Converting headlights to HID

[danimalmax]

projector conversion kit is very time consuming and very hard. I would reccommend you just stick to the DDM kits right now. Plenty bright.

What could be done with your DRLS and what I also did to my 06 was I fabed some H3 bulbs in the DRLs and they were jumpered to come on with the highbeams. They no longer functioned as DRLs but added some great forward ground light with the highbeams. Parking lights could be changed to LEDs. But you gotta keep them orange to keep it mildly legel. Even though the HIDS are technecally illeagle, when put in right they are fine. But no parking lights means no proper turn signals which can be bad.

yeah i think i'll just stick with the ddm kits plus its cheaper

is this what u mean by led parking lights? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-0...rms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318#ht_3249wt_1194

 

[Rollin Thunder]

yeah i think i'll just stick with the ddm kits plus its cheaper

is this what u mean by led parking lights? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-0...rms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318#ht_3249wt_1194

Yup. WIll be much more intense, yet still legel and actully safer.

 

[jgiguere17]

projector conversion kits are not that bad, considering if you went with a OEM denali headlight and bought a 9005 hid kit.....it would look 10x's brighter and more visability. but if you do not want to spend the time or money a kit will do, I just am a projector nut, then again i get all my parts for little or next to nothing and do all the conversion myself and mod exsisting headlight to fit new parts

 

[Rollin Thunder]

projector conversion kits are not that bad, considering if you went with a OEM denali headlight and bought a 9005 hid kit.....it would look 10x's brighter and more visability. but if you do not want to spend the time or money a kit will do, I just am a projector nut, then again i get all my parts for little or next to nothing and do all the conversion myself and mod exsisting headlight to fit new parts

He cant. Its a tahoe, not a yukon. Wont fit. But I agree. I put denali projectors in my 06 yukon. 9005 kit and it was fantastic. :cool2:

 

[DrewS]

projector conversion kits are not that bad, considering if you went with a OEM denali headlight and bought a 9005 hid kit.....it would look 10x's brighter and more visability. but if you do not want to spend the time or money a kit will do, I just am a projector nut, then again i get all my parts for little or next to nothing and do all the conversion myself and mod exsisting headlight to fit new parts

Correct me if I'm wrong, but although OEM Denali headlights do have lowbeam projectors, they're not HID specific, correct? Sure, they'll have better output than a PNP kit in stock Yukon/Tahoe headlights, but they're still not ideal at all.

Has anyone here ever done a true HID projector retrofit into OEM Denali headlights? That's something I'd like to do with my '04 Yukon, the stock light output is pathetic (as you all know) and using a PNP HID kit on my stock headlights isn't something I'm interested in.

 

[Nnaboy]

Yeah Denali's have Projectors but no HID system. Which means there beam pattern are smoother, wider and better than reflector lights but not brighter at all, unless you have an HID kit!

 

[DrewS]

Yeah Denali's have Projectors but no HID system. Which means there beam pattern are smoother, wider and better than reflector lights but not brighter at all, unless you have an HID kit!

There's a difference between the projectors in a Denali and the OEM HID projectors in a TSX, S2000, FX35, TL, etc. Simply putting an HID kit in Denali headlights isn't going to yield the same results as a full OEM HID projector retrofit.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

There's a difference between the projectors in a Denali and the OEM HID projectors in a TSX, S2000, FX35, TL, etc. Simply putting an HID kit in Denali headlights isn't going to yield the same results as a full OEM HID projector retrofit.

No, but its a hell of alot better than a reflector kit. A projector is a projector. Only benefit you get by spending 400 extra to get TSX or somthing and all your extra work may be a little bit better beam paddern. When the fact is, if the light is in a projector, 99% of the time your fine and its way better than stock anyway. Projectors dont glare, so you take that out of the equasion. :thumbsup:

 

[danimalmax]

:confused2: so will i be ok with just the hid conversions?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

:confused2: so will i be ok with just the hid conversions?

sure you will. Some people dont like HIDS in the stock housing when in the reality the beam paddern in GM Headlights is still quite good and if you aim them properly you should be fine.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

If your willing to spend the cash. I have heard nothing but great reviews on another tahoe forum site about these, they are the only street legel kits on the market for the 00-06 tahoe.


http://www.brightheadlights.com/Headlights-x2020.htm

http://z71tahoe-suburban.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=17482&st=0

 

[Rafael]

What do the numbers 4500k, 5000k and such mean?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

What do the numbers 4500k, 5000k and such mean?

