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HID Headlight Shootout - All three options tested

Dangerdick

By Dangerdick
in Modifications & Accessories

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VMaxtastic Enthusiast

VMaxtastic

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the post. This helps with my headlight upgrade.

 

Looks like you're taking these pictures in a directional shop. MWD EM gear and subs in all the pics.

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Dangerdick
Dangerdick

We have three trucks lined up. All 2015 Sierras, 1 SLT and 2 Denalis. Stock Headlights Morimoto Sierra-Spec HID kit in factory housing FX-R Retrofit with XB35 bulbs courtesy or a popular retrof

Spurshot
Spurshot

DD, Thanks much for posting this.   But, while the efforts to compare these is honorable, the information to the reader is anecdotal.   In order to tell how well a driver can see with each, the

BootyHunter86
BootyHunter86

Both with and without fogs. Brighter pictures are with both on. The lower light pics are just headlights     Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Dangerdick Enthusiast

Dangerdick

Posted
  • Author
Posted

DD,

Did you get non-AFS or AFS projectors?

AFS with the non-afs brackets

 

Looks like it's going to be very close to a direct fit.

 

5five ballasts with CBIs, same as my ford. Very happy with those.

 

Thanks for the post. This helps with my headlight upgrade.

 

Looks like you're taking these pictures in a directional shop. MWD EM gear and subs in all the pics.

 

haha yessir good eye

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Spurshot Senior Enthusiast

Spurshot

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok ok ok, I want. So, where does one acquire these "#1 lights" ?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

Theres some early installs on the HID pinned thread.

 

Here's one with a Mini projector http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?62319-Retrofitted-2015-GMC-Sierra&highlight=sierra

 

Here's a Sierra retrofit with the projectors in the #1 white truck, but installed thru the back by cutting off the housing. http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?60447-2014-Sierra-FX-R-Upgrade-**Lots-of-Pics**&highlight=sierra

 

If you want to have the work done by someone else, Fastheadlights is doing a lot of Sierras. Blackflame Customs in Ft Collins CO, Lightwerkz in Oakland NJ, and HID Illusionz in Brooklyn NY are installers as well. Custom installs are expensive. It's going to take a big bite out of a grand, depending on the shop you chose. Figure there's about $400 in parts or more if you want real OEM type parts.

Edited by spurshot
Dropsix Enthusiast

Dropsix

Posted
Posted

 

Theres some early installs on the HID pinned thread.

 

Here's one with a Mini projector http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?62319-Retrofitted-2015-GMC-Sierra&highlight=sierra

 

Here's a Sierra retrofit with the projectors in the #1 white truck, but installed thru the back by cutting off the housing. http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?60447-2014-Sierra-FX-R-Upgrade-**Lots-of-Pics**&highlight=sierra

 

If you want to have the work done by someone else, Fastheadlights is doing a lot of Sierras. Blackflame Customs in Ft Collins CO, Lightwerkz in Oakland NJ, and HID Illusionz in Brooklyn NY are installers as well. Custom installs are expensive. It's going to take a big bite out of a grand, depending on the shop you chose. Figure there's about $400 in parts or more if you want real OEM type parts.

 

Those are some nice results. Seeing the process and the result makes it really tough to not go that route.

WendysOrBust Enthusiast

WendysOrBust

Posted
Posted

I'm excited to begin work on my RX350 Retrofit and I have already preordered new DRLs :)

 

 

Are those the led's you can switch via remote or a bluetooth app? If so ****, thats sick man.

Dangerdick Enthusiast

Dangerdick

Posted
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Yessir. I've got a set of OEM headlights on the way to the shop and I'm gonna open them up

 

Plan is to have the chrome painted bodycolor black at the bodyshop

 

I'll do the fitment work for the projector and have the brackets machined

 

Tuning the non-afs projectors with the clear lens seems to be rather straight forward. I saw that you enlarged your openings then had to shim it back even more, so my plan is to leave the size as is and just space it back one paper shim. One or two washers as per Kouki's recommendations and I should be happy. I have the curved shield template for the RX330, so if I can weasle a curved element into the bowl I will, because I would like to eliminate that slight bow, but even JVX couldn't get it so I doubt I can.

