Headlight upgrade recommendations

DrHiggins21 · #1 07-01-2019, 08:55 PM

Just inherited a 2000 Ranger XLT that has been sitting for about 7 years. Getting it back from the shop tomorrow and I am wanting to find some projector style headlight replacements that don’t have the halo ring. I don’t know why, but it just looks cheap to me. I have been looking online but everything I find has the halos. I want projectors because I plan on replacing the bulbs with LED’s. Anyone know of anything out there?

Dirtman · #2 07-01-2019, 09:19 PM

Can't help you much with finding housings but FYI most led bulbs absolutely suck in projector lenses. They are designed more for HID bulbs.

DrHiggins21 · #3 07-01-2019, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirtman

Can't help you much with finding housings but FYI most led bulbs absolutely suck in projector lenses. They are designed more for HID bulbs.

I’ve put LED’s in every car I’ve owned and they’ve all had projectors. Light output has always been really good and they always have a very distinct cutoff when only using low beams. I use the opt-7’s.

Ordinary Biker · #4 07-02-2019, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrHiggins21

Just inherited a 2000 Ranger XLT that has been sitting for about 7 years. Getting it back from the shop tomorrow and I am wanting to find some projector style headlight replacements that don’t have the halo ring. I don’t know why, but it just looks cheap to me. I have been looking online but everything I find has the halos. I want projectors because I plan on replacing the bulbs with LED’s. Anyone know of anything out there?

www.theretrofitsource.com Make your own, and you can leave the halo rings off if that is what you want.

CalebJ · #5 07-02-2019, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrHiggins21

I’ve put LED’s in every car I’ve owned and they’ve all had projectors. Light output has always been really good and they always have a very distinct cutoff when only using low beams. I use the opt-7’s.

I've used the OPT7's and was not impressed with their cutoff at all. Also had one DOA, one dead in maybe 6 months, and the 3rd lasted barely a year.

turismolover22 · #6 07-02-2019, 01:59 PM

You're likely looking at a projector retrofit, though the headlamp housings are cheap as all get-out on RockAuto, even for a quality set. Buy a pair, and go to town.

Fx4wannabe01 · #7 08-01-2019, 03:08 AM

legit projector retrofit or nothing else.

Scrambler82 · #8 01-20-2020, 10:29 PM

DrHiggins21,
Where did you go with this ?
Wondering how things turned out.

greggdotcom · #9 10-24-2021, 02:05 PM

The headlights on my '96 are super dim. Are there any stockish looking modern replacements, or is a projector retrofit still a recommended option?

Anyone have any ideas of what type projector fits into the stock housing? Where could I find one?

Thanks!

greggdotcom · #10 11-18-2021, 04:48 AM

Ended up with aftermarket generic oem replacement housings to replace the water-filled, fogged up, ready to crack aftermarket oem replacements that were in there, and some led bulbs. Overall cost from Amazon was under $100.

I had to 'persuade' the bulb holders a bit as the aftermarket housings are kind of crappy (the locking collars were too big or the bulb holder was too small because the collar was loose and only 2 lugs would catch, had to sand one bulb seat flat, and mix and match new and old collars to make them hold), but overall installation as one would expect with aftermarket parts.

Anyway, to anyone onsidering this, go for it. I can actually see at night. Next on the list are backup floods. Any ideas?