Arteb Brazil GMT400 headlight users thread

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,615
Reaction score
15,241
I think I'm going to take another crack at getting mine on the truck tomorrow. Going to need them in a couple weeks for a road trip.
 

1998_K1500_Sub

Nitro Junkie
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
3,245
Location
Rural Illinois
Thought I'd post some photos of the actually light output from these after re-wiring the headlights with larger gauge wire, relays, and "4-hi". I adjusted them based on Daniel Stern's instructions on his site, but I think they are aimed just a tad low.

Pictures can easily be misleading, so I may not be seeing the true illumination pattern for your system. But,...

Given what I see, that's an awfully bright spot directly in front of the vehicle when the highs are on. Even the lows look (too?) bright in front IMHO. I would be inclined (as you are) to raise them. For me, bright spots in front cause a sort-of blindness in other directions because of the contrast (maybe it's just my old eyes).

Considering that both the high and low beam are affected by any change (up / down / left / right), my criteria for "how high is too high" in this case is when either:

- the low beam cut-off is so high that it's shining into the rear view mirrors of vehicles in front of me, or

- the high beams are aimed off into space, giving a pale illumination of roadway and creating VERY bright reflection on overhead signs (e.g., when driving on the interstate at night on "high" and the overhead signs are strongly lit)

Other aiming factors *I* use (and I'm no expert):

- I aim both sides straight ahead initially. I usually throw a towel over one light while I adjust the other, then switch, going back and forth numerous times, dialing them in. I use the "notch" and "cut-off" in the low-beam pattern as my reference.

- I aim both sides at more or less the same height, so that the low-beam cut-off for each headlight is at the same elevation

- I then tweak them individually to get the most pleasing high-beam illumination. This may involve aiming the left side "more left" and the right side "more right" ever so slightly, and tweaking both up or down a bit

- I then iterate over the course of days or years to dial in the resulting illumination pattern

That's my $0.02 for FWIW.

The pictures below I did NOT I take myself, but the headlight pattern so much like the Artebs on my Suburban that I've kept these pictures for reference (I once posted them in the other Arteb thread). Notice how the low beam cut-off is almost a flat line from left to right, and how the "notch" in the pattern for each light is almost directly in front, the two "notches" spaced apart by the same distance as the headlights themselves.
 

Attachments

  • Ecode low beam example 2.jpg
    Ecode low beam example 2.jpg
    38.1 KB · Views: 18
  • Ecode low beam example - annotated.jpg
    Ecode low beam example - annotated.jpg
    44 KB · Views: 18
Last edited:

962500HD

Newbie
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
9
Reaction score
28
Location
NC
The phone camera exaggerates the issue a little, but it is definitely very bright right in front of the truck. I aimed mine on a wall at 25' away, using some tape marks to mark the centerline of the truck and each light, and a horizontal line at the height of the lights. I think I have the left/right adjustment pretty good, they just need raising a little to send the brightest light a little further down the road.
When shined on a wall, the pattern is very similar to those examples you posted.
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,615
Reaction score
15,241
Time to aim mine now, I whizzed some meat off the grill and got it to slip right on.

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach


Time for new blinker housings.

You must be registered for see images attach


And a 4hi mod.
 

1998_K1500_Sub

Nitro Junkie
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
3,245
Location
Rural Illinois
Are these OEM quality? No leaking, poor fitment or shaking like most aftermarket assemblies?

They are indeed “OEM”, albeit in Brazil, and IMHO they’re better quality than the OE Sylvania headlights that I took off my Suburban.

In this latest product batch from Arteb (date codes from late 2021) the adjusters of some units needed lubrication before use. You’ll find that topic discussed earlier in this thread. I would claim the reason was a QC issue at Arteb.

I seem to remember at least one recent owner (@454cid ?) had / has a loose screw on an Arteb (where the reflector housing is attached by said screw to a metal bracket IIRC).

Hopefully other owners will respond. There are about 18 of us here that own these, although not everyone has installed them as-yet.

I’ve had mine since 2019. All others here acquired them since late 2021.

I’ve owned other headlights from APC and TYC, and wasn’t impressed with either. The TYCs leaked (I think the APCs did too), and their illumination pattern was poor. The brackets that came with the TYCs didn’t fit at all, I instead reused the brackets from some other pair.

When I place them all side by side (TYC, OE Sylvania, and Arteb) the other two seem cheaply constructed.

The Arteb headlights aren’t inexpensive. The US OE Sylvania units weren’t inexpensive either. I found a service ticket from around 2004 from when Dad owned what is now my Suburban, and he paid the dealer $250-275 IIRC for one (1) OE replacement headlight assy, then. By that standard the Artebs are a value.
 
