What HID kit for Silverado? Advice/input needed

[Amiodynski]

I have LED's for lows, would you guy's say that HID's would be better light output ? 2015 Chevy Z71 with projector lamps. looking for the best . Any information will be helpful.

Which LEDs do you have? I just got my VLEDS LMZ LED low beams. They are going to replace the HIDs currently in the truck.

 

 

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[corwest]

I have LED's for lows, would you guy's say that HID's would be better light output ? 2015 Chevy Z71 with projector lamps. looking for the best . Any information will be helpful.

HID bulbs stuck in halogen projectors will always outperform any LED bulb put in the same projector. What you should do is Retrofit an OEM HID projector system to replace the halogen all together.

 

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[CalDirt]

This whole headlight issue is confusing the hell out of me. After researching this for the last couple of weeks, I thought I'd come to the conclusion that replacing the stock halogens with this Morimoto 35W HID kit would yield an optimal solution, and I was JUST about ready to pull the trigger on it:

 

Sierra Spec: Morimoto Elite HID System - 5500k

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

http://www.morimotohid.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

 

However, now it seems to me that some people think you should just replace the entire projector assembly altogether, which seems like an expensive, and possibly unnecessary option. If any of you think this is the way to go, can you please explain why?

 

I checked with Morimoto directly and they said to look at the FX-R 3 as seen here: http://www.morimotohid.com/components/projectors/morimoto-fx-r-bi-xenon-projector.html.

They said, "Replacing the projector will definitely net you bigger gains than just an HID system, as it can properly re-focus the light to where it needs to project on the road. The difference here is that you must separate the headlight housing and then fit a new unit with epoxy."

 

What doesn't make sense to me still is why anyone would need to do this. Aren't the performance improvements from installing HIDs enough? It seems to me that GM has engineered the optimal combination of projector performance and fit in the stock housings, and that tearing it up and then trying to epoxy it back together would never yield the same level of fitment that you'd get with stock. I can understand the need to replace the halogens with HIDs because it makes sense that the mfgr went cheap on the bulbs, but I'm not yet as confident on whether ripping out the entire projector housing would be a good idea. So any input would be appreciated from anyone who's done it or has more knowledge about this issue.

 

Also curious on the 35W vs. 55W ballasts. My understanding was that the 35W would yield plenty of power and that with the new HID lights, you'd have plenty of light, whereas the 55W would yield even more power, but the equipment would have a shorter lifespan, and there would be so *much* additional power that your lights would blind other drivers - even after re-aiming. So what's the consensus on this?

[Whatwasthat]

this is what i did. i have a 2015 Chevy 2500HD and i ended up putting xenon HID in as lows and i put a set of LEDs as highs.

 

I went to my local car tuning place where i live (i go there all the time for all my cars) and i bought a set of LED lows. I don't remember exact figures but it was $120-$140 plus $80 install and it came with a Lifetime warranty. After a week of driving I wasn't impressed with the light output at all. It wasn't as bright as my other cars with xenon HIDs (BMW, MB, and Range Rover). so i went back and since i'm a loyal customer of the guy, i explained i wasn't happy with the light output and i'd rather have xenon HID in the lows. but since i felt bad for the guy i agreed to keep the LED kit and for him to put it in the highs. Let me tell you it's a night and day difference with the xenon in the lows compared to LEDs. At the same time, the LEDs as highs are bright as hell. Here is a good youtube video i found that explained why the LEDs didn't seem bright at all:

 

oh, the HID kit i got was about $140-$160 plus $80 install with 3 year warranty.

 

like the video explains, the LEDs don't seem as bright bc of how the diodes are placed. its placed on the sides, rather than how a halogen/xenon is built where there's a 360 light output (i hope i'm explaining it right - the video does a better job). i can post pictures if you want, but i don't have any before pictures of when the LEDs were in the lows.

[Whatwasthat]

oh, let me note that the guy who owned the shop had the LEDs in his tacoma, which was how he convinced me of their brightness. In the end we concluded that it must be due to the housing as his tacoma had a regular reflective housing and not the projector style like our 2500HD. it also explains why the LEDs are so bright as high beams on my truck than it was in as low beams.

[George C]

I'm not an LED headlight fan. They look bright when you stare at them, but they have less lumens to cast. HID lighting put out more light than LED, and LED can lose intensity over time.

I just installed a set of Morimoto 5500k HIDS on my truck. Fixes everything, and with the GMC projector shutter, the high beam is insane.

The Morimotos are better than my wife's stock HIDS on her Denali.

