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HID/LED Headlight Project

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11K views 33 replies 3 participants last post by  2003_sv650s 
#1 ·
Recently I completed a projector retrofit on my motorcycle. I was pretty much hooked right away. As I tell my wife often:
"There are worse hobbies I could be spending money on"
With that I'll get started

My 08 WK is a Laredo and came equipped with the halogen headlamps. We've all seen them, nothing special or exciting.


I threw in a set of Silverstar Ultras once the first bulb went out. Halogen Light output:



The OEM HID headlights to me look awesome. I've wanted to get a set after I saw them the first time. They are HID and use a Valeo D1s Projector & Ballast. I still need to buy a set. I'm looking at a few options online now but if anyone has a set for cheap please send me a message.


The new thing in the headlight world is LED. Here is where the fun really is going to start.

Lucky for me the Jeep WK OEM setup only requires a lowbeam 2.5" projector. This means I don't have to attempt to fit a Bixenon in the small area. I chose to go with LED projectors out of a 2015 Nissan Murano. I purchased these from "Theretrofitsource.com". I will need to shave off a little of the heatsink below the lens to make it fit but I don't see it becoming a problem.


The LED projectors have NO Ballasts or Bulbs. Which is a blessing and a curse. If a projector ever goes out I will need to replace the whole unit but the up front cost is much much cheaper. The LED's also have a longer life expectancy. I also ordered a set of clear lenses to swap on. A clear lens is used a lot on retrofits to add to the color of the cutoff and/or to increase the sharpness of the cutoff.

Projector Testing & Output shots!! @50ft-60ft with stock lens. Surprised at how wide they actually are, I kept hearing that the beams were super narrow and pencil-like.
The Setup:

Left Projector Output:

Left Projector Cutoff:

Right Projector Output:

Slight bowing to the left and right along the cutoff. You can kinda see it here. Center of beam is aimed at far right of white fence:

Color in the bow to the left. Equal sized on the right:

This was the right side of the beam that wasn't out into the yard. I love the color these have:

Purpley-Blue
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Separate lens holder from LED & Heatsink.


Remove plastic lens with flathead because it's glued on



Cut 3 nubs off lens holder with knife




Ooooo clear lens



Lens is a little thicker at the base. Used some sandpaper to get it smooth. Lens ring still didn't fully clip in place. I'll have to sand it down more.



Saw this on the wires



Ready for test



Pictures coming!
 
#3 ·
I'm really ashamed I only had my phone to take pictures..... but enjoy anyway haha

All testing done at about 110-120ft. I paced it out. Any full distance shots for the projectors are only 1 on.

Stock headlights. Both are on.



Stock plastic crap lined lens!
Not sharp. Super colorful up close but seems very random in coloring.




Clear lens. I just clipped it on and didn't fiddle with positioning on the lens holder.... you'll see why.




Phone wasn't picking up on the amount of color. Took my white T-shirt off to try and help it. Top of tee is top of purple.



 
#4 ·
Took some better shots over the weekend in my backyard.

Testing Set Up:
Power Supply.

White Fence is 60' away & 60' wide.

Trashcans to get everything off the ground.


Testing Lens Alignment:
Output good (aligned at bottom):

Output bad (aligned at center):

Output worst (aligned at top):


Good Output shots:





Drop off at the ends:





Let me know what you guys think!! This project is on stand still till I can buy a set of OEM HID headlights.
 
#5 ·
I would think for the left/driver's light (US) that the aligned bottom would be perfect and for the right/passenger side the aligned center would be best.
Reason is it looks like it would still keep any glare for oncoming traffic to a minimum, but also it looks like the right side sweeps up to help catch road signs when needed. The left/DS should still dominate the sharp cut off when parked near something for people to see that as well.
Looks like an awesome project, and I do agree that the OEM style HID housing are much better looking that retrofitting. Since I have a black GC and like the blacked look better, I would opt for the black oem style housing when I get to that point. I look forward to more info on this with the LED projectors! They look very bright and crisp with the new lens.
 
