Headlights - 2nd Best

[puglyfe]

I am looking for the best sport headlight available. I can't afford the RetroFitShop Mini or D2S setup at this time. What are the best sport replacement unit available? TYC, PERDE, Something else from Headlightdepot.com? I will most likely be doing the relay/harness setup found somewhere here to update the wiring. I am looking for the best fit after the best pattern available that is non Morimoto retrofit.

What is your experience so far with the best replacements? I currently have the standard 2 bulb setup that doesn't produce much light due to age of the original housings.

[Mopar1973Man]

Already done the sport headlights with relay mod and still very poor for lighting. Sport headlight do not product more light. The Aux inboard lights is an narrow vertical band of light which is not usable light. The main lights give more light than the in board aux lamps. Not to mention the reflective pattern in the housing typically of low quality too scattered of light. Then the most you'll get from normal halogen bulbs is 800 to 900 lumens on high beam. 

 

Like my PIAA LEDs driving lights start at 4,000 lumens (18w) and street legal. Then the HID's at 3,000 lumens (35w). The fact is the stock housing are going to scatter the limited light (800-900 lumens) from halogens all over the place. HIDs will fill the entire area with equal light.

 

Please don't get the dumb idea of installing LED headlight bulb they are very blinding because the housings are not designed for LED headlight bulbs. The pattern again is typically all wrong and very blinding to on coming vehicles. I drive at least 1,200 miles a week and sick and tired of LED retro fitted vehicles. 

 

The only way to get more light is go up properly. like I've found out sport light won't give more light than stock headlights. Still the same crappy reflector and same 800 to 900 lumen bulbs..

[JAG1]

17 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

 

Please don't get the dumb idea of installing LED headlight bulb they are very blinding because the housings are not designed for LED headlight bulbs. The pattern again is typically all wrong and very blinding to on coming vehicles. I drive at least 1,200 miles a week and sick and tired of LED retro fitted vehicles. 

 

 

I hear that even tho I'm old. Sometimes I have to slow down since I cannot see when they are approaching, esp. on these small country roads I frequently run. I get the idea that why so many pedestrians are hit in the dark. They should be outlawed, but send the fines to IBMobiles fishing fund. That would accomplish a great deal. 

Edited December 4, 2019 by JAG1

[Mopar1973Man]

1 minute ago, JAG1 said:

I hear that even tho I'm old. Sometimes I have to slow down since I cannot see when they are approaching, esp. on these small country roads I frequently run.

Same here the LED retrofits are very blinding. I've got most of my trips on narrow 2 lane roads without much of a shoulder. 

 

At least the HID's have a good cut off line of the low beam without blinding every one. 

[Dieselfuture]

8 hours ago, puglyfe said:

I am looking for the best fit after the best pattern available that is non Morimoto retrofit.

Try finding used original housings maybe that are not faded  if there is such a thing. They worked ok for a long time. I actually sanded mine with different send paper until I got all the crap off then put a coat of non yellowing clear coat I found at paint store. I didn't even get all send marks out, clear did the trick. And then put better bulbs in (not led or anything crazy) just some original bulbs that produced more light, forgot the name, sylvania makes them. Worked for a while, then I switched to morimotos

[Me78569]

OEM sport lights. 

 

The others are ok and are best suited for retrofitting.   

 

however by the time you are done finding oem sport lights plus a relay mod you could have bought cheap housings and the acme setup from morimoto for about the same.  

 

$130 for the acme mini h1 setup 

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-xenon-acme-h1-stage-3-kit.html

 

that is just an earlier version of the morimoto mini h1.

[joeld79]

I'm gonna get a lot of hate on this post but here was my solution, budget friendly, single parent 2 kids.

 

I went with LED bulbs, and aftermarket housings.

 

I achieved all this under $200 and have a good cut-off, I do have some dark spots but the overall brightness trumps my other halogen attempts.  What I did was find a LED bulb that has the diodes at the same measurement or with-in millimeters of where the stock halogen filament was located.  Tested light scatter with some buddies and have never received a flash from on coming traffic.  I can also see at night again. 

[dripley]

19 minutes ago, joeld79 said:

I'm gonna get a lot of hate on this post but here was my solution, budget friendly, single parent 2 kids.

 

I went with LED bulbs, and aftermarket housings.

