Wanted LED headlights

I did the same, put in HID 55 watt Xenon with Hella German rated housing,
Not ideal, cut off is not that great, a little scattered, never had anyone flash me 3 years later.
The light out put on the highway in high or low beam is at least 1/3 better with a decent foot print than a 80 watt bulb.
Maybe if I put 120 watt it would be better and I would have to rewire for that.

I had the 80 watts bulbs in the Hella housing and that just didn’t cut it, was disappointed.

Stock bulbs are just horrible, down right dangerous if you ask me.
My setup not idea but 100 times better than stock.

 

I suspect you likely used a Hella high wattage bulb, which perform very poorly. So poorly that a stock wattage performance bulb actually does significantly better. While E-code assemblies do better with cut offs, HIDs should not be run in a halogen reflector due to glare. Compare the H4 bulb output below from the ultimate headlight thread and look what is the bottom performing bulb, Hella high wattage.

 

Classic not-halogen bulbs being run in halogen housings.

It's pretty typical that people re-aim their housings (point them down) after installing "upgraded" LED/HID bulbs to compensate for the added glare so they don't get flashed. This is a sure sign of an inferior light pattern because the housings were not designed for the light output of the bulbs being used. LEDs and HIDs both project light differently. If you're going to run HIDs, get retrofits.

 

So what bulbs would one run in the German Hella without changing to wiring harness to get a brighter
foot print then the 55 watt HID?
Or was I running the wrong bulbs before?

 

Did the e-codes you have come with bulbs?

Just run halogens. Or get projector housings if you're going to run HIDs. That may require a retrofit kit though, not sure...

I have some decent sylvanias that I've been running for many years now in my 2004.

I did the wiring harness upgrade a couple years ago, and I swear they're brighter. This could be because you're supplying a higher voltage to the lights from the upgraded harness, but I also replaced my housings, so it's hard to say what actually made them brighter, lol... Probably both.

 

Well nothing is going to be brighter than 55w HIDs, but you’ll get better beam pattern, focus and distance projection using the correct halogens without blinding others. HIDs in halogen housings are bad, 55w HIDs in halogen housings are worse. The IPF X4 Fatboy bulbs would be the best low beam presently available without a harness, with decent high beam followed by the Philips Racing Vision +150 for low beam, but reduced high beam due to a blue coating over the high beam filament. Best stock wattage bulb with no blue coating over the high beam is the GE Xenon +120. The elite Osram Hypers are no longer available. All the lux data is in that chart for low beam. Note the Hella high wattage bulbs are not good performers.

 

Well the 55 watt HID with Hella are SO much better than stock even the 80 watt bulb even if they are not a perfect combo.

 

I suggest reviewing this thread, while based on LED, HID results are similar in terms of pattern:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/

 

Link to wiring harness upgrade writeup?

 

Posted in 2nd Gen but is same for 1st Gen:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

Here someone posted a 1st Gen spin off version:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/proper-headlight-upgrade.407879/

 

Any idea where to get the osram bulbs from now? My google-fu is failing me today

 

Just keep in mind the brighter bulbs don't last as long. They are rated to last 200 hours. For me, I ran with my lights on all the time when it was a daily driver (in essence, day time running lights), so those bulbs would last a matter of months... As a daily driver, I didn't find it prudent to get super bright bulbs that don't last all that long. Now that it's a trail truck, I'll probably get the Osrams once these burn out.

There's these:

https://www.powerbulbs.com/us/produ..._l8QEsUvvMXJc4BeeWYQA7oDUh_6efWRoCzlsQAvD_BwE

There's also these, which aren't quite as bright, but brighter than stock and will presumably last much longer than the 90w ones

$10 Original Osram BILUX H4 Halogen Light Car Light Made in Germany 60/55W

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Osram-BILUX-Halogen-Germany/dp/B00CR5ZMU4

 

What I found as a sweet spot for me is:

1. Installed OSRAM LED DRL in inserts under a headlights (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/osram-ledriving-px-4-for-drl-in-95-tacoma.482787/). In Poland it is mandatory to drive with low beam or DRL all day. DRL are used probably 95% of my driving
2. Installed e-code 200mm Autopal (Hellas are waiting in the box for Autopal to get destroyed by road rocks) with Silvania Silver bulbs. Low beam is used around 4% of total driving. I have not replaced them for at least 3 years now.
3. High beams are used very, very occasionally. However when I will need more high beam lights, I'd supplement stock reflectors with LED bar between lamps like I did in my 4Runner.

