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Someone school me on HIDs??


QuakerShaker4242

Well-Known Member
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
264
City
Avon, IN
Vehicle Year
1994
Transmission
Automatic
Hey guys im planning on putting a 4x4 falance with the fog light holes on my ranger to make the bumper and light height legal. I was thinking that putting some HIDs all around on the headlights, projector lights, fog lights, and maybe turn lights idk what all you can do. I'm trying to understand all the lingo but its giving me a headache lol.

i want to know what HID lights are legal? if any

what is the best brand to use? the cheapest? the best overall deal?

id like a little blue in the headlights but not all blue.

whats the difference between 5k - 9k bulbs?

are the lights just plug in or are there modifications required?

are the lights made to be able to be different with high beam and low beams? or do i need a kit to do that? (if that makes sense)

any info would be appreciated



thanks,

Cody
 
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Hey guys im planning on putting a 4x4 valance with the fog light holes on my ranger to make the bumper and light height legal. I was thinking that putting some HIDs all around on the headlights, projector lights, fog lights, and maybe turn lights idk what all you can do. I'm trying to understand all the lingo but its giving me a headache lol.

Other drivers on the road will get a headache, too.

HID lights are only suitable for high-intensity lighting...headlights, foglights, and driving or off-road lights. They are NOT suitable for indicator lights like marker lights, turn signals, or brake lights. You might consider LED lamps for those.

i want to know what HID lights are legal? if any

HID's are ONLY legal, if they are a factory option. And maybe a factory install, too. Aftermarket kits are not legal for public on-road use.

what is the best brand to use? the cheapest? the best overall deal?

id like a little blue in the headlights but not all blue.

whats the difference between 5k - 9k bulbs?

The "color temperature" of the lamp is what determines the color you see. Regular incandescent light bulbs are about 3,000 Kelvin (K), and are somewhat yellowish. Daylight is 5,000 to 6,500 K (that includes both the color of the sun and the color of the sky) and is very neutral light. The bluish color that is typical of most HID lights is around 9,000 K. Picking a certain color temperature determines the color of the light, see here for a good demonstration and explanation. Dunno if that site has good products or quality...but they have good info.

Also note that some states issue citations and fines if your headlights do not appear white, or produce white light.

are the lights just plug in or are there modifications required?

By and large they are plug-and-play, most will not require anything more complicated than a screwdriver and some butt-crimps. Of course, this depends on the kit you get.

All HID lamps require a ballast to function (it is usually included). The existing headlight wiring is usually used to turn the ballast on and off, like a relay. The ballast draws main power directly from the battery.

are the lights made to be able to be different with high beam and low beams? or do i need a kit to do that? (if that makes sense)

There are a few ways to do High/Low lighting with HID.

If your car uses a single headlamp on each side, including both high and low beams, you can get HID low beams with a regular halogen high beam bulb in combination, or you can get HID lights that mechanically move the lamp up and down a small amount to change the direction of the light beam.

If you have dual headlamp bulbs on each side, you can get two HID kits, aiming one pair low and one pair high.

any info would be appreciated

As far as my opinion goes, aftermarket HID's are illegal, obnoxious to other drivers, often unsafe because they blind other drivers, and unnecessary. If you are so visually impaired that you need that much light in order to see, I think you should probably not be driving. If you need that much "style" in order to feel good about yourself or your vehicle, I think you probably need to re-assess your priorities.

But again, that's just my opinion, so feel free to do what you think is best, and I'll support your endeavors.

thanks,

Cody
 
As was said above...the HID kits are ^%$#*@! annoying, obnoxious, and 100% illegal. I wish you luck if you decide to go this way, but you will piss off other drivers with them. If you get in trouble with the local LEO's, then you're on your own. Sorry...been blinded too many times by these kits that everyone thinks are the end all of headlights.

If your housings are yellowed, get new housings and a good set of bulbs. Go with a WHITE light bulb like a sylvania silverstar or ge nighthawk. A well setup bulb and housing will perform just fine.
 
but a good housing and some HIDS will perform better....
 
a lot of people, myself included, retrofit offroad lights with HIDs. i actually posted a thread not too long ago about how to make a cheap 35 watt HID kit ballast work in a Baja Designs Sol Tek La Paz light, instead of shelling out $400 to get the kits from Baja Designs for my lights. In my case, Baja Designs uses the same reflector for their halogen and HID lamps, but for half the price of one factory HID, i have two lol. But like everyone above has already said, it is illegal to install HIDs unless they came from the factory.
 
the only requirements for hids is that hids are used with a projector housing...they are illegal when they are using with a halogen housing its as simple as that
 
the only requirements for hids is that hids are used with a projector housing...they are illegal when they are using with a halogen housing its as simple as that

'Fraid that's not true. The actual fact of the matter is, that aftermarket headlights must be a direct replacement for, or functional equivalent to, the factory headlights. Factory halogen headlights don't have a ballast in the circuit, nor do they use a projector style housing. Adding a lighting system that requires a ballast is a violation, and changing out the type of lamp housing system (even if using a halogen bulb) is also a violation.

Not legal, doesn't matter where you live. There is no HID/"Projector" conversion kit that conforms to USDOT or Canadian Ministry of Transportation standards to be street legal.

Although, putting HID lamps in a proper projector housing (that creates the correct cut-off line) will reduce many of the problems associated with HID's...including the fact that an officer will be lots less likely to ticket you, as your beams will be aimed properly.
 
i have a buddy who put bmw x5 projectors in his explorer housings. they looked legit, not half assed or anything. the cop still wrote him a ticket for them.
 
i have a buddy who put bmw x5 projectors in his explorer housings. they looked legit, not half assed or anything. the cop still wrote him a ticket for them.

Good, those damn HID's are annoying as hell, and all who have them shall feel the wrath of off road lights.
 
Sorry...not trying to be an ass, but I can see how this could be taken as such...

How can you say that it looks legit, when it's probably the only explorer around with lights like that? And, explorers never came with projectors and HID's!!! Cops aren't stupid, and you will get busted for it...maybe not right away, but your day will come. Good on the cop for busting him for the lights.

Personally, impound any vehicle that has illegal HID's in the headlights. I don't care for them, and I've been blinded way too many times by people that think because they can see the dash of the person in front of them, that the HID's are better than anything else.
 
if your putting HID headlights in a truck with 46 inch tires, your going to get a lot of people pissed off no matter how low you aim them. in fact, your going to get a ticket by the police, because they are illegal. Just buy some snowplow lights, mount them down low and you'll be good to go.
 
cuz that's not illegal either...

Not necessarily, you don't run off road lights constantly because they are illegal to do so on road, however there are still douche bags who run HID's constantly on road, even though they shouldn't. Gotta fight fire with fire.
 
Good, those damn HID's are annoying as hell, and all who have them shall feel the wrath of off road lights.

I resist the urge with my highbeams (which are still bright enough to get the point across) out of fear they will flash their highbeam HID's at me. :dunno:

Both my trucks have offroad lights, and IMO it is against the Geneva Convention to use them when another vehicle is in sight... at all.
 

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