What Headlight Housings are the best?

***88Racing*** · #1 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 02:23 PM

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*** · #2 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 04:19 PM

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*** · #3 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 04:44 PM

BTW Jack

I run the silverstars in the fogs also.

Lars

JWBFX4 · #4 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 04:46 PM

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*** · #5 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 06:58 PM

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*** · #6 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 09:24 PM

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*** · #7 Thu, April 2nd, 2009, 09:52 PM

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*** · #8 Fri, April 3rd, 2009, 12:33 AM

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

BTW Jack your brain is perfectly fine.

kokopellimotorsports · #9 Fri, April 3rd, 2009, 12:47 AM

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

Ty

***Jackpine*** · #10 Fri, April 3rd, 2009, 01:15 AM

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)?

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