Bulb replacement recommendations

Hey over the weekend I installed these new projector headlights and as one would imagine the stock halogen H7 bulb is not good! I’m looking for recommendations for something whiter and brighter in either a LED or HID preferably something middle tier/price?

thanks for the recommendations!

 

Morimoto makes a good hid or led kit. I had their 2 stroke led bulbs on an old superduty and loved them. The fans make noise with led bulbs though kind of annoying but not a huge deal

 

I love the Diode Dynamics LED replacements in my 18 Taco UNlimited.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the bulb is the least of your problems. The optics in those housings are marginal at best. Sticking brighter bulbs in there will just magnify the problem.

I'll wait for our resident lighting expert @crashnburn80 to chime in.

 

@Rockhead @tacomataco2

Thanks for the recommendations, definitely gives me at least a good place to start doing research!

 

"Our resident lighting expert"??? Well then, I would like to hear what crashnburn has to say on this as well. I have had my eyes on that set of housings for some time now. That is unless more than one manufacture makes that design. I really like the way the daytime running lights look. The ones I have on my ebay watch come in amber as well as the white that KOOK has.

Someone who really knows which housing is better through actual testing is of great value. Especially if they can provide a description of each unit's actual overall characteristic. What you get for the money, and what bulb works best with a given housing etc.

I imagine that it is common to knowingly settle for overall performance compromises given budget constraints and or the will to have a certain housing design or both. But to be able to ID acceptable quality for the $$$ without self-sacrifice would be excellent.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

 

I believe these are them…they’re manufactured by Spec D but distributed by a bunch of different eBay sellers. I really like the look of these and wanted something different then the normal “C” led lights you see everywhere. The sequential amber goes into effect when the turn signal is activated or when you turn on your hazards.

 

Then @crashnburn80 is exactly the guy you want to hear from.

 

Don't put LED bulbs into projector housings made for candescent or HID. I tried that and light output is horrible. Get an HID kit from trs. Any of their kits are solid and they have excellent support if you need help.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h7-morimoto-elite-HS-H7?quantity=1

 

IMHO, this is somewhat of a generic statement that is not always an absolute, even if it were to be true the majority of the time. Ideal or perfect compatibility is often unachievable due to budget or other constraints. Sometimes even being a matter of voluntary compromise, to appease individual taste, ending in a balance of acceptable results. "cosmetics vs. performance vs. budget" what is it all base on?

Perhaps comparing results to stock performance and comedic appearance that can be afforded in place of the latest greatest perfectly tuned aftermarket offering that is completely out of one's price range? Here I can gratefully relate as Mathew McConaughey would most defiantly be master of my wife's world if it weren't for the grace of acceptable compromise.

I do however understand where you are coming from and you can't argue with tried and true test results when done properly. But I have seen many bulb designs that were being tested out of their intended housings happen to be ideal completely by design happenstance. This is where the value of real-world testing adds so much value, taking our compatibility knowledge to the next level even if by accident.

It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty to me is function over form. Though respectfully, I do accept and even in some instances admire the latter if it is in the fulfillment of an individual's dream Taco.

 

It isn’t the bulbs that is not good, is is the optics of the assembly. Spec-D/Spyder is known for pretty awful headlights that are a huge step down from stock. They use cheap garbage projectors and are sold primarily based on cosmetics, not function. You can’t fix a bad headlight with a good bulb, because a performance bulb will rely on precision focused optics in order to magnify the performance, something OEM has but most all aftermarket is lacking. LEDs actually just make it worse, not better. Since the optics are designed for a halogen and an LED doesn’t replicate a halogen (despite what a vendor will try to tell you) it further reduces the focus in an assembly that already has serious focus issues. People like to look at the projector cut off and think it works great, but there is a lot more to it than that. Any light source in a projector will have a cut off. With an LED you’ll end up with a puddle of light immediately in front of the truck and no distance projection. Most have to resort to HIDs to get any usable output from Spec-D assemblies. But halogen projectors are not made for HIDs, they are designed to place halogen levels of light above the cut off, and HIDs produce significantly more light turning what should be mild uplight into significant glare to other drivers.

The best option would be to remove those and reinstall the high performance OEM assemblies which have outstanding performance, far better than 3rd Gen. Then follow the 2nd Gen lighting upgrade thread for further performance upgrades, with either stock wattage performance bulbs, or the high power bulb option.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

If you must keep the assemblies despite the significant loss in performance, you might consider the Osram Superbright 80w H7. It will throw more power and output at the problem, but it can’t fix the bad optics causing lack of focus and the resulting lack of output intensity.

 

Where do you find a set of these for a gen2? The link takes me to Rally Lights and when you search the title it comes up a no go.

Osram Hyper 85/80w 2400 lumen H4s

 

Unfortunately those extreme performance bulbs are no longer made and sold out world wide. The next best is the Osram Superbrights 100/90w:
https://www.bulbamerica.com/product...W7rA8azXrxcHmqQ23IX1_TR9T5vzFPf0aAgfvEALw_wcB

Or if you don’t mind paying an obscene price the IPF Fatboys have a slightly better low beam, but factory stock beam.

