LED Lighting Conversion

Ro_Ja Boy · Sep 10, 2018

RobP62 said: ↑

As a matter of fact........ want me to throw a couple in a envelope and send them to you for free? I will likely never need them all. Just PM your address if so.
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You're the man! :thumbup:

RobP62 · Sep 10, 2018

Ro_Ja Boy said: ↑

You're the man! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

No problemo, they are just sitting in my garage. I will keep a pair just in case, and send you 2 pairs. So you have a spare set.

Page10 · Sep 10, 2018

RobP62 said: ↑

No problemo, they are just sitting in my garage. I will keep a pair just in case, and send you 2 pairs. So you have a spare set.
Click to expand...

This is the kind of stuff that makes me glad I found this place

RobP62 · Sep 10, 2018

Page10 said: ↑

This is the kind of stuff that makes me glad I found this place
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Just playing it forward. I've been lucky like this too. And yes, the best damn forum on the interwebs!

xGRIMEYx · Sep 10, 2018

so what’s the latest and greatest AFFORDABLE options for the LED hi beam upgrades???

RobP62 · Sep 11, 2018

xGRIMEYx said: ↑

so what’s the latest and greatest AFFORDABLE options for the LED hi beam upgrades???
Click to expand...

Best option + Lowest price = Xenon Depot Pro Extreme LEDs.

Check the review in my signature.

Are there cheaper alternatives? Yes.

Are they better? No.

Parker315 · Sep 11, 2018

RobP62 said: ↑

Sup guys? So I had a chance to get both the High Beam and Low Beam Xenon Depot Extreme Pro H11 LED kits adjusted and installed today. Here's a link to the bulbs this review is about:

http://www.xenondepot.com/H11-Xtreme-LED-kit-pro-p/xt-led-h11-pro.htm

Some things to think about for those of you just coming into the thread at this point. About mid way through a lot of testing was done by a lot of people and these guys went to great lengths to provide some of the best reviews I have ever seen. Their contributions are what have carried this thread to nearly 3k posts. I myself was schooled in this thread, and made my decisions based on those reviews. I really appreciate all they have done for everyone. I suspect because of them the 3k post mark will continue to grow. This technology continues to evolve and continues to get better. So to all of them I say "Thank you" !

Also for the new guys coming in, my review for the Hikari Philips LEDs in the High Beam and Low Beam slots showing before and after adjusting the vertical (up) position is here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/led-lighting-conversion.436865/page-119#post-17566761

This is not my final review of the Xenon Depot LEDs. Heat and durability tests will follow.

Just so we are clear, I did not readjust the vertical because I wanted to be able to compare these to the Hikari's I had in there as is, in a real world, my world, situation. For those of you that are new, I drive city, highway, county and finally country roads. The deer here in Maryland are proliferant and seeing them before it's too late can save your life. The OEM Halogens were ok but after seeing the reviews in this thread I knew there were better options.

So this final installation review will just be about the Xenon Depot Xtreme Pro LEDs. It's been a while since my Hikari review so now everything is green and grown in which will also change how the photos look. It's crazy how that can happen here is just a couple months.

I want to start with some up close shots to show off some things. Sorry about the dirty windshield and forgetting to turn off the garage security light. The mosquitos were tearing me up. Also, it was a little foggy and with the A/C on in the truck it was making the windshield a mess. If these pics are not adequate say so and I will reshoot them when the weather is better. Right now it is pouring rain.

So if you saw my previous Xenon Depot Extreme Pro H11 post you were there for the install. At the time though I didn't get into the low beam install because I thought there wasn't enough room. Steve from @XenonDepot assured me they would work and to prove it he sent me another kit. He was right. They do fit, and fit fine.

Naturally I had to move the reservoir out of the way by removing the two 10mm bolt screws and pulling it back towards the air box. No biggie. I did the same thing for the Hikari's.

Yes it's a tight fit but after positioning the heat sink fins all inward I had no problems.

Once I got the low beam bulb fins how I liked them I worked on the high beam.

I pulled all the wiring inboard and hung the drivers from the cross brace with a wire tie. This puts the drivers out in the open for better ventilation.

The drivers side has more room than the passenger side so things over there look a little nicer. Of course when you have bear paw hands and fingers like sausages anything like this always looks a little worse than if someone with normal sized hands does it. Overall I am very pleased with my results.

I should also point out that I left myself room to stick a long flat head screw driver down to the adjustment knob should I want to adjust them vertically.

