Headlight Upgrade 2017 TRD

@crashnburn80 regarding high power vs high efficiency... the Philips +100 is super washed out in my T4R projectors. Zero visible hotspot on the road. Is this because they're a high powered bulb (larger filament)?

If so... is there a high efficiency bulb that is not high powered? Meaning... it might be dimmer but I'd get a better hot spot/focus due to a smaller filament?

 

Yes, though most all H9s I’ve tried will fit without modification in the lows, the Lunex bulbs have just slightly wider mounting flanges that I had to barely trim with a Dremel to fit in the socket. The upper most flange had a square corner, I trimmed it at an angle to mount it in the 3rd gen headlights assembly.

 

H11 +1xx bulbs are higher efficiency. Running a 65w H9 is higher power.

The best high efficiency bulb is the GE +130. But headlights are limited by the quality of their housing, since that is the heart of the system. You can have the worlds best bulbs, but if the optics are subpar the results will be as well. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t try to run the best bulbs possible for the best performance in your housing, but realize that good bulbs cannot fix poor optics.

 

i can now see my next tool investment........thanks for the info on the Lunex......maybe i can have the GEs for back up....no, i will use them for the fogs, right?

 

I like the smaller, variable speed Dremels the best. They are better for finer/detail work.

 

thanks....any suggestions?

 

I can send you one free if you cover shipping cost.

I’d wait till I test them to confirm, I rarely trust advertising claims, but they do look promising. The GEs will work for the fogs.

 

that is a wonderful offer......i certainly will cover any costs.....let me know and i can paypal you......thanks so much....

 

PM me your shipping info and I’ll get a shipping quote.

 

will do

 

just sent pm....let me know if you got it

 

No, sorry. Both my dremels are old. One lower power, variable speed small one (I use it all the time). And one larger, more powerful single speed that I rarely use.

Most things I find myself using a Dremel for are things similar to trimming tabs on a headlight bulb. In which case, high power isn't necessary. You want precision and control.

That said-- I've not shopped for one in a long time, but I think any of the smaller models with variable speed will suit you fine. Lots of precision bits are available. They're a fun tool to own.

 

thanks for the info....i will look for variable speeds online......must be lots there

 

I thought yellow was best for fogs, to cut down on glare and reflection?

 

Thanks for the review on the Lunex H9. Would you recommend them as the best option (right now that you know of) for the high beams on a 3rd gen?

 

Just got mine last week, to the SW Washington area. Took about 4 weeks, but I did order just after Christmas.

 

Got mine on Monday. Seven days total from shipping date. Not bad for free shipping from the UK.

 

Got my GE 130s in and there is a noticeable improvement in brightness, tried to get some pictures of it but they weren't very accurate.

 

I’d also like to see some testing on the plus H9’s as a high beam bulb vs stock in the high beam.

 

Yes longer wavelength light is useful in the fogs. This is a 2900k bulb, which I measured as 3000k. It isn’t truely ‘yellow’, it is a warm golden/white. The similar idea being removing short wavelength light from the spectrum for your headlights will perform better in poor weather conditions for the same reasons it is helpful in fog, but the color shift isn't as extreme as the fogs. I run All Season bulbs in my headlights currently for bad weather on the passes, though I haven't had a chance to test them yet. The warmer light color feels easier on the eyes to process. Below is a comparison between the clear version and the All Weather version of the same bulb, though taken with different iphone cameras.



Output of just the 85/80w All Seasons. More info at post #1520 here.

I haven't tested them in the high beam yet. Typically the +xx style bulbs do not have the same level of benefit in a high beam as they do in a low beam, since the low beam concentrates light and the smaller filaments of a high efficiency bulb are designed to increase the concentration and focus, wheras the high beam widely distributes focus. So they will likely perform better, but not to the same level of better as seen in the low beam. Unless you were interested in a All Weather high beam, I wouldn't pull the trigger on these just yet for the high beam as I think I have something better in store. Just waiting for all these bulbs from overseas to arrive.

Photographing light is exceptionally challenging, especially if trying to do before/after, which is why I try to always show side-by-side and use measured data. (My photos above were not intended to be before/after, they were taken years apart.)

I'll cover the high beams too, I've got something specific in mind and will share it once I have a comparison as while the All Seaons bulbs may be an improvement, I don't think they will be the best option for a high beam, unless you were specifically looking for an All Season bulb.