Edited November 23, 2015 by George C

[Eddy Gonz]

On 8/21/2015 at 8:44 AM, nonducorduco said:

I just bought a complete HID kit from www.theretrosource.com I am installing it today however I couldn't be happier with the customer service as well as the quality of the kit itself. If you have any questions those guys know their stuff and they're fantastic to deal with.

just wondering how long did these HID last on your truck? i am thinking about getting some.

[ron mexico75]

On 9/27/2015 at 12:15 PM, CalDirt said:

This whole headlight issue is confusing the hell out of me. After researching this for the last couple of weeks, I thought I'd come to the conclusion that replacing the stock halogens with this Morimoto 35W HID kit would yield an optimal solution, and I was JUST about ready to pull the trigger on it:

 

Sierra Spec: Morimoto Elite HID System - 5500k

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

http://www.morimotohid.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

 

However, now it seems to me that some people think you should just replace the entire projector assembly altogether, which seems like an expensive, and possibly unnecessary option. If any of you think this is the way to go, can you please explain why?

 

I checked with Morimoto directly and they said to look at the FX-R 3 as seen here: http://www.morimotohid.com/components/projectors/morimoto-fx-r-bi-xenon-projector.html.

They said, "Replacing the projector will definitely net you bigger gains than just an HID system, as it can properly re-focus the light to where it needs to project on the road. The difference here is that you must separate the headlight housing and then fit a new unit with epoxy."

 

What doesn't make sense to me still is why anyone would need to do this. Aren't the performance improvements from installing HIDs enough? It seems to me that GM has engineered the optimal combination of projector performance and fit in the stock housings, and that tearing it up and then trying to epoxy it back together would never yield the same level of fitment that you'd get with stock. I can understand the need to replace the halogens with HIDs because it makes sense that the mfgr went cheap on the bulbs, but I'm not yet as confident on whether ripping out the entire projector housing would be a good idea. So any input would be appreciated from anyone who's done it or has more knowledge about this issue.

 

Also curious on the 35W vs. 55W ballasts. My understanding was that the 35W would yield plenty of power and that with the new HID lights, you'd have plenty of light, whereas the 55W would yield even more power, but the equipment would have a shorter lifespan, and there would be so *much* additional power that your lights would blind other drivers - even after re-aiming. So what's the consensus on this?

 

 

I have a 2015 2500HD.  Here is what I did (had done for me).  First, immediately put HID's(ballasts/igniters obviously)  in the truck.......marginal improvement.  Also had some weird like shadow in the light pattern.  Discovered the return wires were the shadows.  Researched and found out bulbs are made with the same base but the return wire is on the opposite side so it gets reflected up rather then down into the pattern.  Result..........ehhh ok, a little better but nothing special.  Constantly got flashed too.  I guess I should've aimed them lower or maybe the stock projector isn't "made for" HID's.  I talked to a lot of people that know a lot about lighting including TRS, they all said there IS difference between halogen and HID projectors.  Hard to tell from just looking though.

 

I am a light fanatic and OCD.....I HAD TO, get better lighting!  Spoke to a local shop and TRS and it was recommended to get the FX-R 3.0 Morimoto projectors.  Also need the adapter brackets from fastheadlights.com.   Now bulb choice is subjective and personal preference.  I had GTR lighting 5000K and was so so.  Ended up speaking to Caesar at Lightwerkz.com.........Man, nice guy and KNOWS HIS STUFF!!  Got the OEM Phillips white vision.  They are probably in the top 3 as far as light output.  Look bright white when looking at truck but have a "warm" appearance on the road which is actually better for  visibility, especially in rain.

 

I can say.......WOW now!  HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference and here are some pics below.  The one with the mailbox on the left is my truck with HID bulbs in stock halogen  projectors.  The bottom one is the GTR lighting bulbs in the Morimoto projectors.  This was over a year ago so no pics with the Phillips bulbs which I got last fall.

 

Also, the key is to make sure these bulbs are installed correctly! very very easy to be just a hair off and the light pattern isn't good.  Need to make sure there is a "hot spot" at both "steps" when pointed at a wall.  Now, the other pics in the PDF are something I found on the internet/forums when researching before I did this.  

 

I would recommend TRS or Caesar from lightwerkz.com (he's also a Morimoto authorized dealer).  Both know there stuff and stand behind their products!  Also attaching a pdf of the install so you can see what it entails.  Keep in mind  the pics were taken with an iPhone so the exposure makes them look a little brighter than in person/behind the wheel.  Hope this helps you some.

