Pros and Cons of the Alpharex Headlights

I'm writing this thread to share some thoughts on the Alpharex Nova Series for the 3rd Gen Tacoma. I installed mine this last Sunday and quickly was able to see what I liked about them and what I didn't. To keep this shortish I just get right into it.

CONS:

• No Install Video: AlpharexUSA doesn't have a install for these so you're left with the YouTubers and as of now I belive only bustabeatgeorge has a good install video. This is only slightly problematic for a DIYer like myself who was hoping to see something fool proof. His bumper is aftermarket and I noticed during his video theres a bolt tou have to get to under the bumper cover. Well I broke a piece because his snaps off but on mine the bolt is attached to a piece of plastic assembly that attaches to the bumper . Not a big deal because I don't notice any looseness after fastening everything else back up.

• Missing Instructions: The company didn't send any type of instructions with the lights. I just got a huge box with the lights and DRL harness I purchased since I have the factory DRLs on my Tacoma.

• DRLs do not work with the factory switch. If i want to black out my lights I csnt because the DRL switch doesn't work with the new Headlights. Maybe I wired this incorrectly being at the mercy of figure it out myself but no luck with switch and I tried every combination I could think of or find in that fuse box. Only thing I was unwilling to do was cut into the wiring harness and fish the DRL wire out and splice into that. But you'd think plug and play means plug and play.

PROs:

This is a middle ground for me and my main point in writing this. The light pattern and dispersion.

• They are really bright. Ask the poor mustang driver i was behind in a single lane of i70 for about 40 miles. I felt bad lol but quickly realized what I was missing even with a set of retro fitted OEM hesdlights ran prior. Now the questionable part. The four lenses do something funky. With my truck I am getting a wide spread with the light cone. Howver I'm also getting a vertical light array as well. When inwas driving past the overhead road signage I noticed as I was hitting then with the intensity of a Police Spotlight. Those signs were glowing. I think the alignment of the three low beams create a step light return for the lights dispersal. Kind of cool to see but for some it may not be what they are looking for. Amber's are bright and function without concern. The highbeam just don't seem to be too dramatic of a result when switching from low. This maybe because they are already so damn bright you are just waiting for a karen to flash her lights at you like you forgot to turn off the highs.

• The start up sequence is legit. It adds that little flare that makes the cost of these things worth it to me. Not only are you getting full LEDs with the pretty penny these cost but you get a little show everytime your walk up to
• The asthetics of the look baddass in my opinion. I don't know if they made a change to the controversial AREX logo but I feel like they did compared to videos and pics of earlier installed lights. I'll post a pic but it more of just a clear lens and the logo is embossed in the lens. This to me males the logo less visible when illuminated unlike the pics where you see the letters prominently.
• The jet black is a gloss black assembly and just completely looks cleaner than all the chrome.

 

Were you running 35 or 50 watt hid's in your retrofits, how do these compare for spread and brightness. I was thinking about the Morimotos, but from a Raptor forum saw a comparison between these and the Morimotos. There was no comparison, Alfarex nova had a more uniform beam pattern, brighter hotspot. They had a drone shot from above, and it looked like Hid compared to stock halogen, that much of a difference.

 

You need to adjust the headlight and the vertical cut off point. Several threads exist on how to do this. Give it a search on the ole google.
How to adjust headlight cut off Tacomaworld

 

The cutoff line is way too high. You're going to get flashed by other drivers thinking you have your highs on. A simple adjustment will fix that problem.

 

Jeez. You’re in that big rigs mirrors. I’d be pissed if I were in front of you too.

 

Pro: great post thank you

Con: please adjust your headlights

 

Correct me if im wrong but I thought that LED headlights come pre-adjusted, i don't think i have seen the back screw to adjust them like the oem halogen headlights.

 

OEMs are silver with a gear lookin washer on top.

 

If someone wants to buy me a set I'll happily do an unboxing and review review of the adjustment options.

 

50 watt they were decent but without documenting the difference I just had what I was familiar with to go by and I could clearly tell there was a hell of difference in brightness.

 

Way too high cut off, if you can't adjust it I would be sending them back if it were me.

 

I may be completely oblivious to an adjustment on these Novas but that is one glaring difference between these and the Morimotos which I’ve read come with vertical and horizontal adjustability.

 

lol, I will be doing some research to try and figure how to get these things lower but I really don’t want to be that guy blinding people.

 

The LED ones were close but still off a bit but, the adjustment dial is accessible from the top of the headlight pointing a screwdriver down so super easy and much better the the halogen ones.

 

Thanks for the write up OP. I was researching these, the Morimoto XBs or a retrofit. I decided to go the RX350 retrofit route, which I haven't started yet. I was a little apprehensive about the AlphaRex, they look cool, but from what I heard their light output wasn't really that good. I know @crashnburn80 was trying to get a set to test professionally from AlphaRex, but they declined, which didn't put confidence in them.
Out of curiosity, what kind of retrofit did you have prior? From what I've been researching, a proper retrofit is supposed to be better than both the AlphaRex and the Morimoto XBs, curious to hear your opinion since you've had both.

 

it's also illegal if your lights are too bright

 

The AlphaRex are actually SAE/DOT approved so they are legal. It's just a matter up adjusting the aim correctly, not the actual lights themselves.

 

The adjustment are on the back of the lights it’s a 5min job and comparing them to the 55w DDM tuning 5k hid kit I had in the factory housing the hid’s hotspot were a little brighter but the alpharex has a wider beam pattern

 

It looks like AlphaRex is just actually just rebranded Alibaba China lights possibly from Vland, sold at a significant markup. Needless to say it is high unlikely legitimate compliance testing was done.

 

I'm not familiar with the process to get SAE/DOT certified. Are there differences/easier ways to get certified? If Morimoto got their XBs DOT/SAE certified and AlphaRex claims theirs are too, would they have undergone the same process?