Best Upgrade for Headlights

I've been using Osram Nightbreaker Lasers for low beams, and got about a year out of them. The shortened life seems to be unavoidable with brighter bulbs. I think that's why the H9 upgrade is so popular. You get better output, even with the standard bulbs. I recently switched from upgraded H11's to basic H9's, and the output is still better.

 

Leds don't work well in the 4runners, they aren't made for our trucks system

 

How long do h9s last? I have 3 years on my hids so far

 

I guess it probably depends on which ones you buy. I would imagine they should last as long as any halogen bulb.

In general, I probably go through bulbs faster than most people because I do a lot of night driving, and I put on a lot of miles.

I think the H9 conversion is popular because you don't have to add any extra parts to make them work. You can buy the cheapest H9 bulbs available and get a substantial increase in output.

 

Another reason is that you can use them without destroying your reflector bowls from UV light, since they are just halogen bulbs.

They also don't require any weird mail-order Chinesium parts when replacement is necessary, unlike re-based HID bulbs and ballasts. Just walk into any auto parts store.

 

I knew there was more to it.

 

Anyone using this one for low beam? I really want to change mine because it's so weak ...

 

I haven't try these but for about similar price point I have tested Nilight highbeam and low beam combo and its was a huge upgrade in light output. As of now it is $55 for both highbeam + lowbeam package - https://amzn.to/3iFt6DU

https://youtu.be/bGmUQcZ-4K4

 

yes there aren’t great. Good color but don’t illuminate evenly and they don’t cast out as far as stock bulbs

 

Dumb question, I’m not a car guy. Is there something you can do with normal bulbs plugging them in to cause them to not shine correctly? The stocks were evenly shinning frontwards and side to side. They were put in correctly and clicked into place. Now below is what the last two lights have done

 

What bulbs did you use?

 

this time sylvania silver star ultra

 

That seems kind of weird. I have seen some pictures where people have mentioned that there are some dark spots in the beam. But, have you confirmed that both bulbs are working?

 

Leds don't work properly in 4runner housing

 

is it because they don't fit properly, or they have dark spots? Thanks

 

Neither do HID's

 

If you really want to know, here's a thread on Tacomaworld with some very good insight:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-hid-vs-led-vs-halogen-h11-projector-headlights.589465/

 

Yes, with both sets Iv tried now they are all burning. Junk in car go down road and there’s dark spots in the same place two different brands of lights same places of darkness

 

Not true

 

So as this. Not true..

 

He means halogen housings, which is true.

If you have halogen housings, use halogen bulbs for best performance. If you have factory OEM LED projectors, use those (because you can't change bulbs in them anyway).

 

I see..

But with my experience I would never discouraged any with stock halogens to change to good LED bulbs because they were far better than my stock halogens and high power H11 halogens like Philips Xtreme Vision when it comes to light output and not overload the wires that are designed to run 55W. And I don't want to mess with the socket.

Even the 35w HIDs were a big light output upgrade for me.

Just my opinion not to discourage.

 

I think it has more to do with how LED's project light versus a halogen or HID. Some are better than others, but for the most part they don't seem to perform as well as one might expect.

The Tacomaworld thread linked in post #167 has a ton of great information. The guy who started the thread has a ton of tests and is very knowledgeable.

 

Yes sir, just shared my opinion about people say "LED / HID don't work." They work really well for me as shown on multiple videos I tested. So I don't discourage anyone. If it doesn't work return for free.

 

I have no personal experience with it, so I'm just passing along what I've read. But, it seems that they (LED) shouldn't work properly because of the way they emit light. Even though they make light more efficiently, they shouldn't work properly in a housing that's not specifically designed for them.


If you have them and you like them, then that's all that matters.

I stuck with halogen because that was the simplest upgrade.

 

"They work" is a different statement than "they work as designed". Not to pee in your Wheaties, but your tests are subjective and based on no criteria other than personal perception. You need instrumented testing and data to show anything other than an opinion.

Even on the cheapest Amazon bulbs, LED chips are brighter than halogen filaments- brightness is the easy part. The problem is focus. LED chips on a board just can't shrink down to the thickness of a halogen filament (some are getting close, but precious few). With the light source(s) pushed out of the focal point, the beam shape is altered and critical things like hotspot intensity are shifted or dimmed. Often what happens is that the headlights become brighter in the immediate foreground, but their ability to project light far down the road (hotspot) is severely handicapped. That's why Ryland (crashnburn80) on Tacomaworld is very careful to show how a brighter LED bulb may not result in a performant headlight, using calibrated tools and distances to perform back-to-back comparisons. Even he would tell you that his datasets are not perfect, as he is an engineer during the day but testing lights is a hobby for him that doesn't pay the bills.

OEM LED headlights have optics and heat management that are designed with LED light sources in mind, and there is a world of difference between them and the Frankenstein bulbs that are trying to shoehorn into halogen assemblies.

HID replacements are actually decent in terms of performance, as the little xenon "pills" can be made the size of halogen filaments. However, you run into the potential for "baking" your reflective optics (the extra UV light emitted by xenon will make the reflective coatings brittle, gray, and flaky, gradually reducing performance over time). They also have questionable reliability in general, as they are not made by reputable companies but are instead assembled from a myriad of existing parts slapped together (HID capsules, halogen bulb bases, aftermarket ballasts, etc.) and when they need replacement, you'll have to order more and wait for them to arrive. Personally, I'd steer clear as almost everyone I've ever talked to has had some problem or another.

 

If one were to make a reasoned argument, the H9 is hands down the best “upgrade to stock” for those looking for something a little brighter. Optically and performance-wise (for the driver + others on the road), there’s not a better and/or safer upgrade for all parties involved.

Sure, drop in LED’s might lay down a nice bright spot in front of the truck, but that comes with consequences, as already explained. For someone that drives slowly and/or just in town, that upgrade “feels” great (I know I’d like it in town). And it probably is in that instance (but it probably still sucks for oncoming drivers). But I won’t do that because I know the rest of the story.

Personally, I tried the H9’s. They were great. And if ya gotta try something, it’s a good thing to try. But even with the distinct cut off, there were scenarios where I felt they were too bright for oncoming drivers. Especially winding hill country. Rather than blinding others, I’ll just slow down a bit. Great upgrade though. And the only one I’d recommend.

 

Not saying you are wrong. I respect you guys have have far more expertise on this. Amateurs like myself are not good at doing surgery on bulbs so if other solutions work way better than stock we use it. At least I personally with the direct plug in HIDs and LEDs I tried on my and my friends vehicles see better at night, not scared I would ruin the socket, not scared I would over load the circuit, better life expectancy.

 

To be fair, I was able to make h9s fit in the parking lot at the auto parts store with about 5 minutes of screwing around. I didn't even have the right tools with me, so I was just winging it with what I had in the car. I used a utility knife and a side cutters.

 

I’m curious about drop in LED’s. I’d like to see them in action sometime just for fun.