Thoughts on hid conversion

Emptybrass

Emptybrass

New member
I know the correct way. And I don't have the $500 to spend on the trucklites right now. I thought I read something on here that the stock housing does fairly well with hids. I seriously need better light for night until I can afford the LEDs. Thank you in advance
 
pastorwug

pastorwug

New member
There are several other ways to improve your headlights before dropping the bucks (or saving the bucks until you can buy Trucklights).
Do a search for just the word "headlights" or "H4" or something like that - many threads and answers.
 
hinrichs

hinrichs

Caught the Bug
I would just wait till you can either get led, or just do a simple bulb swap. HIDs in stock housings are a bad idea, you could always retrofit projectors in there however.
 
LoPo

LoPo

Caught the Bug
Most DOT Approved HID kits will be close or more to what Truck Lite's cost. Just save your $$ for what you want, spend once.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
LoPo said:
Most DOT Approved HID kits will be close or more to what Truck Lite's cost. Just save your $$ for what you want, spend once.
Click to expand...

I have seen this to be the case too and agree, just save up a bit and do it right, once.
 
Emptybrass

Emptybrass

New member
I agree, I don't want to be blinding other people were making a headache about it. I think I'll just get a set of bulbs until I have enough for the truck lights. Thank you all.
 
Devallee

Devallee

New member
I'm running the Rebel Hellfire HID kit and love it. It's 100 times better than stock for about $300. Like stated above, northridge is selling the truck lites for 390 right now and if you plan on getting any HID kit its gonna cost around 300 or so so you might as well go for the truck lites. I've had my HID's for a couple years not but also as stated above the stock housing isn't the best, but it's definitely done the job so far and I'm happy with it until I can afford the truck lites. However, if I was in your position, I'd save for a little longer and wait til you can get the truck lites :thumb:
 
NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
Unless you are in California, where they actually care about DOT, making your own proper retrofit would be a great solution. With quality components (bixenon projectors, a quality HID kit, etc) you will be at about $350 or so. Yes, trucklites are about the same price, but the HIDs will be superior in output and spread.

If you are interested in taking the project on (it's not difficult, but involved and patience is needed) feel free to ask.

9372461275_f939c65be5_b.jpg


With an OEM cutoff, you wont be blinding anyone.

7172400005_0107a95bf3_b.jpg


On a side note, the housing is DOT approved (stamped right on the headlight) as is the projector. :D

I agree with everyone else, when it comes to headlights, do it once, and do it right. I pissed a bunch of money down the tubes to improve the stock headlights until I threw in the towel and decided to do it right. It cost me 2x as much since I wasted money on cheaper solutions that don't work.
 
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NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
Devallee said:
I'm running the Rebel Hellfire HID kit and love it. It's 100 times better than stock for about $300. Like stated above, northridge is selling the truck lites for 390 right now and if you plan on getting any HID kit its gonna cost around 300 or so so you might as well go for the truck lites. I've had my HID's for a couple years not but also as stated above the stock housing isn't the best, but it's definitely done the job so far and I'm happy with it until I can afford the truck lites. However, if I was in your position, I'd save for a little longer and wait til you can get the truck lites :thumb:
Click to expand...

Please don't take this as a personal attack, this post is meant to save others money. The Rebel kit is nothing more than a $40 kit resold for $200-$300. A DDM kit will run you about $40 with a harness and slim ballasts, and $55 if you want the bixenon version.
 
Emptybrass

Emptybrass

New member
I do like your conversion there. Did you do a write up on how? Yes I do agree with you on the jacked up price kit. Have they proven why theirs is superior to ddm? All I've seen is them comparing 35w to the 55w but that's all
 
NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
Emptybrass said:
I do like your conversion there. Did you do a write up on how? Yes I do agree with you on the jacked up price kit. Have they proven why theirs is superior to ddm? All I've seen is them comparing 35w to the 55w but that's all
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Thats just the power of the ballast and has nothing to do with "their" kit. Their kit has a cap at the end of the bulb to prevent scatter in an open housing like the JKs, which you can buy from any other HID supplier. Just don't want people spending a fortune on something that they are told is "superior" when it isn't.

As for the writeup, I can link you to a general one (they are all the same and involve the same process.) Bake housing, pry housing apart, clean excess glue out, mount projector, reseal housing, bake again, press housing together, let cool, done. It's not complicated, but it is time consuming. If you want the maximum light possible out of a JK headlight, HIDs are the way to go. If you want ease of install and a great improvement over stock, the Trucklites are the way to go. Either way, you'll be FAR ahead of the OEM setup.
 
NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
Skumbag said:
How or where can you purchase a retrofit kit to fit the DDMs?
Click to expand...

There is no "kit." You build it yourself if you have patience.
First you will need a set of Depo headlights. They bulge out further than stock allowing for a clean install of the projector. You can use the OEM units, but you will have to cut out a piece from the back and seal it because the projectors are too deep for the stock headlights.
http://www.amazon.com/Depo-333-1181R-AS-Passenger-Replacement-Headlight/dp/B004I14EL8


Then you will need a projector itself.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=3181

A projector shroud is needed to complete the clean look. I run the gattling gun shrouds.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=72

Then a bixenon harness in H13 flavor.http://www.ebay.com/itm/H13-9008-BI...Parts_Accessories&hash=item19c1ec80e9&vxp=mtr

Finally you need an H1 slim digital ballast 55W 6000K HID kit.

If you are not comfortable with the process yourself, you can buy them ready built from hidprojectors.com It will cost about $200 more.

This is only if you are looking for the best possible light output possible on a JK. If you just want good quality light, the TLs fit the bill.
 
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