Retrofitting Spyder Headlights in F-150
07-07-2014, 11:30 AM
#1
Retrofitting Spyder Headlights in F-150
If you've got Spyder/Spec D dual halo headlights in your F-150, you already know how crappy the light output is. Do yourself a favor and spend another $350 and get them bright. You'll need this kit from The Retrofit Source I went a step further and replaced the CCFL halos with TRS's XB LED halos and also replaced those weak LED running lights with Cree 1.5 watt (100 lumen) LED bulbs. Unfortunately, I didn't snap any pics of the process, but I'll give a brief summary.
The question you're thinking, "Was this easy." To be brief, it was not too difficult, just time very consuming. My Spyders (made by Sonar) used perma-seal and it took 3 different bakes to get the lenses off. It took about 4 total hours to remove all the permaseal from the lenses (you have to do this so you can use Butyl when resealing). Having an oscillating scraper really helped speed this up. Otherwise, I'd still be working on them with a razor blade.
The kit from TRS is pretty simple, just use the template and follow the instructions. I found that the projectors wiggled a little after changing the plates and installing, so I used a very small zip tie to fill in the gap to make them snug.
If you want to switch out your halos from CCFL to LEDs (which I recommend while you've got them cracked open), Get the 90mm XB LED from The Retrofit Source (Measure before you order!). You'll need the clear base from the old halos to use to mount your LEDs. You should be able to pry them open to remove the CCFL glass and cover. If not, carefully use a dremmel tool. Once you get the bases freed, you'll mount the LED halos to them. I used a very very thin hobby wire and twisted around 3 different points around the halos. That should be plenty for adequate security. You'll then use the same screws from the old halos and mount them back.
I also switched out the crappy LED running lights with 1.5 watt CREE bulbs. If you do this upgrade, you'll have to drill to make the holes bigger to support a larger bulb. I would chose a bulb that is no larger than 12mm in diameter. I wired these to an accessory slot in my fuse box under the hood. They are on when the truck is on. They are very bright and easy to see, even in bright sunlight.
Use butyl when resealing. I also went around the edge with clear silicon as an added precaution against moisture. All in all - the whole project took a total of about 20 hours..over the span of 2 weekends. It was a learning experience, so if you've done a retrofit before, it should be shorter than that.
Here are some pics.
The question you're thinking, "Was this easy." To be brief, it was not too difficult, just time very consuming. My Spyders (made by Sonar) used perma-seal and it took 3 different bakes to get the lenses off. It took about 4 total hours to remove all the permaseal from the lenses (you have to do this so you can use Butyl when resealing). Having an oscillating scraper really helped speed this up. Otherwise, I'd still be working on them with a razor blade.
The kit from TRS is pretty simple, just use the template and follow the instructions. I found that the projectors wiggled a little after changing the plates and installing, so I used a very small zip tie to fill in the gap to make them snug.
If you want to switch out your halos from CCFL to LEDs (which I recommend while you've got them cracked open), Get the 90mm XB LED from The Retrofit Source (Measure before you order!). You'll need the clear base from the old halos to use to mount your LEDs. You should be able to pry them open to remove the CCFL glass and cover. If not, carefully use a dremmel tool. Once you get the bases freed, you'll mount the LED halos to them. I used a very very thin hobby wire and twisted around 3 different points around the halos. That should be plenty for adequate security. You'll then use the same screws from the old halos and mount them back.
I also switched out the crappy LED running lights with 1.5 watt CREE bulbs. If you do this upgrade, you'll have to drill to make the holes bigger to support a larger bulb. I would chose a bulb that is no larger than 12mm in diameter. I wired these to an accessory slot in my fuse box under the hood. They are on when the truck is on. They are very bright and easy to see, even in bright sunlight.
Use butyl when resealing. I also went around the edge with clear silicon as an added precaution against moisture. All in all - the whole project took a total of about 20 hours..over the span of 2 weekends. It was a learning experience, so if you've done a retrofit before, it should be shorter than that.
Here are some pics.
Last edited by BruCrew; 07-07-2014 at 11:36 AM.
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BruCrew (07-07-2014)