2nd Gen Headlight housing replacement

Hey all. I've "reconditioned" the headlights on my 2008 a few times, and they are probably past redemption at this point.

I'm looking to throw a decent pair of lights in there, and found a ton on Amazon. I've seen a few threads on here about replacements, and saw that condensation might be an issue, though it's really hit or miss.

Anyone replaced their headlights with a direct replacement that didn't have issues or gremlins?

I'd love to get a link to them!!!

Thank you!!!

 

OEM 2005-2011 smoked headlights:
Right #81130-04173
Left #81170-04173

 

^This. OEM is the correct recommendation, these are OEM smoked chrome to look a bit more aggressive like the 2nd Gen Pros.

No aftermarket assemblies perform as well as OEM, so if you care about lighting performance OEM is best. You also don't need to worry about leaking or premature UV fade, or clouding or build quality with OEM, like you do with aftermarket. Good news is that you will have a substantial increase in performance over what you currently have, and your truck will look a lot better too.

 

When you say you want a "decent" pair of lights, what do you mean by "decent?" The reason I ask is that some folks want lights that look decent while others want lights that perform decently. If you're just looking for something that looks decent, just about any of the Amazon or eBay cheapo lights will fit that bill. Just be ready for them to leak and oxidize pretty quickly and don't expect to put much usable light on the road in front of you. Or, as one of my friends who went down this path once said, "I can't see crap at night with these, but they look great in the parking lot during the day - except for the condensation."

As has already said, if you want something that actually performs, lasts and looks half way decent, OEM is the only way to fly.

 

I get most of my info from your Ultimate headlight upgrade and Ultimate foglight upgrade.

 

Thanks for the input, folks! I am probably selling the truck, so it's a matter of will i get my moneys worth out of it, i think. OEM is clearly the way to go. we'll see what i can afford!

 

maybe look at Ebay for OEM? or the classifieds of this forum. Also hit local scrap yards. Perhaps can find some good deals there.

 

This. There’s never a shortage of OEM headlights on Craiglist or other classifieds. Most people don’t know or have the proficiency to use sandpaper and polish, so bargains can be found on cloudy but otherwise perfectly fine headlights.