 

Going to run VLEDs switchbacks in the signal housings with the amber plastic removed. I have these in my ford and I'm very happy.

 

For bulbs, I have a set of CBI's in the ford I can steal otherwise my TRS order has a set of Phillips Ultinon 6000k D2S capsules with it.

 

And like I posted above, I've pre-ordered the LED signature lighting replacement that will allow me to match the color to any bulb, or of course turn it into a disco wagon if I choose to ;P

Spurshot Senior Enthusiast

Spurshot

Posted
Posted

Yessir. I've got a set of OEM headlights on the way to the shop and I'm gonna open them up

 

Plan is to have the chrome painted bodycolor black at the bodyshop

 

I'll do the fitment work for the projector and have the brackets machined

 

Tuning the non-afs projectors with the clear lens seems to be rather straight forward. I saw that you enlarged your openings then had to shim it back even more, so my plan is to leave the size as is and just space it back one paper shim. One or two washers as per Kouki's recommendations and I should be happy. I have the curved shield template for the RX330, so if I can weasle a curved element into the bowl I will, because I would like to eliminate that slight bow, but even JVX couldn't get it so I doubt I can.

 

Going to run VLEDs switchbacks in the signal housings with the amber plastic removed. I have these in my ford and I'm very happy.

 

For bulbs, I have a set of CBI's in the ford I can steal otherwise my TRS order has a set of Phillips Ultinon 6000k D2S capsules with it.

 

And like I posted above, I've pre-ordered the LED signature lighting replacement that will allow me to match the color to any bulb, or of course turn it into a disco wagon if I choose to ;P

 

I would leave out any paper shims. Carefully, open the lens ring with a large drum sander (1 1/2" or 2" dia drum). That allows the lens to move forward. I still had to use washers to shim the 4 base legs of the lens holder forward an additional .075".

 

There's a lot of people confused about the lens shimming, IMO. Putting paper shims in there moves the lens back. Shimming the legs of the lens holder with washers moves it forward. No sense in having shims in both.

 

The advice from the internet abounds. They had me going back and forth. In the end what worked was opening the lens holder to seat the lens flat, then shimming the legs with washers .075".

 

The RX-350 BiXenon won't have a razor sharp, straight cutoff all the way across. The shield has some angled ends to turn down the left side of the beam cutoff for oncoming traffic. The focus of the cutoff can be sharp at the center, but the ends will be out of focus, unlike the FX-R. I tried curving the shield and all kinds of things. In the end, I went back the straight shield.

 

Shoot me a PM with your addy.

Dangerdick Enthusiast

Dangerdick

Posted
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Posted

 

Shoot me a PM with your addy.

 

I tried to PM you but it won't let me, inbox full maybe?

 

Aside from the bowing, how did you like the beam pattern of the 350s vs the FX-R?

corwest Enthusiast

corwest

Posted
Posted

There are adjustments you can make to the projector to help straighten the cutoff. Moving the bowl up .5 to 1mm from the shield will help that and give you a little more light at the cutoff. I have found with these that since they do curve up a bit on the sides and the fact that they sit so high on the truck, they end up shining into oncoming traffics eyes when hey get to about 20 ft from you. I adjusted mine to slightly curve down on the sides and this helped a lot. Just got to play with all the adjustments till you find one you like. Then try to exactly replicate that on the other ....:)

Mountainboy Enthusiast

Mountainboy

Posted
Posted

Hey Dangerdick,

 

Have you had any problems with the HID's in your 2015? I had Shaw GMC in Calgary install Bright Source in my SLT 2015 and they have gone through four kits and gave up and went back to stock saying its not possible with the 2015 GMC Sierras SLTs. Initially mine worked for a week and then would not come on when -14 C for an hour. Recommendations?

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