HID or LED conversion kit?
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Joined: Feb 2016
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From: Ohio
If you're retrofitting, HID. While LED is neat and almost there, it's going to be another two years before it's truly ready for any old dummy to use.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2015
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I'm truly not trying to be rude. But; Nope. I said I know they're not the best in our housings, I asked IF I were to put a system in which would be better, not whether there wonderful in our headlights. Tired of halogens. Ugly yellow light. I've tried three sets of bulbs and I can't stand them. These systems in our housings I know don't throw the best but I have spotlights in my Fog housings for that and a lightbar for spread. Halogen vs HID the HID's will still throw farther if only marginally. I've done HID's in stock housings before. Wanted something to match my switchbacks as well.
Super Moderator
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,707
Likes: 339
From: Ohio
I'm truly not trying to be rude. But; Nope. I said I know they're not the best in our housings, I asked IF I were to put a system in which would be better, not whether there wonderful in our headlights. Tired of halogens. Ugly yellow light. I've tried three sets of bulbs and I can't stand them. These systems in our housings I know don't throw the best but I have spotlights in my Fog housings for that and a lightbar for spread. Halogen vs HID the HID's will still throw farther if only marginally. I've done HID's in stock housings before. Wanted something to match my switchbacks as well.
As for throw, not all LEDs are created equally. Some have reflectors built into the diode, some require good reflectors or projectors to work. Any ones with a reflector built into the diode are always going to be less efficient than those with a good projector/reflector setup because you're focusing light at the diode, which is messier.
I would still tell you to get HIDs and projectors and leave the LEDs behind for a couple more years until they're way more mainstream and the tech for automotive headlights has matured past the "it works in a flashlight, let's up the amps and put it in a headlight" phase.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 314
Likes: 15
I didn't take it as rude. Most switchbacks and HIDs will be right around the same color temps, and HIDs will shimmy up the spectrum with age. So getting a 5k HID means by the time it's old, it will be around 5.5k, which should match pure white switchbacks perfectly. As for throw, not all LEDs are created equally. Some have reflectors built into the diode, some require good reflectors or projectors to work. Any ones with a reflector built into the diode are always going to be less efficient than those with a good projector/reflector setup because you're focusing light at the diode, which is messier. I would still tell you to get HIDs and projectors and leave the LEDs behind for a couple more years until they're way more mainstream and the tech for automotive headlights has matured past the "it works in a flashlight, let's up the amps and put it in a headlight" phase.
