Headlight Conversions.

Seems to me it is so easy to purchase HID kits with projector, remove glass, install projector instead of bulb and n'joy!

Just an example....
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/326419080/HID_Bixenon_Projector.html

 

Gears,have u polished ur lenses to get that film off?A friend did his and said it really helped. just a thought.

 

Lenses aren't fogged over at all. They're very clear!

 

That depends on how you define "brighter". I can show you an HID headlamp that looks dimmer than a halogen lamp due to poor optics. Do 9007 bulbs produce more light than those used in a circa-1974 era glass sealed beam? Yes! A 9007 bulb has a 55watt minor (low beam) filament and a 65 watt major (high beam) filament vs. the 50watt low beam and 60 watt high beam filament of a 2A sealed beam. Also, the filaments in a 2A sealed beam are 'transversely' oriented, meaning that they go side-to-side or cross-car inside the lamp. It’s long been established that transverse filaments are less efficient than other types of filament orientations. Transverse filament orientations further reduce the already-poor output of these low-wattage bulbs –thereby making them appear ‘dimmer’. Conversely, a 9007 bulb corrects that inefficiency with “axial” filament (fore-aft in vehicle position) orientation designed to optimize light collection by the parabola. So even with only 5 watts more output than a sealed beam, a 9007 bulb appears to produce dramatically more light than a sealed beam (which it doesn’t). Of course, all of this is meaningless without good optics –SO- the lamp housings you choose becomes crucial. Unfortunately, the only way to determine if these lamp housings are any good is to buy them and drive them. Keep in mind that lamps that you might think are terrific, the next guy might hate! This is because opinions about lighting performance are subjective and vary wildly like political views!

They’re not necessarily brighter, they’re just optically different (which you may interpret as 'brighter'). There are dramatic differences in SAE (North America) and ECE (European) lighting regulations that appeal differently to different people. That said, I can find just as many people who DON’T like European beam patterns as do. Remember, opinions about lighting performance are subjective and vary wildly like political views!

Hella does indeed make some pretty decent lamps.

Amen, brother!

Silverstars have some of the poorest life expectancy of any bulb on the market. They were Sylvania’s attempt at elbowing into the ‘high performance bulb’ aftermarket that had previously been dominated by the Asian bulb manufacturers. Also, SILVERSTARS are simply standard halogen bulbs with a small amount of Xenon gas in them to make the filament burn hotter. Hotter filaments means shorter life (read the package). Not really worth the $20.00 you’ll pay for each one.

Be careful: swapping aftermarket HID bulbs into OEM halogen headlamps is illegal. Whether it’s simply swapping-in an HID bulb mounted on a halogen base (which is the most common type of “upgrade”) or adding an HID projector lamp from another lamp, it's simply not possible to do it without creating a hazard for yourself and surrounding drivers. The federal government knows it (you can read some of DOT's statements on the subject on the DOT website); the car manufacturers know it; and more and more municipal police departments are starting to recognize and identify vehicles with modified headlamps. Chances are the penalty for a heavy truck operator are stiff due to the fact that most heavy truck lights shine right into the back windows of most passenger cars. This means more potential risk to surrounding traffic.

 

Only if that motorcycle is grandfathered in to the pre-1978 federal lighting regulation. H4 bulbs are not otherwise legal for use in any on-road vehicle in the US. Here’s the exception: The US version of the H4 is the HB2 bulb –which looks and performs almost identically to an H4 bulb -but has a more accurate low beam filament location.

There is no such thing as a US-legal H4 unless you’re talking about a pre 1978 motorcycle application.

It won’t be just lenses, but the entire lamp because in those PETE lamps the optics are in the reflector, not the lens. With that said, even if Peterbilt produces an ECE headlamp for that tractor you still can’t use them legally here in the US.

Be careful, modern composite headlamps with plastic lenses are hardcoated to protect the lenses from road debris. This hardcoating also has a ultraviolet (UV) stabilizer added to it to prevent the polycarbonate (PC – the most common plastic used in composite headlamp lenses) from yellowing in the sun. This coating is robotically applied and oven cured by the lampmaker. If you sand or otherwise attempt to ‘buff’ your lens you might just remove this ultra-thin coating -thus exposing your lenses to the harmful effects of the sun. Don’t be fooled by kits you buy at auto parts stores because these kits fool you into believing that you just fixed your headlamps when in fact you’ve most likely just ruined them by removing what was left of the UV protectant. Now your lens will start to yellow and haze at an accelerated rate once exposed to the sun. The only sure way to fix yellowed or hazed lenses is to replace your lamps with factory originals.

 

Long and short of it is that everyone sees light differently. Yes the new clear lens, rear reflector sealed beam replacements are far and above the sealed beams designed 50 years ago, that depend on pushing light through a prism. Find a system you like, keep it legal. If its made of glass put a film on it, or invest in some grills. Dont bother with HID, but take a look at LED. About the same price, legal, plug and play. JW speaker makes some really cool stuff!

You will have to modify your stock bucket to accept the low beams but I have found most high beam kits fit with no modifications needed.

 

I remember this article http://www.overdriveonline.com/how-to-upgrade-headlamps/
By Bruce Smith in Overdrive.

He put in illegal bulbs (wattage too high) and the pics in the mag show the light pattern over the head of a man standing way down the road. Obviously if he had adjusted the lights properly after changing them the pattern would have cut off at the man's upper thigh area.
His pride in the superior light output of the "upgrade" was actually a result of poor workmanship!




Also more watts = more heat = filaments burn out sooner.

 

That's why to avoid glare projector headlamps are used now, especially with HID

 

cibie e codes>hella e codes.

 

E- code - european light pattern, more light on tight sholder to see signs, parked vehicles, jaywalkers.... really better DOT pattern, but not legal... but I've never seen cops checking headlamp pattern