BHLM - hope this helps

So I know there are other threads about the BHLM, but I'm bored so I figured I'd share my experience with doing this. It took me a while to bite the bullet and do it - I was worried I'd permanently fuck up my headlights - but after going through with it I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. So here's how it went.

Before:



So first thing I did was remove the grille, which was pretty simple. I want to say it was just two screws and some clips (don't forget there are clips along the bottom of the grille too).



Then you need to remove these pieces just under the headlight. (There are clips on the side of these pieces furthest away from the grille) Just use a flat head or something to help pry them loose, just be careful because they look like they break easily.



So the headlight itself is a pain in the ass. Taking these damn things out was probably the most frustrating part for me. There are two screws at the top, and then one pain in the ass screw...hidden up under here:


If you can look up under this part of your truck you'll find this screw - (hope you can see it in the pic) Take this screw off.



Now I would seriously suggest you place a towel or something between your headlight and this part of the bumper. If not, you will scratch the hell out of your headlight (trust me I know).



To get the headlights out you have to rotate them down (which is how you end up scratching them - that piece of the bumper has sharp edges). Then they kind of lift out - I fought with them for a while.

Heres the fun part. Take the headlights inside and preheat your oven...I think I did like 250 degrees or so. I put the headlights in there for maybe 6-7 minutes until they were nice and warm. Be sure to take all these parts, including the bulbs, OFF first!



When you take them out, pry them apart. I used a knife to make separating the sealant stuff easier. Don't wait too long to separate them because the sealant hardens as it cools down. Then you have this:

It can get pretty awkward when your wife gets home from work and finds you baking headlights in the oven. Mine thought I was loosing my shit and going crazy. She went to do laundry and asked me if there were any car parts in the washer that she needed to throw in the dryer for me


There are some screws and what not to take the housing apart. I painted the housing black with KRYLON fusion paint.

Let the paint dry and put on several coats so you don't miss any spots. There's a amber reflective piece that snaps in and out of the housing (it's triangular shaped) - do what you want with this piece. I took mine off first so it would stay amber. I've seen where someone used a small "TRD" logo stencil and painted over it. It left an amber TRD logo which looked pretty bad ass.

Once the paint dries and everything looks good, you're gonna want to re-install the housing to the headlight. Put it back in the oven for a little bit and let the sealant soften up so it will go back together. Be patient with it and don't try to rush or force anything. Re-install the rubber pieces and bulbs and whatnot. Here's the part people have problems with...the factory seal doesn't seal back like it should - which causes condensation build up inside the headlight which looks like shit. Go to Lowe's and get a small tube of Premium Waterproof, Clear, 100% silicone. The GE brand I got was also "sun and freeze proof." Seal the edges where the lens connects back to the headlight with this stuff and you will have ZERO problems with condensation build up in the headlight. I've had mine done for going on 8 months now and have had no problems.

Once that dries you're ready for the fight to get your headlights back in. This was easier for me than taking them out. Don't forget the towel so you don't scratch them. Just do everything in reverse order and now you're done!

After:

PS: I also took the time to paint the grille surround white and black out the Toyota emblem. Think it looks way better.

Hope this helps anyone who was like me and apprehensive about going through with it. Very cheap and great looking mod.

 

Looks good! Nice write up. I gotta find the time to do mine one of these days.

That GE clear silicon is pretty good stuff....fixed my leaky roof from the oem roof rack install.

 

Nice write up. When removing mine I found it easier, though more steps, to disconnect the bumper skin on the sides to allow for additional play in getting the light out without damage.

 

Wish I would have though if that when I was doing it lol.

 

Nice write up bud. Well explained.

 

do you think this would work on an aftermarket? I bought some u bar aftermarket anzo headlights on here and the guy led me to believe they were in decent shape. But they have some pretty bad water spots on the inside of the lens so I need to pull em apart and see if I can clean em up to hopefully either re-sell them or use them on my truck.

 

I don't see why it wouldn't work
I would go for it, and then re seal them with the silicon. That should take care of any future water spots.

 

I've been very hesitant to do this as well - but you made a great write-up. Thanks.

 

Does anyone know if this process would work on the chrome tail lights on a 2012? I'm going to try this weekend either way but figured I might be able to arm myself with some good info before I dive in.

 

MY experience with taillights has been that they're not glued together like a headlight, you have to dremel or otherwise cut them open.

 

Interesting, thanks for the info

 

Can't wait for mine!

 

I actually just did this last weekend. The OP write-up was mostly helpful, but I found this video necessary for getting the lights out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNo__Lx20y0

That 3rd screw really is a pain in the ass.

In the end though, I'm not crazy with how it looks on a black truck. My friend has a Pyrite with the BHLM and I think it looks much better on his truck. So I just ended up ordering a pair of TRD Pro lights.

I'll probably be selling my BHLM in a week or so if anybody wants to go that route. They're not perfect, but I sealed them up really well.

 

Might have to do this one as well

 

Got a few pictures? Mine is black, I might be interested in yours if you're selling (depending on how it looks on a black truck of course).

 

I'll try to take a couple pics today.

 

Here's a picture of the flaw. I probably didn't let the paint dry enough before putting the bezel back in, and it got rubbed against the lens, peeling off a fleck of the paint. You only really notice it up close, but it was still a derp moment for me.




As for the BHLM in general, it's all subjective of course. imo it's too much black on a black truck, but I know I'm just being picky and dumb. We'll see how the Pro lights look when the arrive today. Maybe I'll do a side-by-side shot.

 

So I scooped up a extra set of headlights from an 05 off of Craigslist the other day to give this bhlm a shot. So far everhthings going great except one of the headlights has been rubbed and scuffed. I've got a turtle wax brand headlight restore kit and its not bringing the rub marks out. Worked just fine on the other light. Any suggestions?

 

On the inside or outside?

 

Great write-up. I have got to get this done soon.