HOW TO-Hella 500FF HID Conversion

My first project posted to the Forum!

So I wanted to upgrade my Hella 500FF's to HID to try and get some more output out of them. I bought a Xentec H3 35W 6,000K Slim Ballast kit for about $35. Xentec is the only brand I have used and NEVER had a problem with them and their kits are covered by a 2 year warranty if you ever need it.
-Hella 500FF's --$60--
-Xentec H3 35W Slim Ballast 6,000K Kit --$35--
-4 1" Gromets from Napa --$3--
-Big Strech Black Sealant --$6--
Total--$104--

Pulled my lights off the truck for the conversion.

Took the screw out of the plastic lens retainer on the bottom of the light.


Then I pulled the wires back through the rear part of the housing and set the rear part of the housing aside for now.

Then I pulled the metal keeper loose that holds the bulb in and removed it. You can't reuse it as the rear part of the bulb is to long and its physically impossible.

Here is a pic of everything I will be using.

With the metal retainer clip removed since it won't work I just bent the metal prongs over against the base of the bulb and then wrapped a small zip tie around them to hold the bulb in. I got it as tight as I could.

Then I drilled a 7/8" hole in the exact center of the rear of the plastic housing since the rear part of the bulb is to long to fit under the housing unmodified.

Perfect fit!

Front pic of the bulb installed.

I bought a tube of Big Stretch Sealant at the lumber yard. Its a greyish/black color, will stretch twice its size before it tears and is removable if a bulb goes bad.

Then I put a good layer of the sealant around the base of the bulb and let it set up for 20 minutes.

I bought some 1" gromets at Napa for $2.99. They fit great in the hole but are kinda deformed from the rectangular shape of the base of the bulb.

Then I put the sealant around the gromet and sealed it up. I also made sure to seal up the old gromet.

Lights installed back on the truck.

I mounted the ballast on the radiator core support using the supplied adhesive strips.

Hooked the wires up to the Hella harness and ran them down the core support and behind the battery box up the firewall.

Much brighter then they were!

They are a little bluer than I wanted but they will work!


Night shot.
.

 

Thanks for the great write up. Nice work and a very cool looking truck!

 

Thanks man!!

 

do you have any pics of the lights aimed down range?

 

Nice detailed write up! Ram looking cherry

 

Don't have any of them aimed down range.. I would snap one tonight but the truck is sitting at the lady friends dads house hooked up to their enclosed trailer. But I will snap one tomorrow for sure!

Thanks man!

 

Sorry guys! Been crazy busy with my dads company, trying to get hired on with some departments and with school work. I'm taking 16 hours this semester, working for my dads company, helping him run his side line business and run my business at the same time while maintaining my sanity by hanging out with the friends. I'm just getting caught up on the forum's so here are some pics of the lights pointed down range! They aren't the best because I keep them pointed down and in a little bit. They are a long range light for sure. They will also be for sale here pretty quick. Got a crazy deal on a couple Light Force 240 XGT HID's!


From the stop sign in the second picture all the way in front of the truck to the end of that road where one of our storage containers is sitting is roughly 200 yards for reference. Truck is 3ft. higher then the road is down by the storage container and the lights are angled down so you can see that they would go much farther if adjusted up a bit.

 

sub......another project that needs to be knocked out. (no actual thread revival in progress...)

 

I see how it is! Going to delete my first how to thread haha!