When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
As a point of reference here are driver and passenger fitments...stock. The driver is much tighter along the top edge, while the passenger is an even gap. Finger for scale passenger, even gap, stock halogens driver, tight top, stock halogens
As a point of reference here are driver and passenger fitments...stock. The driver is much tighter along the top edge, while the passenger is an even gap. Finger for scale passenger, even gap, stock halogens driver, tight top, stock halogens
Interesting. No such issue here with the OEM lights.
However, I'm guessing the retaining pin on the back of your OEM headlights still seats into its retainer nut. The issue with the XB headlights isn't just that there's a gap, but that the retaining pin isn't reaching and fully seating into the retainer nut.
Note the difference between the right and left sides:
The OEM headlights seat correctly on both sides. You should be able to hear them "pop" into the retainer nut. No such luck with the RF XB headlight.
When I do mine I'll "Offer it up" and watch the alignment, and if it fights, I'll ream the opening a tad in the needed direction. yea, thats more work than u'd like on $1500 headlights, but ..meh, easier than sending them back,, and hitting deer with the CANDLES that Ford delivers the trucks with.
Last edited by lateapex911; 01-12-2020 at 05:19 PM.
Interesting. No such issue here with the OEM lights.
However, I'm guessing the retaining pin on the back of your OEM headlights still seats into its retainer nut. The issue with the XB headlights isn't just that there's a gap, but that the retaining pin isn't reaching and fully seating into the retainer nut.
Note the difference between the right and left sides:
The OEM headlights seat correctly on both sides. You should be able to hear them "pop" into the retainer nut. No such luck with the RF XB headlight.
interesting thanks. Wondering if the pins are same or different sizes on stock headlight from DS to PS. And if the pins are different sizes on the XB?
interesting thanks. Wondering if the pins are same or different sizes on stock headlight from DS to PS. And if the pins are different sizes on the XB?
On visual inspection, they look basically identical. But I don't own calipers so I couldn't measure precisely.
However, I'll reiterate that the problem doesn't seem to be the pin itself, or its alignment, but rather than it can't reach the retaining nut, probably because the headlight housing isn't deep enough. The headlight housing "bottoms out" against the headlight well opening before the pin can reach the retaining nut. At least in my situation. YMMV...hopefully!
As the North American distributor officially responsible for much of the early testing and ultimately every set shipped since production began, we felt it was important to publicly respond to the complaints, questions, concerns, doubts, myths, and real issues reported in this thread. No individual or dealer knows about these headlights than we do - since no matter purchased through us, through Morimoto, or any other vendor, everything funnels back through us at the end of the day.
We'll start with the most common issues first, and trickle down to the odd ***** from there.
DRL Dimming Problem: The very reason this thread was started. The white DRL outline is bananas-bright, and can be distracting to oncoming traffic at night. The first shipment of 15-17 F150 lights we received & shipped relied on the parking light circuit to dim the DRL, rather than the side marker circuit (T10 2 pin connector plug) because that’s how all of the trucks we tested prototypes worked. BUT, it would seem that’s not the case for nearly every truck out there, many of them don’t make use of that pin in the parking light, therefore, no dim action. Adapters were designed to connect those two circuits together, come shipped with the lights today, and are available 100% free of charge to anybody who needs them. This problem is solved.
Wiring: OEM LED trucks: there are literally no more connections to make compared to the OEM LED headlight. Unplug the old, plug in the new, and you’re done. Some guys were shipped lights that were setup for OEM Halogen trucks when they ordered for OEM LED though, and then got the proper OEM LED wiring after the fact – and yeah, unless you are us, figuring it all out can be confusing.
OEM Halogen trucks: everything is still plug n play, but there is one additional connection necessary to the fuse box to power the full intensity DRL outline. There is simply no way around this, forescan DRL settings customized or not…reason being that the only options for DRL on a halogen truck are to either use the parking light (which translates to the turn signal on the XB’s) or the low beam (which translates to the low beam mode on the XB’s) and because both of those modes trigger the DIM DRL on XB’s - the only way to get a signal & power source for a bright mode is to go straight to switched power (the fuse panel). We do not feel the plug n play statements are misleading, because you’re not cutting or splicing anything. The fuse-tap harness plugs into the fuse box, and then into the back of the headlights, but do apologize to anyone who feels that statement is disqualified given the +1 connection over stock.
