I have Silverstars in both my high and low beams. I'll try to get a pic tonight.

 

Hey guys,

I am disappointed with the stock low beams. The high beams are pretty fantastic! The headlamps came with some Phillips bulbs which really seem a little weak. They probably are not, I just notice the difference moving from my luxury sedan with real $$$ projectors into the Expy.

So, I went to Wal-Market... Man, I hate that place... Anyway, they were selling Silverstar Ultras for $48 a pair. The light appears more white whereas the Phillips bulbs have an amber tint, but they really do not seem any brighter... In fact, there is one Phillips and one Sylvania in the headlights right now and other than the "temperature" of the bulbs, there does not seem to be much of a difference. I am not sure it is worth the price to keep them.... I will check the bulb seating, but it is just not that hard to get it right, I think.... The problem may be in the reflector design itself or the aim.

I went to the junkyard and found a set of projectors, both high and low beams off of a 90s model Lexus ES300. They cost $80 which I thought was a little ridiculous, but you should see what new ones go for... Lots of desire for these things. Apparently, the real projectors are sought after for upgrading older housings. I have not pulled the lights apart just yet, but they look like they have a much larger diameter than the Depo projectors... Does anyone know of some low beam projectors that might be able to replace the high beam projectors on the stock housing?

Maybe, I could put the low beams in the reflector? Any construction tips on doing this?

BTW, thanks for the aiming advice... I had no idea what was correct.

 

I forgot to wish you luck on your trip in my last post....

Also, the 2001 Expy had coil springs which suck for trailer towing. I tried Coil right spring helpers which were great at helping keep the vehicle level when there is A lot of weight in the back or on the hitch. Problem with those is that they do not inflate well. I will not have another pair for coil springs, but I would have the kind that goes with leaf springs. It is a really neat idea... but let's not get off subject....


So, anyone like the Silverstars? I see mixed reviews and I am leaning more to the thumbs down side of things... Blown Pony, do you see a big difference?

 

Definitely better light. The crappy reflecter housings cause uneven light pattern but I guess that's what you get when buying cheap headlights. I may try the retrofit too. Let me know how those ES housings work.

 

Hey Pony,

I am not brave enough to start tearing into the reflector... I mean, they are brand new. Besides, I do not think a projector would fit correctly.

With that said, I would be willing to tear out the cheap quality high beam projector and replace it with a high quality low beam projector. The problem is getting it apart. I take out the screws and nothing happens. What is holding it together? The last thing I want to do is force something and break the housing.

It seems like Lexus has always had really nice projectors. They were some of the first ones. They look a little too big to use in these headlights. Maybe something out of Buick or even a Ford Fusion would work? I believe I have seen both of them with projectors and those look rather small. If anyone has ideas on which vehicle has the right sized projectors, I would appreciate it...

 

Yeah I know what you mean. I'm just not happy with them and think I'll get something else while play around with them. The reflector suck on them already.

 

A projector WILL fit in the reflector. You will have to trim down the shroud but that's not hard. If any of your guys can get a lens diameter, I can suggest a projector to swap out with

 

It's not the all the way around because the projector protrudes in to the relfector. Here are some measurement pics I took today.

 

An E55 (the biggest) will easily fit in there. If you guys are serious about swapping out that high beam projector, go on over to www.hidplanet.com, they can help you with what will fit and whatnot.

 

Looks doable. I found this picture of one in a standard housing.

 

Yup. Mine and about 10 others have projectors in standard housings as well

 

Ok...

Thanks for the link, I will go and visit with them and at least ask some questions. After much indecision, I returned those Silverstar Ultras... They just did not make that big of a difference and for $49.00 plus tax, I figured I could spend my money elsewhere.

What really blows my mind is that places like Napa and Autozone just stare at me, when I ask for a headlight adjustment tool.... Apparently, not a very popular item.... Amazon has the Lisle model for $13.00, so I guess that is where I'll get it...

BTW, I found someone who claimed they put HIDs in the Lightning style reflectors and they reportedly worked well with no glare.... Of course, there were no pictures, so... it is just kinda word of mouth.

Out of curiosity, have you ever seen any of the following in operation? They really look a little more ghetto than I want, but if they work, it might be cheaper than an add on?

 

Thats where I got my Lisle tool.

Whoever claimed that HIDs works in reflectors is like a fat kid at a buffet saying his eating isnt a problem.

Those lights have poor output.

 

Now that is funny... A fat kid at buffet claiming he has diet control.... You leave China buffet now !!! You no eat no vege ables...

I wish I had not thrown my boxes away... I would probably be sending the lightning like housings back. It is a little frustrating to try and make an old car look a little more stylish.... I guess I should be like so many others and just make the payments on a brand new Eddie Bauer Expy.... They only want $52,000 for one. The dealer promises low low payments of $850 per month and he swears gas, insurance, taxes, fees and incidentals couldn't run more than another $1,100 more per month. $1,950 per month times six years... for a car... I mean hey... what a deal, right? For that kinda money, I take the Mercedes....

Which lights are you talking about with the poor output? The lightning type or the last picture I posted of the more ghetto like projectors?

 

the ghetto ones. Lightning ones with halogens are actually pretty decent