The install is pretty straight forward. I did make sure that all the diodes were at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, even on the low beams. You can tell when they are correct because they align with the back of the led and it's evident when the holes drilled into the top of the assembly shown here are at 12 o'clock. I'm talking about the area just behind the blue gasket with the black wire coming out of:

Again, due the size of my hands and me wanting these to be as perfect as possible, including separating the fins (heat sink) as much and as uniform as possible, it does take longer than 5 minutes LOL. I was actually out there a couple of hours.

Right, again, for the new guys, in case you missed it in my previous post, these LEDs are adjustable. There is a tiny set screw, and with the provided allen wrench (and two extra screws) you are able to "clock" the diodes so they are exactly at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock shown here:

This allows you to position them in the high beam at the perfect position, with the diodes at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock as shown here:

Install complete it was time for some cool beverages and to wait for dark so I could get out there and take some night time pics.

First is color. These things are white hot white! Not blue, not yellow, WHITE! These following shots are me outside the truck and the truck is a good 30 or 40 feet away from the garage. Because my driveway falls off downhill at about where I parked the lights appear very high. I assure you and you will see in the rest of the below pics they are not.

The first couple of pics not only show how clearly you can see the cut off line, but, I also want to point out that there are two boxes of light above the cut off. If you look at the OEM halogen bulbs you will see they also have these "boxes". It was pointed out that these are to help illuminate overhead roadway signs but not cast glare into oncoming traffic. Plain and simple, the Hikari's do not have this feature.

Here's another shot with me closer to the garage to help emphasize them:

(Note, the dark area at the top of this photo is the windshield tint strip and nothing else)

Here's a shot of both the Lows and Highs with me outside of the truck. The angle of the shot, and the truck skews the pattern a little.

Keep in mind the fog lights on the 3rd gen turn off when you turn on the high beams yet look at how nice the low beam pattern is spread out to the bottom of the garage door there on the left. Again, skewed by the angle so the right is a little higher.

Here is a really nice up close shot to show off how evenly the light pattern cast is from the high beams.

Ok, enough of the up close shots and light patterns. Those shots all prove that the light is bright, white and evenly distributed. Now lets look at some real world shots.

Here is that lane behind my house that is approximately a football field long until where it turns left and disappears farther into the woods.

Just Low Beams, no fogs, no DRLs:

Here is the same setting and position with the high beams added to the mix:

Pretty bad ass if you ask me. It's so very smooth and evenly dispersed.

Let's look at some shots out on the road now. Notice how in all these roadway shots that the light cut off is definitely low enough not to be obtrusive to oncoming traffic.

This next shot is of the road I pull out of the driveway onto. It goes downhill to a culvert and turns left. That distance is also about a football field away. Can you see the culvert and turn? You can cheat and look for the reflectors.

How about now? Is this better with the high beams on?

That could save your life there! This is why having the correct lighting makes all the difference up in the woods at my house.

Here's another example of the same type of setting. There is a area on the left that is protected by the state, and on the right is a horse farm and pasture that is only 20' away from the road. Deer love to cross here day and night.

The road on the left ahead of this spot is about 4 football fields away. Now can you see it?

Again, it's all about seeing those big green eyeballs before it's too late!

Here's a pic below of the same road, I drove to the end of and turned around and I am heading back to my house. I just wanted to show this one because the field on the right is a co-op fruit and vegetable farm. We've made that turn onto the road at this point and have come up on herds of deer just standing everywhere, including the center of the road. They like to graze in the field, especially on foggy nights. Again, being able to see those big green eyeballs in time is a life saver.

They also love to cross at the house with the white picket fence at the edge of the field and the only thing that helps you to see them is the dark of their body against the white fence, if your lights are bright enough. If not, well, you can go much slower. The speed limit by the way on all these roads is 50 mph.

Now my summary. But first go back and look at the photos again. And again, this is the link to the bulbs:

http://www.xenondepot.com/H11-Xtreme-LED-kit-pro-p/xt-led-h11-pro.htm

Ok, so what do we know and have seen?

1) We know these LEDs have a drilled, flexible heat sink and not any fans for cooling. There are two camps on which is better but a major advantage heat sinks have over fans is when you are making water crossings, even though your fans are IP67 rated, they are still running under water. I suppose those tiny fans can withstand that dirty, muddy water. Some guys are firm believers that less moving parts is always better. I am one of those guys. Now, as far as heat goes. I did some preliminary tests with a laser thermometer and the temps I was getting after being on for 20 minutes during the day were under 120 degrees right at the last piece of the heat sink before it gets to the back of the bulb assembly. They were cooler at the ends of the fins. What I want to do is drive the truck for like an hour and then take a temp measurement. Stay tuned for that. Likely tomorrow. Just an FYI though, after 20 minutes I was able to touch the heat sink fins and the drivers. No problem.

