Spyder headlamps.....my take on 'em...and LIGHTING in general

[shovelbill]

Fyi late 90's, 97 I think Canada made DRLs mandatory and GM in particular left it in most if not all us models.
I put the Spyder lamps in my burb last November looks like the same ones you have. I pulled the grill and used the new buckets and there was enough adjustment in the bolt holes to get the grill back on. The right light sticks past the grill a 1/4" but over all I like them. Gonna try to raise the beam a bit more since I've had my wife follow as I was in the car and they can go up more with out to much glare.

thanks for joining the conversation.....cirrus as in the plane?

ok, it seems there are fitment issues on these lights......but not on all of them.....perhaps it does indeed have to do with QC in that tiawaneese factory.....were they made on a Monday or Friday as opposed to a Wednesday? just jokin, i doubt they have days off.

what's your take on the beam pattern and cut-off in real road experience? i know the "garage door test" will show a decent pattern pretty well, but nothing like being on a dark twisty road at night.

and yup.....correct aiming of headlights is paramount in determining the effectiveness of the product.

i've read that some folks just pop the lamp buckets out of the assembly and install them in the stock one.....did you install yours as a complete unit or swap out lamps?

just went back and re-read your post.

i'm going to do a close up check on the units as compared to stock......maybe they fit better as they come out the box......i'm curious as i'm now aware of these issues. some people have had to sand or machine down the actual bucket to get them to fit the grill opening.

time will tell.

 

[shovelbill]

ha! i was actually able to change the title of the thread....i'm getting brilliant at this internet thing.

 

[shovelbill]

here's some pictures of the fog lams that the LMC bumper came with.....glass lenses, glare caps and adjustable.....i'm actually quite surprised at the quality....time will tell if the reflector will do a proper job with the beam pattern, but i must say it looks promising.

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[Black_cirrus]

Not the plane.
I didn't even think to reuse the adjustment buckets. But I did have to adjust the bucket s to get the grill back on. Id read the same reviews so not surprised.
Cut off seems good as it doesn't blind following or head on. Thus I feel like I can move them up. I don't think the adjusters do a very good job but I was having a tough time find a good place to adjust them. Pattern is decent, better then the old crusty ones. I put in new decent clear bulbs (can't remember brand) but haven't done a harness upgrade yet.

 

[Black_cirrus]

While I had the grill off I ran the wiring for the light bar took me till Christmas to wire the switch. I only use it in situations where I can use hibeams.

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[Black_cirrus]

Here is the worst spot in the fit. It's the left side not the right as I'd said earlier. Right side isn't as bad but not flush to grill.

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[df2x4]

Seems like it might be a good idea to re-use the factory mounting brackets for these, especially if you encounter fitment issues like that. One other thing to consider is the fact that it's not always easy to get the brackets lined up and bolted down properly. I had a similar issue with the Anzos on my red truck when I first bolted them up. Took me a couple tries, but after fiddling with them for a while and taking the grille off a few times I got them lined up pretty dang good. Used the brackets that came with them.

Personally I'd be pissed if mine stuck out that far, that looks a little goofy.

Now I'm curious... Maybe I can use the Anzo brackets that are already on the truck with the Spyder housings. Create some kind of Frankenstein Chinese lights!

 

[shovelbill]

is the hood and fender out of alignment...it sorta looks like it from my house...the margins don't look consistent.
could just be the photo......have you tried to adjust them by the book first, to set a baseline?

usually i do that first, then road adjust them if i feel it necessary.

mayhaps you can get some night pictures on a good dark road with a nice field of view in front.....can tell a story.

 

[shovelbill]

Seems like it might be a good idea to re-use the factory mounting brackets for these, especially if you encounter fitment issues like that. One other thing to consider is the fact that it's not always easy to get the brackets lined up and bolted down properly. I had a similar issue with the Anzos on my red truck when I first bolted them up. Took me a couple tries, but after fiddling with them for a while and taking the grille off a few times I got them lined up pretty dang good. Used the brackets that came with them.

Personally I'd be pissed if mine stuck out that far, that looks a little goofy.

Now I'm curious... Maybe I can use the Anzo brackets that are already on the truck with the Spyder housings. Create some kind of Frankenstein Chinese lights!

if i have a few options i'd be inclined to see what bolts together the smoothest.....

i'm going to pull the grill, install the lights, adjust to spec and then try to place in grill in.....that makes the most sense to my little brain.

 

[df2x4]

if i have a few options i'd be inclined to see what blots together the smoothest.....

i'm going to pull the grill, install the lights, adjust to spec and then try to place in grill in.....that makes the most sense to my little brain.

That's definitely how I would approach it. I always like to see if things work straight out of the box. If I have to swap brackets or whatever else then so be it, but I'll keep it simple for as long as possible.