hands and it must have been the wheel bearing were done wrong. A third party inspected the bearings and found nothing wrong but there you go, she was trying to make me responsible for her bad driving.

 

A lot of the things we do to our trucks are upgrades. Are they random? A person sees a situation an says ' I think I can do it better than what I've got here now. He try's out the "upgrade" and it either works better or it's a flop. This is how we learn: IE putting Chevy rear brake wheel cylinders in 2000 Dodge ¾ ton pick-up.     

someone showed me this http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=2G%2ERAM%2ERETRO I know this setup works well and is a great upgrade over stock lights but is it worth it for almost 600 has anyone used this particular kit and what are your thoughts of it.

I haven't used them  but that's a chunk of change for the base light housing.  If you add in all the options it's another $705. Are the lenses glass or plastic and if plastic how well do they hold up to hazing by the sun.

Those 600 head lights are nothing more then morimoto bi xenon mini h1's.

great output for the price. You can buy those kits for sub 300. And yes it is worth the cost.

I cheated I upgrade fog / driving lights instead.

 

Even my 96 got upgraded.

 Try it on your wife's car firs to make sure it works.

That's funny right there. I guess the honeymoons over?

That's funny right there. I guess the honeymoons over?

Yeah the first month or so, now it's life like for everyone else. Up down up down etc, she'd actually think that it's for the best and nice for a change that her vehicle is getting attantion too. So even if it looks worst then before you can always say but honey I meant to do good and see I'm not only working on my truck all the time.

From my brief reading these kits include sheilds that answer my concerns about uncontrolled / improperly controlled bright light.  I can get behind a proper upgrade.  

I bought a set of cheap housings, baked them open, and cut/pasted a set of 2.5" HID projectors. There's no comparison between before/after...

 

Neat

Harness write up by Craig hope it helps 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ikcqdc47e7epyul/Headlight%20Harness%20Instructions%202014.pdf?dl=0

YEP.....THAT looks familiar......Now i know why this guy couldn't get his Indicator light to go Off on HB