OEM Projectors Vs Morimoto Housings + Fogs

[DeansRedRam]

So for my own curiosity I wanted a direct comparison from my OEM Projector headlights vs the Morimoto headlights with their fog lights. I absolutely love the look of the Morimoto headlights, makes the truck look like a 19+. I also think this truck really should have come with LED lights in it from the factory.

So far, the Morimotos are great, the plug N' Play is great, and I haven't gotten a single light on the dash with them. I thought the light output was going to be a bit brighter, but definitely a huge upgrade from factory. Worth the $1400 I paid? Probably not, but if they last 10+ years I'll be happy. I could have just gone with LEDs in my stock projector, but I really like the look of the DRLs on the Morimotos.

First pic; Stock Low beams + stock fog lights

Second pic; Morimoto Low beams + Morimoto Low beams

Third pic; Stock High beams

Fourth pic; Morimoto high beams

Fifth pic; Stock Fog Lights

Sixth pic; Morimoto Fog Lights

 

[lpennock]

I think you may need to aim the Morimoto Fog Lights up a bit. I would expect the beam top should be close to collar on the further fence pole.

 

[DeansRedRam]

I think you may need to aim the Morimoto Fog Lights up a bit. I would expect the beam top should be close to collar on the further fence pole.

Funny you say that. The fogs use the same mounting bracket as the factory fog lights do which is nice. So i readjusted the bracket before i reinstalled the Morimotos to right about where the factory fog lights were. They were like 5 feet in front of the truck. I readjusted them to just about as far as they can go, and they still look like they're close to the truck.

 

[lpennock]

They would fill in nice with low beams. I just think they should be a bit higher from the pictures. Fogs should be down about 4" below horizontal at 25'. They can be slightly higher than that if they are mounted low on the vehicle like ours are.

 

[DeansRedRam]

They would fill in nice with low beams. I just think they should be a bit higher from the pictures. Fogs should be down about 4" below horizontal at 25'. They can be slightly higher than that if they are mounted low on the vehicle like ours are.

Yes, I have to actually adjust them correctly, but I was excited to check out the difference.

 

[lpennock]

I would love to see a side by side between them and my Rigid DOT Fog light pods. They do look nice and bright. Love to see them when you get them aligned.

 

[R.Taylor]

I had the Morimoto fogs on my 18' and they do take a bit of fanageling to get set right but yes... Looks good, just need to adjust/align them. 25 feet from a wall... Level surface to make adjustments is what our trucks with no lift want.

 

[Wiredawg]

I love the clean white light of LEDs and my wife's 2019 OEM LEDs are the best light setup, stock OR aftermarket I have ever seen.

My 2017 Ram 5500 stock projectors and fogs have the best light coverage Ram has offered with halogen. I like the looks of your LEDs too, but just can't get past the big ticket cost.

I changed out both headlights and fogs to LED bulbs in my 2014 Jeep and headlights on my 1978 Ram D150 Lil Red Express Truck, in fact all lamps inside and out, ind again love the bright white coverage. Only slight complaint is the horizontal coverage is less than halogen, but vertical is incredible and I don't get flashed like I did with the stock halogens.

I believe I read either you or another member assessed putting LEDs in the OEM housing and I've seen YouTube showing modifying the housings to work. Not sure I want to do that.

Anyhoo, you have a nice truck and lights look cool. Thanks for the write up and pics.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

I had the Morimoto fogs on my 18' and they do take a bit of fanageling to get set right but yes... Looks good, just need to adjust/align them. 25 feet from a wall... Level surface to make adjustments is what our trucks with no lift want.

It's funny you mentioning aiming lights on a wall... I have the inside of my white garage doors marked for my Jeep, former Monte Carlo, and my LRE. I have small print to tell which is which.

I remember in the 70s, part of vehicle inspection was checking aim of headlights, had devices they lined up to check and have seen old used ones on Ebay. Pretty cool.

