Dangerdick

Ahh yes they're modular now,so the ballast itself can be re-used. I forgot they changed that!

Basically yea

The hump in the center is also to eliminate the light directly in front of you to preserve night vision. Some will even advance that limiter up further to really eliminate the foreground but I've never seen the point. Like I said, when you get those brackets cut, I would definitely pay a premium for a set

No I definitely agree the 350 is a very solid projector. I've run the FX-R and the EVOX-R in my F150 and I am more of a fan of the EVOX-R myself. Everyone loves the FX-R, and it is good - but there are other alternatives that definitely dont get enough credit.

If you do the work to retrofit the lights, adding the relay harness to make the FX-R fully operational as a highbeam as well will be the easy part. It would be a waste not to.

The retrofit will obliterate the output of any OEM setup, so if you're looking for sheer light output then do the FX-R. If you want ease of install, do the HID kit

Some things to consider: A projector relies heavily on bulb placement and focal points. If the arc is out of line even a few mm, the beam pattern will be skewed and make for poor night driving. These vehicles use a PWM system that requires a capacitor to smooth the voltage for the lights to function well on the 'Automatic' setting. Low quality DC ballasts will cause premature bulb death by forever using one electrode as the anode for the arc. A higher quality AC ballast will not do this and your bulbs will last longer. A good quality kit will come with a waterproof relay system that will eliminate the most common issues you see with low quality kits. A low quality kit will cost you time and money in the long run, as the cheaper alternative often does. Lower quality bulbs use poor quality halide salts inside the capsule and will 'burn-in' (change color) to an undesirable shade or dim entirely. Yes you can get it done for 75$ with a kit shipped directly from china with little to no quality control - Or for 175$ you can have a kit pieced together at The Retrofit Source that is tried, tested and true. Countless reviews on this and many other automobile forums, as well as the biggest HID forum going (HIDPlanet) can all attest to the quality of the kit. Comes with the dual 40a relays and the capacitor link to ensure proper function. Go with your friend if you'd like, but when you cheap out - the results often speak for themself. LINK: SIERRA SPEC: MORIMOTO ELITE HID SYSTEM

Spurshot, Isolating each side of the headlight won't cause any issues at all and there will be no backfeeding to speak of. Once the +12v hits the capacitor link and relay, the vehicle sees the circuit as terminated and thats the end of it. The relay and Morimoto control harness then takes over and all 12v+ is supplied through it. You're actually making troubleshooting easier for yourself, as GM fuses the headlights separately so carrying on that isolation will effectively make the circuit much easier to diagnose, should you have to. Your idea for the headlights system and that mounting plate I saw you posting about on HIDPlanet is a great one and I look forward to seeing it done! If you're getting plates cut, I would gladly purchase a second set of you tbh. The capacitor link will work with any ballast, as all it serves to do is smooth the otherwise modulated power. The OEM ballast will function well and you shouldn't have any issues.

I didn't see that he posted whether he had the Morimotos or not but you're correct - they recently implemented the new modular system allowing the ballast to switch between AMP and D2S connections with the inline ignitor.

That's the correct spot and reasoning, the OP had said "Both ballast have a ground that is hooked to bolts under hood (chassis ground) there is a resistor (I think thats what it is) in line between each ballast and bulb." but he's simply seeing the large block coming off the ballast - which is the ignitor. The external ignitor isn't new, actually. Older ballasts were almost an inch thick, incorporating the ignitor into the ballast housing. New ballasts are only slim because they simply have the circuit board and electrical components inside, with the ignitor inline to the bulb.

He's referring to the inline ignitor. Unless you cut the AMP connections between the bulb and ballast, there's no place to rig in the capacitor link. If your factory lights are doing it as well, there is an issue before the headlight harness. Check for blown fuses or a bad body ground.

The use of a relay to isolate the vehicle circuit is based not only on the starting amperage spike, but also to prevent the line loss of the vehicle systems from impacting the ballast function. As well, the ballast's input voltage does not drop. Input voltage will match the charging system, so ~12v when the engine is off and ~13.5v when idling. Remember that voltage, amperage and wattage are all related and easily calculated based on one another. On a factory Sierra with the HIR bulbs, the burning filament does not care what voltage is supplied to it. The electricity flows across and the resistance creates the heat and light intensity that is reflected off the bowl and out through the projector optics. When the engine is not running, the 12v is supplied from the battery at say 55w equates to roughly 4.5a of current draw, line loss notwithstanding. HID ballasts are much more temperamental however. The harness comes into play mostly because of how vehicles operate based on the ignition. You insert your key and turn to on, which powers the electrical system. This sends 12v to the lights, firing the ballasts and igniting the bulbs. Then you turn the key further, starting the engine. The high amperage draw from the starter motor can momentarily lower overall system voltage under the threshold that the ballasts need to sustain the arc across the capsule and the HIDs go out. You then need to powercycle the HID system in order to get them to refire. The use of a relay kit ensures that power is maintained throughout vehicle operations, as the relay will remain latched through the starting process, keeping a constant power to the ballasts. The second point is the influx at ignition. A 35w ballast at 12v will use just under 3 amps of current to maintain the arc. Ignition however requires substantially more. Between the two ballasts you can call for 20 or more amps depending on conditions and line loss, so using the factory electrical system isn't reccomended. The TRS 30a HD relay harness as perfect for the job.