Newb here, but I've done some searching and have come up against the typical brick walls of misinformation and vanity.

I'm looking to IMPROVE the headlights on my truck. Not just make them brighter, or bluer, or more blacked out, or prettier... I want to make them BETTER. I'm not at all interested in HID or projectors, for various reasons, so what really interests me are the OEM clones. As long as they're exact copies, and the consistency in manufacturing is there, I think they'd work fine. That is, as long as Ford designed them correctly... which they probably didn't.

Can anyone wade in on how well they work? Any pictures of the low beam pattern against a wall? How about pictures of low to high beam relationship on a dark street? The Lightning style is more common and less expensive than the HD style, but it seems like the HD has more reflector area and would be a bit more efficient in getting the light to where it needs to be.

FYI, my headlights are in pretty good shape. Polish won't fix pattern. Power isn't a concern 'cause I've got some Hella 700FF and big bulbs that I can mount, and a few other long range lenses to boot. Forget about suggesting fog lights or an HID retrofit, please.

Or should I just give up? Help a newb out?

 

id say either get a set of TYC brand Lightning replicas or some oem harley heads. both of which will improve the visibility of your stock bulbs. price is always a factor. the tyc heads are aftermarket but are very high quality compared to the stuff off ebay. had mine for a while with no problems and with in a week im already getting a new one for the set i have now off ebay which im gonna have to seal up. they run about 120 new on the internet. or there is a set of OEM harley heads for sale in the classifieds but those are around 375.

another option is the heads from the stx models probably 03-04heritage. they are the same design as the harley ones with out the reflector strip on the bottom. you may get lucky at a salvage yard or wrecked truck.

fyi i am running stock type bulbs currently and its a great improvement.

 

That's kinda harsh.

I'm running Harley replicas with some off-road blue tinted halogen bulbs and they do a great job.
Thinking of going with Sylvania cool blues in heads and fogs.

 

he might be mixing up visibility issues with sealing issues with the aftermarket stuff

 

No, sorry... not a slam against Ford or their ability to design a quality product. Ford probably did their best within the DOT requirements of the time, not to mention take into consideration necessary compromises when dealing with a pickup: how frequently will it be loaded up versus how sharp the cutoff should be, how high is the headlight relative to other vehicles on the road, etc. My SCrew sits a bit higher than a Lightning or an HD, and has probably got more chance of being used as a truck.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

 

you can adjust the beam of the headlight with any headlights. that way you can use any head light and get the best visibility. ill take a picture soon of mine and my 500FF on a wall so you can see how they are aimed and give good visibility

 

Are you talking about my loaded versus unloaded concern? I'm not going to aim my headlights every time I hook up to a trailer so they don't point to the sky, or when I unload so that I can see a ways down the road? Admittedly, I don't load my truck down very often, but I figger razor-sharp projectors aren't mounted in pickup trucks for a reason...

Or are you addressing my high to low beam relationship concern? I've had headlights where after adjusting the low beam to where I like it and where it works well (no hot spots and not too high), the high beams are either unusably high or not high enough. Factory equipped headlights, both DOT and E-Code, have given me grief at times. Some are great, some not so much.

Or are you just telling me what I've known for 25 years, that the screws above and beside the headlight actually DO something?

I would appreciate seeing your images, when you can post them.

 

second option haha. just wasnt sure.

so let me try and under stand what your wanting. you want to adjust the high and low beams themselves? im confused on what you want to accomplish.

ill try and get one soon but its raining now.

 

No, I don't want separate adjustment. Actually, that would be nice, but impossible in a single-reflector headlamp. What I want is for it to be properly designed...

Oh hell, never mind. I'm putting too much thought into this. I tend to over-analyze things like this... If you really want to get into it, I'll explain what I'm thinking but I'll warn you, I can type an awful lot in a hurry!

I would still like to see pictures of Lightning and HD lights, lighting up your garage door and dark streets. I would also like to know which ones had sealing/fogging issues?

Thanks again,

 

haha trust me. going from stock headlights that were oxidizing and what not to new aftermarket ones with clear lenses and the same bulbs was night an day difference. you will be happy with the output of a set of lightning replicas and keeping your same bulbs.

 

When I had my '01..the best mod I did was find a set of Sylvania Xenarcs.. True HID. They fully replaced your existing headlamp with new and plugged into the factory harness.
I sold mine recently on e-bay..you might keep an eye out for some. They made some serious LIGHT but did it the right way with a properly designed reflector. I never got flashed for them by oncoming traffic. I wish I could remember the model #..I used to know it off the top of my head! Cosmetically, they look very similar to the Lightning unit.
I think my gallery has a few pics of them.
Here is an article on an install of them: http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/i...ht_System.html