SubWarrior
Newbie
Nothing do I appreciate more on a vehicle, than the ability to see the road ahead. Even with 55w HID's the stock headlights on these trucks are a joke. Thus far I have found no decent alternatives on the market. Best solution, as many have done here, is to make your own. Its not cheap or necessarily easy, but the results are well worth it. This was definitely a learning project for me.
Install is on a 1999 k1500 Suburban. Mostly stock exterior, plan to keep it that way so went with simple DEPO headlights for about $80 on amazon
These lights alone are an improvement over stock in light out put, but still not great.
Decided to go with D2s bixenon projectors from the retrofit source, they were $40 on amazon, couldn't pass up a good deal.
For light went with Moritoto 55w 5000k D2s kit from retorfitsource. Most expensive part of the project, but you get what you pay for. Best HID ive used yet.
Started by removing the back adjusting frames and taking of the front lenses. I was conservative at 275 for 10 minutes then checking and loosening in 5 minute intervals. This was not easy, Depo uses a really robust adhesive on these. Once I got it started, cutting the glue with a razor blade was the best technique.
Once the lenses were off, dremel time. A template and sharpie really helps.
One thing I didn't completely think through when designing this in my head was water proofing. Absolutely critical. There is a large gap between the lens and the reflector on these units. I had to make a boot around the projector from a pair of heavy duty chemical gloves from home depot. They should withstand a decent amount of heat and hopefully time and use. An epoxy was used to glue around the lights. You could avoid this problem by using a different projector unit. Again, you get what you pay for...
Also had to cut the adjuster frames to fit around the projectors.
The booted projectors were sealed into the headlights using epoxy from both sides and silicone sealant on the back as an extra precaution. Getting the angle perfect takes some shotgun eyeball geometry, but thats why headlights have adjusters.
Lenses were sealed back on with goop headlight sealant and checked for leaks.
When installing, its best to take the grill off. The radiator support has to be cut a little to make them fit. I Used a dremel. You also have great access to all the wiring and can safely secure the ballasts in a good location. These projectors open a flap to raise the light cutoff for high beams. I Opted not to wire that part up just yet. Ive heard they can get stuck in high beam sometimes which would suck to have to fix. Sticking to Hi 4 mod for now.
Heres a comparison of a stock on drivers side with projector installed on pass. So much nicer to look at for oncoming drivers, significantly less random light scatter.
The look is Relatively subtle, almost stock. The difference in light on the road is not. A phone camera cannot do it justice, but light output rivals most current high end german cars I've driven. The cutoff is laser sharp with an immensely wide and perfectly even light pattern. They see well past the titanic stopping distance of the burb at cruising speed.
With a good plan, all the pieces, and plenty of syringe style epoxy, you could pound this out in an afternoon. I was figuring out a lot on the go. Though I really like these projectors, I know TSX projectors and many other units offer great light output and less retrofit difficulties. D2s bulbs are freaking expensive. Been driving for a week now and no problems so far, Ill keep update. In total this project was just under the $300 mark and IMO well worth it.
Install is on a 1999 k1500 Suburban. Mostly stock exterior, plan to keep it that way so went with simple DEPO headlights for about $80 on amazon
These lights alone are an improvement over stock in light out put, but still not great.
Decided to go with D2s bixenon projectors from the retrofit source, they were $40 on amazon, couldn't pass up a good deal.
For light went with Moritoto 55w 5000k D2s kit from retorfitsource. Most expensive part of the project, but you get what you pay for. Best HID ive used yet.
Started by removing the back adjusting frames and taking of the front lenses. I was conservative at 275 for 10 minutes then checking and loosening in 5 minute intervals. This was not easy, Depo uses a really robust adhesive on these. Once I got it started, cutting the glue with a razor blade was the best technique.
Once the lenses were off, dremel time. A template and sharpie really helps.
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One thing I didn't completely think through when designing this in my head was water proofing. Absolutely critical. There is a large gap between the lens and the reflector on these units. I had to make a boot around the projector from a pair of heavy duty chemical gloves from home depot. They should withstand a decent amount of heat and hopefully time and use. An epoxy was used to glue around the lights. You could avoid this problem by using a different projector unit. Again, you get what you pay for...
Also had to cut the adjuster frames to fit around the projectors.
You must be registered for see images attach
The booted projectors were sealed into the headlights using epoxy from both sides and silicone sealant on the back as an extra precaution. Getting the angle perfect takes some shotgun eyeball geometry, but thats why headlights have adjusters.
Lenses were sealed back on with goop headlight sealant and checked for leaks.
When installing, its best to take the grill off. The radiator support has to be cut a little to make them fit. I Used a dremel. You also have great access to all the wiring and can safely secure the ballasts in a good location. These projectors open a flap to raise the light cutoff for high beams. I Opted not to wire that part up just yet. Ive heard they can get stuck in high beam sometimes which would suck to have to fix. Sticking to Hi 4 mod for now.
Heres a comparison of a stock on drivers side with projector installed on pass. So much nicer to look at for oncoming drivers, significantly less random light scatter.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
The look is Relatively subtle, almost stock. The difference in light on the road is not. A phone camera cannot do it justice, but light output rivals most current high end german cars I've driven. The cutoff is laser sharp with an immensely wide and perfectly even light pattern. They see well past the titanic stopping distance of the burb at cruising speed.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
With a good plan, all the pieces, and plenty of syringe style epoxy, you could pound this out in an afternoon. I was figuring out a lot on the go. Though I really like these projectors, I know TSX projectors and many other units offer great light output and less retrofit difficulties. D2s bulbs are freaking expensive. Been driving for a week now and no problems so far, Ill keep update. In total this project was just under the $300 mark and IMO well worth it.