#6 ·
I see what you're saying. I think the black housing would definitely look better on a black GC. With mine being silver I thought I'd be able to pull off either housing I eventually decided that I wanted to keep it looking as OEM as possible though.

If you look at this pictures below you'll see the faint light above the cutoff. The "Squirrel Finder" as it is called should light the road signs up well enough (I've been wrong before though).

 
#7 ·
Gotcha; I'm just asking questions to gain more knowledge about the subject. I hope this all goes well for you; I might have to do the same thing. I'd much prefer the idea of LED light "bulb" versus a HID for power draw and heat output inside the fixture where airflow is non existent.
 
#9 ·
How do you know the Murano LED will fit into the same place as the OEM housing space? Or will you end up cutting as needed?
I hope it goes well for me too! I don't have the headlights yet so the project is pretty much frozen for right now. At least till I can buy them (I'm trying to sell some parts I have around the garage from my old motorcycle).

The LED definitely is a lighter load on the electrical system. I need to do a test to make sure the projector will work ok without a relay harness. From what I've seen the Canbus systems can be finicky sometimes.

Here are the size measurements that I've been able to find:

Both lenses are about 2.5". My plan is to cut and trim as needed. JB Weld and bolts will be my mounting method. I don't want to trim too much because that means I'm trimming heatsink. Heat dissipation isn't something I want to mess with too much (I'm sure the Nichia LED engineers calc'ed everything correctly).

I have some measurement pictures saved if you'd like me to post them? :thumbsup:

Valeo Bi-Xenon D1S (the bixenon is the same size as the low beam only):
Diameter = 82.55mm
Height = 96.00mm
Width = 106.20mm
Solenoid(sticks out by) = 9.40mm
Solenoid Length(from mounting holes) = 69.05
Length = 156.20mm
Length(seat of the lens to mounting holes) = 49.45mm
Length(mounting holes to end of bulb w/D2S) = 84.25mm
Width(between top mounting holes) = 72.20mm
Width(between bottom mounting holes) = 70.95mm
Height(between mounting holes) = 78.20mm

Murano LED Lowbeam:
Trimmed:
155mm deep
85mm tall
79mm wide
Untrimmed:
155mm deep
90mm tall
102mm wide
 
#10 ·
Update:
Ran a small bead of JB weld (epoxy) around the gray lens retainers and set my clear lens onto them. Did my best with alignment and put more JB around the edge. It's difficult to do these lighting projects because you need it to be dark and light at the same time.


Top Alignment

Bottom Alignment

Curing waiting for it to get dark


Got bored waiting for it to get dark..... Decided to test the projectors at 20ft while I wait. Cutoff and Color looks perfect to me.

Also tried firing both projectors up at the same time with my power supply. To my surprise it didn't have any problems.


Night shots. Same parameters as before- 60ft distance from the projector to the fence.
Both on




Drivers side

Passenger side

~3" of purple blue color at 60ft. I consider that really good.
 
#12 ·
Cut off "cross brace".


Popped out turn signal diffuser.


Heat sink trimmed. They're very very tough.


Not sure what this top hole was for. Possibly a turn signal bulb vent?? Anyway I figured it's easier to cut this shroud area then the heat sink.


Marked and cut.



Held projector in the area to check clearance. I didn't remove too much of the turn signal reflector.

 
#13 ·
Broke the projector holder.


Solution was to put the oem projector back on and JB weld the mount back on. We'll see next time if it will be strong enough.




Took some time to check out the wiring harness situation. My plan is to rip all this off and use what is on the Jeep. I'll splice in a 9006 male connector to the driver input.




I'll pull the wires out of here and hopefully can feed new stuff through it.


Need to cut a piece of something to cover this hole.


Need to pick up more of these bolts. Only have 2 leftover from my last build.


Dremeled old mounts off the projector and drilled a hole for bolt shown above.

 
#14 ·
JB weld looks like it took hold pretty well. Drilled out the other side of the heat sink to for another mounting point.



