Head lights suck, on F150's need help
#16
03-12-2012, 09:21 AM
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I started down the same path as you, used Silverstars for 3 - 4 years on my previous truck until I replaced the 4th bulb and said enough. When I put in brand new OEM's, learned that the originals are always better than used ones, especially after several years. For the new truck, I put in Philips Extremes, but I did not find them to be the step up I was hoping. Better yes, but not good enough. The only way to get there like you are wishing for are HID's. But before using HID's, you need to consider the whole system, any one part of it can make the whole thing junk: the ballast, the bulb, the projector and outside housing lens.
And make sure you stay w/ those 8000K light outputs j/k. If you want maximum output, get 4300K lights. You can get all kinds of direct replacement heads, some are better than others but all that I've seen are made in China. Some are lows only, rest have both; some highs will HID's, some will be standard. In addition, the bulbs and ballasts they use, most of them are bottom of the barrel chinese junk. You will in most cases have more problems with them than the Silverstars I've dealt w/ previously. In alot of cases, you will actually lose out on your light output. Upgrade to a better bulb/ballast and search for a projector housings that do not scatter much and it might be doable.
You say you don't want retrofitted headlights. What is different about those than the eBay replacements? In my mind they are both mods, just one is only about 10x better than the other. I put straight DDM HID's in my fogs thinking I would turn them on w/ no oncoming traffic and mainly when heading down the back roads. That lasted less than 6 months. The light scatter made viewing down the road worse.
You seriously need to re-consider on retrofitting your headlights if you want the best light availability for all conditions. If you use your own headlights, you can buy a kit for $270. I bought mine for $230 on a group buy, cheaper than the heads you are looking at on eBay. The hard part is getting the lens apart, but if you stick with a MH1 projector kit, and do the basic mod, you could have your lights back together in one day.
For one day of work, you will be smiling from ear to ear. I bought a set of used '09 headlights off this forum to do my retrofit. My originals are still sitting in my garage, was hanging on to them until after a year to make sure my retrofit was holding up. I'm not quit there yet, but I can let my very slightly used heads go for a very reasonable price if interested.
Basically, it sounds like you are at a point alot of us were, either blind somebody else or get a decent retrofit kit. Nothing in between worked.
And make sure you stay w/ those 8000K light outputs j/k. If you want maximum output, get 4300K lights. You can get all kinds of direct replacement heads, some are better than others but all that I've seen are made in China. Some are lows only, rest have both; some highs will HID's, some will be standard. In addition, the bulbs and ballasts they use, most of them are bottom of the barrel chinese junk. You will in most cases have more problems with them than the Silverstars I've dealt w/ previously. In alot of cases, you will actually lose out on your light output. Upgrade to a better bulb/ballast and search for a projector housings that do not scatter much and it might be doable.
You say you don't want retrofitted headlights. What is different about those than the eBay replacements? In my mind they are both mods, just one is only about 10x better than the other. I put straight DDM HID's in my fogs thinking I would turn them on w/ no oncoming traffic and mainly when heading down the back roads. That lasted less than 6 months. The light scatter made viewing down the road worse.
You seriously need to re-consider on retrofitting your headlights if you want the best light availability for all conditions. If you use your own headlights, you can buy a kit for $270. I bought mine for $230 on a group buy, cheaper than the heads you are looking at on eBay. The hard part is getting the lens apart, but if you stick with a MH1 projector kit, and do the basic mod, you could have your lights back together in one day.
For one day of work, you will be smiling from ear to ear. I bought a set of used '09 headlights off this forum to do my retrofit. My originals are still sitting in my garage, was hanging on to them until after a year to make sure my retrofit was holding up. I'm not quit there yet, but I can let my very slightly used heads go for a very reasonable price if interested.
Basically, it sounds like you are at a point alot of us were, either blind somebody else or get a decent retrofit kit. Nothing in between worked.
#17
03-12-2012, 09:24 AM
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Im not old the lights just suck that bad. At least compared to chevys Ive owned and a Jeep we have. Silver stars make a big difference in these trucks. I have two buds between the three of us in the last 4 years we have owned 6 Fords 07 and up, all the lights suck and the wipers suck. As soon as we buy them its bosch blades and silverstar bulbs. Maybe you dont know the difference yet,lol. Lights might depend where you live, in upstate NY its mainly rural so the overall lighting at night is lower than say over on the eastern seaboard.
Cause I'm getting there too. Am I going to need to upgrade my headlights too?
