Quad Bi-xenon retrofit? woot woot!!!

[NinjuhhNutz]

I personally haven't, but I've heard good things. I did just hook up with a new couple new companies that deal with hids and leds, and I plan to use their components in my personal retrofit to wee how they perform. If they're decent, I'm bringing them to the table in a retail capacity.

gotcha...I'm pretty sure I'm convinced myself that I'm going with the vled's lol
we'll see how it works out

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

a few output pics, since I've been mia here for a bit

1 side (2 projectors)

both sides (4 projectors)

not finished aligning yet...but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel
((yea, pun intended ))


I am noticing that 2 of my bulbs are slightly more blue than the other 2...not sure if it's the initial color shift, or what...

 

[Blckshdw]

Jared needs to come on and post his output and functionality pics/vids already

 

[Sparky]

I didn't feel like washing the truck (bug guts from the trip), tweaking the aim, and get pics last night. I know it isn't that hard, but after spending all my extra time and then some last week finishing these I didn't really feel like messing with it much my first night home. Bite me

Maybe this evening. I don't have a good spot to show cutoff, although we know how flat that is so I might just go to a dark road and show off the lighting that way.

Ninjuh you done yet? You've had a few more hours now

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Grrrrrr no...lol
I was a little upset tbh. I thought I had it almost lined up
My wires for the halos/demon eyes and making it a pita to aim them...I didn't realize the rubber washer was going to cover the hole I made for the wires
Looks like another date night with me n the file when I get home

 

[Blckshdw]

I just wanna see how your switchback setup looks, and what all those damn relays do! That's been the big secret all this time.

 

[Sparky]

Well I got a video but it is a stupid huge file (uncompressed AVI) so I'm trying to see what I can do to shrink it. Tried just uploading it straight to photobucket but it didn't like that too much

*edit* OK I got it compressed by some program and uploadeded, pardon the annoying "wondershare" thing in the center but it doesn't block anything really important. Video quality kinda took a dump too as those strips don't look like solid lines in reality but you get the idea.

 

[Porkins]

*edit* OK I got it compressed by some program and uploadeded, pardon the annoying "wondershare" thing in the center but it doesn't block anything really important.

Yeah, it does. It blocks part of your plate, now how are people going to stalk you?

BTW, you did one awesome mod.

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Well I got a video but it is a stupid huge file (uncompressed AVI) so I'm trying to see what I can do to shrink it. Tried just uploading it straight to photobucket but it didn't like that too much

*edit* OK I got it compressed by some program and uploadeded, pardon the annoying "wondershare" thing in the center but it doesn't block anything really important. Video quality kinda took a dump too as those strips don't look like solid lines in reality but you get the idea.

ok, lemme clean up the mess I just made ,

damn dude...I like that!!! looks good, I'm sure it looks even better in person, where you can distinguish the individual led's! Kudos!!!
Well, you're done, lol...I'm waiting on payday to come around before I can even afford the wiring to get everything working the way I want it! ((damn vacation broke my ass!!!))
But, I'll be done here soon, and lighting up the neighborhood! :wootwoot:

 

[Blckshdw]

Me likey!! Gives me a much better idea of how LED strips inside the housing are gonna look. Any idea what size those are? 3528's maybe? How you figured out the DRL, parking, turn logic through all those relays is beyond me. Nice work though J.

 

[wesman43]

Sorry for being blunt here, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy projector headlights from carid or somewhere?

 

[dmanns67]

Sorry for being blunt here, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy projector headlights from carid or somewhere?

I would not consider ebay or carid projector headlight as a "real" projector. There is alot that goes into the design of a projector itself. Those of us that have completed a retrofit know the price of quality projectors will be the same price, if not more, than the carid/ebay projector headlights for just the projectors themselves. You will be able to see a huge difference in output using a replica or OEM projector.