2) We know these LEDs can be adjusted by simply loosening a set screw and turning the mounting tabs. This "clocking" makes it possible to assure that these bulbs are oriented with the diodes at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. The shaft or "blade" that they are mounted to is also thinner than most bulbs I have seen. This clocking ability and the thin blade design aspects of this LED make these bulbs closely resemble an incandescent bulb which casts light in a 360 degree radius. This is exactly the attributes you want in an LED bulb. Especially in the high beam socket/housing of the 3rd gen Tacoma. However I am sure any headlight assembly would benefit from these bulbs.

3) The low beam bulbs when adjusted correctly cast the "light boxes" which illuminate overhead signs just like OEM Halogen bulbs do, except these are brighter and whiter.

4) The high beams when adjusted correctly cast very uniform light patterns and provide a excellent source of light extremely far down the road.

5) The price of these bulbs when you catch a sale (like today, 20% off $200 + free shipping) make them competitively priced with other widely used bulbs. Less than some.

6) Installation is plug-n-play and besides the heat sink set up, can take up to two hours for some people. Less for others.

7) Looking at the photos above, we know that these bulbs are more than adequate for illuminating any on or off road scenario where maximum light is needed.

8) I personally know that the Xenon Depot customer service is freakin' awesome. Steve and I talked on the phone a couple of times and I felt satisfied each time. Customer service and satisfaction is key with me. I am older and know what those use to stand for. I feel like Xenon Depot, Steve/Danny do too as well.

Now, remember, I was asked to provide an unbiased review on these bulbs. I was asked to give my honest opinion of them. I was asked to say they failed in any way if that was the case. I feel like I have delivered these results to you all while fulfilling these requests. I still want to do some temp tests and some long term durability tests but so far I am completely satisfied with these bulbs and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

Well, it's nearly 3:00 am EST so I think I am done for the night. Stay tuned for updates though.
Thanks,
Rob
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Dude holy shit!!!! I did not realize just how bright those low beams are. If the picture is as accurate as they are in person.....these destroy the Hikari in more ways than 1.

THATS IT!!! I'M BUYING THEM DAMIT.

boywonder77 · Sep 11, 2018

Parker315 said: ↑

Dude holy shit!!!! I did not realize just how bright those low beams are. If the picture is as accurate as they are in person.....these destroy the Hikari in more ways than 1.

THATS IT!!! I'M BUYING THEM DAMIT.
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I have Xenon Depots all across mines. HIDs for lows 5000K and the LED extremes in the Hi Beams and fogs. Pretty happy with them.

Parker315 · Sep 11, 2018

boywonder77 said: ↑

I have Xenon Depots all across mines. HIDs for lows 5000K and the LED extremes in the Hi Beams and fogs. Pretty happy with them.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I would like to do the H11 XTREME LED PRO HEADLIGHT KIT for both High and Low based on @RobP62 review. I'll just have to wait a little longer due to my wedding tieing up my funds at the moment.

XenonDepot · Sep 11, 2018

Thanks for the great feedback on our HID kits and LED kits!

@Parker315 - Let me know if you have any further questions

Danny

RobP62 · Sep 11, 2018

Parker315 said: ↑

Dude holy shit!!!! I did not realize just how bright those low beams are. If the picture is as accurate as they are in person.....these destroy the Hikari in more ways than 1.
THATS IT!!! I'M BUYING THEM DAMIT.
Click to expand...

In person the light is very even and there are no hot spots. I am still amazed how well these work in all conditions, but with our recent weather of constant rain, and my commutes, I am astounded by how well these bulbs are on the highway when the roads look like glass. I can still see the paint lines and have never felt safer driving in the rain on highways!!!!

One of these days I am going to hook up my dash cam and shoot some video.

I attribute the brightness to two factors.

One, unlike other manufacturers, and according to the Xenon Depot experts, the output lumens are maintained after full operating temperatures are attained. I'm learning that other manufacturers will "burst" to produce a bright light but then dim a little once the operating temperature is reached. I feel this is a very accurate statement!

