New headlights for the Tundra (Mini-Projectors)

[Desert Whaler]

So the factory headlights on my 2006 Tundra are about as weak as can be.
With all these grommets flying aroud at night on E-Bikes & E-Scooters . . . I've had a half dozen close calls almost taking out kids & adults riding them like morons.
So I did some browsing on a tundra forum and think I found a happy middle ground between cost & performance.

Ordered a set of these 'Mini-Projector' bulb assemblies . . . I've gotta do some tweaking on the orig. headlights & remove the reflector and add a resistor . . . but the dudes who've done it swear by 'em.
I'm not dumping $500 in some Morimoto retrofits . . . I'll run these & see how they work . . . gotta be better than the stock /crappy halogens . . .

I'll report back after the install & testing . . . (and they aren't fog lamps, as stated)

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Diode Dynamics or Precision LED don’t have anything for a Tundra of that year?

Best thing I did was going full LED on the front end of my Yukon, I can finally see while driving. GM sucks at headlights too.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Diode Dynamics or Precision LED don’t have anything for a Tundra of that year?

Best thing I did was going full LED on the front end of my Yukon, I can finally see while driving. GM sucks at headlights too.

They only sell LED replacement bulbs, not the mini-projectors.
I guess when you install LED Bulbs in these housings the light scatters everywhere including at oncoming traffic.
These have a 'cut-off' line . . . but being just a $70 Chinese bulb, they do have that purplish aberration right at the top of the cut off line . . . but I'll take that over the dim lighting I'm suffering through now.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

They only sell LED replacement bulbs, not the mini-projectors.
I guess when you install LED Bulbs in these housings the light scatters everywhere including at oncoming traffic.
These have a 'cut-off' line . . . but being just a $70 Chinese bulb, they do have that purplish aberration right at the top of the cut off line . . . but I'll take that over the dim lighting I'm suffering through now.

Install one, pull the truck up against a white wall, turn the headlights on and give us a comparison between the stock and the upgrade.

For example, here’s the difference between my headlights and fog lights, and reverse lights from stock to LED.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Nice ! Those look great . . . . yeah, I'll do that once I get them.
Package left 'CHYNA' yesterday . . . so it might be mid-week before I get them.

I've slowly been replacing the stock bulbs with LED's . . . . big improvement.

i didn't take any 'before's' . . . .

But here's after replacing all the cab lights . . . it's actually white in there now instead of yellow . . . .

and here's the 'door /curb lights' with the interiors turned off . . . . I may actually be able to see something on the ground that I drop.

 

[Desert Whaler]

So I broke a couple of the stock light housings attempting to remove them.
The 18 year old plastic was super brittle.

So I ordered all new . . . .

Got the reflectors removed and installed the mini-projectors w/o too much fuss . . .

Old Halogens . . .

New mini-projectors . . .

Truck backed in the driveway with lights pointing down.

1'st test drive and I didn't even get out of the tract before someone flashed their high beams at me . . . so I'll adjust them way down tonight.
Overall I'm very happy . . . huge upgrade, I'd say at least twice as bright as the stock halogens .
The blue/purple line will take some getting used to . . . but for the price and the upgrade I'll take it.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

That’s pretty odd that you have that odd blue light line but from comparing the before and after I don’t see an issue with the cutoff line (looking at the garage door anyway).

If you adjust anything, just take the left one down a skosh, that’s the one oncoming drivers notice most.

Also if you are putting out much brighter light, be prepared for the occasional brights flash at you. People see super bright lights and they just assume your highs are on.

 

[PaPaG]

So I broke a couple of the stock light housings attempting to remove them.
The 18 year old plastic was super brittle.

So I ordered all new . . . .

View attachment 1426743

Got the reflectors removed and installed the mini-projectors w/o too much fuss . . .
View attachment 1426744

Old Halogens . . .


View attachment 1426745

New mini-projectors . . .

View attachment 1426746

Truck backed in the driveway with lights pointing down.
View attachment 1426747

1'st test drive and I didn't even get out of the tract before someone flashed their high beams at me . . . so I'll adjust them way down tonight.
Overall I'm very happy . . . huge upgrade, I'd say at least twice as bright as the stock halogens .
The blue/purple line will take some getting used to . . . but for the price and the upgrade I'll take it.

