David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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HID Conversion of my Hella 4000 Halogens today!
Taken from my thread on TacomaWorld about converting my Hella 4000 Halogen Pencil beams to HIDs (35 watt/ 5000ēK color)... The past 5 weeks, I have
been testing a couple different colors in an effort to find ones that come closest to the Kragen HIDs (white with a hint of blue).
Halogens are around 3500ēK to 4000ēK in color temperature (yellow-white) and HIDs (xenon) can be in a variety of colors from yellow (3000K) to Violet
(12000K)... Most the kids with their street racers go with 6000-8000 or more blue+. However, the brightest and whitest light is 4300-5000ēK. The bulbs
most often sold are made in China and seem to have a lot of variety in color while labled the same. HIDs require a ballast to ignite... and ballast
quality is not always there with Chinese brands.
Before the HID conversion:
On the light bar are a pair of Kragen 35 watt HID Euro Beams (outside pair) and a pair of Hella 100 watt Halogen Pencil beams (inside pair).
Went to someone's garage based business to get them converted...
They worked there, but that evening, one didn't come on and the ballast blew up... popped and then smoke! The light that did work, flickered or
jittered when viewed shining on my garage wall. These were 4300ēK bulbs, and seemed a tad yellow compared to my Kragens (white-blue).
He sent me a new ballast, and a new pair of bulbs and we wanted to try 5000ēKs. The new ballast worked, but the new bulbs that were supposed to be
5000s were much too blue (he said they sent 6000Ks by mistake... but they looked like 8000K in color!:
I changed one of the 6000s back to the 4300 bulb:
A few days ago, he sent me another pair of '5000K' bulbs, and I switched one:
It was strangely more yellow than the 4300 bulb! (the other one was also the same color).
Today, another pair of '5000K' bulbs and 2 new ballasts arrived, and I did a complete switch...
Flipped them on, and as they warmed up the color does change a bit... watch them change in the next 3 images taken about 10 seconds apart (right away
I am happy with what I see!):
Now, I kick on the Kragen 7" HID Euro Beams:
This is pretty close at color matching, and I am happy with these 5000Ks in color.
Looking at all 4 lamps on:
Kick on my stock head lights at low beam with fog lights:
My stock high beams on:
See how much dimmer and yellower the halogens are compared to 5000ēK HIDs are?
So, guess what... the new lights look good in color, but they both flicker a little... I am going to test them a while, and even though the 6000s (or
whatever the really blue ones were didn't flicker, nor do the Kragens, I am going to just see if they perform off road as they are now.
Maybe tonight, I will take them out and add some photos of how they illuminate the road.
[Edited on 9-11-2011 by David K]
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks pretty cool.. waiting for the road report pic's...
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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Why have the high beams when we don't drive a night?
Thanks for the info. I still roll with CIBA lights will do so till they don't work no more.
MMc
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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Unfortunately, the lights are limited by their placement.
Put them up on some racks or a light bar and you'll get much better visability.
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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After years of driving at night in Baja I prefer to be behind my lights. Every time I have put them up high I can't adjust them so I don't light up
the hood and windshield. I will go with David's set up and loose some distance.
David, do you slave them off the High beam?
MMc
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8948
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Turning Baja into Daylight!
CG/FatCat's Brother-in-Law enjoyed a Pole Line Road night run that I organized a few years ago.
Lights are great for Baja - especially in the winter months when daylight is in much shorter supply.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The pair of Hellas and the pair of Kragens are each switched independently.. and do not have anything to do with the stock headlights... These are OFF
ROAD ONLY lights folks...
Red switch are the Hella Pencils and blue are the Kragen Euro (driving) beams.
The best place for high power lights are in front of the truck next to headlights... Fog lights do best lower and pencils do best higher... I don't
have a roll bar and don't want to drill in my roof, so the front bar will have to do for my pencils.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8948
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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JUST SAYIN'!LOL
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
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Try not to step in the doggie pooh next time you take a photo...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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That was mud my friend... I work in the dirt, remember?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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35 watt HID driving and Pencil beams tonight
Grassy area by my house... Kragen Euro/Driving beams:
Flip on the Hella 4000s with 5000K bulbs:
Against my garage:
STOCK LOW + FOGS
STOCK HIGH
KRAGENS (HID Driving or 'Euro' Beams)
HELLAS with NEW 5000s (spot or 'pencil' beams)
Hella, Kragens and High Beams
All on coming into garage.
So, finally got the true 5000ēK color... very close to the Kragen HIDs... Only the jittering of the light being an issue, but until it fails, I will
live with that.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Appears that you wil be able to see pretty good... thanks for the update
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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good job. I changed my Polaris Ranger lights over to HID's and they're about 5 times as bright. Also put a pair of cheap fog light on for on coming
traffic. I'd love a pair of those pencil beams you have to put up on top. Any info where to get a pair?
[Edited on 9-11-2011 by Russ]
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Russ
good job. I changed my Polaris Ranger lights over to HID's and they're about 5 times as bright. Also put a pair of cheap fog light on for on coming
traffic. I'd love a pair of those pencil beams you have to put up on top. Any info where to get a pair?
[Edited on 9-11-2011 by Russ] |
Hi Russ,
You can get 'Pencil' (aka 'Spot') beams in several models of lamps. They have a clear/ plain glass lens so none of the light is scattered.
I got mine as a Father's Day gift from Josh (they came off a race truck that converted to new HID lights)... They are metal Hella 4000 lamps (and had
100 watt halogen bulbs), 8" across... They replaced the plastic body Kragen HID 7" Euro Beam lamps that broke on their first trip to Gonzaga Bay and
Las Animas Bay... Plastic lamps aren't Baja Proven! So here are the Hella's on my '05 Tacoma:
Since then, Josh fixed the Kragen HIDs with fiberglass... and on my '10 Tacoma, he modified the light bar to mount all 4 on it.
Sweet having a family member in the off road racing fabrication business! http://www.stewartsraceworks.com
New Hella 4000 halogens are just over $100 and new Hella 4000 HIDs are just over $400... available in driving (euro) and pencil (spot) beams... mabe
even in fog (cornering) beams?
Other light companies include KC, PIAA, Baja Designs, Pro Comp...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64882
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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So Russ, if you buy less expensive Halogen lamps, you can convert them to lower wattage but buch brighter HID lamps... Kits sold on the Internet or
specialty shops (like DDM Tuning) start at around $55 for the 35 watt slim ballast and HID bulb (for a pair). However, quality may be an issue with
the Chinese made units... It took me going through 4 pairs of bulbs to get it the way I wanted (4300ēK, 6000, & 5000 twice).
If you want to buy high quality HID lamps from the start, one company that has a good selection is Baja Designs. They make HID, Halogen and LED lights
in several sizes for off road racing and for motorcycles, Rhinos, and trucks... http://bajadesigns.com (in San Marcos, CA). Catalog: http://www.bajadesigns.com/2009/catalog/2010/
[Edited on 9-13-2011 by David K]
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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DK, Thanks ! I definitely found what I wanted at http://bajadesigns.com . But I'm still not ready to spend that kind of $$ yet. Thanks
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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