Aftermarket Headlights for GMC

[87Skier]

I've been looking for headlight for my gmc but I can't find any that don't cost an arm or a leg or aren't cheap foreign junk. What do you guys recommend getting? Are there any cheap lights that aren't garbage?

I've seen Hella lights and Cibia, and sometimes they are expensive and some stores list several different versions. I was thinking about getting these
http://www.prostreetlighting.com/pro...-5-34-4pc.html

But there are no reviews and I doubt they will hold up?

Ideas?

[DreamRyder1963]

I have some like those in my 71 C10 but I paid $30 off eBay and they have held up very well. I can get ones like them through Advance Auto for about the same price.

[Big Kev-O]

Those cheapies will definately be brighter but the lack of focus is the real problem. The more expensive lights like Ciebe/Hella's reflector design points the light at the road where you want it. Be carefull when ordering, some lights are meant for Left hand drive and some are RHD. LHD keep light out of oncomming drivers on the left and RHD is vice versa.

[DreamRyder1963]

My housings focus the light better then the factory units and as well as the ones in the '05. If the houses are supposed to keep light out of the eyes of oncoming traffic then every unit on the road has failed in that respect.

[special-K]

I just get halogens made by one of the headlight companies that have been making OEM quality headlamps forever. Not only do they light the road better than original,they do it while still appearing to be original. These trucks don't need headlight bulbs to be the focus of attention.They are just there on every car so they can drive at night. I learned my lesson on gimmicks a long time ago. The one thing you can count on with novelty gimmicks is someone just made money off of you. Anything beyond that is a crap shoot.

[87Skier]

Thanks for the replies! I think I'll stick with the factory lighting for now, and save up for some decent glass replacements.

[Andy4639]

Before upgrading the lights on our truck you should install a relay kit to the factory lights and see afterwards if you even need the upgraded lights.
Another thing you can do is check the connections on the head lights and see how much voltage you are getting to your lights. if you upgrade to the relays you will get the max voltage and amps to them.

[SS Tim]

Take a read through this thread. Skorpioskorpio and I debated high end lamp performance. You might find interesting the lamps he has for his Jimmy in post #7
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=623437

[87Skier]

That's a lot of red! Forgot to mention that I'm already planning on doing the relay upgrade, but I haven't decided how I want to do it yet, and depending on what your of light i buy i may end up with 4 lo beams or something unique. Right now my Jimmy is torn apart without engine or trans so I figured I would take a look at the headlights.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by 87Skier

i may end up with 4 lo beams or something unique.

Big mistake IMO if you plan on actually driving at night. If you get high quality E-codes, you can buy specific high beams that will amaze you, even without a wattage upgrade.

[davepl]

If you want a REAL headlight upgrade, and are ready for current technology:

KenSun makes great HID kits that I have in the driving lights of my Range Rover and in all four lights of my GMC. Never had an issue with any of them.

The KenSun 4-bulb setup actually has the mechanical actuators as you would find on a new Mercedes or similar that physically moves the lamp (or arc) just like your old T3 would have. Only instead of having two filaments in two positions in the same bulb it just moves from one location to the other as you move between high and low beam.

If you're on a Chevy with 2 headlights, it's brain-dead simple. I had no issue with the 4-lamp. The instructions are decent, not like the usual stuff where it was translated by someone who read Shogun once in the 90s.

You may not even need a relay, as the ballasts take power from the battery and your existing headlight harness is (I think) only used as the trigger signal to turn on.

Just be careful on the color temperature you pick. I went with 8000K but it's a little bluish. If you don't want to look too blingy, I'd imagine 6000K would be better. 4000K would be closer to the old yellow headlights your truck came with (though maybe that's more like 2900K).

Anyway, if you want better lights, this is what new high end cars come with.

You need lamp housings to install the HID units into. I bought a set of 4 HB5 compatible buckets and then used:

• Kensun HID Xenon Conversion Kit "All Bulb Sizes and Colors" with "Slim" Digital Ballasts - 9007 (9004) (HB5) Bi-Xenon - 8000k
• Kensun HID Xenon Conversion Kit "All Bulb Sizes and Colors" with "Slim" Digital

Got mine on Amazon.

PS: What's the deal with people installing Oracle lighting and so on with RED angel rings in the front? Red should ONLY be on the rear of a vehicle.

[davepl]

Oh yeah, and my obligatory warning every time this topic comes up:

The LMC "heavy duty headlight upgrade" or whatever their relay harness with the big yellow tube is WIRED WRONG. Save your money, unless you're a big fan of taking apart Packard connectors and reinserting them into the right places, and don't mind sorting out green from brown and lots of testing.

[87Skier]

I saw another thread about the lmc stuff being wired wrong. Like a lot of this older stuff if I can't find a decent price or someone doesn't make it, I make my own. The headlight harness being one of those.

As far as HIDs go, I'm a fan when they are done right, but 'ricers' have kind of ruined them for me unless they have a well designed housing. I would love to have projector headlamps that look stock, but that isn't going to happen.

Davepl, did you buy special buckets? Do other drivers get a lot glare? How focused are the beam patterns? Link to the buckets?

Stocker, I'm not planning on going with 4 low beams, but i just need to wait to see what type of bulb and connector I end up with, but thanks for the tip on the high beams.

[Andy4639]

My lights work great and they light up the road good. I aimed them also to give me a good shine out front.

Here is my thread on them.




http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=630581

[davepl]

I think they're the LMC buckets but I honestly do not recall.

They have a crisp cutoff line, so as long as they are properly aimed they should bother no one. I've got them sort of high on my other car because I live on country roads with a lot of deer, but no one flashes their brights at me, so it can't be bugging anyone too seriously.