Lets talk HIDs. What do you guys run?

So headlights are out of the truck:



I want a white color. Closest to OEM...like an Escalade etc. No blue/cop magnet. What do you guys run? Gonna do fogs too....

It sounds like you and I have about the same goal for HIDs. I have done a lot of talking with the guys at retro solutions, and they are way cool (as I am sure you know) and more than willing to help, plus they are reasonably priced and havent heard any complaints about them.

Anyway, from what I understand, the 4300k is the whitest, most usable light. For some compareson, it is the most common on the bmws, lexus, etc from the factory. The higher the temp, the more blue the light gets. The lower the temp, the yellower it is. You also lose lumens the more extreme you get in each temperature.

Also, I have been told that the digital ballasts are more reliable, as well as last longer than the non digitals. Between 35w digital and 55w digital, I guess there is a noticeable brightness change (55w being brighter).
Oh! And any option above applies to low beams, high beams and fogs.

This concludes (and encompasses) everything I know about HIDs LOL

jdgleason said:

It sounds like you and I have about the same goal for HIDs. I have done a lot of talking with the guys at retro solutions, and they are way cool (as I am sure you know) and more than willing to help, plus they are reasonably priced and havent heard any complaints about them.

Anyway, from what I understand, the 4300k is the whitest, most usable light. For some compareson, it is the most common on the bmws, lexus, etc from the factory. The higher the temp, the more blue the light gets. The lower the temp, the yellower it is. You also lose lumens the more extreme you get in each temperature.

Also, I have been told that the digital ballasts are more reliable, as well as last longer than the non digitals. Between 35w digital and 55w digital, I guess there is a noticeable brightness change (55w being brighter).

This concludes (and encompasses) everything I know about HIDs LOL

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Exactly the info I'm looking for bro. So your headlights are 55 w 4300. Are the fogs the same?

Im prob sure his fogs are the same. but would like to know how they do...as far as do they get to hot? Heard some bad stories?

PTSUPERD said:

Exactly the info I'm looking for bro. So your headlights are 55 w 4300. Are the fogs the same?

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I dont have them yet... but that is the set up I will be running. The price difference between 35 and 55w is like $25 for the whole set up, so that was pretty helpful in making mny choice lol. Fogs will be the same temp as well.

Smut said:

Im prob sure his fogs are the same. but would like to know how they do...as far as do they get to hot? Heard some bad stories?

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Ive never heard anything bad. i think a lot of the heat is the quality of the ballast. I know a guy with some blue blue ones (6000k or 8000k) and they dont get very hot. They seem to be pretty close to the same temp as a headlight. But, then again I dont have any first hand experience with them.

Gotcha. Ya may as well do fogs at the same time. Truck hopefully will be painted this week...but not rushing my painter. I'd like to have the HIDs ready as soon as the truck is done ...

Ya, I am planning on the fogs as well. I think its money well spent, really. I know Dustin has some 4300ks... Maybe ask him for a picture. Mike D may have the same setup as well. I believe both are from retro solutions.

I just put in the retro hid 55w 5000k and I think the are the "whitest",Plenty bright bright on low beam,no blinding other drivers.I'm not impressed with the highbeams though.Don't have the fogs yet

i run the 55w 6k bulbs and they wash out almost all the blue. i too wanted white lights but wanted higher up the heat scale. the 35w 6k are a bit more blue than the 55w ones.....

I was told that quality hid kits run cooler then regular halogen bulbs. Could be completely wrong so take it with a grain of salt maybe someone who knows for sure can chime in and confirm...or tell me I'm an idiot haha

I will be looking at getting an HID kit from Retrosolutions. They seem to have the best Customer Service as far as HUDs go. Im kinda torn about what level of HID i want. maybe a lighter blue to white.

cfdeng7 said:

I was told that quality hid kits run cooler then regular halogen bulbs. Could be completely wrong so take it with a grain of salt maybe someone who knows for sure can chime in and confirm...or tell me I'm an idiot haha

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I would assume so. I have heard the same thing and it makes sense. Higher quality components equal less electrical resistance equals cooler light and cleaner power whioch should lead to longer life of the ballast.

Diezel Dawg said:

I will be looking at getting an HID kit from Retrosolutions. They seem to have the best Customer Service as far as HUDs go. Im kinda torn about what level of HID i want. maybe a lighter blue to white.

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Ya, talk to the guys at retro solutions. They have scales, examples and explanations of each temp and what color they produce.

I'm not real sure if this would ring true for all kits but my fogs are 55w and 6k and they get way hot to the touch. I don't even run them.

I think maybe the fog housings are better with a 35w bulb. Make sure you ask them about this as I'm sure they'll be able to clarify.
I don't remember which kit is in my fogs bc it's been so long, but I know it's not retro....which could be my problem.

Gare...FWIW, I'm running a 4300k set from retrosolutions. I wanted something as close to the lexus/bmw/caddy OEM color as possible and that's what they told me to get. No blue tint at all.

Most factory hids are a 4300k set up with a projector that gives them that blue look of a factory light. But actual out put is straight white. I bought 6k 55w and they are a good mix of blue but the output is pretty white IMHO. I love mine though nice and bright. Ill try and pop a pic tonight
Here is a side view they are alot more blue when they first start up


Here is in the cab

How many of these HID setups are factory reliable?

Had the 4300s from Retro Solutions in my wife's old car and they were completely white. The only complaint I had was that when they were on the radio didn't work as well. They were interfering with it somewhere.

Spatel23 said:

I'm not real sure if this would ring true for all kits but my fogs are 55w and 6k and they get way hot to the touch. I don't even run them.

I think maybe the fog housings are better with a 35w bulb. Make sure you ask them about this as I'm sure they'll be able to clarify.
I don't remember which kit is in my fogs bc it's been so long, but I know it's not retro....which could be my problem.

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Good info. Ill look into that...

I'm running an el-cheapo HID setup. They're 35w, 5000k. They're kind of blue still, but they're some junk off brand thing. They are the hi/lo, but they're the electromechanical ones (moves with a magnet instead of having two true bulbs), but they were $55 brand new for the complete setup with lifetime warranty, hard to beat. I'm thinking of taking them out, they're ridiculously bright for only a 35w, and not having projectors is bugging me. Well I shouldn't say bugging me... I can see great, bugging passer-by's. I've been flahsed maybe 10x in a year, which isn't terrible... and running a leveling kit too. Never been pulled over or anything for them though. I think really the only way these should be run is in projector housings, they just don't work as well as they could without them.