EMI / Radio Interference: In the lighting industry, EMI is a common problem and it is standard operating procedure to check for it when testing any new product. Taking preventative measures to avoid it were on our radar very early on (note point #2 in screen shot of email below to R&D, from March of 2018) ….we installed ten+ sets of headlights on both 15-17 and 2018+ trucks during various stages of development over the course of the year, checking for EMI in every phase, and never once found any radio static. Either the radio signals here in Atlanta are damn good or we somehow dodged a bullet with trucks that were unaffected…so did not see this coming. We haven take responsibility & quick action to fix the problem though, and adapters were developed to go between the LED drivers & the internal wiring. They work like a charm to get rid of the static. Today, we are only shipping headlights with the EMI reducers inside the box. Most people don’t have it, but we certainly understand it’s ideal to have the necessary part to fix it during the initial install rather than reporting the issue, taking apart the truck, and getting the part after the fact.
Instructions: The printed instruction guide that ships with the 15-17 headlights is missing a lot of helpful information, no question, but rather than wasting paper to re-print them, have updated the electronic version which is available here. https://www.theretrofitsource.com/me...1540233179.pdf
Aiming: Some people complained that the high beams lack power or distance. After dialing in the low beam height (top adjuster)- It is important to make sure that the height of the high beam is adjusted so that it projects above the low beam pattern. The first photo below shows an improperly adjusted beam (from a complaint thread on the Raptor forum) and the second photo shows a properly adjusted beam (from dealer Raptor Retrofit) - you can see how much better the second will perform in high beam mode.
Panel Gaps / Fitment: Not one complaint on this for 15-17 trucks. We currently have around 6-8 concerned customers / complaints via dealers about this problem though for 2018+ trucks though. All of the lights are produced from the same exact mold, so there can’t really be any difference between early / current production – but to make sure we weren’t crazy, took measurements with a caliper to a random sampling of passengers side headlights in the warehouse this morning, including prototypes – and they’re all the same. We also checked against an OEM LED headlight (don’t have an OE Halogen here) and found no differences either. While no doubt some of the photos posted here show what seems to be one helluva gap, given the information we have, we think its important to consider three things. One: Got to make sure there’s nothing behind the light preventing the alignment stud from snapping into the receptacle. Put your hip into it, and push that thing in, tighten the bolts down. Two: These trim inside of these are black versus chrome for the OEM units. Depending on the color of your truck, the gap may simply be more obvious due to the added contrast. Three: Even on OEM headlights, the gap on the passenger’s side is bigger than the gap on the drivers side (as reported by another use just a few posts above). At the end of the day, we do not think this is a defect, fault, or indication of poor quality, fit, or finish. If you can’t live with it though, we certainly respect your opinions – but do want to make it clear that requesting a replacement from your dealer will not net you any benefit on this matter.
The feedback from real world users like you guys, no matter good, bad, or ugly is extremely important to us. As the guy who founded TRS back in 2005, I’m no stranger to criticism and frankly believe it’s the most constructive way to improve. Realizing what went wrong, what went right, or what’s simply misunderstood, then taking the appropriate action; has helped us grow into one of the most well recognized & respected names in the lighting industry. I take a lot of pride in what we do, and I know it’s never possible to please every single person, but if you think we’re the kinda guys who read through a thread like this, say “f it” and move on about our day, you would be wrong.
We have shipped nearly 1000 sets of these headlights out to-date and statistically speaking don’t have that many issues with them…so it’s hardly doomsday. But having said that, if you spent your money on these headlights and don’t like em, have a problem, or need anything at all: You have a right to contact me about it. I will see it through, and make sure you’re taken care of one way or another. My email is TRSMatt @ theretrofitsource dot com, and I got your back!
- TRSMatt
Last edited by The Retrofit Source; 11-29-2018 at 01:34 PM.
As the North American distributor officially responsible for much of the early testing and ultimately every set shipped since production began, we felt it was important to publicly respond to the complaints, questions, concerns, doubts, myths, and real issues reported in this thread. No individual or dealer knows about these headlights than we do - since no matter purchased through us, through Morimoto, or any other vendor, everything funnels back through us at the end of the day.
We'll start with the most common issues first, and trickle down to the odd ***** from there.
DRL Dimming Problem: The very reason this thread was started. The white DRL outline is bananas-bright, and can be distracting to oncoming traffic at night. The first shipment of 15-17 F150 lights we received & shipped relied on the parking light circuit to dim the DRL, rather than the side marker circuit (T10 2 pin connector plug) because that’s how all of the trucks we tested prototypes worked. BUT, it would seem that’s not the case for nearly every truck out there, many of them don’t make use of that pin in the parking light, therefore, no dim action. Adapters were designed to connect those two circuits together, come shipped with the lights today, and are available 100% free of charge to anybody who needs them. This problem is solved.
Wiring: OEM LED trucks: there are literally no more connections to make compared to the OEM LED headlight. Unplug the old, plug in the new, and you’re done. Some guys were shipped lights that were setup for OEM Halogen trucks when they ordered for OEM LED though, and then got the proper OEM LED wiring after the fact – and yeah, unless you are us, figuring it all out can be confusing.
