headlight question
 

well ive got a question about high output headlights . i was driving in a dark desolate area of my state . i had my reg head lights on and wasnt impressed. the high beams barley inspired confidence . id like to increase the output ? yes auxillary lights would work but i was thinking about stock replacment bulbs ? ive seen the sylvania high output bulbs . im open to suggestions photos would be cool too. i was thinking about a bull guard with a pair of piaa lights as well.

I just wrote about 1,000 words about my headlight search and all I went through and then my browser crashed and I lost it.

So now you're on your own.

Bottom line: Most blue/ultra white bulbs are junk.
You can't tint a bulb and make it brighter.
See if you can upgrade, like going from a 9006 to a H11 or something.
Check out the Daniel Stern website.
I went with Philips VisionPlus in my wife's Honda and they are wonderful. But I did go to a bigger bulb with more lumens!
(Philips VisionPlus, Osram SilverStar, Narva RangePower+50, Tungsram Megalicht are functionally identical.)
Xenon gas in a tungsten bulb DOES allow the tungsten to burn hotter and brighter.

PIAA is a joke. You cannot put in 55 watts and get out 110. If you believe this please go back to your high school physics class. Output is measured in Lumens. You only need to consider Lumens and lifespan. The reflector in your truck is the same (if you are replacing the bulb only, which is the best place to start!) so find the bulb with the most lumens and best life. Don't get wrapped up in color. If God meant for us to see well in blue light, he would have made the sun blue.

Remember you can't tint a light bulb and increase the output. This blueish white hype is driven by people wanting HID lights which are whiter by design, not by desire. They are brighter not because of the color, but because of the way they produce light.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html

Here is an excellent write up about 'blue bulbs' : http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...e/bad/bad.html

A good bulb chart: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...ulb_types.html

Conversion kit myths: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html

Pretty much everything he ^^^^^ said!

These factory reflectors are still junk, although they're much better than the 2nd Gen design. Bulbs are only going to take you so far, and if you get too much light output (lumens) you're going to have to deal with the issue of light scatter which doesn't really hurt you, but causes all sorts of problems for every other person on the road. I'm not willing to be the rectum that blinds every driver I'm near simply so I can see another 15ft down the road. If you're going to stay with the factory reflectors, you're going to have to do a bunch of testing to find the right match. Aftermarket assemblies, by and large, are designed for appearance, and light output generally suffers. I've heard there are some out there that work well, but I've never actually seen one myself, and I'm not willing to drop $400+ on an experiment. I am, however, willing to drop $65 every 18 months for new Sylvania UltraStars, which seem to be about as bright as I can get without causing scatter problems. Bear in mind I have to use headlights pretty much all the time from mid-October through mid-March, so your life expectancy may be better.

I wonder if these lamps are large enough to retrofit the reflector from a mid-2000's Ford F-250? Take the best thing from the Ford and cure the only (minor) imperfection on our beloved Dodge... [laugh]

Funny this just came up...I just replaced mine today with these. I noticed an improvement.

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-9007-...pr_product_top

Those are 65 watt bulbs and should be brighter. Is 65 watt legal in your state? I don't think it is here.... Although that sure wouldn't stop me. As long as they are adjusted right and not blinding people who cares? A lot of people run 100 watt lights.....

well thanks for the reply lost lake i feel you pain on the 1000 word reply, its happened to me before too lol. oh believe me i have no thoughts to think about changing colors on bulbs to get better visibility lol. im just wondering what you other guys may have already tried to save me and others the time and more importantly money on failed ideas. i was wondering if anyone has used the sylvania ultra's on the same type truck i dont wanna break the bank a bit brighter and a bit further would be cool. i found this chart if it helps

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...uctComparison/

I bought them locally so I would assume they are legal....?

just cause you can buy them local dont mean they are legal,, you can buy all kinds of drugs locally... [nonono]

They don't sell crack at Walmart though.

Most aftermarket lights are illegal and actually decrease your visibility and cause major glare to other drivers.

Don't believe D.O.T. approved means anything either. Think "smoke shop" - you can by all kinds of things in them but they become illegal when used as intended.

The whole issue kinda reminds me of muffler/emmission deletes. Most cops didn't care until jerks went overboard and left 30 second fog banks, 200' peel outs, and other stupid things in the middle of cities.

I know several people that got tickets for "blue" headlights.