The same setup is in my 4Runner which I use much more for long distance driving:
1. Installed OSRAM LED/FOG DRL in place of stock fog lights ( ). I have them for more than 3 years now and they are as good as new.
2. Quality halogen bulb in low and high beam (in stock reflector housing). 2012 4Runner has actually the best stock reflector than any other models before and after. Even 2014+ projectors are not as good as 2012 reflector. These halogen bulbs I have for more than 5 years.
3. 145W 28" LED bar (14k lumens calculated) installed between headlights. ( ). The plan is that it can be turned on by high beam switch (currently not).

My logic is that high beam is used only when there is nobody around that can be blinded by it. So adding 10k+ lumens to high beam via additional light bar does not do any harm. Low beam is still as good as it can be while legal and not blinding anyone.

 

This all makes sense. I see a lot of people that have spent gobs of money on their headlights trying to maximize light output. At least for me, the output from my current setup, is more than adequate for on-road use. I've owned the truck for 15 years and the only times I felt my lights weren't bright enough was when the lenses were clouded over.

If I felt the need for additional light for off-road, I wouldn't waste my money on expensive HID retrofits or whatever. I'd get a lightbar on the roof, maybe some ditch lights. They're far superior for off-road anyway since the light source is higher and projects fewer shadows, etc... Plus, lightbars get you serious brolander points.

 

One more thing about the limit of the light output set by regulations. Unless you are driving though plains in Kansas the road is never flat and level. Even correct aimed and perfect cut-off low beam will be flashing oncoming drivers on every bump and hill. High lux hotspot just below the cut-off line may be good on drag race strip, but in normal, real life roads it is still dangerous and not legal. You don't need to see half mile in front of you unless you are driving 200mph or your reaction time is good only for playing chess. At 55mph you need around 300ft to stop, and that lighting distance is actually an norm for low beam lights.

 

As much driving as I do especially in the mountains with zero city lights and having deer running across the road all the time it’s important to be able to see as far as possible with in reason.

Deer and elk auto accidents are a common thing and your truck will be totaled if that happens.

 

Then you should know that hardly ever you run into standing deer - these suckers always jump int front of the car in the middle of the nowhere . It does not matter how far you see down the road, you will be surprised by dear every time. In places where deer is often present I would not go fast anyway, unless I'm of suicidal/killing mission.

What we want to distinguish between low beam use and high beam use. If you are the only one on the road by all means turn all your lights to see surrounding. When you are driving with cars in front of you or with opposing traffic you should be able to use lights from these cars to extend your vision range. At least this is what I'm doing when driving at night. Either way you don't need blinding low beams.

 

IMO, super bright lights aren't going to help you there.

I've hit a deer, and been hit BY a deer.

First time was in highschool, driving an 86 Accord at night. Mountain road. This mountain road, not unlike most mountain roads, was very curvy. I saw a bunch of deer run across at the upcoming curve (in other words, my crap ass lights were sufficient to see at least to the next curve), I slowed way down. Got to the corner, decided I had seen the last one and started to accelerate. That's when bambi ran across and slammed into my hood. Minimal damage since I had already slowed way down, but the deer was dead and I had a nice bambi shaped fur imprint on my hood. Girlfriend was not appreciative, lol...

Then, a year or so ago, was driving on a slightly less curvy mountain road, cruising along at 45 or so and this suicidal deer rammed into the side of me, right at my driver's door, smeared down the side towards the back, and still somehow managed to slide off the road into the ditch. My headlights never illuminated it, but my interior lights did, lol. I literally just saw deer face in my side window.

In both of these situations, I could have had desert race truck lights, and it wouldn't have helped. The only time I've ever really seen an animal just sitting in the road (rather than trying to dart across it) is the bison in Yellowstone. Those guys couldn't give two shits about you, lol. You just wait.

 

Thanks I finally got around to figuring this out. I have received the bulbs from England (the country) and wiring harness as recommended by crashnburn. I’m waiting on the e code housings now and can’t wait to see the difference. thanks again for the information because I never would have figured this conversion out by myself.

 

Question for crashnburn, do you have a conversion like this for a 1998 jeep cherokee sport?