What Headlight Housings are the best?

[88Racing]

This is the question I put before all of you.

I currently have and tried 4 diiferent models of headlight housings.
Running SilverStars

1. The stock housing is OK but works best on hazy mornings and clear nights. I do know all the light bouncing off the chrome helps to see the side of the road better.

2. Projector type.
Not much run time on these and I don't rate them very high either. Thought the light output was not as good as stock housing or any of the others.

3. Hella Blackouts.
They were cool until the seals went. The side lighting suffered though.

4. Europian Style.
By far the best looking with the angel rings but side lighting not as good as stock housing. Looks the coolest with of all 4. Also they work good for seeing far away.

I know with the projector housing that HID is not allowed. But in any of the others besides stock would HID help?

Lars

[Jackpine]

Lars, I can't answer your questions directly, but I can offer this observation:

I have Silverstars in my stock headlight housings too. On our trip to California, we did about 100 miles on the interstate after dark. Because of oncoming traffic, I couldn't really put the headlights on bright (but I really wanted to)!

As an experiment, I tried turning on the fog lights with the headlight low beams. Made a BUNCH of difference! Gave me slightly more forward light and MUCH, MUCH more side light (which I wanted to hopefully give me some warning of animals trying to cross the road).

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to put Silverstars in the foglight housings? Before this, I'd always thought fog lights were for fog, and I didn't want the glare from brighter lights there.

- Jack

[88Racing]

BTW Jack

I run the silverstars in the fogs also.

Lars

[JWBFX4]

Well I am not much help here either, but just to repeat what Jack said basically, I have found that running the fog lights help a great bit for up close to the truck and made the side views better. So I always run my foglights when my headlights are on. But now that I am fixing to paint my headlights I probably lose a little more light.

[Jackpine]

I just reread your first post Lars. It sounds like you may be considering using HIDs in the stock housing? Don't they burn too hot? I can swear I've seen a picture over on f150Online of a melted lens due to trying to run an HID in that housing. (Maybe you can't even install them, but I'm sure I saw that picture).

Couldn't you reseal the Hella's with silicone caulk?

I've read other reports from people that the projector types didn't do well. I find this interesting, because the projectors on Janet's Toyota (don't throw rocks) are excellent!

And, I know it's just personal preference, but I find the "halo" lights "funny looking". Clearly though, a lot of people like them.

- Jack

[88Racing]

The one thing I have noticed between stock and after market projectors is that oems rock. The other thing about the aftermarkets is that their lenses seem to have more imperfections such as bubbles or waves in the lens itself. Most of the projectors I have researched have not recommended HIDs. Now any of the other housings I have, the mfgs have not said one way or the other weather or not HIDs can be used with them.

The other stock looking housings have different type of reflective designs from the oem type housing.

Was that housing on f150 a stock style or projector type?

The other thing I have heard is that running higher watt bulbs can deteriorate wires and insulation this was for the 97-03 f150s.

Lars

[Jackpine]

Lars, my feeble little brain remembers a stock housing lens being melted from the heat of an HID. I could easily be wrong. If the truck was stopped, I think there'd be a lot of heat from HIDs.

- Jack

[88Racing]

Jack

Now here is another item to be addressed. You have the rectangular fogs and I the round. I only mention this because from my 03 having oval shaped fogs and an opaque lens to the round fogs on the 06 that are recessed and clear. The 03 gave out a better pattern and better light to the sides. The 06 shoots light farther out but not as wide.
With the way the rectangulars are a person would think that they to would have better side lighting.

Lars
:shrug:

BTW Jack your brain is perfectly fine.

[kokopellimotorsports]

Interesting topic as I just became a dealer for Halo lighting. I need to learn more about these systems.

Ty

[Jackpine]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lars. I suspect the rectangular housings COULD give better side lighting. I know I was quite surprised when I turned them on - don't know why I'd never done it before (possibly because in the old days we could use fogs or headlights, but not both)? :shrug:

Anyway, on the back country roads we have here, I'm certainly going to use them. We have a lot of deer that seem to want to cross just in front of you at night - and some don't make it. I'm not hoping for a collision with one of them.

