HID and projector housings?
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HID and projector housings?
I'd like to upgrade my headlights to LED or HID and install new housings to replace the scratched stock units on my 05. I see projector type housings on several websites. What bulb do I need to install in this type housing? I'd like to stay away form halogens. I rode in a 2013 f150 with halogen projector headlights and was not impressed. I'm also not interested in HALO or flashy housings, just clear clean stock units with better lighting.
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From: U.P. of Michigan
Those prebuilt projector housings you see on eBay and Amazon etc etc are halogen projectors and should only be run with halogens. They'll be just as crappy as the aftermarket projectors you had in your 2013.
If you want HIDs then you'll need to do what's called a projector retrofit. Aka taking apart your OEM housings and installing an actual hid projector in them. It gets kinda pricey but if you do it yourself it's not bad. You can keep it clean if you want and low profile very easily. You'll love your lights again.
If you want HIDs then you'll need to do what's called a projector retrofit. Aka taking apart your OEM housings and installing an actual hid projector in them. It gets kinda pricey but if you do it yourself it's not bad. You can keep it clean if you want and low profile very easily. You'll love your lights again.
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Projectors use the same bulbs as your regular housings... projector housings are just different in how they work the light.
However with that said, the reason LED/HID are more popular with projector housings is because of how the light is worked.
In a "halogen housing" the light is reflected on the back of the housing and shines out... pretty popular option as it's easy to manufacturer/cheap to manufacturer and works pretty well (compared to NO lights).
Projectors are an enclosed "bulb" or "lense" if you want to call it that. It's a roundish housing. The bulb doesn't really reflect from the back but almost reflects from all around producing a "beam pattern" think "flashlight" where it's more FOCUSED.
Sounds great right? Sort of. A propr projector needs a way to CONTROL that light, so there is usually a WALL/SHIELD that blocks light on the bottom. This is where that sharp CUT OFF you see on the wall comes from. It prevents light from going all over the place.
Sometimes there is an actuator that DROPS the shield, giving you that "high beam" or basically just light thrown everywhere.
Soo now that you kind of understand WHY are HID/LED more popular in those? Because they throw a LOT of light out. So if you put ALL that light in a regular "halogen housing" the light just goes all over and there is a LOT Of light, much more then your regular 35w bulbs... so thats why people get glare sometimes. LED and HID technology has changed over the years where the glare is being reduced due to new bulb designs. But LED/HID are very popular in Projectors because you CAN'T blind people. That WALL/SHIELD prevents the light from going UP... so you can throw a TON of light out and never blind people.
Soo if you just want to upgrade your housings to projector... you MAY actually be putting out LESS Light. Because those projectors REALLY should be used with an LED/HID bulb to get the most output.
Take Anzo... on a 2015 truck they make a housing, a projector housing. If you have LED lights on the regular halogen housing and compare the light output to the anzo projector you'll actually get LESS light output on the projector, BUT it's more CLEAN and DEFINED and it's very very nice. BUT people think it's not as great because of how the light is managed.
So to run regular halogen bulbs in a projector is basically the same as upgrading your car to a ferrari but putting really crappy tires on it. You have this awesome system but the guts of it are garbage.
If I were you, i'd upgrade to the projectors and at the very least, look at a VERY bright halogen light. Then look into HID/LED upgrades later perhaps.
However with that said, the reason LED/HID are more popular with projector housings is because of how the light is worked.
In a "halogen housing" the light is reflected on the back of the housing and shines out... pretty popular option as it's easy to manufacturer/cheap to manufacturer and works pretty well (compared to NO lights).
Projectors are an enclosed "bulb" or "lense" if you want to call it that. It's a roundish housing. The bulb doesn't really reflect from the back but almost reflects from all around producing a "beam pattern" think "flashlight" where it's more FOCUSED.
Sounds great right? Sort of. A propr projector needs a way to CONTROL that light, so there is usually a WALL/SHIELD that blocks light on the bottom. This is where that sharp CUT OFF you see on the wall comes from. It prevents light from going all over the place.
Sometimes there is an actuator that DROPS the shield, giving you that "high beam" or basically just light thrown everywhere.
Soo now that you kind of understand WHY are HID/LED more popular in those? Because they throw a LOT of light out. So if you put ALL that light in a regular "halogen housing" the light just goes all over and there is a LOT Of light, much more then your regular 35w bulbs... so thats why people get glare sometimes. LED and HID technology has changed over the years where the glare is being reduced due to new bulb designs. But LED/HID are very popular in Projectors because you CAN'T blind people. That WALL/SHIELD prevents the light from going UP... so you can throw a TON of light out and never blind people.
Soo if you just want to upgrade your housings to projector... you MAY actually be putting out LESS Light. Because those projectors REALLY should be used with an LED/HID bulb to get the most output.
Take Anzo... on a 2015 truck they make a housing, a projector housing. If you have LED lights on the regular halogen housing and compare the light output to the anzo projector you'll actually get LESS light output on the projector, BUT it's more CLEAN and DEFINED and it's very very nice. BUT people think it's not as great because of how the light is managed.
So to run regular halogen bulbs in a projector is basically the same as upgrading your car to a ferrari but putting really crappy tires on it. You have this awesome system but the guts of it are garbage.
If I were you, i'd upgrade to the projectors and at the very least, look at a VERY bright halogen light. Then look into HID/LED upgrades later perhaps.