Color and brightness of the bulb. For instance a 4500k bulb (or most 4300k) is the color of a stock HID system in MB and BMW, lexus, escalade, etc. Which is the brightest and white with just a tad bit of yellow, but like I said is the brightest and has the most lumins (output) 4300k 35W HIDS have 3100 lumins (halagons low have 1300 and high have 1700) 5000k has 2900 lumins, this is a PURE white, no yellow, no blue. 6000k is starting to get blue to some people, but is WAY to blue for me and the lightoutput is severly cut here. 8000k is blue, light output goes way down, 10000k is DEEP blue and again output is crap this is the RICER stage of HIDS.

 

[danimalmax]

im still having trouble deciding on which light output i want, i cant decide between 4500 and 5000, i know i want the best performance, but you said that 4500 has a slight yellow and 5000 is the purest white, so i dont know, i know i want white for sure

 

[Rollin Thunder]

if you get a 55W kit for your low beams then you want 5000k. It will be white, but have the look of 4500k because of the color washout due to the brightness. I would get 5000k for your lows and fogs. 55w for lows 35w for fogs. :thumbsup:

 

[danimalmax]

5000ks it is, then! you've been very helpful, this forum is great


oh btw, im assuming i'll have to adjust the aim of my lights when change them?

 

[Nnaboy]

No you shouldn't have to adjust or aim the lights becuase you didn't get a new assembly or get in an accident!
Aiming in ths case is all about preference!

 

[xav8r]

Another question, and I swear I'm not trying to get the dead horse beaten any more than it already has been. However ...

I'm thinking about the X2020/XeSighting Lighting GMT 800 HID that Rollin Thunder mentioned. Does this system also qualify under the comment "projector conversion kit is very time consuming and very hard"?

From the advertising on the linked site, it looks fairly plug-n-play, however I don't want to end up in a long drawn out install that will make me wish I had just used the DDM kits.

Also, what's the story with 35w in this system as compared to most people recommending 55w in the DDM kits? Am I going to be disappointed about the "amount" of light as compared to a 55w system? For that amount of capital outlay, I want to maximize the satisfaction factor.

Being in CA, w a family, and a strong desire to avoid road encounters with LEOs, I like the "legality" of the system over just installing the DDM kit and hoping for the best.

Thanks for your knowledge, experience, and time invested.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Another question, and I swear I'm not trying to get the dead horse beaten any more than it already has been. However ...

I'm thinking about the X2020/XeSighting Lighting GMT 800 HID that Rollin Thunder mentioned. Does this system also qualify under the comment "projector conversion kit is very time consuming and very hard"?

From the advertising on the linked site, it looks fairly plug-n-play, however I don't want to end up in a long drawn out install that will make me wish I had just used the DDM kits.

Also, what's the story with 35w in this system as compared to most people recommending 55w in the DDM kits? Am I going to be disappointed about the "amount" of light as compared to a 55w system? For that amount of capital outlay, I want to maximize the satisfaction factor.

Being in CA, w a family, and a strong desire to avoid road encounters with LEOs, I like the "legality" of the system over just installing the DDM kit and hoping for the best.

Thanks for your knowledge, experience, and time invested.

The reason those are expensive is because all you have to do it take out our old housing and put that one in, Its actully MUCH EASIER THAN AN HID KIT. Take out your old headlight. Plug the stock harness in to the plug and bam, your good to go.

35W still put out about 300% more light than your stock low and highbeams, on low beam only. 55W are not that much brighter and are even more illeagle than 35W, but a cop really cant tell the difference, they are not used in cars with stock HIDS because they are not worth the hassle of the upgrades. you will be incredibly happy wiht the 2020's.

 

[danimalmax]

i hate to keep asking about the hid kits, but i keep reading about how "halogen projectors with HIDS will not blind other drivers...using HIDS in regular halogen headlights will"

doesnt this mean i should get halogen projectors? i feel like i dont know whether or not getting the ddm tuning hid kit and putting it in is the right thing to do