GREAT! now you have given me another project to think of doing....STOP IT! lol. Great looking lights.

 

[Desert Whaler]

That’s pretty odd that you have that odd blue light line but from comparing the before and after I don’t see an issue with the cutoff line (looking at the garage door anyway).

If you adjust anything, just take the left one down a skosh, that’s the one oncoming drivers notice most.

Also if you are putting out much brighter light, be prepared for the occasional brights flash at you. People see super bright lights and they just assume your highs are on.

Thanks for that. I'll keep that in mind.
Fortunately, the adjusters on the new lights are very easy to access . . . just takes a few turns with a long phillips that slides down a channel and mates up to a gear/wheel.

Yeah, that blue light / line is more of a 'You get what you pay for' deal.
For $70 I can't really complain

 

[Desert Whaler]

Just a littte update.
I was having a 'Hyper-flash' issue with my drivers side turn signal. (Blinking much faster than normal).
After some research, I learned that even though I installed an in-line Can-Bus resistor at the headlights, some times you can still experience hyper flash depending on how the truck originally came equipped and what year etc.
The answer was to swap out the flasher relay with one that recognizes LED's as being 'normal' .

The 'Hyper Flash' is the truck 'thinking' there is a burned out bulb due to the low voltage draw of the LED , vs the original halogen.
The rapid flashing is supposed to alert the driver that a bulb is out.

Other than being a pain reaching way up under the footwell to remove the factory relay and swap in the new one, it was straight forward.

I think I'll go ahead and swap out the rest of the halogens with LED's now that I have a flasher relay that'll recognize them.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Finally got the healights adjusted.
Swapped out the parking / turn bulbs to LED as well.
Only one's left that are halogen are the lower fogs . . .
Very happy . . .MUCH better.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Finally got the healights adjusted.
Swapped out the parking / turn bulbs to LED as well.
Only one's left that are halogen are the lower fogs . . .
Very happy . . .MUCH better.
View attachment 1431176

Looking good, but you can’t stop now. Do the fogs. Just decide if you want white there, or selective yellow (aka amber).

If you deal with a lot of fog, I’d go with the selective yellow. If you don’t and you just want more light without running the high beam go with white, but match the color temp of your headlights (6K or whatever you have).

 

[Desert Whaler]

Funny you say that.
I was just thinking when the last time I 'needed' fog lights and it was 20+ years ago with my Pops (in his truck) up near Avila Beach.
Good call on the color temperature . . . I hadn't considered that but thanks for the reminder !
Will report back.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Looking good, but you can’t stop now. Do the fogs. Just decide if you want white there, or selective yellow (aka amber).

If you deal with a lot of fog, I’d go with the selective yellow. If you don’t and you just want more light without running the high beam go with white, but match the color temp of your headlights (6K or whatever you have).

@DarkHorseRacing
Well . . . after you said that, I couldn't 'unsee' my janky fogs and I found a set of Auxbeam mini-projector bulbs on Scamazon.
They're 6500 color temp, the headlights are 6000 . . . so close enough.
They were only $58 shipped with a set of resistors . . . and made of fine grade Chinesium.
I'll climb under there & see if they'll fit / work . . . .

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

@DarkHorseRacing
Well . . . after you said that, I couldn't 'unsee' my janky fogs and I found a set of Auxbeam mini-projector bulbs on Scamazon.
They're 6500 color temp, the headlights are 6000 . . . so close enough.
They were only $58 shipped with a set of resistors . . . and made of fine grade Chinesium.
I'll climb under there & see if they'll fit / work . . . .

View attachment 1452325

I hope they work, once you get a full LED front end its great.

 

[rivermobster]

Well done!

I upgraded my headlights awhile back with projector bulbs. Hard to notice a huge difference around town, with all the streetlights and stuff, but a couple weeks ago, I took the back road home from Wrightwood late at night with no other cars on road.

Huge difference! I didn't even need my high beams. Money well spent.