Headlight recommendations?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to replace my Tacoma’s headlights in the next few months. At first I thought about just dropping in some LED bulbs since I want super bright lights for better night visibility, especially living in an area where deer love to run out of the woods and kamikaze your front end. But I realized putting LED bulbs in halogen housings might not be the safest or legal option.

Does anyone have recommendations for some affordable yet really bright headlights that won’t get me in trouble?

Possibly some LED lights that work fine with halogen housing?

 

I can’t rate these myself but I hear they are really good just a little pricey.

https://teqcustoms.com/products/oem-edition-headlights-01-04-tacoma

 

Yes, those are excellent recommendations but wayy out of my price range lol, will probably study the headlight assemblies of newer vehicles versus the halogen housing and see what I can do.

 

Turns out they make LED bulbs that mimic the style of halogen bulbs. After reading into the science behind halogen housing, I know that since halogen shoots out in all directions the housing must focus it into a beam, this can also be achieved by using LED bulbs that shoot light out in all ways similar to a halogen allowing them to work together.

 

TBH, @chasetheCarguy4x, I think you’re kidding yourself here. No LED H4 style is going to be anywhere close to the light quality of an H4 halogen. I’ve tried some of them, including ones from respectable brands like Philips. Lower beam intensity despite any wild-assed marketing claims and simply horrible hot and cold spots in the pattern.

The best solution is OEM housings, a good H4 such as Osram/Sylvania from the Gen 2 lights thread, with the possible upgrade of relay-switched wiring directly from the battery.

 

Note that the marketing claims are usually achieved by multiplying the theoretically capable lumen count by 2 bulbs, leading to those large figures. Usually in an advertised 6k lumen bulb you will only get around 3000-4000 lumens of usable light, which honestly knocks the halogens out of the park.

 

I’d suggest the wiring upgrade outlined in this thread. I’ve been running this setup for a couple years and it’s great. I also live in a rural area with tons of deer.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

 

I just got some a few months back from https://teqcustoms.com Compared to similar styles, they are priced very good, and it was nice to scrap the HID bs I was using forever with a lens that was internally fogged out...they have a lot of options, here are a couple pics I took a couple weeks back (I love the built-in LED and the options that have, I want with a very modest build).

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/proper-headlight-upgrade.407879/

Meets your stated criteria

 

I know you said out of your price range, but love em... I waited a little longer and saved up because it was so easy and looks so good. TEQcustoms

 

Hopefully you parked your Tacoma in the garage more than being outside, exposed to the element. Two Tacoma owners I know has their headlights and after a few years, the headlight lens are stained yellow and provided poor projection. It's not garage kept, getting baked with the CA heat, maybe that's why.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/led-headlights-for-gen-1.783678/#post-28031217

 

Yes, I agree with you, the suns UV rays break down the clear coat on the headlights which leads it to oxidize, It isn't the heat however.

 

For real...in all reality after installing the new headlights I got that UV protectant film and put it on there...unfortunately on the first side I did a crap job and it's got some creases in it...man that stuff is hard to put on properly.

 

Yes, I'm sure some places sell UV protection pre coated headlight assembly replacements, I've seen some on RA, contemplating on getting a restoration kit or 2 new assemblies because they're basically the same price. Headlight restoration kits don't really last long at all anyways.

 

on Amazon I ordered the "Latest H4/9003/HB2 Bulbs, 36,000LM 900% Super Brighter, 6500K Cool White, 1:1 Mini Halogen Size H4 9003 Fog Lights Kits with Cooling Fan, Plug and Play, Pack of 2" these were a lower intensity compared to other LED options and after testing on the back country roads I live on with my crowd they look to be an acceptable replacement that still is not nearly as offensive as the new headlights that come on the new trucks from the factory.