These are what mine look like shown on my garage door, but I have the ones that don't look OEM at all, with the lowbeam projectors on the outside and the highbeam reflectors on the inside.

I've seen projectors in two different fashions. One is just a lense protruding about an inch or so in front of the socket for the headlight bulb. If I'm wrong, someone please corect me. The light may shine in front through the projector, but the majority of the light from the bulb is diffused onto the reflector, actually illuminating the road just like your factory headlight would. These are nice because they are not as blinding as a purpose-built projector, and they do not have a vertical limiter plate as seen in my image above.

The other projector has it's own housing for the convex lense. The light in this little housing is totally reflected inside and aim at the lense, giving total illumination from one point, almost like a magnifying glass. This is why the light is so bright in the very center, and gradually shines less going toward the outside. These are blinding because their main point of illumination is so small, but they produce unparallel lighting (in my opinion).

I've never seen the light output from the set that Smokey has. In fact, it would be helpful if Smokey took some images.

 

By the way, you can buy the kit that Smokey has and install HID lights. You have to check with the seller of the housing you're interested in and find out what headlight bulb they use, and order an HID kit of that bulb. You would need a bi-xenon HID kit to use both high and low beam on that housing. Any temperature (or HID color measured in kelvins, ex: 3000k, 4300k, 6000k, 8000k, 10000k the bigger the number the more blue it gets with around 4000k being the most white and brightest) will work with that housing.

 

I just installed a 6000K HID kit last week.

There Bright no doubt about it...

But almost so bright that I'm flashed at by on coming drivers offten enough for me to think about new housings now...

 

Have a link?

Have you seen the threads where people open their headlights to paint them? A few minutes in the oven at a low temp softens the sealant and you can pry the heads apart.

- NCSU

 

Here's the kit I'm running...

Just copied from my other thread...

The kit is MaxcarR HID's

HIDH13-6000 HID Lighting system H13 Series 6000 kelvin $249.95

Got them through Absolute Sound in McHenry IL. Where I used to work.

If I end up doing the Fogs it's this kit.

HIDH10-6000 HID Lighting system H10 Series 6000 kelvin $249.95

They also make both of these kits as 8000K.

Here's more info on em.

MaxcarR HID bulbs are laser aligned to provide optimal light beams that provide and OEM appearance.
MaxcarR bulbs use 100% Philips burners that last allows our bulbs to last well beyond our competition
and premium AMP water tight connectors providing the best possible connection.
MaxcarR ballasts may look like other ballasts on the market but they’re not. Our ballasts are epoxy
sealed on the inside to ensure a water tight seal. Many other ballasts will not last a year since they
over heat and fail unlike our ballasts which produce less heat.

 

sorry about that, I thought you guys can look without posting but its free to join. Its a great informative site about HID lights and there's everything you need to know about an HID projector retrofits. were talking about this in the 2004 F150 thread

Yeah, that's what I am trying to avoid. they must be getting glare off your lights like crazy. Thats why I am going to do the retrofit. with all the products I listed in the previous post.

 

I've seen them, but don't know if I trust myself. Otherwise, I'd ruin a set of chrome stock headlights with nothing to use while replacements were ordered. I mainly wonder about the mounting/aiming of the projector into the factory housing. Are you simply supposed to drill throught the reflector and bolt the projector in place? How do you know it's centered (or at least close enough to be able to adjust it ou with the aiming screws)?

 

Do you know when your going to attempt this? When you do take lots of pictures and do a write up for us.

 

I want to start this project hopefully in feb/march, I'll take lots of pics and will post up for you guys. Just doing the research, Have most pieces picked out and hopefully have it done in a couple weeks after I start.

 

For anyone looking to do their own retrofit, check out this video. This is just one part, but there are four total. I don't know what kind of headlights the video poster is retrofitting (or to what automobile it belongs to) but it helps give a good idea of what to encounter for anyone researching how it's done.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imIiglkq7HA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qExaAFgvquE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg_C_jtonZw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1repIX_UU

 

smokeybears projectors are the cleanest looking projector kit I've ever seen for the F-150. I personally don't like the ones that place the cheapy looking LED's across the bottom and like 3 projector housings. Smokey's look closest to factory possible. I was actually about to purchase those on ebay before even seeing this thread. I asked the seller if you can use an HID kit for those headlights and he said no. Are you running a standard H13 HID Kit on those smokey? I'm dying for a clean looking projector for my 07 harley screw and don't want to spend $500

 

Here's pdf I found on hidplanet that will give you the best looking factory xenons. You basically are retrofitting real bi-xenon projectors into the factory housings. Same cost as buying aftermarket headlights, but with a little elbow grease and FAR superior results.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/m00inz...onRetrofit.pdf

 

that retrofitting stuff looks too "mashed and made up" to me. I'm one for cutting and making things fit where they're not but for some reason this doesn't look as simple as the instructions show.....I already see myself messing up chrome reflectors and making 2-3 trips to the junker....if Smokey has a standard H13 HID kit running thru his then I will definitely jump on those for the hours it saves on installation and the fact that they actually look factory.

 

They make HIDs for practically every bulb type out there. You can get the ones Smokey has and get an HID bulb kit that will work for the housing. You just need to consult the person selling the housing and find out what kind of bulb it uses. I've heard a lot of people say they take H13's. But yeah, you can get a whole HID kit to work for that housing. It's the same as if you were to get an HID kit for your stock housings. With Smokey's housing though, you'll need a bi-xenon kit so you can make use of high and low beam at the same time. You might want to see if he can take a picture of what his lights look like against a wall or something. They may not look like actual projectors. But if the style is what matters most to you, then that's totally within your personal preference.

 

He only said that because those were not made for HIDs because they scatter the light and get glare, the Stock Headlights were not made for HIDs for the same reason. But you can get them and Install HIDs. but HIDs are made for projectors to aim the the so not to blind oncoming drivers hence getting flashed from them.