Two, I feel that being able to adjust these bulbs to sit in out housings is absolutely key!!! I'm not sure how important that is in the low beam but I adjusted mine anyway. And I definitely know it matters in the high beams. What I did to adjust the low beam was, I inserted the bulb into the socket completely. Then I simply marked the top dead center of the main exposed housing with a marker. Then I removed the light from the socket and then using the mark as the reference, I adjusted the blade of the bulb assembly to align it with that mark. This is the ticket!

I feel the Hikari's were wonderful bulbs and likely would be ok for just about anyone. However, I will say honestly, the Xenon Depot bulbs are better.

Parker315 · Sep 11, 2018

RobP62 said: ↑

In person the light is very even and there are no hot spots. I am still amazed how well these work in all conditions, but with our recent weather of constant rain, and my commutes, I am astounded by how well these bulbs are on the highway when the roads look like glass. I can still see the paint lines and have never felt safer driving int he rain on highways!!!!

One of these days I am going to hook up my dash cam and shoot some video.

I attribute the brightness to two factors.

One, unlike other manufacturers, and according to the Xenon Depot experts, the output lumens are maintained after full operating temperatures are attained. I'm learning that other manufacturers will "burst" to produce a bright light but then dim a little once the operating temperature is reached. I feel this is a very accurate statement!

Two, I feel that being able to adjust these bulbs to sit in out housings is absolutely key!!! I'm not sure how important that is in the low beam but I adjusted mine anyway. And I definitely know it matters in the high beams. What I did to adjust the low beam was, I inserted the bulb into the socket completely. Then I simply marked the top dead center of the main exposed housing with a marker. Then I removed the light from the socket and then using the mark as the reference, I adjusted the blade of the bulb assembly to align it with that mark. This is the ticket!

I feel the Hikari's were wonderful bulbs and likely would be ok for just about anyone. However, I will say honestly, the Xenon Depot bulbs are better.
Click to expand...

I think that these would pair nicely with my Offroad Town SAE Projection Fog lights.

RobP62 · Sep 11, 2018

Parker315 said: ↑

I think that these would pair nicely with my Offroad Town SAE Projection Fog lights.
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I am sure those are the shit Man! So yea, I bet once dialed in, you would be seeing things you never saw before. LOL Seriously.

RobP62 · Sep 11, 2018

Ro_Ja Boy said: ↑

You're the man! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Shipped out today @Ro_Ja Boy via USPS.

Rustytaco71 · Sep 11, 2018

Any recommendations for good reverse LED lights? Or do they blind the backup camera?

JMM7171 · Sep 11, 2018

Rustytaco71 said: ↑

Any recommendations for good reverse LED lights? Or do they blind the backup camera?
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I went with these https://www.theretrofitsource.com/921-2-0-profile-peak-led-bulbs.html

Sarge1775 · Sep 11, 2018

I wanted the same look on my Tundra, the BEST option out there is the Sylvania SilverStar OEM replacement bulbs. They are WAY better and 10x brighter than factory. They are 5k bright and the best part, they're around $35.00 preside at Walmart.

Thegenerik1 · Sep 11, 2018

Sarge1775 said: ↑

I wanted the same look on my Tundra, the BEST option out there is the Sylvania SilverStar OEM replacement bulbs. They are WAY better and 10x brighter than factory. They are 5k bright and the best part, they're around $35.00 preside at Walmart.
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No disrespect, but those are not even in the same league as HID or LED replacements. Also they are marginally better then stock but definitely not 10x brighter.

crashnburn80 · Sep 11, 2018

Sarge1775 said: ↑

I wanted the same look on my Tundra, the BEST option out there is the Sylvania SilverStar OEM replacement bulbs. They are WAY better and 10x brighter than factory. They are 5k bright and the best part, they're around $35.00 preside at Walmart.
Click to expand...

Thegenerik1 said: ↑

No disrespect, but those are not even in the same league as HID or LED replacements. Also they are marginally better then stock but definitely not 10x brighter.
Click to expand...

Silverstars produce less light than stock. Any halogen bulb coating reduces output over a clear bulb, the higher the color temp in halogen the lower the output if wattage stays the same.

Thegenerik1 · Sep 11, 2018

crashnburn80 said: ↑

Silverstars produce less light than stock. Any halogen bulb coating reduces output over a clear bulb, the higher the color temp in halogen the lower the output if wattage stays the same.
Click to expand...

I understand coating a bulb will reduce its brightness. But they didn’t coat a stock bulb, they coated a brighter bulb. Not a fair just saying stock is brighter because it’s not coated.

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