I personally went with the FX-R projectors. They are replicas of the Infinity FX35 projectors made by The Retrofit Source. You should check out their site. The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications HIDs in a stock housing is a huge upgrade over halogens, but you have glare which can blind oncoming traffic. Nothing can compare to the lighting performance you get out of quality OEM or replica projectors.

Here's my output shot. You will not get a cutoff line like this using ebay/carid projector headlights.

View attachment 29185

Plus, everyone likes custom, one off items for their GMT. Everyone's setup looks different. Here's mine.

View attachment 29186

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

I would not consider ebay or carid projector headlight as a "real" projector. There is alot that goes into the design of a projector itself. Those of us that have completed a retrofit know the price of quality projectors will be the same price, if not more, than the carid/ebay projector headlights for just the projectors themselves. You will be able to see a huge difference in output using a replica or OEM projector.

I personally went with the FX-R projectors. They are replicas of the Infinity FX35 projectors made by The Retrofit Source. You should check out their site. The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications HIDs in a stock housing is a huge upgrade over halogens, but you have glare which can blind oncoming traffic. Nothing can compare to the lighting performance you get out of quality OEM or replica projectors.

Here's my output shot. You will not get a cutoff line like this using ebay/carid projector headlights.

View attachment 15742

Plus, everyone likes custom, one off items for their GMT. Everyone's setup looks different. Here's mine.

View attachment 15743

Holy flat cutoff batman!!! Be careful walking by that, it might cut you
looks good!!!!!!! I like the crispness of the cutoff, I'm tweaking mine a bit for a bit of color along the cutoff, but it won't effect the actual performance of the projector/light output.


And I agree with Dmanns. for the most part, you can go on ebay and get low quality versions of ANYTHING, however with the amount of time and effort that go into a TRUE retrofit...I'll be damned if I'm putting cheap components into it
The mini's aren't top of the line, but considering I'm putting 2 into each headlight, AND this is my first retro? I'll good with that lol

Spoiler

I could have went on Ebay and bought cheap projectors. Also, instead of getting my tbI could have used craigslist to by this
like new gas saver

 

[Sparky]

The mini H1s aren't top of the line, no, but they can come pretty darn close. I was driving my Camaro home that has those projectors in it and a Mercedes passed me. Wasn't a huge amount of difference between his lights and mine

 

[Blckshdw]

I need to get back on the ball. After seeing that step and cutoff, the itch is flaring up again.... But due to having to replace my phone, and an impending addition of a tune, can't afford to buy the next set of goodies I need for the next step.

 

[dmanns67]

What you don't like the station wagon.

Hey brother, did not mean to hi jack your thread but I wanted to throw in some pictures of what I was talking about. Has the quad retro taken a back seat to the massive sub box build lol?

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

yea, tell me about it
I went from having no days off, MAYBE 1 off a week, to 3 days on the schedule
so, then I had the $ and not the time...now I have plenty of time, and no $
I haven't had a chance until today to really get out there, but I'm gonna grab some chow and head that way here in a few!
This aligning thing is a pita

 

[dmanns67]

Yeah man, I know what you mean. I get this weekend off, but I don't get a day off after that for the next three weeks. At least 4 July is one paid day off.

Good luck with the alignment.

 

[Blckshdw]

This aligning thing is a pita

Did you think I was kidding when I told you how annoying it was? I've got one perfect, have another minor tweak to do on the other. Then it will be shroud making time...

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

I may end up making diff holes for the led wires, as the wires are complicaring the alignment...i didn't think abt it when I made them no worries, more carnage!! Lol

 

[wesman43]

Okay, I see what you mean. I guess my next questions is how.the.heck.do you align them and keep them from jingle jangling around once you mount them

 

[Blckshdw]

The Morimotos have a threaded shaft and a locking nut to hold them in place. I'm using JB Weld epoxy putty to reinforce the backside to keep it from vibrating the lock nut loose, and to help support the alignment.

