Quote:
Originally Posted by panhandler62
That is a great write up. It should be mentioned that improper installation and, in some case, unapproved kits, can not only be dangerous; they can get you in hot water with traffic enforcement.
Be sure you are familiar with local ordinances that relate to this mod before you do it.
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The legality of HID conversions is a pretty gray area. My searching has never led me to anything on any official level that specifically claims HIDs to not be legal, but I have come across a few unofficial web pages posted by states speaking of their illegality. It is better to keep in mind that you are probably pushing the law and might get popped for it if the wrong cop sees you with them.
One very good way to keep your radar profile smaller is to stick with the 4200-5000K range of color temperatures that VH Coachworks speaks of. All cars that come factory-equipped with HIDs are in the 4100-4300K range. That's the sweet spot for the whitest light. By comparison, halogens are around 3300-3500K. A lot of people doing HIDs want the really blue colors that just make them look like posers and are more likely to attract unwanted attention, not to mention the fact that they're just wasting light and aren't getting the visible lumens that HIDs are capable of.
Another suggestion I give people is to find a good headlight housing with a glare shield over the lowbeam bulb. The '03+ Silverados and all the GMT-900 trucks already have glare shields on them, but earlier trucks using refractor housings don't have the glare shields. For the GMT-400 trucks, the best headlight housings you can buy are the TYC Elegante headlights. They're a nice, clear reflector housing, they fit nicely, they're of a good quality and they have the glare shields.
I have the Elegante lights on my '98 Suburban and they work very well with the HIDs. In my experience with many different styles and brands of aftermarket lights for these trucks, these are the only ones I've ever been happy with, HIDs or not.
Finally, to re-iterate VH Coachworks' plea, please be kind and do not blind! Take a little time to aim your lights and make sure you're not blinding everyone else on the road. There are many out there who believe that you cannot do a drop-in HID conversion without blinding everyone else on the road. Most who do them give the whole job a bad rap because they don't care and even think it's funny that they're blinding other drivers. With a little care in the install, it is possible to do the job and be safe with your HIDs and NOT blind other drivers. I have seen plenty of drop-in HID conversions, including my own, that don't bother my very photo-sensitive eyes. But there are also plenty more out there that blind the crap out of me.
I will also add that drop-in HID conversions are not optimal by any means. You just can't get the proper beam and cutoff from a housing designed for halogen bulbs. Though, if you stick with a good color temperature you will get a much brighter, whiter light and have much better visibility at night. The most optimal idea would be a retrofit using proper projectors designed for use with HIDs, but you have the issue of much greater cost and if you're not real good at fabricating things, it could be an issue.