Last edited:

454cid

Sooper Pooper
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
8,004
Reaction score
8,886
Location
The 26th State
I seem to remember at least one recent owner (@454cid ?) had / has a loose screw on an Arteb (where the reflector housing is attached by said screw to a metal bracket IIRC).

Yes, that's me.... the hole is actually stripped, and I haven't made it a priority to fix it, yet.

I think Arteb's assembly QC is lacking a bit, but if I can fix that, they still should be great lights given the optics. I have not used TYC headlights for the GMT-400, but I did use them on my Saturn and the optics were not good.
 

454cid

Sooper Pooper
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
8,004
Reaction score
8,886
Location
The 26th State
I finally got around to trying to install ONE Arteb headlight today, and am having issues with it. First the original Sylvania fought me the whole way coming out. Apparently my new used grill was catching the top, and after I used a small Stanley pry bar to bend that piece of plastic out of the way it came out.

At this point, I thought the Arteb was going to slide right into place using the (original to the truck) Sylvania bracket I was not able to get the holes lined up enough to fully install the light. I first tried, and eventually succeeded in getting the outer pin/rod in place and screwed down. The inner one will not fully seat. It looks like the city light connector may be interfering with the original Sylvania bracket, but it's unclear if that's the extent of the problem or not. My next step is to pull the grill that I installed a week ago, and swap the bracket, if I don't hear of something I'm missing here.

The light is in the grill, but not fully secured.... no worries, I don't need to drive it. I did turn both the low and high beams on. I intend to go back out and see what it looks like after dark. I've got what I believe to be the original Sylvania high beam bulb installed, and a new Hella low beam.

So I guess my question is this..... Has anyone installed the Arteb reflectors/lenses onto the Sylvania core supprt bracket? If I can't (and it doesn't seem to be working for me) I'll have to do some cutting, as I know of at least one bolt that will spin on the passenger side.
 

1998_K1500_Sub

Nitro Junkie
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
3,245
Location
Rural Illinois
I thought the Arteb was going to slide right into place using the (original to the truck) Sylvania bracket I was not able to get the holes lined up enough to fully install the light. It looks like the city light connector may be interfering with the original Sylvania bracket, but it's unclear if that's the extent of the problem or not. My next step is to pull the grill that I installed a week ago, and swap the bracket, if I don't hear of something I'm missing here.

So I guess my question is this..... Has anyone installed the Arteb reflectors/lenses onto the Sylvania core supprt bracket? If I can't (and it doesn't seem to be working for me) I'll have to do some cutting, as I know of at least one bolt that will spin on the passenger side.

I compared brackets from my other set of Artebs to the brackets I have for some APC headlights I have lying around. I couldn't find the OE brackets from my OE headlights, so no comparison was possible, there.

As you stated, the Arteb's city light fixture interferes with the non-Arteb brackets.

From what I can estimate after studying both brackets (Arteb and APC) visually, side-by-side, the city light fixture is the only interference. Another, potential interferer, i.e., a LONG adjuster screw on the reflector which passes through a tiny hole on the bracket, does appear to be in the same location on the Artebs as on the APCs.

So, if you removed the city light fixture, my inclination is that the Arteb reflector would fit (well, might fit) into the OE bracket.
 
Last edited:

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,615
Reaction score
15,241
I finally got around to trying to install ONE Arteb headlight today, and am having issues with it. First the original Sylvania fought me the whole way coming out. Apparently my new used grill was catching the top, and after I used a small Stanley pry bar to bend that piece of plastic out of the way it came out.

At this point, I thought the Arteb was going to slide right into place using the (original to the truck) Sylvania bracket I was not able to get the holes lined up enough to fully install the light. I first tried, and eventually succeeded in getting the outer pin/rod in place and screwed down. The inner one will not fully seat. It looks like the city light connector may be interfering with the original Sylvania bracket, but it's unclear if that's the extent of the problem or not. My next step is to pull the grill that I installed a week ago, and swap the bracket, if I don't hear of something I'm missing here.

The light is in the grill, but not fully secured.... no worries, I don't need to drive it. I did turn both the low and high beams on. I intend to go back out and see what it looks like after dark. I've got what I believe to be the original Sylvania high beam bulb installed, and a new Hella low beam.

So I guess my question is this..... Has anyone installed the Arteb reflectors/lenses onto the Sylvania core supprt bracket? If I can't (and it doesn't seem to be working for me) I'll have to do some cutting, as I know of at least one bolt that will spin on the passenger side.

I compared them, the spacing was like 1/8" off.
 
Top