OEM Halogen trucks: everything is still plug n play, but there is one additional connection necessary to the fuse box to power the full intensity DRL outline. There is simply no way around this, forescan DRL settings customized or not…reason being that the only options for DRL on a halogen truck are to either use the parking light (which translates to the turn signal on the XB’s) or the low beam (which translates to the low beam mode on the XB’s) and because both of those modes trigger the DIM DRL on XB’s - the only way to get a signal & power source for a bright mode is to go straight to switched power (the fuse panel). We do not feel the plug n play statements are misleading, because you’re not cutting or splicing anything. The fuse-tap harness plugs into the fuse box, and then into the back of the headlights, but do apologize to anyone who feels that statement is disqualified given the +1 connection over stock.
EMI / Radio Interference: In the lighting industry, EMI is a common problem and it is standard operating procedure to check for it when testing any new product. Taking preventative measures to avoid it were on our radar very early on (note point #2 in screen shot of email below to R&D, from March of 2018) ….we installed ten+ sets of headlights on both 15-17 and 2018+ trucks during various stages of development over the course of the year, checking for EMI in every phase, and never once found any radio static. Either the radio signals here in Atlanta are damn good or we somehow dodged a bullet with trucks that were unaffected…so did not see this coming. We haven take responsibility & quick action to fix the problem though, and adapters were developed to go between the LED drivers & the internal wiring. They work like a charm to get rid of the static. Today, we are only shipping headlights with the EMI reducers inside the box. Most people don’t have it, but we certainly understand it’s ideal to have the necessary part to fix it during the initial install rather than reporting the issue, taking apart the truck, and getting the part after the fact.
Instructions: The printed instruction guide that ships with the 15-17 headlights is missing a lot of helpful information, no question, but rather than wasting paper to re-print them, have updated the electronic version which is available here. https://www.theretrofitsource.com/me...1540233179.pdf
Aiming: Some people complained that the high beams lack power or distance. After dialing in the low beam height (top adjuster)- It is important to make sure that the height of the high beam is adjusted so that it projects above the low beam pattern. The first photo below shows an improperly adjusted beam (from a complaint thread on the Raptor forum) and the second photo shows a properly adjusted beam (from dealer Raptor Retrofit) - you can see how much better the second will perform in high beam mode.
Panel Gaps / Fitment: Not one complaint on this for 15-17 trucks. We currently have around 6-8 concerned customers / complaints via dealers about this problem though for 2018+ trucks though. All of the lights are produced from the same exact mold, so there can’t really be any difference between early / current production – but to make sure we weren’t crazy, took measurements with a caliper to a random sampling of passengers side headlights in the warehouse this morning, including prototypes – and they’re all the same. We also checked against an OEM LED headlight (don’t have an OE Halogen here) and found no differences either. While no doubt some of the photos posted here show what seems to be one helluva gap, given the information we have, we think its important to consider three things. One: Got to make sure there’s nothing behind the light preventing the alignment stud from snapping into the receptacle. Put your hip into it, and push that thing in, tighten the bolts down. Two: These trim inside of these are black versus chrome for the OEM units. Depending on the color of your truck, the gap may simply be more obvious due to the added contrast. Three: Even on OEM headlights, the gap on the passenger’s side is bigger than the gap on the drivers side (as reported by another use just a few posts above). At the end of the day, we do not think this is a defect, fault, or indication of poor quality, fit, or finish. If you can’t live with it though, we certainly respect your opinions – but do want to make it clear that requesting a replacement from your dealer will not net you any benefit on this matter.
The feedback from real world users like you guys, no matter good, bad, or ugly is extremely important to us. As the guy who founded TRS back in 2005, I’m no stranger to criticism and frankly believe it’s the most constructive way to improve. Realizing what went wrong, what went right, or what’s simply misunderstood, then taking the appropriate action; has helped us grow into one of the most well recognized & respected names in the lighting industry. I take a lot of pride in what we do, and I know it’s never possible to please every single person, but if you think we’re the kinda guys who read through a thread like this, say “f it” and move on about our day, you would be wrong.
We have shipped nearly 1000 sets of these headlights out to-date and statistically speaking don’t have that many issues with them…so it’s hardly doomsday. But having said that, if you spent your money on these headlights and don’t like em, have a problem, or need anything at all: You have a right to contact me about it. I will see it through, and make sure you’re taken care of one way or another. My email is TRSMatt @ theretrofitsource dot com, and I got your back!
- TRSMatt
Thank you for this reply. I will follow up with our customers.
11-29-2018, 06:24 AM
