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HID Headlight Bulbs / HID Projector Retrofit

MotoMedic
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armyman22 Enthusiast

armyman22

Posted
Posted

I looked through this the other day. I was hoping someone did an install video on the Silverados. It doesn't seem that you have to remove the headlights like the Sierra.

 

Are the the relays run straight to the battery and then plugged into the ballast?

 

+1 on the TRS spec kit.

 

You don't have to remove the headlights on the sierra's to do the install. Check out Fondupot's Sierra install on Youtube (should be basically the same process for the silverado):

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MotoMedic
MotoMedic

**The Sierra & Silverado HID topics have been merged and edited, in an attempt to create one comprehensive HID topic**   This topic will cover HID information, HID headlight bulb upgrades, HID f

MotoMedic
MotoMedic

-----HID FOG LIGHTS-----   Installing HID fog light bulbs in the 2014's has so far been a mixed bag. Some members have installed operated them for months without incident, while others have had thei

FastWS6TA
FastWS6TA

What is your name? I will look you up and reply. You wouldn't believe the amount of emails we get in a day. It is staggering and the best we can do is quickly sift through them looking for the easiest

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armyman22 Enthusiast

armyman22

Posted
Posted

Sounds good guys. Cant wait to get this done.

I would suggest having a multi-meter close by in case you have any issues with the install. Makes narrowing things down much easier and will save you a lot of time...

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

rbosse Enthusiast

rbosse

Posted
Posted

Confirmed.

 

Ultra HID w/ CAN-bus from DDM work without a harness. Super easyon the 2014 Silverado LTZ too!

FastWS6TA Enthusiast

FastWS6TA

Posted
Posted

I would suggest having a multi-meter close by in case you have any issues with the install. Makes narrowing things down much easier and will save you a lot of time...

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Absolutely. Just don't multi meter the output on the ballast;)-. Lol. Lol.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

armyman22 Enthusiast

armyman22

Posted
Posted

For those of you with the stock Sierra projectors, do you seem to have dark spots in your beam pattern. I can make out the curves of light (kind of like arcs) and just wondering if this is normal with the stock projectors?

 

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abominable z71 Enthusiast

abominable z71

Posted
Posted (edited)

For those of you with the stock Sierra projectors, do you seem to have dark spots in your beam pattern. I can make out the curves of light (kind of like arcs) and just wondering if this is normal with the stock projectors?

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Yup the stock projectors are meant for Halogens which do not have the electrode that runs parallel to the arc tube. What you are seeing is the shadow from the electrode. Well that's what I assume it to be anyway

Edited by abominable z71
armyman22 Enthusiast

armyman22

Posted
Posted

Yup the stock projectors are meant for Halogens which do not have the electrode that runs parallel to the arc tube. What you are seeing is the shadow from the electrode. Well that's what I assume it to be anyway

Thanks man, that makes a lot of sense. I'd love to do a full retrofit with the rx350's but just can't bring myself to open up the headlights on a brand new 50k truck...

 

I am thinking about switching to 4500k bulbs though. I got the 35w 5500k and just not 100% happy with the color.

 

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abominable z71 Enthusiast

abominable z71

Posted
Posted

Thanks man, that makes a lot of sense. I'd love to do a full retrofit with the rx350's but just can't bring myself to open up the headlights on a brand new 50k truck...

 

I am thinking about switching to 4500k bulbs though. I got the 35w 5500k and just not 100% happy with the color.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I'm running the 4500k morimotos in the stock projectors with Denso ballasts, I'm very happy with the light output from the 4500k. It offers the most usable light without being too yellow and produces more foot candles than the higher K. Everyone looks at lumen output but foot candles is what determines how much light you have per square foot at a measured distance from the source which is really what matters when you're trying to illuminate something. This is where the temperature/color/K rating comes into play which is actually the frequency of the light wavelength the human eyes sees. We see red at 620nm or 400Thz and all colors in between up to violet at 380nm or 780 Thz, infrared and ultraviolet are the wavelengths on either side of the spectrum that we cannot see. Given the same power output from the ballast, the lower frequency waves travel further than higher frequency with identical power. This means the lower K value will have more foot candles the further you move away from the source because the lower frequency light is attenuated less as it passes through the air molecules. This is why infrared works through walls, the low frequency even though unseen by the human eye passes through a wall that visible light waves cannot pass. This is also why lights in the 8k and 10k range are blue and purple and have terrible lumen and foot candle ratings even though they're powered by the same 35 watt ballast. Obviously the better the optics in a projector and higher quality bulbs can help focus more light to where it needs to be.

 

I'm going to open up the head lights and put in the rx projectors and run them with the Osram night breakers which I think are 4200K this should get the most foot candles where they need to be. I want the most light on the road not lights the look cool, function over form if you will.

oburgtiger Enthusiast

oburgtiger

Posted
Posted

Thanks man, that makes a lot of sense. I'd love to do a full retrofit with the rx350's but just can't bring myself to open up the headlights on a brand new 50k truck...

 

I am thinking about switching to 4500k bulbs though. I got the 35w 5500k and just not 100% happy with the color.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

I did the same as abominable on my 2014 Sierra. Just TRS's Sierra Spec kit worked wonders. I drove my wife's 2009 Acadia this weekend and hated the headlights on it. It's dual projectors with halogens and they SUCK now compared to my truck. I thought they were way better before the upgrade. I might upgrade her Acadia, except that it's relatively old and has plenty of interior rattles to make me want to drive it off a cliff.

Kschab Enthusiast

Kschab

Posted
Posted

Can anyone with the 14/15 sierra tell me if i can safely run the 50W morimoto kit? Im about to pull the trigger on some HIDs but cant decide which kit to buy. Is the 50W that much better or should I stick with the 35W? I just really dont want to melt anything.

Thanks!

Kerrslight Enthusiast

Kerrslight

Posted
Posted

Can anyone with the 14/15 sierra tell me if i can safely run the 50W morimoto kit? Im about to pull the trigger on some HIDs but cant decide which kit to buy. Is the 50W that much better or should I stick with the 35W? I just really dont want to melt anything.

Thanks!

I've had 50/55w ballasts the life of my truck and never had any problems with heat. I prefer the 50/55 because it gives more power to the lights and drowns out most of the blue. 6500k 50w ballasts is perfect in my opinion.

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