Gy6.35 HIR 921 reverse light upgrade (vs high power LEDs)

Do you have a new link to the 30 watt bulbs. The eBay link is sold out

 

Amazon and eBay both appeared sold out right now for the Philips 30w. I think you can still find the Osram 35w IRs.

Someone else ordered the Philips 30w IRs here:
https://www.svetila.com/en/hsg-qt-j...MImYbg4IuP3QIVCMJkCh0Dng0eEAYYASABEgLjS_D_BwE

 

This is by far the best bang for the buck. Installed in less than 5' and even in the daytime the difference is noticeable.
Thanks Crash!

 

Inevitably, I have arrived here as well. The OSRAMs for 8.99 through a company vs the Phillips at over 2 X the price from who knows.. well.. I've ordered 3 of the :

Just in case something goes sideways.

 

Note the socket bending method mentioned a few pages back is much less risky than the prong bending method I described. I still need to update the original post with that alternative.

 

I have, it's normally the route I take, as the sockets are more forgiving and it usually leads to better results.

 

I think I'm going to try the Osram bulb. I had the Philips Eco Vantage landscape bulb. Too bad they are $18 each on Amazon. Bought them at home Depot before for $12 for both.

 

We are having a sale on our LEDs it is much brighter than the LED model shown here - we will not say it is brighter than the HIR but the HIR does require modification and are more yellow so it is a trade-off:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-921-led-reverse-light-bulb-study.490137/page-5#post-18725798

Thanks

 

I installed mine over the weekend. This mod is awesome, so much brighter than stock!! I went through the trouble of finding the Phillips 18161. It was the first time I had ordered anything that came directly from Slovenia, but the only real complaint was the 2-3 weeks it took to get here. Well worth the wait. Thanks again @crashnburn80 !!

I ordered 4 to be safe, but no more than I use reverse; They shouldn't ever go out. I did a hybrid prong bend/socket adjustment with a pick for the install.

https://www.svetila.com/en/hsg-qt-j...i0GkP7RtI2bkcB1O1bCUni3rjkAebrUEaAla5EALw_wcB

 

Nice! Though you can find those intermittently here, the bulbs are much more readily available in Europe. I order a spare set to be safe as well, though if you use reverse 30 minutes a day, everyday, these are rated to last almost 20 years. Granted the rating is based on longer continuous usage vs constant on/off.

 

I've seen two other bulbs that look like they could work except for possible overheating (i.e. melt the light housing) or lack of juice through the stock wiring; namely:
Osram 50 Watt T3 Halogen 3000K 12V Bipin (GY6.35) Base Single Ended Clear JC Bulb (OSRAM 64440) at 910 Lumens ($0.99 ea through 1000bulbsdotCom)
Halco 107002 - 75 Watt - T4 - GY6.35 Base - Halogen - Clear - 2,000 Life Hours at 1,500 Lumens ($1.32 ea through LightingSupplydotCom)
Any thoughts as to how either might work?

 

Others have run basic 50w 886 bulbs with mixed success. Some have had melting issues. The circuit can only support 10A, (120w) so 75w is a non-starter and it would likely cause melting if some experience melting at 50w. The voltage drop is a real problem, even at 35w. So while the 50w may carry a slightly higher lumen output rating, it will suffer worse output loss due to the voltage drop than the HIR which has lower current demands, so it may not actually be brighter and could end up being less bright. The 50w will run much hotter than the HIR while producing nearly the same output. The HIRs might cost a bit more but the bulbs are rated at 4000 hours. That is decades of reverse time for most. I’d suggest spending the extra $8/bulb for the HIR version.

Sylvania 58896 - 35BT4Q/IR/OSRAM 12V Bi Pin Base Single Ended Halogen Light Bulb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007X41XY8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JTzRBb63382TT

 

Apparently TW is such a large consumer of these bulbs, that Amazon says the Tacoma console storage divider is one of the items frequently bought with this bulb.

 

Fortunately, non-attentive, Audi in this case, rear fog owners with 921's have not caught on to this mod. I think this is worse than the improper bulb/housing, overly blue/bright led/HID fog headlight owners. Mainly because it was a cat and mouse game as to we kept passing each other. After reading your headlight and SEA fog light threads, I've been paying a lot of attention to lighting. Although the Audi's headlights were whiter, not necessary better illumination to my H4+50s. Planning the wiring and better bulb upgrade in the future. Pending the KC yellow fog review, as I like that shade for variation when needed, just not the $$$ for lights barely used.

As with the others, thank-you for you considerable time and efforts on all of our behalf.

 

Wow, that is pretty bad. Excessively bright brake lights, tail lights, and rear fog lights and turn signals are definitely not beneficial. You don't want to blind the driver behind you with your lights which actually makes you less safe. The goal of all these lights is to be seen, not to project. While I like lighting upgrades, all my signaling lights are stock.

 

Finally updated the thread with @IronPeak socket bending method to secure the bulb.

 

The Amazon link said I could only order 1 bulb so ordered 4 from the European link. I kept reading and found the lampline link so ordered those from there also as I have a decent trip coming up and would like to do the upgrade sooner than later. Does one link or the other offer a more preferable bulb?

Assuming the European link comes through I should have a couple of extra bulbs in 1 - 24 weeks.

I wish I had found this thread earlier...I was in Iowa last week and could have stopped by lampline!

 

Deliver in a little over 1 week from Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-588...921780&sr=1-4&keywords=gy6.35+bulb+osram++35w

 

I've seen these as well. Not sure if it moves the bulb to close to the lens though. $3 a piece. @crashnburn80 Will a T10 wedge work with the T5 base?

 

Interesting find on the adapter, I believe the T series wedge bulbs use the same base. The numeric value after the T designation is the diameter of the bulb. Moving the light away from the reflector will mildly reduce the reflector performance, you'd have to check clearance on the outer lens. The HIRs have a rated lifespan of 4000 hours, so if you spent 30 minutes in reverse a day they would in theory last 20+ years, meaning once installed you shouldn't have to worry about the ease of changing them again. So I don't see the one time effort savings of bending the prongs or pinching the socket connectors as being enough of a pain to justify buying an adapter personally, which as you point out would introduce the unknown of moving the bulb closer to the lens.