Since old projector was level if I level this one I'll be good on rotation. Planning on a dab of jb here to add a third point of contact.


New projector sits back about a 1/4 inch compared to old projector.


Still looks good though.


Noticed I got some butyl on the lens. Yay for sloppy hasty opening. I'll have to break out the goo gone at some point.
 
#15 ·
Did some more heatsink trimming and pondering mounting today. Took a ride to some auto parts stores looking for a 9006 male plug (to mimic the halogen bulb) and couldn't find any. I'll just order some since they're pretty cheap.

I'm contemplating cutting off the old projector mount all together but am wondering how I could mount the projector without it. Obviously I wouldn't be able to aim the projector after it's sealed but if it is aimed correctly before that it wouldn't matter. The adjuster would only be working the high beam reflector. Any thoughts on this?






Not using the old mount would let me move the lens farther up and into the shroud better. Just like in this teaser:
 
#17 ·
Been neglecting posting here but here's some updated photo's and descriptions copied from my other thread(s):

Decided to convert this to a "Quad" build. I say that with quotation marks because one set of projectors are High Beam only. They are from a 2014 Kia Cadenza and use a H9 bulb. Here they are:



My goal was to start making some brackets. The plan is to take measurements and CAD the bracket on my lunch break. I will transfer it to sheet metal or outsource that part.

Took measurements the best I could with a ruler I have.


Did a quick sketch and cut. I'm thinking about making this a 2 piece bracket. A "U" shape on top and a cross brace on the bottom. I'm going to CAD up the design today on my lunch break and see what I come up with.



Took the top half of the High Beam projector off and set it in the reflector. I think this is going to look really really good when I'm done.




Here are some size shots of the Murano/G37 Sedan/H9 Kia.

G37/Kia Width (These Halogens really are slim)


Murano/G37 (No bulb/igniter)/Kia (with bulb) Length -


Murano/Kia (with bulb) Length (They're pretty much the exact same length) -
 
#19 ·
Stopped by advanced auto parts this morning to look for a H9/H11 plug... apparently they don't have one. They only had 9005/9006/H4/H7.

Went to Lowes after lunch to look for mounting things. Bought everything I thought I needed except no sheet metal.. Well that leads me to this new development of ditching the bracket I took the time to draft lol. Similar to a method on HIDplanet called the "JnC method" but this one is not adjustable once sealed up.

Had to cut off the old projector bracket.


JB Welded a piece of angle on the assembly. I didn't want to drill through the housing to mount it. I will if the JB doesn't seem solid enough though. The other side of the projector is going to be a little tougher to find a spot on the assembly for the angle piece. It's not flat on that side. I'm just now waiting for that side to cure and I'll have to see what I can do for another mount.



Angle/Bolts on the projector.
 
#20 ·
SOOO YAY JB WELD ON PLASTIC HOUSINGS! <Fail>
:oops:


So the next logical step is to bolt the angle pieces into the assembly. It's what I didn't want to do but it's going to work so I'm going with it. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. No sense overcomplicating. I may shorted the bolts in the rear with the dremel to prevent them from hitting anything. Nuts will be JB'ed onto the bolts in the rear once everything is aimed 100%.



Projector protrudes from the back exactly as far as it needs to. The sharpie line I made was the perfect depth to meet the OEM shroud.




Next phase is to get the high beam reflector dremeled out for the H9 projector. That's going to need to wait till I have a set of shrouds but I will be buying them very soon. Then after that is the fun part of copying all this onto the Drivers side headlight!!
 
#21 ·
Pulled headlight #2 apart and trimmed the OEM shroud. Took the Dremel to the other Murano Projector so It's looking good. Learned from my "mistakes" with the first projector.

H9 High Beam projectors are so so close to fitting without help. I'll probably just use a little bit of JB to hold it on instead of using the centric rings I bought.