 

I achieved all this under $200 and have a good cut-off, I do have some dark spots but the overall brightness trumps my other halogen attempts.  What I did was find a LED bulb that has the diodes at the same measurement or with-in millimeters of where the stock halogen filament was located.  Tested light scatter with some buddies and have never received a flash from on coming traffic.  I can also see at night again. 

No hate from me because I believe they can work. I get blinded as many or more new cars as I believe poor retrofits. So do share the housings you used. Never thought about location of the diodes in respect to the filaments. 

[98whitelightnin]

Check out Amazon for some TYC housings. I got a set for about $80 for both.

Mike, did you do a write up on your projectors? Im thinking about stepping up to them and dont know if I want to nuy a pre built set from the retro shop or build a set

[dripley]

I have eagle eye stock style replacements in mine but they are 8 years old and pvery cloudy. Thought something besides stock might be better for LED's. Just dont know.

@joeld79 are your stock style or aftermarket?

[joeld79]

https://www.amazon.com/Dodge-Sport-headlights-Spinning-Bearing/dp/B016Z592I4/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Dodge|40&Model=Ram 2500|2780&Year=2001|2001&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive&vehicleId=2&vehicleType=automotive

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016Z592I4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by joeld79

[Me78569]

1 hour ago, 98whitelightnin said:

Check out Amazon for some TYC housings. I got a set for about $80 for both.

Mike, did you do a write up on your projectors? Im thinking about stepping up to them and dont know if I want to nuy a pre built set from the retro shop or build a set

I did a write up on mini h1's into the sport lights.  

 

 

 

[puglyfe]

12 hours ago, Me78569 said:

OEM sport lights. 

 

The others are ok and are best suited for retrofitting.   

 

however by the time you are done finding oem sport lights plus a relay mod you could have bought cheap housings and the acme setup from morimoto for about the same.  

 

$130 for the acme mini h1 setup 

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-xenon-acme-h1-stage-3-kit.html

 

that is just an earlier version of the morimoto mini h1.

Thanks for the link to the ACME setup. I had only looked at the Morimoto kit earlier. Does anyone have any experience with the ACME kit? Any concerns with the component quality?

 

Using the retrofit kit, any new housing with a clear lens will work? Any brand better than the others for fit and quality?

 

Thanks for the other responses too. And agreement about using HID bulbs in non-projector setups. I don't know that I have seen any LED replacement bulbs in use yet.

[dripley]

2 hours ago, joeld79 said:

https://www.amazon.com/Dodge-Sport-headlights-Spinning-Bearing/dp/B016Z592I4/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Dodge|40&Model=Ram 2500|2780&Year=2001|2001&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive&vehicleId=2&vehicleType=automotive

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016Z592I4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

 

You used 4 led's?

I have been looking at nonsport housings like those thinking the reflectors would direct the light better since they dont appear to have a reflcetor on the bottom.

Edited December 5, 2019 by dripley

[Me78569]

1 hour ago, puglyfe said:

Thanks for the link to the ACME setup. I had only looked at the Morimoto kit earlier. Does anyone have any experience with the ACME kit? Any concerns with the component quality?

 

Using the retrofit kit, any new housing with a clear lens will work? Any brand better than the others for fit and quality?

 

Thanks for the other responses too. And agreement about using HID bulbs in non-projector setups. I don't know that I have seen any LED replacement bulbs in use yet.

Projectors are just older version moritmoto.  The balllast are cheap chinese but they work.  

[Mopar1973Man]

Some are asking here is my post about Morimoto...

 

 

Like this morning I'm up at 4:30am and getting ready to make my trek to Ontario, OR. Very dark outside and no moon light either. Between the 3,000 lumen Morimoto D2S lights and 4,000 lumens for the PIAA LED's driving lights. Way better... 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Mopar1973Man

[Evan]

I think I'm going to do this kit in standerd non sport houseing

 

https://hidkitpros.com/shop/2002-2005-dodge-ram-digital-slim-ac-xenon-hid-kit/

[Me78569]

No.  Hids need projectors.

[Evan]

I called hid kit pros and they said with properly adjusted lights the kit I posted works well. Maybevtheyre just trying to make a sell.

[dripley]

FWIW aren't those 3 gen lights anyway.

Edited December 9, 2019 by dripley