USR Blacked Out Taillights

Considering these to replace my OEM taillights. I am slowly working to de-chrome my rig, and these seem reasonably priced. I also like that they are just like the OEM style. Some other brands have some pretty fugly looks, and are rather pricey!

https://www.uniquestyleracingstore....ade-to-2014-style-tail-lights-tlty4run10leds2


Any feedback on these out there? Would love to hear from you!

 

I absolutely love mine. I got their LED turn signal and backup lights. I agree that some of the other options are just ugly.

 

Fairly easy install? They appear to be a true plug n play set up, but am just curious. How long have you had yours installed? I always wonder about longevity in aftermarket pieces.

 

Well now I’m interested, these look nice.

 

I've had these installed for over 6 months. I appreciate the OEM+ look and functionality. I did have one develop a condensation issue after several months but USR replaced it under warranty. The only cost to me was return shipping (which turned out to be expensive). Otherwise, these look great and function as intended.

 

Hmmm...that's what worries me most when trading out lights. Certainly don't want condensation to form. Glad they replaced it, but shouldn't they have also paid the shipping? It was their product that was defective. Guess I better read the warranty carefully if deciding to purchase.

 

I agree they should have paid for return shipping (and I did ask a few times). Unfortunately, they have your arms tied, especially if you are trying to get a replacement. I wanted a new tail light without condensation so I paid for the return shipping.

 

I was impressed with the quality. The hardest part of the whole job was getting the old ones off. I've only had them on since March. No issues yet.

 

I loved the way they looked and easy install.. developed condensation the 1st week.. it was tough going back and forth through email to get them to honor a return..

they did tell me it was normal and it would go away in a couple weeks (BS).. I declined to wait and finally got the return.. I could have asked for a replacement but the customer service was not that great and I did not want to deal with them further..

this was about a year ago so maybe there production or quality control has gotten better.. still wanting to de-chrome my tails in my black 4R..

 

If anyone was wondering, here's their LED turn signal option (screenshot of a video):



and their reverse like LED option:



Granted you can't really show brightness on camera but the turn signals are really bright. The reverse lights no to much but I believe that's due to the small lens. I didn't opt for their dual reverse light option which converts the factory turn signal into secondary backup lamps. You can also see their license plate lights but I have removed them. They were just too bright for my liking so I'll throw some bulbs in at some point.

 

I bought mine used. They look stock, but to me on my Nautical Blue 4R they just didn't make enough of a change for me so I sold them and made my money back.

 

I've had some similar tail lights from USR on my 4Runner for over 3 years now, with no problems.

I wrote this article, which contains info about the lights and installation instructions/tips:

https://trail4runner.com/2019/04/11...ts-on-5th-gen-4runner-by-unique-style-racing/

 

Wow. Thank you so much for the link! Extremely helpful article.

You said similar lights. Are the ones I am looking at different than the ones you installed?

 

Same lights. Some of the pics in the link from your original post threw me, as they looked really dark.

Glad to help! Tons of good content, mods, and reviews on the Trail4Runner.com site. Here is a list of the articles that I've written there:
https://trail4runner.com/author/ericellis/

 

I too went with these from USR... Love the black OEM+ look these had over some of the other brands. Like others though, I also had some condensation issues. Instead of shipping them back, I just ended up trying to seal them a bit better.

 

I bought them because of your writeup. I'm also jealous of your Runner's color.

 

i was thinking about the next ones I order to "seal" them better for peace of mind.. is that pretty tough to do.. not to mechanical savy..

 

Same. What exactly does "sealing them better" entail?

 

Installed mine a couple months ago. I think I paid about 240 with an included coupon I found on Google. I added led reverse lights from lasfit which are around 1400 lumens. Happy with the factory look without the chrome. I opted against the tail to turn mod but adding the reverse LED really made a difference backing up during night time. Two 10 mm bolts to remove and pull straight out. Was a pain in my ass getting the driver side out but I got pissed real good and pulled that bitch with all my strength. The clip came out with the housing but popped right back in

 

I wouldn't worry about doing anything to it. He obviously got a defective one or maybe the gasket wasn't installed well. Mine have no moisture problems and I wash it weekly with a pressure washer

 

Others have had condensation issues, too. I hope it's not a hit or miss product with some being fine and others are defective and it's a gamble on what you get.

I love the look of these. But I want them to last as I'm sure all who purchase do.

 

It's the same build quality as oem all the way down to the included gaskets. I've watched videos of people installing them and half of the videos I've seen people don't seal the gasket around the edges which is shown in the included instructions. This is probably where the condensation issues are coming from. MTNTACO is the coupon I used. Saved me 22.50$

 

The "gasket" (just a piece of sticky foam) that mates with the body on the backside of the tail light, is different than the OEM version. The one supplied with the tail lights has adhesive on the entire backside of the foam, whereas the OEM version has no adhesive at the edges. The materials are also slightly different (OEM feeling more rubbery and the USR one feeling more like foam in my opinion).
Regardless, the condensation does not appear to be a result of this "gasket". My condensation seemed to start from the edges (see attached). I would also like to seal them better to prevent any future condensation issues, but not sure on the best method (silicone around the edges, butyl strips, etc). Here are a few photos (not sure why they automatically rotated...):

 

Just ordered a pair, worth taking a look at from my stock ones

 

The gasket is only there to keep out of the vehicle, not out of the light housing.

 

True. There has to be a way of sealing it so that this doesn't become an issue.

 

I'm not too worried about it myself. Some people run silicone along the split line but that can degas into the housing.

 

Not tough to do... As mentioned above, you could just simply just run some silicone along the split line between the housing and lens. I would also make sure that the body of the truck is clean where the actual gasket comes in contact and seats to the truck. Just give it a good cleaning to make sure there's no debris that can create a channel between the body and gasket for moisture to get in.

 

Silicone is messy and I can foresee it being an issue if used and condensation still forms. USR most likely will not honor a return if that's the case. Someone mentioned Butyl tape? I'm not really familiar with this. How does it work?

PS I ordered the lights and am going to give it a go. Just trying to get ahead of the potential condensation game.

 

Did you get the USR plug and play or the USAM option?
Thanks