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Better Headlights

10K views 23 replies 6 participants last post by  LLSJSXT19 
#1 ·
Hello,

I've got a 2017 Dodge Durango GT with projector headlights and fogs. I'm looking to upgrade to something brighter that will also hopefully match my DRLs. I've already gone through VLEDS and got bulbs for both and my blinkers, and they just don't seem to be very effective driving at night. I've heard people say HIDs are the way to go but seems like there's a lot of screwing around going that route. Already had the bumper off to fit these LEDs in the housings and they don't work as I had hoped, needless to say I'm disappointed. If anyone could help at all I'd appreciate it, the simpler the better.

Thanks in advance
 
#5 ·
Without an HID retrofit your best option is good high output Halogen bulbs like Osram Nightbreakers. Philips makes some good high output Halogen bulbs as well.

Please don't be one of those people that drops xenon bulbs in a halogen projector and blinds everyone coming the other way. The optics of the OEM projector just don't work with xenon or LED bulbs. You get massive foreground light with bad cutoff and actually less light thrown down the road where you want it.
 
#7 ·
You can only choose Kelvin ratings for aftermarket LEDs and HID bulbs. Factory HIDs are always 4300k. I'd guess factory LED headlights are about the same since that maximizes visible light. Standard halogen bulbs are more like 3300-3700k. You can get blue tinted halogens that mimic the color of 5000k or 6000k bulbs, but they result in reduced light output.

I'd guess the factory DRL LEDs are probably in the 4300k range (the factory HIDs and DRLs match pretty well on the Durango) but you won't be able to find a GOOD halogen bulb that is a perfect match. Color temps and optics just don't work out that way. And I agree it is really annoying to have 4300k-ish DRLs and 3500k-ish halogen headlights that don't match! Unfortunately if you want them to match you're going to have to go with a tinted halogen or 5000k LED, both of which will make your headlights worse at night.
 
#9 ·
Not sure about dropping in OEM HIDs. Typically the wiring harnesses are different, but not sure on the Durango. I see a few threads on retrofits putting aftermarket HID projectors (not just bulbs) into the stock headlight housing.

 
#14 ·
Well that's exactly what my car came with, Projector housings with halogen bulbs in them. LEDs I've already found are bright with no real focus, and HIDs require a lot of retrofitting and extra connectors and ballasts etc, and a lot of the kits have faults. Is there no simple solution to having just a brighter whiter light that's at least as focused as stock? In the end that's all I'm really after.
 
#16 ·
The Philips Crystal Vision series? Or Osram Cool Blue Intense? Those are Blue tinted halogens that are whiter, although they won't provide quite as much long distance light as the non-tinted version. But, they'll be better than stock bulbs I bet, and they're built for the optics of your halogen projectors. IMO those are your best bet for a more "bright" white look that is DOT legal and provides good output.
 
#20 ·
I have an '18 SXT+ with the same projector halogens... They LOOK great on the vehicle, but the light output is garbage. Down-the-road view is passable in rural areas, but there is little to no spread to help me see deer or other hazards lurking on the side of the road. I actually had to do the hack to reprogram the fog lights to stay on when the "brights" are on so I could have SOME side lighting. The side spread issue is because of the design of the projector... it's recessed too far in the housing compared to projectors on other vehicles with great side spread. I'm also convinced the wiring harness is deliberately underpowered. Other vehicles with the exact same bulb throw out a much brighter beam.

I've tried a few different LED bulbs, but as others have said, the beam pattern is almost always worse than the factory halogens. I finally settled on a set of Sylvanias that are slightly brighter than the stock halogens, but they do nothing to solve the lack of spread problem. I haven't tried HID's because, as you said, they look a little obnoxious to install on the Durango. For some reason, how-to videos specific to the Durango are lacking on YouTube. If the only access to the lights weren't through the wheel wells, it wouldn't be that bad. I had no issues installing them on my 2010 Escape.

For city/suburban street driving, the factory halogens are fine... But my project for this spring is to wire in some LED light bars. I should finally get the spread I want so I can see Bambi BEFORE he is on the road!
 
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