HID kit for 6" round offroad light?

[jimmy-90]

Hello. Im planning to convert a bunch of 6" round offroad lights that take H3 bulbs to 55w HID xenon's and was wondering if anyone elese on here has done this before? If so did you start out with an offroad light that had more of a spot beam or more of a broad beam and what did you end up with after the conversion??? I've heard of people trying to space the bulbs farther back to focus the beam more but I don't know what you would use to space the bulbs back with. These lights will be going on my M1028.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

I think you need to be careful with hid conversions as they get real hot and should be in a projector housing. Or the light goes everywhere but where u want it!

 

[jimmy-90]

Figured I would get on here and update this thread since I finally got around to upgradeing my 6" round off road lights to HID's. How did it work out you ask....Absolutely GREAT!!!!! I used the VVME 55w H3 HID kit with 4300K bulbs and the difference is like comparing a candle on a coffee table to a cubic foot of the sun on a coffee table in front of you!!! I was originally afraid that the beam would flood out or scatter but that couldn't be further from the case. The beam is still a spot beam but the beam cohesion with the HID bulbs is absolutely amazing. These things will literally spot things from mountain to mountain with the most perfect beam. I tested a set of 35w HID lights with internal ballasts at the local rv store out here and gotta say that the 55w HID kit that I got is about twice as strong. Also the 6" round lights that I got originally had 130w halogen bulbs. I think that one of the HID converted lights is putting out more useable light that the other 5 combined with 130w halogens.

 

[BigRix]

Any pictures of the conversion process or how you mounted everything? I'm interested in this myself.

 

[Truckoholic]

I will probably want to put HID headlights in my M925A1. I am a big HID, or Arc light fan. The idea of creating light with a continuous arc rather than a heated filament is just awesome, and makes such an intense pure light.

So the lights you converted, are auxillary off road lights? Yeah we need some pictures here

 

[jimmy-90]

Ok I do have some pics here lol. these first few are the 6" round lights dissassembled and ready to convert.

 

[jimmy-90]

These next few are of the mod that I had to do to the back of the light to get the new plugs that go to the HID bulbs to fit through it. I had to enlarge the holes to 5/8". I used a hole file that I got from the hardware store for that part. The dremel has a smaller hole file on it which I used to put that notch in it. the notch is for the part of the plug that sticks up and another part on the other end snaps over it. Anyhow if you don't want to alter the light housing you could always just cut the wires for the installation and re-attach them with sta-cons. I have new gromets that I will put in there and silicone it completely shut.

 

[jimmy-90]

Finally I can't really explain how I am going to mount the ballasts because im building something that nobody has ever seen before....At least i've never seen anything like my creation before. I would describe this light system as something between a pre-runner light rack, mixed with riot vehicle screans and bars, that would be right at home on a piece of heavy equipment. It's very apocalyptic looking. Anyhow here are the rest of the pics that I have of the light conversion part. If you guys want me to take better pics of any pieces or parts just hollar. As for the rest of what im building im almost done. I will start a thread about it soon so keep an eye out.

 

[Truckoholic]

Very cool! I can imagine those things are very nice and bright! We need some pics in the evening showing the beam of the unmodified stock halogen light, next to the HID one so we can see just how much difference there is. I mean, having experimented with a few HID lights myself, I know it's gotta be impressive. I just want to see it. ha ha

 

[jimmy-90]

No prob. I left one light unconverted just for that purpous. I'd love to get a video of it myself.

 

[jimmy-90]

Managed to get some pics last night. The first two are of the 130w halogen. As you can see in the first pic the light carries far enough out to light up the side of that house which is pretty far away but it won't go anywhere near far enough to light up that tree line way out there in the background. unfortunately the second pic is mostly of my head. Now the last four are of the HID converted light. As you can see it lights up the tree line with authority. even at that range there are no signs of it dissipating or fading out and that tree line is a long long long ways away. Also notice how perfect of a beam it sends out. In the last pic I have it aimed up to show that this thing is easily powerful enough to spot an airplane with from the ground. Please note that the blip in that pic is a bug or light anomaly reflecting off the camera lens and NOT I repeat NOT an airplane. If any of you guys do this conversion PLEASE for so many reasons do not aim it at an airplane. Anyhow I hope this thread debunks or puts to rest some of the misinformation there is out there about converting this type of light to an HID. One more thing Before the weekend is over I will try to get some day time pics of the landscape where I took these photos at so you can clearly see the distance these things cover.

 

[Truckoholic]

Wow! That is indeed a significantly impressive difference! Thanks for posting!

 

[SGT LongT]

Wow

 

[MidnightDuramax]

Looks great. I also did something very similar for my Chevy Silverado. I used Hella 700 and HID kits from DDM tunning with slim balasts. It was $115 dollars for 2 light and a HID kit to do the conversion. I love them.