Lighting Overhaul

First of all, I'm relatively new to lighting, so forgive me if I say something completely stupid. I'm looking to redo my headlights, tail lights, and foglights and had a couple quick questions before I spend the money on it.

For the headlights, I'm thinking the gen 3 spyder ccfl's but I want to put 6k HIDs in them. I know they take H1 bulbs, but is that all I need to know when shopping for an HID kit to make sure they fit? Will any 6k H1 bulb work? Can anybody recommend any kits, particularly anything they've used with these headlights?

For the fogs, I'm thinking 3k HIDs. Again, I'm not really sure I need here to make it work. Any help on this part would be appreciated as well.

Taillights, I'm just thinking anzo LEDs. I've heard these are pretty good and I like the way the black ones look the best. If anybody can think of anything I may be overlooking, please feel free to point me in the right direction.

 

Also, since I'm installing LED tail lights, will I have the risk of hyper flash? Or is that only if I replace the individual bulbs to LEDs? Will the LEDs in the headlights make a difference?

 

Welcome fellow newish member. I've been looking for some lighting insight (for driving lights) as well. I suggest viewing danielsternlighting.com for a good fundamental understanding of lighting and why one should not just swap out bulbs for xenon, etc, on your headlights. Search, there are some good posts here that should give you the answers, have fun with it.

 

You're talking about doing a light overhaul but none of the products you listed are an improvement over stock... If you're looking for a different look, go for it but if you actually want a lighting improvement, those products aren't going to do it for you. Search 'retrofit' or BHLM for a different look on headlights that will significantly out-shine your stock light and those other lights you referenced. Check out theretrofitsource.com and look at the Morimoto Mini D2s or H1 kits.

Same with fog lights although that retrofit is a bit more involved. For the fogs, I wouldn't drop HID's into the stock reflector housing. They will produce a huge amount of glare and make them damn near useless as foul weather lights.

 

Thanks for the replies and the links. I will definitely check them out. As far as improvement pretty much anything will be better than my current set up. Part of the plastic on my passenger headlight is busted so it makes my truck look like it has a lazy eye...

I know people seem to have a love/hate relationship with the Spyder's but I like them the best out of all of the headlights I've seen. Why do some HID kits require ballasts and others don't?

For the fog lights I decided to get 2500K_45W Nokya Hyper Yellows. I also want to do the always on mod to them. Would that cause any sort of issue with these bulbs? As long as they're H10 they will work right? And they just replace my stock bulbs?

You said none of the products I listed were improvements; what's so bad about the Anzo tail lights? I haven't read too many bad things about them.

 

If I'm not mistaken, all real HID kits will need a ballast. Normal halogen lights get a current to turn on and that's it. HID's are made differently and operate differently. HID's need a higher initial charge to ignite the bulbs; this is where the ballasts come into play. They provide the initial spike and then the voltage drops to a lower level. I think the hate for Spyder's comes from the fact that they don't use as high quality of a projector lens, and therefore don't get the same quality output as a quality retrofit. Can't speak about the fog lights, but I don't see why they wouldn't work.

There are guys on here who sell retrofitted headlights and do some quality work. I'd look into them if you're looking to replace the housings and get HID's at the same time. Or you could buy the parts and DIY. x2 on theretrofitsource.com for parts.

 

Sorry, I didn't comment on the tail lights and wasn't trying to knock them. I'm not familiar with the tail lights and tried to keep my comments to the forward facing lights.

As mentioned above, any HID will require a ballast. Those Spyder lights aren't all HID, some just use halogens. HID's generally run a lower draw than halogens but a but higher voltage which is the reason for the ballasts.

Doing the fog light anytime mod will not have any impact on those bulbs. I had those Nokya bulbs myself for a long time and really liked them. I think you will be happy with that choice. You are also correct, any H10 or 9145 bulb will work in the factory fog lights for a 2005 thru 2011 Tacoma. I wouldn't go any higher than 45W/bulb though. The Nokyas will be fine, just don't go with anything higher.

If you're looking for just a replacement headlight, check out Depo brand housings and you can use those to do your retrofit.

 

So just plugging HID bulbs in wouldn't work? Or they would work but not as well/reliably? And as far as Spyder's having lower quality projectors, could they be swapped out for better projectors? Obviously this probably wouldn't be cost effective, just curiosity.

 

HID bulbs in reflector housings "work" but they shoot light everywhere, making it hard on the eyes of other drivers

I don't think you can swap out the crappy projectors, they look to be built into the housings

 

No, you can't plug HID bulbs into the stock wiring without a ballast. HID's are a kit, they come with a bulb and a ballast. The bulbs plug into the ballast, the ballast plugs into the stock wiring. You need the ballast for them to function.

It is possible to swap projectors in the Spyder lights but it is definitely not a simple process. Someone on here swapped in better projectors to Ebay lights. There was a fair amount of custom work to make them properly mate up, not nearly as simple as installing them to stock housings.

Here you go on retrofitting Ebay headlights, just scroll down to see progress pictures:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/167793-looking-retrofit-ebay-halo-projectors-3.html

 

About how much should I expect to pay for a quality HID kit? Low beams, and Low and High beams?

 

www.theretrofitsource.com

^ Check prices there. There's also a group buy on here somewhere.

Cheaper is mini H1 or D2S kits. Also less work. FX-R are the next level up and require a more involved process. Both require using your OEM or aftermarket replacement (Depo brand) headlights to open up and replace. Or you could pay somebody on here to do it.

 

Thanks everyone for all of your help. You guys have been great!

 

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-h1.html#reviews

Is this kit just for low beams?