Members projector retrofits

[aaronbtb]

This isn't really a retrofit, but I'm posting it anyway
I finally got around to mount my Rigid Dually SAE DOT fog lights.
I am still waiting for some Amber covers. They have a really nice cutoff
http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/50481

 

[NateDG]

So I got the nilight mini H1 bi-xenons from Amazon. Here's where I'm at with that... :-/

[/URL]


Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Blckshdw]

You need the Morimoto Matchbox projectors for a fog light retro. Unless you're gonna fabricate some kind of lens/cover for the front. A regular headlight projector is just too big.

 

[dmanns67]

Those things are huge. You are going to have to dremel the back of the fog light housing enough to allow for the projector to recess enough into the housing so that you are able to attach the lens of the fog light.

I used TRS's Matchbox projectors and the entire reflector bowl sticks out the back of the fog light housing. That projector almost appears too big based on your pics. What are the dimensions?

Matchbox projector dimensions are below.

Max Height: 2.16"
Max Width: 2.95"
Max Depth: 4.33"
Lens Diameter: 1.80"

Does not appear you will have any room to use a shroud either. I am sure you can make it work, but 90% of the projector will have to be sticking out the back side of the projector, UNLESS due to the opening of the fog light housing, you are not able to recess the projector anymore

 

[NateDG]

These said they were specifically designed for fog retros, I mistakenly ASSumed they would be small enough... Should have taken some damn measurements. Guhhhhh... Well I'll figure something out with em hopefully.

Those things are huge. You are going to have to dremel the back of the fog light housing enough to allow for the projector to recess enough into the housing so that you are able to attach the lens of the fog light.

I used TRS's Matchbox projectors and the entire reflector bowl sticks out the back of the fog light housing. That projector almost appears too big based on your pics. What are the dimensions?

Matchbox projector dimensions are below.

Max Height: 2.16"
Max Width: 2.95"
Max Depth: 4.33"
Lens Diameter: 1.80"

Does not appear you will have any room to use a shroud either. I am sure you can make it work, but 90% of the projector will have to be sticking out the back side of the projector, UNLESS due to the opening of the fog light housing, you are not able to recess the projector anymore

They're back as far as they will go before the cutoff shield and lens begin. Unless there's a way I can seal them OUTSIDE of the housing.

I should note, I've dremeled out the back as much as I can without also taking off the up/down adjustment bracket which I'm trying to avoid.

 

[dmanns67]

These said they were specifically designed for fog retros, I mistakenly ASSumed they would be small enough... Should have taken some damn measurements. Guhhhhh... Well I'll figure something out with em hopefully.


They're back as far as they will go before the cutoff shield and lens begin. Unless there's a way I can seal them OUTSIDE of the housing.

I should note, I've dremeled out the back as much as I can without also taking off the up/down adjustment bracket which I'm trying to avoid.

Do you have a link to what you purchased?

Wow, ok. So those projectors are huge. My Matchbox projectors are recessed as much as yours are currently and the lens for the fog light barely fits on.

As far as sealing the projectors, I have seen threads on HIDP where guys have used a piece of PVC pipe to cover any of the exposed area of the projector that is sticking out of the backside of the housing. That might be an option.

 

[NateDG]

Do you have a link to what you purchased?

Wow, ok. So those projectors are huge. My Matchbox projectors are recessed as much as yours are currently and the lens for the fog light barely fits on.

As far as sealing the projectors, I have seen threads on HIDP where guys have used a piece of PVC to cover any of the exposed area of the projector that is sticking out of the backside of the housing. That might be an option.

These are the exact ones I got
Nilight® 2.5" Mini HID Bixenon Projector Lens for H1 Bulb Car Gift:chrome Shround https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B21R0TA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_vtfKwbV62GRFQ

 

[dmanns67]

Nilight® 2.5" Mini HID Bixenon Projector Lens for H1 Bulb Car Gift:chrome Shround https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B21R0TA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_vtfKwbV62GRFQ

That's not a bad price and the output of the projectors look good based on what the customers posted in the review section. That size of a projector will make for a hell of a fog light retro for sure. Like having headlights in your bumper. I hope you can put something together to make them work.

 

[NateDG]

This should prolly be an edit, but here's more angles of what I'm working with...

 

[Mounce]

Put the lense end in through the back and see how it fits. Just a thought. Probably gonna need to research the pvc pipe method lol.

 

[dmanns67]

Damn bro, there's not much left of the housings. Is it possible to return those projectors and buy something smaller with similar dimensions to the Matchbox?

 

[NateDG]

Damn bro, there's not much left of the housings. Is it possible to return those projectors and buy something smaller with similar dimensions to the Matchbox?

I haven't been able to find anything with similar dimensions and I definitely can't afford true Morimoto. I would absolutely love to do it right, but I'm just not able to unfortunately.

 

[Sib]

Hey @dmanns67 you dont happen to have a pic of your fog lights installed do you?

 

[NateDG]

Hey @dmanns67 you dont happen to have a pic of your fog lights installed do you?