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Okay, I see what you mean. I guess my next questions is how.the.heck.do you align them and keep them from jingle jangling around once you mount them

hahahaha, it's funny you ask that...as I'm currently struggling to get mine properly aligned.
My answer? file down, test, punch something, crack open a beer, file down some more, test again, realize you made NO difference, punch something with your NON-throbbing hand, crack another beer...&repeat

technically, you "align" the holes in the in the reflector bowl where the projector mounts, and that in turn, aligns the light output.
sounds simple in concept, proves a bit more difficult in practice. If you're only doing 1 projector in each headlight, you're good to go, as you can use the adjustments and just align the headlights themselves, but if you are using dual projectors in each headlight, you have to align the two projectors together, before the seperate headlights can be aligned. :banghead:

 

[Sparky]

That's why my inner projectors only do auxiliary high beams - I didn't want to have to screw with making them line up with the outer projectors, especially since space is so much more at a premium on the inner

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Yea lol but I REALLY like the look of quad prpjectors...soOoOoOo I couldn't help it? ...I'm a victim :raspbery:

 

[wesman43]

hahahaha, it's funny you ask that...as I'm currently struggling to get mine properly aligned.
My answer? file down, test, punch something, crack open a beer, file down some more, test again, realize you made NO difference, punch something with your NON-throbbing hand, crack another beer...&repeat

technically, you "align" the holes in the in the reflector bowl where the projector mounts, and that in turn, aligns the light output.
sounds simple in concept, proves a bit more difficult in practice. If you're only doing 1 projector in each headlight, you're good to go, as you can use the adjustments and just align the headlights themselves, but if you are using dual projectors in each headlight, you have to align the two projectors together, before the seperate headlights can be aligned. :banghead:

Sold me on the retrofit already :thumbup: I looked at the FX-R and mini H1s...hard decision. Not gonna do quads though because tbh I don't feel like spending that much. So JB weld putty + case o beer= success?? SOLD!

Edit: Ooo they came out with the 6.0 minis now I saw a video comparison vs fx-r and they are almost identical if not better now. H1 it is xD

 

[Blckshdw]

Got mine aligned as well as they are gonna be. Driver's side is really tight, passenger side, not so much when you look up close. At this point, don't wanna mess with them anymore, so this is how they'll stay. Time to move on to the next step!

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

man I gotta get a power supply...I get pissed after about 20 minutes of working on them, having to go back out to the truck and connect them, check the alignment etc etc
gonna ebay me a power supply wednesday! eff this back and forth crap!

 

[Blckshdw]

Having the right tools and goodies makes things a helluva lot easier. I couldn't use the little bench power supply that I've linked to in other threads (not enough amps), I used one of those dead battery jumper boxes, along with some spare 9006 harnesses I got from my previous HID kits that I had laying around.

A word of caution/humor, keep in mind how long you're testing and adjusting with it, cuz obviously the power will drain and you'll need to recharge it. Early on, when I was first Dremeling out the back of the reflector bowls just to get the projectors to shine in the same zip code, I had an instance where one would start to flicker like a strobe light, and make funny sounds. Thinking a ballast was going bad, I swapped sides. The problem flipped and I got nervous. Then a few minutes later, the other ballast started doing the same thing. Then it dawned on me that I hadn't charged the jumper in months, and it was probably low on juice :banghead:

Plugged it in over night, and all was right with the world the next day (other than my retrofit not being done, and I don't have an SS)

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Having the right tools and goodies makes things a helluva lot easier. I couldn't use the little bench power supply that I've linked to in other threads (not enough amps), I used one of those dead battery jumper boxes, along with some spare 9006 harnesses I got from my previous HID kits that I had laying around.

