2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission HID headlights?

[LKuilder]

I ordered a set of the 1 piece clear headlight housings and going to try them. I've read both good and bad about them on different sites and decided I'd give them a try. I've been running the Silver Star bulbs in my stock housings for a while now and just wanting to get some more light. I think I'm going to try the Silver Stars in the clear housings for now but I'm really leaning towards going HID. Does anyone have experience running HID's in our trucks. I've never dealt with them before and just looking for advice. As far as is one brand better than another. I'm thinking of going with a 6000k color for the headlights and a 3000k for the foglights in the stock fog light housings. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[budnate]

hang on a couple weeks I will report my findings, I have the hid 4300k for both main and fogs but waiting on clear lenses and I still need to buy mopar fog housings yet, fyi. my hid bulbs and wiring was $200

 

[LBARTLETT]

I'm watching the thread, I've got to do something about my lights but I don't want to do the sportlight conversion

 

[LKuilder]

hang on a couple weeks I will report my findings, I have the hid 4300k for both main and fogs but waiting on clear lenses and I still need to buy mopar fog housings yet, fyi. my hid bulbs and wiring was $200

I'll be watching to see how your's turns out. I already ordered a set of the 1 piece headlight/parking light housings off of ebay and we'll see how those work but I'm really leaning towards going HID. And I've actually been able to clear up my stock fog light lenses pretty good with the Meguair's kit so I'm thinking of just using them with some HID's as well.



These are the new clear housings I ordered:

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I've read both good and bad about them on several sites but I'll see how they work for me.



And this is the HID set from Retro Solutions I am thinking of for headlights:

55W 9004 HB1 DIGITAL BIXENON HID LIFE WARRANTY in the 6000k color



And these for fog lights in the 3000k color:

880/881/893/894 DIGITAL HID kit LIFE WARRANTY

 

[GOlsen]

Don't install HID in those lenses. First of all, HIDs require specifically designed reflectors/projectors to aim the light correctly. Here is a good link explaining that. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply These are the lights I have on my truck, and they do not aim the light very well at all. Installing HIDs in these housings would not be very "friendly" for oncoming drivers. I run silverstar ultras in mine, and the light is at least a bit better than stock. I hope this helps.

 

[LBARTLETT]

GOlsen, please explain "they do not aim the light very well at all", do you mean you can't adjust them or they aren't any better than stock? thanks

 

[PC12Driver]

Think of a Maglite - take the lens/reflector assembly off and look at the bulb. It's bright, bright enough that it'll hurt your eyes to look at. But try to use it to illuminate something 20' away and it's useless without the focusing effect of the lens/reflector assembly.



Same with HID bulbs in a non-HID housing. If you look at a factory HID setup, the lens looks like a projector lens. The very bright and very white bulbs (two separate measurements by the way: temp and lumens are not the same) needs more focusing than a housing for an incandescent bulb can provide. A HID bulb in a standard housing will be perceived as "bright," but without the projector lens the light is scattered optical "noise" and most of the extra lumens you get are wasted. Same effect to the eye as white noise (static) is to the ear. Audio static will be perceived as louder than a clean tone at the same decibel level, just as a whiter light (more K) will be perceived as brighter.



That optic noise is very painful for oncoming traffic, which is why there are not any HID upgrades that are legal for street use. Even if a projector lens is added, federal law also requires an in-cab level adjustment for the driver to be able to lower the beam if the vehicle is riding tail-low.

 

[budnate]

well I will tell you my findings shortly with pictures, thats the same lenses I ordered sunday.



In my logic I think the HID bulbs wont work either with the clear lense, for the life of me I cant believe how hard it is to get factual information on this deal, all these bulb guys are kinda like snake oil salesmen I think, I am very dissapointed. . I am into the bulbs & wires for $200, another $100 for NOS mopar lenses that did not work with HID's, now into clear lenses for $134... and the HID's probably wont work so then need to figure what kind of bulbs to run in the clear lenses... this has been a exspensive RD project



I long for the old days of buying good old round Cibie glass and running 55w/85w bulbs killer clean light.

 

[kenny61]

My buddy gave me a hid set he had ans was no longer using. they used a h4 halogen for low and hid for the high. They were a cheap made in china set but a direct replacement for the stock 9004 bulb. the h4 fit loosely in the socket and fell out. one is now rolling around inside my headlight. the ballst when the hid was on created so much electrical noise i lost half my radio stations. and the bulbs were wired wrong regarding the 3 wires and the way they connected to the factory harness the lighting itself was really impressive and didnt seem to be dazziling the other drivers but I went back to stock due to the made in china nonsense. One day i may go with a higher quality unit