S
Haha so he can rub it in? His retro was the driving force behind my own attempt lol

 

[Sib]

S
Haha so he can rub it in? His retro was the driving force behind my own attempt lol

Lol. No not at all. I was just harassing Dave because he's supposed to have had those done by now. Just busting his chops.

 

[Mounce]

Glad to see @Blckshdw clearing the cobwebs out of his thread a little

And to be on topic, my retro is still going strong, only issue is an occasional failure to chooch from the passenger side solenoid when high beam is commanded.

I still crave more. I want brighter. But it's just not in the cards for a car I wanna get rid of the first chance I get.

Highly considering a retro for the TB though, stock sucks. I mean, it's okay... Until I drive my car after dark then get in the TB. Can't see a damn thing it feels like. Hold up on that is getting funds to do it right with high quality parts because it's the "family vehicle" and has to be reliable in every aspect.

 

[Blckshdw]

Glad to see @Blckshdw clearing the cobwebs out of his thread a little

Man, I swear, if it ain't one thing, it's another. I was JUST about to go out and test my alignment and cutoffs after putting the bracing on, and my neighbor came home, with a few of his buddies. Hopefully his friends leave after not too long, and I can at least make sure the drivers side cutoff is sharp again. I really don't wanna have to go through the royal pain of adjusting the bulb shims. That was SOO tedious

 

[dmanns67]

I haven't been able to find anything with similar dimensions and I definitely can't afford true Morimoto. I would absolutely love to do it right, but I'm just not able to unfortunately.

I understand Morimoto is definitely not the cheapest option. I was just saying that you don't have to go with the Matchbox, but was wondering if you could return those projectors and get something closer to the Matchbox's dimensions.

Hey @dmanns67 you dont happen to have a pic of your fog lights installed do you?

Funny guy. Why yes I do a pic of them installed

Glad to see @Blckshdw clearing the cobwebs out of his thread a little

And to be on topic, my retro is still going strong, only issue is an occasional failure to chooch from the passenger side solenoid when high beam is commanded.

I still crave more. I want brighter. But it's just not in the cards for a car I wanna get rid of the first chance I get.

Highly considering a retro for the TB though, stock sucks. I mean, it's okay... Until I drive my car after dark then get in the TB. Can't see a damn thing it feels like. Hold up on that is getting funds to do it right with high quality parts because it's the "family vehicle" and has to be reliable in every aspect.

You should be the first one to retro some MMH1 7.0s into some TB headlights. From the output pics I have seen, they are a big upgrade from the 6.0s.

 

[Sib]

Funny guy. Why yes I do a pic of them installed

Sweet. I bet there is a huge difference in light output. What color bulbs did you go with?

 

[dmanns67]

Sweet. I bet there is a huge difference in light output. What color bulbs did you go with?

I went with the XB35 4500k H1s to match the XB35 4500k D2S HIDs in my headlights. I was thinking about getting the 3000k H1s, but after reading Brandon's post on how much more light output he has with the 4500ks versus the 3000ks, I am just going to stick with what I have.

That pic I posted was taken in July. I had them installed for about a week before I took them back out. The angle of the projector was too low. The cutoff shined on the road about 30ft in front of my TB. I had to shim the projector upward slightly which I have done. I just need to install them on the TB to make sure they are shimmed up enough, then I can seal them again.

 

[aaronbtb]

Here is my process of my retrofit with the Morimoto FXR-3 and the new Mini 7.0
FXR3 is on the left, and the Mini 7.0 is on the right.
The top part of the cutoff on the fxr3 is higher then the mini, but I got the lower part about level.
The mini has a used morimoto 6500k bulb with a 55watt morimoto ballast. The FXR3 has a brand new bulb, 5500k morimoto bulb & 35 watt ballast. The color is close, but the mini is slightly blue.

 

[Blckshdw]

Luckily, on the road, you won't be able to see the difference in the cutoffs as easily. Depending on how OCD you are, it may bug you a bit when you pull up behind a vehicle with a flat backside.

 

[aaronbtb]

True, I will be using the FXR3 for city driving. Then I'll use the minis on a separate switch and use it while on the highway.
Or vise versa, I dunno yet. All my high beam switch is gonna do now is power 4 solenoids.
I'm not sure how legal it is to be driving with 4 headlights on in the city, plus fogs.

 

[littleblazer]

Most places is 6 lights at a time.

 

[Blckshdw]

I'm not sure how legal it is to be driving with 4 headlights on in the city, plus fogs.

Selectable quads is a good idea to go with. When I was running quad Mini D2S a couple years back, it was more than enough light on the road. Probably too much really, as those models didn't have foreground limiters built into them, and too much foreground light actually inhibits your long distance vision at night. I never used my fog lights, even when there was fog, with that setup.

 

[NateDG]

In the following pic, what causes the "whispy" comet tail looking effect on the output on the right?

 

[dmanns67]

In the following pic, what causes the "whispy" comet tail looking effect on the output on the right?

Are these the Amazon projectors? Could be the bulb is not seated properly or an issue with the cutoff shield itself in that projector. Assume you have already actuated the cutoff shield solenoid with a 9v battery many times? There also appears to be a color and brightness difference in the bulb on the passenger side versus the driver's side.

