Better lowbeams headlights for 17 taco (just bulbs/lights)

Looking for better (stronger) lowbeams for a 17 taco. I want the plain just bulbs/LED to replace the original bulbs. Not looking for adapters, convertors, extra cables and transformers, just remove and replace.
Have looked at a few threads in the forums but since I have no idea what to look for I need guidance. Thanks.

 

I replaced mine with Phillips X-treme vision. Whatever research it was either Phillips or Osram Night Breakers.

I picked the Phillips because it seemed to have better longevity. As for % improvement, I didn't do a side by side so i can't say. It does seem like a slight improvement.

 

I love yy Morimoto 2-Stroke LEDs are 5500K, 34-watt... Plug & Play. They are super-bright, but do not blind on-coming drivers. I installed them for highbeams too! They are well worth the money for $120. The high-output Halogen upgrade bulbs (like Philips X-treme Vision, etc) are not very bright for the cost; I wasted my money on them before I went with the LEDs. Diode-Dynamics also make nice LED H11 bulbs.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h11-morimoto-2stroke.html

 

I wanted to pull the trigger on the 2-Stroke LED. They put a lot of salt down in the winter where I live and didn't know how long the cooling fans would last in those conditions.

 

Opt 7 Fluxbeams

 

I have the exact same Morimoto 2 Stroke LED's and I live in Pittsburgh PA and we have a lot of salt on the roads in the winter and mine were fine over the winter and btw there Kelvins is 6,000 not 5,500!

 

If a small ballast/controller inline bothers you then your only option will be a halogen bulb. If you are willing to modify a bulbs tab you can do h9 which will give you an upgrade or you can run +x% bulbs which are nice but do burn out quicker and are a bit pricy for what they are. The h11 to h9 conversion os common though because it produces good results with little to no risk of damage for about 50% more lumens (usually about 1400 vs 2100 lumens)

 

I'm curious about this as well. I've read through many HID vs LED threads here and just unsure what is truly the best bang for the buck. Here is the breakdown info for each type I've read across many threads here. (Please correct anything if I'm wrong below)

• HIDs:
  • - Lower life expectancy compared to LED & Halogen, but your mileage may vary on this front
  • - Need to "warm up" when initially turned on, so there is a short lag time
  • - Some models do not seat properly and jiggle in the housing
  • - If not careful, can break horizon level and blind on coming drivers
  • - Higher cost compared to LEDs, generally
  • + Throws more light than LEDs & Halogens

• LEDs:
  • - Throws less light and have been reported to suck in rain/snow, but your mileage may vary on this front
  • - Can flicker if relays aren't used; hit or miss per vehicle from what I've read
  • - Some models do not seat properly and jiggle in the housing
  • - If not careful, can break horizon level and blind on coming drivers
  • - Higher cost compared to Halogens
  • + Longer life expectancy compared to HIDs and Halogens
  • + Lower cost compared to HIDs, generally
  • + Throws more light than Halogens

• Halogens:
  • Defaults; some live with them, others thoroughly dislike them
  • - Higher kelvin and lumen models still cannot compete with HIDs
  • + Lower cost compared to HIDs & LEDs
  • + Can easily & cheaply keep spares in the vehicle

 

Think hid bulbs have a much longer life than halogens since they do not have a filament. The ballasts break more frequently than the bulbs. Id say biggest draw to led is the color. Not what you see driving but what other people see when you are driving. Im on my 2nd set of leds for my lows and not a fan. But since they are in im not putting halogens back. And when i need to see i have yellow halogen fogs that make up the shortcomings of the leds (wet roads)

 

I just got my 2-stroke leds in and I plugged them both up and no light at all. Did you have this problem? Am I doing something wrong?? HELP! SOS. Lol.

 

I have them as well. Really not a fan of 6000k light color... but they are better than stock. I prefer 4500-5000k.

HIDs aren't really any higher "risk" for breaking horizon level than any other bulb.. just make sure you have the right bulb in the right housing (or projector) and you are fine. Same with LEDs. And halogens.

LEDs will throw just as well if you have a high quality bulb. The Amazon and ebay specials for $50 obviously aren't going to cut it.


Buy a quality bulb, of any type, that is designed for whatever projector/housing/reflector assembly you have (or retrofit) and make sure it's not one of those crazy colors that so many morons on the road drive with (8000k+ n crap... honestly even 6000k isn't great)

 

Trust me I'd rather have 4500-5000k lights but these 6,000k leds are very white and hardy blue at all, I think the reason why is cause they have such a high lumen output at 5000 lumens per bulb!

Here are some output pictures of the Morimoto 2 Stroke LED's:







Here are some pictures of 5,000k HIDs from The Retrofit Source for comparison:







I hope this helps you out @woode87. The reason why I like the LED'S better is because the light is more evenly spread out across the beam pattern. Unlike the HIDs cause they have hot spots in the center that are super bright and you can pick them out pretty easily! If you got any more questions ask away!

 

Did you get Morimoto 2-Strokes? Do you have them plugged in with the correct polarity? Did you push the connectors together deep enough? You might have to bend the prongs a bit to get them to make contact. I zip tied my connectors together to pull the connectors deep into each other, for added security.

To troubleshoot, You can hook the lights up to the battery to test if the LEDs are working.

 

Any known issues with 55w HID's? Do I have to worry about heat and the headlight housing?

 

I have 50w hids morimotos from the retrofit source and have no problems. Very bright but do not blind drivers at all. No problems with heat and the headlight housing.

 

@XenonDepot their Hid and Led are tops in the business. Owner Steve has taken care of me for over 15 years. He might be able to suggest a bulb only that would fit what you are looking for.