- Jack

[Ricer X]

I switched from 04(rectangular fogs) to the 06(round fogs) and I did notice that the 04 fogs gave better light to the sides. I've also ran HIDs in my Super Duty (old truck) for a year and a half with no problems. In the F-150, I've been running them for over two years. I did notice that the stock headlights gave more glare because of all the chrome in the housing in comparison to the HD or similar style. As for the HID being too hot, I actually found that they were colder because they wouldn't melt the frost from the headlights like the halogens do. The halogens are 55(low) 65(high) watts and the HIDs are 35 watts.

Check out the link
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/Products/HID/

[Jackpine]

That's good information Ricer X. Sorry I was spreading false information! :o

35 watts is definitely going to run cooler. I seem to remember some kind of bulb in the housing where the lens melted that was 100 watts. Wonder what it was?

From all the posts on f150Online, HIDs seem a bit tricky to install. Any opinions here on the subject? (Or, is it just that some of the guys trying it don't have a clue what they're doing? :) I noticed most of the problems seemed to be talked about in the "Appearance" thread).

- Jack

[Ricer X]

Hello Jack,
HIDs are easy to install: plug and go.
The steps are as follows.
(1) Connent the harnesses together in the kit,
(2) run the red power wire from the wiring harness to the positive side of the battery, and
(3) run the black wire to the chassis for ground.

The light from the HIDs increases visibility in rain, snow, and foggy conditions.
I notice light snow and fog first in oncoming traffic lights before I notice it from my lights (less reflection back).

Leonard

[Jackpine]

Leonard - you're being very non-condemning in your reply, aren't you? :)

My opinion, without naming names or slinging arrows at anyone, is that some people really should not try to do some of these modifications! You DO have to understand a few things about electrical circuits, don't you?

I've never investigated these things at all, so I was only reporting on problems I had read about in the other forum. You've pretty much confirmed something I've suspected for a long time - if you can follow directions and use common sense, you'll be OK.

When I have some time and more money, I may investigate them more fully!

Thanks for the clear, straightforward post! :2thumbs:

- Jack

[88Racing]

So Leonard,

It's just that easy?

What kind or kit did you get and install?

What was the output?

Were they the single or the high low ones?

Analog or digital style balasts?

Sorry for the questions just trying to narrow my decisions.

Lars

:shrug:

[DarrenWS6]

Stock lamps painted is the best custom looking housing in my opinion.

HIDs are the best remedy for advanced lighting in all frontal lights. Specifially 6000k for the sweet ice clear look, and the clarity is super smooth. Xenon is even better when you get to keep your hi-beams ( a must when I get HIDs )

I like the 04 - 05 rectangular fogs much better, especially when they're painted to match black headlamps. I noticed no loss at all with my painted headlamps, if anything it lost 2% light. The fogs lost maybe only 15%, I painted the top and bottom portions but left the reflective squares alone.

[Desert Racer]

6000k Hids from retro solutions with stock headlights painted black. No joke people on the freeway at night move over when I am coming! I love these lights and makes me feel like a kid. People adjust mirror's switch lanes speed up do whatever than can do dodge them and they have tinted windows as well. :D Everytime it is dark out I prefer to drive and this light up the night like no other I can see road signs from a 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. :D I just smile ear to ear at night. Best one to date yet I pulled up behind a police car and follwed him for a mile than he got next to me and let me be. :D:cheesy smile:

[Ricer X]

Sorry Lars, I took so long to get back to you.

What kind or kit did you get and install?
-Helios for headlights and Beamers for fogs

What was the output?
-8000k Headlights (looks more like 6000k)
-10,000k fogs (looks more like 6000k)

Were they the single or the high low ones?
-yes sliding high/lows

Analog or digital style balasts?
-headlights analog
-fogs digital

Leonard