#18
03-12-2012, 09:41 AM
All the answers you've received were 'informed' answers - some were just less sugarcoated than others - I don't do 'sugar'. 'Sugar' is fer kids. Two in particular were essentially identical in content, but for wording & delivery 
Now - - let me complete yer sentence:
Now - - let me complete yer sentence:
#19
03-12-2012, 11:37 AM
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Besides, you know what they say about ricers:
And y'all wouldn't wanna go and do that, now would ya?
Fek .... WTF ???
Y'all need to get out of the 2009-2012 forum more
There is a forum dedicated to this here topic, and within that forum lay all yer answers:
Right here: https://www.f150online.com/forums/il...guide-how.html
See Stormsearch's installation.
And - fergit that thar Fleabay PnP garbage yer lookin' at, fer Chrissakes... what' s next? J.C Whitney? LMAO! Y'all really don't like yer truck?
Yer go-to place fer components is here: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/
Y'all need to get out of the 2009-2012 forum more
There is a forum dedicated to this here topic, and within that forum lay all yer answers:
Right here: https://www.f150online.com/forums/il...guide-how.html
See Stormsearch's installation.
And - fergit that thar Fleabay PnP garbage yer lookin' at, fer Chrissakes... what' s next? J.C Whitney? LMAO! Y'all really don't like yer truck?
Yer go-to place fer components is here: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/
Good luck with that - the replacements are ALL CHINGLISH JUNK.
And you'll get what you wanted to avoid.
Stay stock - y'all really don't know what you want, or what is clearly best.
Yeah I read yer OP - wuz hopin' you'd listen to reason. Oh well ... yer the guy who thinks running 93 octane will 'clean things out', so I know yer a lost cause anyway ... LMAO!!! Where TF did you learn that, anyway? Someone is pullin' yer wee-wee,
If ya had any sense, and any mechanical skills, you'd suck it up, do a Proper retorfit and have stellar lighting. Because NOTHING else will do that for you.
Best of luck, in any case, bud.
And you'll get what you wanted to avoid.
Stay stock - y'all really don't know what you want, or what is clearly best.
Yeah I read yer OP - wuz hopin' you'd listen to reason. Oh well ... yer the guy who thinks running 93 octane will 'clean things out', so I know yer a lost cause anyway ... LMAO!!! Where TF did you learn that, anyway? Someone is pullin' yer wee-wee,
If ya had any sense, and any mechanical skills, you'd suck it up, do a Proper retorfit and have stellar lighting. Because NOTHING else will do that for you.
Best of luck, in any case, bud.
Ehhhh...no. I don't think anybody knows what you mean, 'yo'.
Hey! Is this YOU?
In summary, you got some good advice. Either run with it, stay with what you have, or do what you want to do regardless of what those in the know have told you.
I have a hunch I know which way you'll go.
Last edited by DewserB; 03-12-2012 at 11:39 AM.
#20
03-12-2012, 12:37 PM
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OK, those are just Gawd-awful! Ya want your truck to look like one of those dern ricer cars all these people's kids tool around in?
Besides, you know what they say about ricers:
And y'all wouldn't wanna go and do that, now would ya?
All very, very true and good advice. Doesn't give ya the warm and fuzzies, but does that matter?
Ehhhh...no. I don't think anybody knows what you mean, 'yo'.
Hey! Is this YOU?
Again....WRONG! I will promise you that your factory housings are of MUCH higher quality than any of that crap for which you posted links, 'yo'!
In summary, you got some good advice. Either run with it, stay with what you have, or do what you want to do regardless of what those in the know have told you.
I have a hunch I know which way you'll go.
Besides, you know what they say about ricers:
And y'all wouldn't wanna go and do that, now would ya?
All very, very true and good advice. Doesn't give ya the warm and fuzzies, but does that matter?
Ehhhh...no. I don't think anybody knows what you mean, 'yo'.
Hey! Is this YOU?
Again....WRONG! I will promise you that your factory housings are of MUCH higher quality than any of that crap for which you posted links, 'yo'!
In summary, you got some good advice. Either run with it, stay with what you have, or do what you want to do regardless of what those in the know have told you.
I have a hunch I know which way you'll go.
If the setup i provided is junk thats fine, that is why I asked. I am not ripping apart my current lights to stupid rig it(lack of better words) I wanted a direct replacement. The current stock OEM lights are unsatisfactory in this vehicle. Like I said I have tried silver stars but the length of service and the improvement made them not worth it IMO. I actually think I will try phillips.
Last edited by nards444; 03-12-2012 at 12:49 PM.
#21
03-12-2012, 02:40 PM
OK, those are just Gawd-awful! Ya want your truck to look like one of those dern ricer cars all these people's kids tool around in?
Besides, you know what they say about ricers:
And y'all wouldn't wanna go and do that, now would ya?
