Headlights too bright.

So I have a Morimoto 4500k HID kit with 35 watt ballasts and my headlights are to bright. Biggest issue is getting flashed by other drivers but also driving in the snow isn't the greatest because the light reflects back at the driver. It's not a case of headlight aim either. My wife was following me through some wooded forestry roads in this 4r and I swore she had the high beams on but that wasn't the case. They're just to bright for low beams. They're as bright as the LED high beams in my RAM.

The question is what to do? Different ballasts or back to stock? If I remember correctly there's a halogen upgrade that only requires a slight mod?

Thanks in advance!

 

It's a combination of the color of the light output from those bulbs not being ideal, as well as the housings not being designed for that bulb.

IMO the stock headlights with the more powerful halogen bulb is the way to go. Sorry, cannot remember the bulb part number off the top of my head right now.

The stock headlights were pretty dim compared to most of today's vehicles, but they were still sufficient IMO.

 

I have the LASFIT LED headlight bulbs (highly recommended).

The light pattern was scattered at first until I made sure they were sitting correctly in the headlight housing. I suggest pulling your 4R close to a wall so you can see how the light patterns are scattered/aimed. If they are not straight then twist the bulb a bit inside the headlight housing to adjust accordingly.

Bad vs Good Below

 

The problem with HID "kits" being mashed into halogen housings is that all headlights are designed to have a little bit of light above the cutoff. This light is used to gently illuminate reflective surfaces like street signs and snow plow markers. There is an acceptable glare threshold for this uplight (10 lux at 10 meters) so that it does not irritate other drivers. When the source of illumination becomes 3 or 4 times as bright (as is the case when incorrectly using HID capsules in halogen housings), that glare is no longer acceptable. That is why other drivers are flashing you.

I also do not recommend any LED products (for different reasons). Especially Chinese junk like the Lasfit bulbs. They simply cannot focus correctly as they are too large to simulate a halogen filament.

I recommend performance halogen bulbs, as that is what your headlight housing is designed for.

There is a ton of research on this. Start here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-hid-vs-led-vs-halogen-h11-projector-headlights.589465/

 

Interesting take on the LEDs. I've used LASFIT for many years and have never had a problem.

 

I thought the same thing about my Morimoto bulbs. I sent them to this guy to get tested here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/posts/22171352

The interesting thing about LED bulbs is that they ARE brighter, but they cannot focus correctly (see how the filament and LED chip sizes compare). So for the first few dozen feet, they are brighter. But their intensity drops off sharply after that. The hotspot is not correctly placed and they wash out. They are unsafe to drive with at highway speeds.

 

I'm thinking the H9 conversion is the direction I want to go. Any recommendation on bulbs?

 

I used to have HIDs but decided to go LED route since I was not a fan of seeing wires from the dust cap. I throw away the drilled dustcaps and got new dust caps. Now it looks OEM and so much better light output. Very happy with light out put. I'm not a fan of H9 as well since I don't want to mess with cutting tabs.

This install and test video. Light output test at 8:10.
https://youtu.be/ADUV156Rr7c

 

I wear yellow glasses over my glasses at night to drive...

 

in my house area my roads are dark asphalt so the head lights work good ...
now when I go to naples florida the roads have reflective surfaces I had to wear my sunglasses...

 

Not sure what brand light bulb I have just know led bulbs were installed by the previous owner and I think they are fantastic. I’ve been flashed once and that was coming up a hill.

 

Welp, you can only lead a horse to water, after all.

Yes. Philips H9 bulbs:

$13 Philips 12361B1 H9 Standard Halogen Replacement Headlight Bulb, 1 Pack

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YMPN3A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_9JX8WB1M8AW720K1PZYS

They cost $12 on Amazon, they nearly double the stock output while retaining correct focus and pattern in the halogen optics, and you can get them at any auto parts store (unlike goofy LED or HID bulbs that you'll need to mail-order for replacements). They're the way to go.

 

What Tory said.
And get this micro cutter tool to easily trim the tabs.

$6 Hakko-CHP-170 Micro Cutter - Red

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPDG1K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Instructions are here:
See posts 122 and 123 for the pictures for how to do it. Also shows the 9011 high beam halogen bulb conversion.

 

Teamwork!

 

Thanks for the input guys. Anyone have a pair of dust covers they want to sell?

 

This thread convinced me to try the H9 conversion. I picked up the Hakko micro side cutters and a pair of Hella High Performance 2.0 65w H9s and made the swap tonight.

The H9s are a dramatic improvement over the stock bulbs. I can see the road, the lines, and street signs now. Bang for buck this is the easiest and most useful upgrade you can do.

The micro side cutters made this simple. Just look at the old bulb and cut out the plastic guide tab in the connector, and trim the metal tab to match the factory bulbs. Reinstall the bulbs and dust cover, put the old bulbs and side cutters in the glovebox, and you're good to go.

My biggest complaint with my '20 4Runner has been the headlights. My '04 Wrangler had the worst headlights I've ever owned until I replaced the sealed beam headlights with sealed beam Grote LEDs. The Grotes spoiled me and put my 4Runner factory bulbs to shame. Now with the H9s it's almost like having the LEDs. It's close enough to keep me happy.

If you're on the fence about how to improve headlight performance, try the H9 conversion first.