A word of caution/humor, keep in mind how long you're testing and adjusting with it, cuz obviously the power will drain and you'll need to recharge it. Early on, when I was first Dremeling out the back of the reflector bowls just to get the projectors to shine in the same zip code, I had an instance where one would start to flicker like a strobe light, and make funny sounds. Thinking a ballast was going bad, I swapped sides. The problem flipped and I got nervous. Then a few minutes later, the other ballast started doing the same thing. Then it dawned on me that I hadn't charged the jumper in months, and it was probably low on juice :banghead:

Plugged it in over night, and all was right with the world the next day (other than my retrofit not being done, and I don't have an SS)

I was looking for a adjustable one that ran off of ac power instead of batteries, that way I could use it for whatever I needed, and my father could also use it for his needs as well. We'll see, more ebay searching lol

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

I was in the.middle of typing a message, but figured someone else may benefit from the answer, so thought I might as well ask it here...lol
For the hid's any 12v power supply will work, right? The reason I ask is because was using an ol battery charger, and the bulbs would flicker...and never come on. So, I wasn't sure.
Any links to a specific cheap one, would deff NOT be frowned.upon

 

[Blckshdw]

I was in the.middle of typing a message, but figured someone else may benefit from the answer, so thought I might as well ask it here...lol
For the hid's any 12v power supply will work, right? The reason I ask is because was using an ol battery charger, and the bulbs would flicker...and never come on. So, I wasn't sure.
Any links to a specific cheap one, would deff NOT be frowned.upon

It wasn't supplying enough power. I assume it was a trickle charger? You need something that's gonna push 12V, with enough amps to fire the ignitors in the ballasts. You need a battery jumper/booster (not charger), that's gonna simulate the output from your truck. Similar to this...

[EBAY]310644706420[/EBAY]

 

[wesman43]

Mine came today!!! I'm going to put off the retrofit until end of summer, when I can get some time off.

Also, the reflector bowl in one of my headlights jiggles when I go over bumps, pretty much shaking my headlights on that side when they are on also, should I get a new headlight or would it be practical to jbweld the reflector bowl in place for the retrofit?

 

[Blckshdw]

Mine came today!!! I'm going to put off the retrofit until end of summer, when I can get some time off.

Good, it would be quite embarassing if you finish your retrofit before I finish mine...

Also, the reflector bowl in one of my headlights jiggles when I go over bumps, pretty much shaking my headlights on that side when they are on also, should I get a new headlight or would it be practical to jbweld the reflector bowl in place for the retrofit?

:banghead: JB Weld will NOT hold it in place. I was able to pull it off very easily after trying both the 2 part epoxy, as well as the putty. You can try Smitty's method of fixing it, with my luck, I would have drilled through the base off center and screwed it up. Fortunately I was able to get a donor headlight from the junk yard pretty cheap. Since I was going to reuse my own lens, the crappiness of the donor light did not matter since i just needed the main housing.

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

with these things, taking the risk of.the epoxy not lasting isn't worth it...between eBay and junkyards, you should.be able.to find one reasonably cheap
And, welcome to the club lol

 

[Blckshdw]

Nope, not yet... He's not welcome to the club until he breaks something by mistake while doing the retrofit like we did Bring on the carnage!!!

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Hahaha good point, my friend. Lets just hope for his sake, it's something cheap...

 

[wesman43]

Hahaha good point, my friend. Lets just hope for his sake, it's something cheap...

Oh, we all know its coming...with my luck it will be something irreplaceable so I have to buy a whole new headlight, again. something like cracking the entire headlight trying to pull it apart, or possibly melting something somewhere to another something xD

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Oh, we all know its coming...with my luck it will be something irreplaceable so I have to buy a whole new headlight, again. something like cracking the entire headlight trying to pull it apart, or possibly melting something somewhere to another something xD

just don't do like I did...order chinese, go pick it up, toss your headlight in the oven, start doing dirty things to the chinese...and then smell something NOT so delicious coming from the oven

 

[wesman43]

just don't do like I did...order chinese, go pick it up, toss your headlight in the oven, start doing dirty things to the chinese...and then smell something NOT so delicious coming from the oven

Aww they must have added extra lead in there just for you!