 

I want the best beam out there, if the IPF fat boy is it I’m looking for the link.

Not a show off thing but instead you should see the damage deer and hogs cause to Cars and truck nightly around here.

In fact please share if you know the absolute best set of housing bulbs etc. etc. and I am starting a penny jar for them today.

also wanted to say how much you’re appreciated. Your research and knowledge is of certain value.

My taco is a 2012 Prerunner if this is relevant to recommendation.

Oh and I see what you mean by The fat boys obscene price. I am now in agreement if it is only slightly superior I’ll stick to the osram’s. That and the fat boys reviews aren’t that favorable where it’s life is concerned.

 

Best assemblies will be good condition OEM units. Best bulb depends a bit. The IPF Fatboys outperform the Osram 100/90w SuperBrights by just over 3% in low beam intensity which is relatively negligable and cost $80-$100/pr vs the Osrams that cost $12-20. But while the Fatboys have a stock wattage high beam, the Osrams have a 100w extremely powerful high beam. Because of the power required by the Osrams, they will require an HD relayed headlight harness, which reduces voltage drop (increasing voltage) to the bulbs, boosting their output above what is shown in the chart below. All halogen bulbs benefit from increased voltage, but the high wattage bulbs require the harness as they will not get sufficient voltage to perform otherwise, and the extreme power draw may melt the OEM connectors on high beam (the harness uses ceramic connectors).

Headlight services HD harness:
http://www.headlightservices.com/Wiring.html

You can then take the performance up another 2 notches by boosting system voltage with a voltage booster when running an AGM battery. An AGM is required to run a voltage booster.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-northstar-agm-battery-voltage-booster-upgrade.604478/

Running the harness plus voltage booster is good for roughly a 22% output upgrade over the stock voltage numbers below. I've never been in a vehicle with better headlights than my modified 2nd Gen. Even people that were not gearheads would be shocked when riding in my truck when I clicked on the low beams (though I was running the Hypers). But to put it all in perspective, those Spec-D lights are probably somewhere ballpark around half the stock output intensity on the far left side of the chart.

Output intensity comparison chart for low beam (85/80w Osrams are no longer available)

 

CRAP,,, I ask for it!!! I now understand who I'm dealing with, your the guy we've all heard of who the government calls when they have design problems with their stealth bombers, etc. aren't you? I think I may be in for the harness upgrade, as long as it is a fix it and forget it Mod. My OEM housings are in 70% shape and are most likely restorable. You know the usual fogged-up thing in need of polishing etc...

I like the idea of the depth of effort of the whole battery upgrade thing, but I don't want the extra care or attention required for proper maintenance. Thanks again for taking the time. I really appreciate your efforts.

 

Well, NASA did call my team for help in determining if the shuttle could survive reentry with damaged tiles, so you might not be that far off.

A common mistake in restoring housings is not realizing in doing so you remove the outer UV protective layer. They will very rapidly haze afterward without it. There are many coating products to protect against UV, but most are maintenance products which means they need to be periodically reapplied to continue to offer protection. Typically any restore kit comes with some short lived protectant product. Once a year is usually adequate with a good protectant, I'd just add it to the to-do when waxing the truck. Some instead opt to spray their lights with clear coat for a permanet fix. Personally I'd just opt for new OEM assemblies for optimum clarity, and take the opportunity to get the smoked chrome TRD units for a more aggressive look. But that also isn't free.

 

That sounds like a good approach, Is there a known supplier who stocks the OEM's at a more competitive price?
I don't remember seeing the smoked chrome TRD's your referring to. Also when I search Osram on Amazon there are many offerings that are labeled as newer, brighter etc. Is there a particular model or part number I should be looking for?
As for the harness, kit upgrade is everything needed included?

And what about the rest of the lights in and out of the truck. I can only imagine that you have a tried best of the best list for each application.

 

The harness is plug and play and comes with everything required to support high wattage bulbs.

Copy/paste from the headlight thread.
3) OEM 2012-2015 TRD Pro headlights (optional cosmetic upgrade) - Made in the USA:
Right #81110-04221
Left #81150-04221
The Pro lights are similar to the BHLM, but factory, in a smoked chrome MGM-like color. This upgrade is only cosmetic over stock and not required for increased light output. Unlike the BHLM, there is no breaking of the seals on the headlights and no need to worry about condensation or leaks inside the headlight. Being OEM these will be the highest quality one can buy and also will have the correct lighting optics, which isn’t always the case with aftermarket lights. The links above were the cheapest I found online. I sold my OEM headlights for $180 without trying, meaning the new set only cost me $220.

Stock light on left, Pro on right:


I focus on performance lighting for improved visibility to the driver.
SAE Fogs: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/
SAE Driving lights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-sae-j581-aux-high-beam-thread.696597/
Reverse lights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gy6-35-hir-921-reverse-light-upgrade-vs-high-power-leds.474996/
Rock lights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-rock-light-showdown.612253/
2nd Gen Headlights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/
3rd gen Headlights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-hid-vs-led-vs-halogen-h11-projector-headlights.589465/
But wouldn't want to leave out home lights: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...lighting-using-leds-hirs-and-halogens.574930/