Need help choosing correct LEDs for truck

was wanting to install new LEDs on my truck but im having a hard time figuring out which socket my truck has or even which ones are compatible with my truck, i have an 03' Tacoma SR5 and ive searched up and down the internet and cant seem to find some that i know FOR SURE will fit my truck, i just dont wanna go through a hassle of returning stuff or wasting money on the wrong part, any help would be nice, thank you so much in advance if you can help

this is a little list of lights i want and im not 100% sure if they'll fit
1)https://www.amazon.com/AUXITO-Headl...7&sr=8-7&keywords=2003+tacoma+headlights&th=1

2)https://www.ebay.com/itm/CREE-H4-HB...b9RmI&fits=Year:2003|Model:Tacoma|Make:Toyota

 

U can use the following designation bulbs in your stock headlamps
9003 / H4 (HB2)

 

LED headlight may look brighter but they don’t put out as much light as the halogens that are meant for your stock housing.

 

Please do not run LED bulbs in a stock halogen reflector housing. All you will be doing is scattering light and blinding other drivers. There are better ways to go about upgrading your brightness, like proper upgraded Halogen bulbs, and even real HID retrofits.

 

I suggest keeping this link handy

https://www.sylvania-automotive.com/apps/vlrg-us/Vlrg/

Then use a google search to cross reference the known bulb from above.

I highly suggest keeping the old bulbs and if the new ones dont seat well, reuse the rubber washers from your OLD bulbs on the new ones and see if they seat better.

Now, all that said.... Oem housings were engineered to use halogen bulbs, not hid or led. You may or may not have a bunch of scattered light blinding others, i am not sure.

 

Xenon depot 4300k hid i highly recommend. But if you want to stick with led, go with the Hikari ultra h11

 

Thank you guys for also commenting. Trying to educate people on this matter so they aren’t blinding fellow drivers

 

Beat me to it... Thank you

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/automotive-lighting-101.534393/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/
And since you’re a fellow third gen guy
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ector-headlights.589465/page-16#post-19865280

 

Another note ..
The higher the number like 8000K wont mean its brighter. The "K" is referring to Kelvin scale. Color/temperature.
The blue bulbs are actually dimmer and terrible in rain, dust, snow, and fog.
Try and stick to 4300K to 6000k

 

This is not always true. The problem is that people want to be cheap and they go to Amazon and buy some $15 LED bulbs that have zero research and development behind them. When people are cheap, and dont buy a properly designed bulb, that's when you get the light scatter and poor light output. The video below shows that a properly designed LED bulb in a stock reflector housing maintains the correct cutoff and, in most cases, increases light output. Start at 7:00 if you want to see results compared to stock halogen bulbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkGaKEb-GXE&list=PLhombf0sgTNxJQbzAIIhSXdlMx7eogh6Y&index=21&t=0s

Now here's the cheapo bulbs with no R&D that scatter and blind people. And they also suck for light output. It's a short 5 min video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lf5TUf3Vd4

 

I ran some LEDs that supposedly matched the position of the LED to that of the stock bulb. While I didn't have cutoff problems, I did have uneven light distribution issues, especially on low beam. High beam was significantly better distribution wise, but was overall not impressed with the lightness. Ended up junking them and just putting in SilverStars. If you're really set on running LEDs, you're better off getting a properly designed projector housing and bulb to match.

Another thing to think about is if you have DRLs, they won't work with LEDs. The DRLs on 1st gens just use the stock headlamps operated at a reduced voltage, which will not be enough to trigger the LED. Depending on what else is in the LED (cooling fan maybe?), you could burn it out through long term low voltage operation.

 

On top of what’s already been stated, the lack of heat will cause your headlights to snow over in crappy weather. This was pretty sketchy when it happened to me, and happens so slowly you don’t realize it. I run 100w halogens after doing the h4 relay upgrade in my 1st gen. Also did the “get rid of the third gen” mod a while ago.

 

Those guys are trying to sell you a bulb. A member on here who did all the research confirms LEDs do not belong in our housing. LEDs lose they’re out put over distance. Especially in a first gen that doesn’t have a projector.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/

 

This is marketing BS as always (our bulbs are expensive because we did R&D). There is no "properly designed LED bulb in a stock reflector housing". Properly designed headlights are result of matching optics to particular light source output geometry. If you put anything else than H4 halogen bulb into housing designed specifically for H4 halogen bulb the result will be disastrous. Same if you put H4 halogen bulb into poorly designed housing (as many knock-offs available cheap).

This is very simple geometry question, but still some do not know the answer or pretend not knowing.

Now the answer to OP is simple: buy quality H4 halogen bulb (Silvania or Phillips are the best), Fix or replace the housing if it is fogged and call of the day. If you want LED bulbs, use them everywhere else in your vehicle where the output pattern is not specifically critical - of course as long as the LED bulb output intensity is correct for the incandescent bulb you are replacing.

 

Is this what you would classify as disastrous? I wouldn't, as it's got a cleaner cutoff than my stock halogens in my 07. But I'm open to others opinions. I honestly want to know if this is bad enough that I should try to get rid of these $240 LED bulbs. I don't want to be "that guy". Theyre these:Note that they have a reflector over the chips for the low beams, which are the only ones used when there is traffic around, that keeps the light shining into the top of the housing, thus causing the light to be directed downward with minimal spill above the cutoff. I haven't been flashed once in two weeks, and I've been doing mostly night driving going to college, the store, and the gym.

 

To add to my post above though, OP, do not buy either of those cheap bulbs. I seriously doubt they will increase light output and I am almost certain they will produce a lot of glare. The last truck I owned came with some $50 Amazon LEDs in it and they were complete garbage. I couldn't see anything and was being flashed constantly until I bought the bulbs in the above post for it and re-adjusted my headlights. After that, nobody flashed me.

 

@crashnburn80

 

Take a picture 50ft or so from a wall

 

DO NOT PUT LEDS IN HALOGEN HOUSINGS.

This topic has been discussed a lot on this forum. Crashnburn80 has done some pretty extensive testing (as have others). The simple truth is that leds smear the light that comes out of the housings, which creates glare. It might look brighter to you, but all that glare just blinds other drivers. Having to re-aiming your lights down, as most people end up doing, is proof the light is inferior.

I drive a moderately lifted 4x4, and I get blinding glare from the bros in their wannabe drifer cars from their stupid LEDs.

If you want massive amounts of light get some LED light bars (which aren’t typically street legal) or do an HID retrofit. Or do the “proper headlight upgrade” that crashnburn80 has a thread on.