The pattern on the pavement for the foreground limiter does not look uniform either. I would try to reseat the bulb. That "whispy" above the cutoff is too clean to be any sort of glare.

 

[Blckshdw]

In the following pic, what causes the "whispy" comet tail looking effect on the output on the right?

with Dave, the bulb appears to be slightly off it's sweet spot. Was it always like this, or a recent occurrence?

If the bulb is indeed sitting flat/flush inside the projector, I would suggest disconnecting the driver's side ballast, and then remove the bulb clip/lock ring for the passenger side bulb, reconnect the ballast, and then fire up the HID. You can tilt the bulb up/down and see how that affects your output until the cutoff is flat. Once you know which way to go, and approximately how much, you would need to make a shim for the bulb to replicate the tilting you did.

For mine, I bought a sheet of aluminum from the hardware store. Used a small piece of cardboard to get the crescent shape needed for the bulb seat, and then cut out a piece of aluminum to stack in place to make the slight adjustment. Mine needed a lot of adjusting, if yours doesn't require too much movement, you may get away with cutting up a Coke can, and layering pieces on top of each other, maybe use a piece of aluminum tape to hold them in place.

 

[NateDG]

Are these the Amazon projectors? Could be the bulb is not seated properly or an issue with the cutoff shield itself in that projector. Assume you have already actuated the cutoff shield solenoid with a 9v battery many times? There also appears to be a color and brightness difference in the bulb on the passenger side versus the driver's side.

The pattern on the pavement for the foreground limiter does not look uniform either. I would try to reseat the bulb. That "whispy" above the cutoff is too clean to be any sort of glare.

These are the Amazon projectors,yes. They aren't mounted in the fog openings, they were just sitting on top of the engine bay. I was only trying to get an idea of what I was working with as far as the colors and cutoff. Basically I was just playing lol. I too noticed a pretty substantial difference in the color and brightness of the PS & DS. The passenger side was way brighter. I assume it's the ballasts. They're some 35w ebay specials I bought over a year ago. I'll tinker with the seating of the bulb and see if that gets rid of the whispy. I already messed around with the shield when I was standing there with it lit. I'm almost 100% certain in saying that it must be bulb seating and not the shield.

 

[NateDG]

So I just bought these from a guy in Texas. Too good a price to pass up. They were built by Black Flame Customs, who I know nothing about but they seem pretty legit. Morimoto D2S and Mini H1. Morimoto Three5 ballasts with relay harness and splitter for quad highs AND lows. Anything I should know to prepare my truck for em? DRL killer or cap mod for full power DRL? Turn off perimeter lighting? What about how my lights flash with lock /unlock?

 

[Blckshdw]

BFC is on HIDPlanet quite a bit, they've got a pretty good rep. I lean more towards the DRL killer than cap mod for HIDs. Personal preference, plus lower hours on the bulbs/ballasts, depending on how much daytime driving you're doing. With the DRL killer, the rest of your points become moot as far as the HIDs go, but your parking lights will still still flash on (un)lock

 

[aaronbtb]

I am pretty sure there is a recall on those 3Five SS ballasts. I would ask the seller for a copy of the invoice so you could utilize that when they crap out.
I had 4 sets of the SS 3Five and 3 of them died, all I had to do was contact TRS, they asked for the serial number and requested that I cut the cords so they cannot be used. And they will ship out the newer ballasts.

 

[dmanns67]

I am pretty sure there is a recall on those 3Five SS ballasts. I would ask the seller for a copy of the invoice so you could utilize that when they crap out.
I had 4 sets of the SS 3Five and 3 of them died, all I had to do was contact TRS, they asked for the serial number and requested that I cut the cords so they cannot be used. And they will ship out the newer ballasts.

What are you referring to as a SS ballast?

 

[aaronbtb]

He posted a picture of the morimoto ss 3five ballasts. If you goggle "morimoto ss ballast" you see the first 2 posts referring to the recall/warrenty

 

[dmanns67]

He posted a picture of the morimoto ss 3five ballasts. If you goggle "morimoto ss ballast" you see the first 2 posts referring to the recall/warrenty

I see your confusion. There is no Morimoto SS ballast. Those are the Morimoto 5Five ballasts. 55 watts not SS.

 

[aaronbtb]

No, he said "Morimoto Three5 ballasts"

 

[NateDG]

No, he said "Morimoto Three5 ballasts"

Yea I'm dummmmmmb... I meant 3five...

 

[aaronbtb]

Same thing lol.
When mine failed this is what I had to do.
Just send em a picture of it cut up. And these are Morimoto SS 3Five ballasts.
But they only fail when its cold, so if its not cold you got nothing to worry about.

 

[Blckshdw]

I wonder how 'new' they have to be, to get replaced. One of my Three5 SS ballasts was bad during recent testing, but I bought it from them like 4 years ago...

Edit: My other 3 are still good, so no biggie

 

[dmanns67]

Are these Morimoto SS ballasts their first version from years ago? Never heard of or seen SS used with their ballasts.