All very, very true and good advice. Doesn't give ya the warm and fuzzies, but does that matter?
Ehhhh...no. I don't think anybody knows what you mean, 'yo'.
Hey! Is this YOU?
Again....WRONG! I will promise you that your factory housings are of MUCH higher quality than any of that crap for which you posted links, 'yo'!
In summary, you got some good advice. Either run with it, stay with what you have, or do what you want to do regardless of what those in the know have told you.
I have a hunch I know which way you'll go.
Besides, you know what they say about ricers:
And y'all wouldn't wanna go and do that, now would ya?
All very, very true and good advice. Doesn't give ya the warm and fuzzies, but does that matter?
Ehhhh...no. I don't think anybody knows what you mean, 'yo'.
Hey! Is this YOU?
Again....WRONG! I will promise you that your factory housings are of MUCH higher quality than any of that crap for which you posted links, 'yo'!
In summary, you got some good advice. Either run with it, stay with what you have, or do what you want to do regardless of what those in the know have told you.
I have a hunch I know which way you'll go.
#22
03-12-2012, 02:45 PM
Stock lighting is junk. I have owned chevys, jeeps, and saturns, and have ridden in Kias and dodges all of which have better lighting than ford trucks. All I can say for 40k to put half aced lights in a vehicle is rediculous.
If the setup i provided is junk thats fine, that is why I asked. I am not ripping apart my current lights to stupid rig it(lack of better words) I wanted a direct replacement. The current stock OEM lights are unsatisfactory in this vehicle. Like I said I have tried silver stars but the length of service and the improvement made them not worth it IMO. I actually think I will try phillips.
If the setup i provided is junk thats fine, that is why I asked. I am not ripping apart my current lights to stupid rig it(lack of better words) I wanted a direct replacement. The current stock OEM lights are unsatisfactory in this vehicle. Like I said I have tried silver stars but the length of service and the improvement made them not worth it IMO. I actually think I will try phillips.
#23
03-12-2012, 02:50 PM
#24
03-12-2012, 04:52 PM
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I know you are anti-retrofit, but the sad truth is that it is the only way to significantly upgrade your lighting. If you take your time to do it right, the results will be far from a "stupid rigging" and you will have better lighting than 99.9% of vehicles on the road. I was in the same boat as you, didn't want to hack stuff up but was unsatisfied with Silverstars, replacement halogens or PnP crap HID. The retrofit is by far the best modification you can do if you drive in the dark and people aren't joking when saying it is 100x better than factory.
Look at the MiniH1 projector if you want an easy project, it is nearly plug/play without much if any cutting needed at all.
http://www.f150forum.com/f7/mini-h1-install-140240/
Look at the MiniH1 projector if you want an easy project, it is nearly plug/play without much if any cutting needed at all.
http://www.f150forum.com/f7/mini-h1-install-140240/
#26
03-13-2012, 12:07 AM
#27
03-13-2012, 07:28 AM
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thanks for all the input.
For now this what I did. Last night went out and got silver star ultras. Headlights took H13's. Now for the fogs they are a 37w bulb number 9140. Funny thing is silver star doesnt even have a 9140. Autozone or advance didnt even have stock replacement 9140s. I ended up buying 9005 ultras which are 55w bulbs. After more research those might melt or dis color the housings, so I didnt install. They do make 9145s which are only 45w and advance had them in silver stars. So I think I am going to return the 9005 and get the 9145 this weekend.
So coming to work today in the dark with the new head lights were they better yeah, night and day ehhh. So I think Im going to run these and see how long they last I have seen ultras last as little as 3 months to as much as 4 years. If they dont last long I dont see the sense in buying 100 bucks in bulbs once a year. So if they go quickly I think I might look into the retrofit.
For now this what I did. Last night went out and got silver star ultras. Headlights took H13's. Now for the fogs they are a 37w bulb number 9140. Funny thing is silver star doesnt even have a 9140. Autozone or advance didnt even have stock replacement 9140s. I ended up buying 9005 ultras which are 55w bulbs. After more research those might melt or dis color the housings, so I didnt install. They do make 9145s which are only 45w and advance had them in silver stars. So I think I am going to return the 9005 and get the 9145 this weekend.
So coming to work today in the dark with the new head lights were they better yeah, night and day ehhh. So I think Im going to run these and see how long they last I have seen ultras last as little as 3 months to as much as 4 years. If they dont last long I dont see the sense in buying 100 bucks in bulbs once a year. So if they go quickly I think I might look into the retrofit.
#29
03-13-2012, 07:48 AM
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#30
03-13-2012, 08:10 AM
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