Headlight / Fog Light Quandary

Asking a question like this in a forum full of enablers is probably a mistake, but hoping for some constructive dialogue. Pros and cons and opinions are welcome.

I bought my ‘21 TRD OR in January. LED headlights were not available at my dealership (or available outside the Pro anywhere I could find) so I bought it and just figured I’d drop in some nice LED retrofit bulbs and get the same effect. I did order and install the OEM LED fogs with black bezel, which I like but certainly make the stock halogen headlights look even more yellow, not to mention the LED DRL accentuates it even more. So the LED low beam bulb search began.

Well, then I found the 300 page headlight thread on here. After getting over the headache of trying to wrap my brain around it all, I began to understand more about the design optics and differences, and why it all matters. I also began to pay more attention to other vehicles on the road and their blinding, diffused and overwhelming LED lights, more so than I ever have before - and it’s obvious who has just haphazardly dropped in some Amazon bulbs! So really, at the moment, seems like the LED bulb in halogen projector plan is off the table (unless someone can convince me it’s not the end of the world like some people in that thread would have you believe).

I started doing research on the OEM headlights and decided if I was going to do it, f-it I’m going all in. Mike had a set of harnesses he could get to me right away, which he did. Now I’m sitting here holding these harnesses in one hand and my mouse in the other hand hovering over the “buy now” button at my dealer for the upgraded headlights, but I’m hesitating. $1,600. Wow, that’s A LOT. I can afford it, but now I just don’t know if it’s all that important, that’s a shit ton of cash to replace perfectly functioning 1-month old headlights for the sake of “whiter light”. So I ask for your opinions. I live in AZ so pretty much fantastic weather year round, no fog to speak of and very little rain except a couple times a year.

At this point I am wondering if I should just throw my stock halogen fogs back in so the lighting up front matches better and just stew on it for a while? Or is the visual disparity more in my head and not as obvious to others?

I love my truck so far, I think it’s a shame they haven’t just converted all the lights to LED but it is what it is, my fault for not being better educated on it (or knowing the aftermarket price of the OEM units).

What would you do? Are there others out there like me in the same boat? Thanks for reading.

 

If you can afford it and it makes you happy then go for it. On the other hand, $1600 is 4-5 car payments if you're paying on it still. I know for me 5 months less on the loan is worth more than having matching headlights.

 

You can also offset the cost by selling yours afterwards.

 

That’s also true, probably $500 for the set plus $50-ish for the OEM halogen fogs. Good point.

 

Same: Thought about it for a bit then pulled the trigger. $1400 not $1600 but pricey for sure.

If you keep you originals, you can revert & likely sell LED units later on if you have regrets.

 

I’m not sure anyone cares if your Headlight and Fog light colour rendition matches. I certainly don’t care. Might want to let it slide. I would put in the lights that help you see properly. Myself, I like amber fogs for functionality, but certainly don’t want amber headlamps for matcha-matchy.

 

I bought the Diode Dynamics and love them. That thread is like buying a TV: you'll never have the one next to it so buy what you're good with and go. They're bright, they match and they'll last a long time.

 

Try these guys. https://www.carlightingdistrict.com

 

I installed Morimoto LED bulbs on my brothers truck. They looked and performed just fine using the halogen projector. I did the same H11 for low, and high beam. Seemed to match pretty good with the factory Rigid Industries fog lights too

 

Best advice out there! As long as it's not gonna take food off the table and it's gonna make you smile, go for it! You could have a lot worse (and more expensive) vices than wanting cool looking headlights!

 

You’re talking about the DD LED bulbs in the stock projector?

 

Yep

 

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss3-led-fog-light-kit-for-2016-2021-toyota-tacoma.html

 

If it's your "forever" truck, go for it! I'm not sure if there is a more capable headlight than the OEM LED's. They are phenomenal compared to the projectors - seriously, the lighting difference is incredible.

That said, if you go OEM LED, be prepared to get flashed on a regular basis by folks that think you've got high beams on. Every time the front end bounces up a bit from an uneven road surface, oncoming drivers think you're flashing them.

Then you do a quick flash with your actual high-beams...and they seem to get the point

 

I am familiar with this phenomenon from my previous lifted Jeep with LED headlights (not just drop in bulbs). Lol, the high beam flash usually does the trick.

 

Don't make too much of the situation. I have an SR5 so LED wasn't an option on most of them and no dealerships had many trd trims with them either at the time with out extended waiting.
I changed my Halogen bulbs in the low beam to Hikuri Ulta LED from Amazon. I had the halogen fogs too. I put Lamin-x yellow films on those and was not happy with their light output. So I got a set of Diode Dynamics SS3 fogs in yellow. The colors don't match but the light output from both is good. I think the yellow fogs are good because the light don't reflect back in rain and fog like with whiter light.
Also I left the H9 halogen bulbs in the hi beam alone. The reason is they're bright actually maybe a bit more than the Hikuri Ultras are. You don't use them when other people are close like the low beam so to me both being bright white don't matter either. I actually am interested in seeing about fitting the H9 halogen in the low beams.

 

Funny. My OR came with the OEM LED headlights and I’ve never been flashed unlike with my Jeep which also has OEM LED’s and gets flashed at least once a week.

 

Are you set on OEM LED? If you’re just looking for better light output and matching your fogs, just do an HID retrofit with RX-350 projectors. It’ll be a quarter the price and you’ll get better light output.
Another option is an LED retrofit with Morimoto MLED 2.0.
The big question is your priority. If it’s function, the HID retrofit is the way to go. If it’s form, than spend more for the OEM LEDs and get better looks.

 

I'm not sure what it is, maybe the people in my area are more sensitive. I am quite sure the headlights are adjusted properly, so I don't think it is an aiming issue. Could be roads are more bumpy here than where you're at.

 

Go ahead and buy them if you have the money. It’s a really nice upgrade and will improve your night driving experience substantially. Not to mention they look awesome