 

 

 

 

Projector comparison.pdf

2015 Chevy FXR kit.pdf

[ron mexico75]

Damn.....just realized after I posted this that the thread is a few years old.  Well.....maybe it will help if anyone searches the forum with a 2014-2015 2500hd Silverado truck.

[ron mexico75]

On 3/19/2019 at 5:58 AM, Eddy Gonz said:

just wondering how long did these HID last on your truck? i am thinking about getting some.

Just posted a detailed explanation above.  If you get a QUALITY HID bulb and ballast I'd say several years, also depends on usage hours.

 

Spend more money on an OEM type bulb from Phillips or Osram and QUALITY ballasts.

[Eddy Gonz]

On 3/21/2019 at 9:23 AM, ron mexico75 said:

Just posted a detailed explanation above.  If you get a QUALITY HID bulb and ballast I'd say several years, also depends on usage hours.

 

Spend more money on an OEM type bulb from Phillips or Osram and QUALITY ballasts.

as far as i know phillips doesnt makie an HID that fits the 2015 sierra 1500 oem parts. but i  read your post and realized you had them retrofitted so it all makes sense now. thank you. great post with instructions and all thanks for the help

[ron mexico75]

as far as i know phillips doesnt makie an HID that fits the 2015 sierra 1500 oem parts. but i  read your post and realized you had them retrofitted so it all makes sense now. thank you. great post with instructions and all thanks for the help

Yeah man no problem. So many guys have helped me out on different forums over the years it feels good to give back and help somebody when possible.

Give the retrofit source a call or check out light werkz and speak to Caesar. He’ll help you with whatever you need/want.

[CalDirt]

Good post Ron - thank you for the details.  I opted back in 2015 to just get the Sierra Spec: Morimoto Elite HID System - 5500k noted in my original post, from The Retrofit Source and have had no issues since.  Didn't need to mess with expoxying projectors and any of that craziness and it made a huge difference.  And you're right about the aiming - always something to consider after touching headlights or we get blinked.  After proper aiming, I've had very few incidents - then when I blink back and they realize I didn't have the brights on and they see what the brights REALLY look like, they probably are a bit surprised.  These lights have served me well.

 

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

 

What's Included
2x Ballasts:XB35 or XB55 2x Igniters:XB AMP2x Bulbs:XB 90121x Harness:Mopar-Spec Low Beam harness (proper for Sierra too)2x Brackets:8 Position Orange or Carbon FiberWarranty:5 Years for XB35. 3 Years for XB55Misc:Bulb cleaning pads, TRS/Morimoto Decal

[ron mexico75]

Good post Ron - thank you for the details.  I opted back in 2015 to just get the Sierra Spec: Morimoto Elite HID System - 5500k noted in my original post, from The Retrofit Source and have had no issues since.  Didn't need to mess with expoxying projectors and any of that craziness and it made a huge difference.  And you're right about the aiming - always something to consider after touching headlights or we get blinked.  After proper aiming, I've had very few incidents - then when I blink back and they realize I didn't have the brights on and they see what the brights REALLY look like, they probably are a bit surprised.  These lights have served me well.  

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-sierra-low-beam.html

 

What's Included

2x Ballasts:XB35 or XB55 2x Igniters:XB AMP2x Bulbs:XB 90121x Harness:Mopar-Spec Low Beam harness (proper for Sierra too)2x Brackets:8 Position Orange or Carbon FiberWarranty:5 Years for XB35. 3 Years for XB55Misc:Bulb cleaning pads, TRS/Morimoto Decal

 

 

 

Thanks. So I clicked your link but it takes you to TRS but there’s an error on the page. So I tried searching and it looks like that’s the ballast igniters and bulbs. No projectors though? Does your truck have halogen projectors? Is that how it came from the factory or did it come with HID/LED projectors?

 

With the retrofit, you are getting the Morimoto projectors, there is no apoxie or glue or anything like that. At least on the Silverado, maybe the sierra is different? You simply unscrew the dust covers unscrew your stock halogen projectors and install the new projectors that bolt on. The only problem is they stick back pretty far and your dust caps will not fit on. You have to cut them and then extend them with waterproof tape over the gap.

 

[CalDirt]

it's a 2015 like yours so probably identical - i think they were halogen projectors but i did this install a few years ago so am hazy on the details.  i know i had to swap the bubs for HIDs though.

 

This is the new link:

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/2014-sierra-morimoto-elite.html?carDisplay=2015+GMC+Sierra+(w%2F+Projector+Lights)&preselect=47338%2C51822%2C54433&preselect_restrict=1