AnzoUSA Tail Light Review - 2011 Ranger

[Snoranger]

I see... a ratcheting screwdriver.

You just never know when a pickle is gonna crash the party.

Especially around here.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Is that a pickle sticking up from the back of your truck bed?

From dead astern it is neat.

The extra light on the side is kind of weird.

 

[Snoranger]

From dead astern it is neat.

The extra light on the side is kind of weird.

Says the guy with the stock tail lights on his 36 year old truck.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Says the guy with the stock tail lights on his 36 year old truck.

Stock never goes out of style

 

[MikeG]

"Stock" = "Retro" LOL

It's all about how you brand it!

 

[Snoranger]

"Stock" = "Retro" LOL

It's all about how you brand it!

Listen... you can call it patina all you want, you can’t fool me... IT’S RUST!!!!

 

[MikeG]

Where is Rusty when you need him?????? LOL

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Some shots of the unboxing:

Lots of good, one or two nitpicking things so far. Can't beat the look of them on a black truck, though. Definitely make it look newer than a 2011.

Brake lights and turn signals look good. Not a fan of the reverse lights, but I think that's the fault of my bulbs, not the light. Keep in mind, I'm stoopid picky about reverse lights.

Getting mauled by work right now, will update further when work stops chewing my limbs off.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Install is a cinch. Four screws, plug the light pigtail into the running/brake light socket, and reuse your reverse bulbs.

I didn't know where to put the ballast, so zip ties it is.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Lord knows I usually don't care about æsthetics, but these things are sharp.

There seems to be a compatability issue with my reverse bulbs and the lights. On a stock set, the bulbs I went with are as good as a set of rear facing headlights. Not so much with the Anzo ones. I blame the bulbs, though. Keep in mind if you get a set of these to get bulbs that face rearward, not side to side. They could put a reflector in them, sure, but would look awkward with the rest of the design, so a bulb replacement is in order.

 

[Snoranger]

I’ll add my take on these...

They’re packaged well and the corners are protected. There shouldn’t be any issues with chipped or cracked lenses in shipping.

My initial thoughts on quality...
They’re aftermarket lights. They’re not OEM quality, but they’re not bad for aftermarket. The housing to lens seal seems to be pretty good, shouldnt have any moisture issues. The housing was originally designed for regular bulbs, a 3 bulb light to be exact (separate turn signal). The 3rd hole is sealed with some kind of foam sticker. I don’t know how long it will last, it’s ok but only time will tell. If I was going to keep these long term, I’d grab a used socket from something and replace the foam seal with it.

Fit and finish...
They look nice. They fit good for aftermarket. One of the screw holes on each one wasn’t exactly lined up... I had to start all the screws loosely with one at a very slight angle. Not much, but enough to know they’re aftermarket. Once tightened down, they lined up good and sat tight to the body.
(Side note - clean the area around the tail light good before installing. The clear lens allows you to see 1/4” more of the body that the stock light covers, the dirt that always builds up behind the edge of the light will show through.)

The reverse light...
Definitely replace the stock bulb with a rear facing LED like PJ said... try to find something that looks nice as it’s very visible.

Installation...
It’s 4 screws each - enough said. I will mention again that they’re not exact, but not far enough off that you’ll need to drill the holes bigger or anything.
They’re plug and play, so even someone afraid of wiring can handle it.

Function...
Everything works correctly, there’s no hyper-flash. They’re brighter than stock, which is expected with LED. Even at a sharp angle the stop lights are still visible.
There’s a good amount of difference between the marker and the stop light, making the stop lights very noticeable at night.
There’s a pair of small LEDs on the side for marker lights. They’re bright and functional, but they seem like an afterthought.

Final thoughts...
All in all, they’re nice. If I was looking to change up the look of my Ranger, I’d buy them.

 

[Dirtman]

I have round projector lense reverse lights on my truck that would probably look really good in those housings.

These thingies...

 

[Snoranger]

I have round projector lense reverse lights on my truck that would probably look really good in those housings.

These thingies...

View attachment 57505

Yeah... those would be a better option than what PJ has. Give them to him.

 

[Bgunner]

These would have gone well with my old 3rd break light I had on there. I couldn't find this style when looking for taillights so I swapped out my 3rd light to match the new tail lights.

Wish these were around a year ago when I purchased my tail lights.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

I'm curious to see how long they last before yellowing or getting cataracts on them.