Experience with Xtralights

[PMakar]

I am looking at some headlight upgrades at Xtralights.com and wondered if anyone has used the projector or xenon system that they sell? I am looking for more light at the low beam setting. I have looked at the bright box setup but I do not do much driving using high beams. Any opinions or other suggestions will be appreciated. My truck is an 05.

 

[mberry]

I put PIAA bulbs in my truck. They definitely helped. If I were you in the same situation, I would be looking to add driving lights. Usually less expensive and adjustable to suit my particular needs. Good luck.

 

[BimmerAgent]

I put PIAA bulbs in my truck also, hoping for a marked improvement, but have been disappointed. They are a bit brighter than stock, but not much. I would really like to find an alternative that works well at a reasonable price. The headlights are the "glaring" weakness in the truck. Otherwise, it's a great unit. Bruce

 

[Bighorn1]

PIAA Replacement Bulbs

I just ordered the Fogzilla wiring kit from Genos & PIAA Xtreme white plus bulbs from the Tire Rack. I hope the PIAA 9005 bulbs will be an improvement.

I also ordered the PIAA Xtreme High/Low head lamp bulbs.



They should be in by early next week. I'll post the results here.

 

[BigDan]

Ive gone through the dissipointment of replacement bulbs far too many times and will never waste my money again on a replacement's like Silverstars(the worst) or PIAA's. Yeah the PIAA's gave out a whiter crisper light but it didnt do anything for the vision or performance. I notice alot of people get cheap and run down to the local parts store and pick up a set of Silverstars and then realize that there not impressed but the little bit of improvement warrents them to also refeere them to others who ask about them. .



When I got my new 3rd gen I wasnt going to do the same. Well I found a brand new plug and play HID system in the classifides for $170 shipped. Well that's all it took for me to get over 200% improvement in light output. HID's arnt as expensive as most think. www.hid-lights sells kits for $225 and thats the same kit I have.



I had PIAA 9006 in my factory fogs and they looked crappy and yellow compared to my new HID's so thoes had to go. I didnt want to spend another $200 on another HID kit and was also worried about it being too bright and blinding on comming drivers so I looked for a better matched bulb and found the Howen 9005 and that match up really well.



Before you go down to your local store to buy a set of $50 Silverstars think about how important you night time vision is to you and the others saftey. I'm still out of work and on dissability but I still made the sacrafice in got some lighting that might save my or my familys life. $225 for some pice of mind is woth it to me since all ive been through and live in the high Sierra's on mountian roads.





Sorry if I came across as an $%& but its just how I feel.



Dan

 

[DieselFiend]

Big Dan, which kit did you specifically use? I'm thinking about an HID kit also.

 

[Bertram65]

Same question, which kit? was it really just plug and play like replacing a bulb?

 

[Matt400]

I found a brand new plug and play HID system in the classifides for $170 shipped. Well that's all it took for me to get over 200% improvement in light output. HID's arnt as expensive as most think. www.hid-lights sells kits for $225 and thats the same kit I have.

BigDan I would be curious to read more about that kit but the link wont work.



PMakar Maybe you could replace your fogs if you don't see much fog like I did except use Hella's low beam module. I used their high beam.

 

[drury]

In addition to the Britebox, I did Fogzilla's with SilverStar bulbs and replaced the headlights with the Sylvania XtraVision H13's. I'm very happy with the low beam/fog light combination now. I know you wouldn't use it much, but the Brite Box high beam setup absolutely ROCKS.

 

[BigDan]

I have the GP Thunder 9500K HID kit. www.hid-lights.com for $225. It comes plug and play and ready to rock... if our trucks didnt have computer controled headlights. All you need to do is to swap circuts with the fog lights since the fogs arnt controled by the computer. So your fog light switch will control your HID and the headlight switch will control your fogs.



Its quite simple just run a set of wires and a few connectors and your done.



Ive heard in other threads floating around that a company called Vision or something up in WA know this is a common problem and sell a resistor to wire inline.



Its nice to see people that care about lighting safety. Seriously we spend $40K on a truck which happens to have poor headlight and all of a sudden everyone decides to take the cheap way out and not pony up for a real improvemet in lighting. I only spent $170 and its finally nice to be happy with my headlight and no cursing them.



Yeah other guys but additional lights but you cant drive around everyday with 4 KC lights blinding every driver.

 

[p-Bar]

Not to pop bubles here but those retro HID's are illeagal in the US because of all the light they scatter. I think it's good we look out for our families but you are screwing up the oncoming traffic. Here a website that tells all about it.



http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

 

[Matt400]

Not to pop bubles here but those retro HID's are illeagal in the US because of all the light they scatter. I think it's good we look out for our families but you are screwing up the oncoming traffic. Here a website that tells all about it.



http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

I was wondering about that since the reflectors are not designed for HID.

 

[Bertram65]

Not to pop bubles here but those retro HID's are illeagal in the US because of all the light they scatter. I think it's good we look out for our families but you are screwing up the oncoming traffic. Here a website that tells all about it.



http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

No one cares about the other guy driving the other way, half the idiots in the area I live in drive around with thier high beams on so they can see better.

 

[BigDan]

I was also going to refeere Daniel Stern... really cool guy that ive talked to.



What you can also is is what the guy I had orignally bought the HID's from did was he bought the ebay projectors and ordered a set of H1 HID bulbs from www.hid-lights.com for an extra $35. So I now have 9007 HID bulb and a H1 HID bulbs incase I want to have even better lighting and utitlize a projector whis IS leagle when using HID's. Im on the fence now because while the ebay projectors look cool I dont know if I want to be catagorized as a guy that puts thoes kind of accesories like clear tail lights... etc on his truck. I see alot of 1/2 hemi guys that do that kind of stuff to their truck and I dont want it to look tackey and go out of style like the whole import thing fizzled out 3 years ago.

 

[Matt400]

Not to pop bubles here but those retro HID's are illeagal in the US because of all the light they scatter. I think it's good we look out for our families but you are screwing up the oncoming traffic. Here a website that tells all about it.



http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

Probably a better link yet is this one:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html



A quick goggle on conversions found several suppliers all with disclaimers of "off road use only" I would imagine its only a matter of time before hid-lights.com puts up the same disclaimer.



I find it interesting that companies are allowed to sell a product and get away with it using that disclaimer... . as if the owner has installed legal lamps for on road and made this conversion to their OEM lamps for off road



I suppose in my case I could change the bulbs in my bumper head lamps making them legal and do this off road conversion for off road but whats the point when you can just add to what you have.

 

[p-Bar]

I emailed XTRALIGHTS. COM and asked them if these were legal in the states here is thier reply:



Sorry, we don't know since we are based in Canada and ship the HID products

from Canada only if US customers order them from us.



So it is the customer's responsibility to check with their local officals

about the legal matters and regulations.







Thanks,



Customer Service

www.XtraLights.com





YA RIGHT