Cheers, Ron

 

[lpennock]

I remember in the 70s, part of vehicle inspection was checking aim of headlights, had devices they lined up to check and have seen old used ones on Ebay. Pretty cool.

Cheers, Ron

Was almost guaranteed you would have to pay for a headlight alignment when you got inspection. I think I only passed one time without them saying I was out of alignment. That time confused them as the high beams were airplane landing light bulbs (pencil beams kind of like original KC Daylighters) so it pegged the intensity meter.

 

[DeansRedRam]

I would love to see a side by side between them and my Rigid DOT Fog light pods. They do look nice and bright. Love to see them when you get them aligned.

I'm sure the rigids would be bighter, these are 1200 lumens each side

 

[DeansRedRam]

I love the clean white light of LEDs and my wife's 2019 OEM LEDs are the best light setup, stock OR aftermarket I have ever seen.

My 2017 Ram 5500 stock projectors and fogs have the best light coverage Ram has offered with halogen. I like the looks of your LEDs too, but just can't get past the big ticket cost.

I changed out both headlights and fogs to LED bulbs in my 2014 Jeep and headlights on my 1978 Ram D150 Lil Red Express Truck, in fact all lamps inside and out, ind again love the bright white coverage. Only slight complaint is the horizontal coverage is less than halogen, but vertical is incredible and I don't get flashed like I did with the stock halogens.

I believe I read either you or another member assessed putting LEDs in the OEM housing and I've seen YouTube showing modifying the housings to work. Not sure I want to do that.

Anyhoo, you have a nice truck and lights look cool. Thanks for the write up and pics.

Cheers, Ron

I too was thinking about putting LEDs in the stock, but I realllllly like the DRL on the Morimotos. That was probably my personal selling point.

Modifying, are you talking about the high beam? I believe the company is GTR lighting which make a shallow mount bulb for the high beam in these trucks so it won't requre modification.

 

[Wiredawg]

I too was thinking about putting LEDs in the stock, but I realllllly like the DRL on the Morimotos. That was probably my personal selling point.

Modifying, are you talking about the high beam? I believe the company is GTR lighting which make a shallow mount bulb for the high beam in these trucks so it won't requre modification.

DRR,

Thanks, i have looked at GTR, I'm on the fence due to article I've read that matches my experience on both Jeep and LRE that you cant achieve optimal projection with LED bulbs in housings designed for halogen/ incandescent bulbs. I may call GTR to have a discussion about it.

Didn't check while on Morimoto website, do they have lifetime warranty?

Thanks, Ron

 

[Ozymandias]

Morimoto is top notch, I'm running their HID Lights on my truck for 6 years now and they are flawless.

 

[DeansRedRam]

DRR,

Thanks, i have looked at GTR, I'm on the fence due to article I've read that matches my experience on both Jeep and LRE that you cant achieve optimal projection with LED bulbs in housings designed for halogen/ incandescent bulbs. I may call GTR to have a discussion about it.

Didn't check while on Morimoto website, do they have lifetime warranty?

Thanks, Ron

I have seen that HID is optimal for projector housing, I think because HIDs provide scattered light? Don't quote me on it. I just like the simplicity of LEDs.

I have a 5 year warranty on the headlights.

 

[AH64ID]

Morimoto is top notch, I'm running their HID Lights on my truck for 6 years now and they are flawless.

Well I found a good price on Morimoto HID Elite in 9005 so I ordered them. Less that the LED’s I was looking at.

Time will tell. I’m doing LED’s for high beams and fogs thou.

 

[DeansRedRam]

That was going to be my exact route, or even possible LED in the low beam. I'd love to see how they look when you're all said and done.

 

[Ozymandias]

LEDs in incandescent Housings are Crap, and will always be Crap. It's simple physics that this doesn't work out.
HIDs in the same position works fine because they have the same way of sending the light out as a standard halogen, just brighter.

This website states that they have the most sophisticated bulb out there today, but check the comparsion pics.
Even this bulb has glare above the main cut off line and will blind oncoming traffic.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/blog/post/sl1_led_headlight_bulb_optical_focus/

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