Best 2nd Gen aftermarket headlights?

New Alpharex Toyota lights releasing tonight, pray that its for 12-15

 

Maybe it's just me, but I somehow fail to get excited about yet another substandard Chinese junk product. That said, they'll probably sell a ton of them to the unsuspecting who fall for their slick marketing and well placed (and usually fake) reviews. Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

Oh! Fingers crossed... thanks for the heads up!

 

Mmm true but I already have a pair. And nothing out there comes close to how these look. Also, if all aftermarket headlights perform poorly, (maybe not fact but generally assumed) why not at least get the best looking one?

 

Here you go buddy, this is the best pic I can get at the moment. but 100% thats a 12-15!!

 

Did my own Morimoto retrofit conversion. Lighting is like butter and my headlights project farther than the car’s headlights in front of me LOL.

The sharp cutoff looks cool, but the downside is that everything above the line is dark and hard to see at night.

 

Not bashing anyone's choice, but my point of reference is safety. I live in a rural area and accidentally meeting anything from a deer up to a horse is going to ruin my day. I want the best lighting I can afford so I might avoid those chance meetings. Appearance is a distant second. I don't want to meet the county coroner prematurely. (I know this sounds a bit dark).........

 

So what you're saying is that when you drive head long into something at night because you couldn't see it due to your under-performing aftermarket headlights, at least you'll look good doing it. Interesting logic. To each his own.

 

Definitely a disadvantage to the hard cutoff with a high intensity light source. The sharp difference between extreme light and darkness at the cut off does make it challenging to see beyond the headlights illumination to where you can only see what the lights are illuminating below the cut off. In a halogen projector, there is uplight above the cut off which helps blend that extreme contrast better.

 

The Alpharex Gen 2.5s lights look pretty good IMO. I’ve seen the light output and cut off on an earlier Gen 2 Alpharex model and the cut off was clean and light output was better than stock but nowhere near retros which isn’t fair comparison.

 

Open these up and retrofit a real projector.

 

I thought about keeping the OEM lights as they are, and just mounting these bad boys to the light tabs on the top of my ARB bumper.

HELLA 008390801 Micro DE Series 12V/35W Xenon Driving Lamp Kit

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-008390801-Micro-Xenon-Driving/dp/B000COD4SE

 

Clean cut offs are the case for any projector. What is overlooked on the AlphaRex lights is the pattern is bad, it is all foreground light and no distance light. The headlight light output is literally designed wrong. Headlights should minimize foreground light and maximize the distance light. I haven't seen the output of the latest light, but their previous relabeled Vland products have been pretty poor.

This was covered in more detail with examples here:

 

I totally agree with what you saying i think what most people buy them for tbh is the aesthetics of the headlight themselves and honestly probably give 2 shits about the light out put or don't know enough to tell high quality out put vs some LED's slapped in a projector that looks ok. I know i have fell victim to that in the past and still run crappy out put projector just because i like the aesthetic of the headlight. If i want more light i usually just turn on my pods or light bars but of course not on road haha.

 

Keep your OEM lights and do this:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

 

Well there it is. You’ve got input from experienced guys, and more detailed analysis from a legit subject matter expert. If you still think these lights are a worthwhile purchase - despite the substandard performance and reduced longevity - go wild.

 

Interesting that you get your legal advice from Morimoto Automotive Lighting.
To each his own.

Are cops gonna pull you over for having an HID that every other car has? No.
They'll just pull you over for going 5 over. Or not. Depending on what your state is.

Parts companies usually stamp things like "not legal" so they can cover their ass when the general public does stupid shit with their parts, so they're not liable.
Like if some dumbass installs those but can't figure out how to aim them properly so they shine too high.
Or high flow catalysts that might pollute more. Labeled "for off road use only". That way the responsibility is on you as the vehicle owner for having installed the part and used it wherever you use it; not a parts company.

they don't pull people over for driving with lights off at night

makes me wonder if there was a purpose behind Toyota choosing halogen, rather than just cheapness.
Halogen throws light more vaguely, which seems better for a truck given it can have rough suspension and be shaky over bumps, especially off road where it was designed to be driven.

HID is known for the crisp cutoff caused by the shield inside the housing

in California the only legal gun is a flintlock musket
That's just the way the state runs itself

edit: just looked up Tacoma on TRS to see what they offer
Alpharex headlights $980
LMAO

I think luxury cars with HID headlights typically have a bunch of sensors on their control arms/suspension. It monitors the angle of your suspension so if the car is loaded with fat girls in the back and tilts upward,
your headights then aim downward a bit (via motors) to not blind people
If that would be fitted on a truck, I don't know if it could respond fast enough off road to bumps
vs sedans that soak up cracks in the road (if they have good shocks) and pretty much just coast straight on the highway

 

Great post, it’s like all my random thoughts on this thread put into writing.

 

Most cars are still sold with halogens, they are inexpensive and effective if designed properly. As with any headlight there are good ones and poor ones, the 2nd Gen lights were significantly better than 3rd Gen. Sacrifices made for styling with smaller lamps on 3rd Gen. HIDs are no longer compliant for new vehicles in the EU, meaning it isn't legal to build and sell a new vehicle with HIDs anymore. I haven't seen that in the US yet, but HIDs while very bright are pretty archaic compared to modern tech, and vehicle manufactures are clearly moving to LEDs which last longer, are simpler and use less power.

This was Audi almost 5 years ago, the technology has been used in Europe for years. Our dated regulations prevent modern advancements in lighting technology being used here in the US. No manufacture is going to invest in a dated headlight technology that is being regulated into obsoletism while halogens can be super cheap and effective for a cost conscious option and LEDs/Lasers are the clear future in headlight direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5bBEfphebI&feature=emb_logo

 

Do they make the L shape outline headlight for the 2005 to 2011? Is it called cali?