Shrouds hit each other. The OEM shroud used to look like a "U" so I trimmed that straight across. It still hits but it's less of the Apollo that will need trimming. I don't plan on trimming the Apollo's though until I have both projectors in and aimed correctly. Then I'll worry about shroud fitment.


Anyway! Progress is progress!! I'm very happy with the way this is going to end up looking.
 
#22 ·
The Apollo shrouds will need to be rotated 45 degrees. It's going to make trimming them SSOOOOO much easier.

Did a little HB projector mounting today. Not 100% since I have to trim the bolts more to clear the housing. Anyway I know you guys like pictures so here they are:



My temporary harness/adapter thanks to Yooshaw! I will solder & shrink wrap for the final harness.


A comparison between the present state and the future!!!


Fired the projector right up.. No current output shots but I guess I could go out tonight and grab some (weather permitting)


 
#23 ·
Took off the front bumper cover to access the headlight bolts. Taped rough estimates where I thought the lights should be.



Color difference


Put the lights on the Jeep.



Beams were pretty off to say the least.


Got the lights "aimed" to the best of my abilities. My driveway isnt exactly level either. I'm not very happy with them and a little irritated I am going to have to do this all over again another night.


Started the jeep up to see what it looks like on the road... well turnso out I need a relay harness. These things strobe like you wouldn't believe. I parked in my street just to get this shot for you guys so I hope you at least sorta like it. The street lights mess with showing the output.
 
#24 ·
I am scrapping the RGB Demon Eyes and just keeping the passive. I'm currently building my cashback to buy some things for this build. I will be lifting the Jeep sometime soon when the weather cooperates. Aiming round 2 will take place after that since I'm not sure where the Jeep will sit level-wise. The lift is a RC BB and the tires are 265/70r17.

I need to get night photos of the high beam. Depending I may try to tune it (if possible) in my downtime. It already has a clear lense so I'm not sure how much tuning is even possible. Plus its a highbeam so it isn't really necessary.

I bought a set of these H11 -> 9006 adapters on Ebay. Should get here by Monday the 11th.


Needing to buy these next:
- Mopar Spec Low Beam Harness

- Rubber Housing Caps [Need to measure size. May go with 100mm and use a large zip tie. Might not need these at all depending on how the OEM cap fits with the projectors in there.]
 
#25 ·
I installed the RC 2" lift, JK wheels and Cooper AT3s.

Driving home that night I realized that the OEM Halogen headlights were now ungodly high since the RC lift kinda levels out the Jeep. I felt bad for oncoming drivers but luckily it was a very very short drive. Sunday I adjusted them down with an allen key and about 5 minutes of my time. Moral of the story is that if you are going to lift your Jeep in anyway please check the aiming of your headlights after. Nobody likes being blinded.

Now that my lift is done I am planning to complete the low beam aiming this weekend. I will be ordering the wiring harness today. Probably within the hour.

Pics:





AND CAUGHT UP!
 
#28 ·
Nice weather means good time to get moving on this.

Last night I did more aiming of the headlights now that the jeep is lifted.

Before starting:


Shortly After:



Temporary harness wiring. Wanted to test out if the harness did the trick.





Rear heatsink of the projectors need some shimming to work. That's not that bad though, at this point I'll just stick cardboard spacers in there)






Off/On





Today I JBwelded the nuts and bolts of the low beam





Test fitted the OEM shroud again because why not!!



Fired up the highbeam finally at night to get a shot of it and I must say thank you Yooshaw





I trimmed 1 shroud for the high beam projector. Very minimal trimming needed so far. Haven't trimmed for the OEM shroud to fit over it though. Found out that the bolts in the back hit the assembly......... GRR! Well it looks like maybe tonight or tomorrow night I will use some Steelstick & JBWeld on the high beam projectors and opt out of using bolts.

More pictures to follow when I get that done.
 
#29 ·
Video finally posted to photobucket! Hopefully it works for you guys. No HID warm up time on these bad boys.


Small update this morning!

- Cleaned off all the chrome and the lens!! Damn fingerprints.
- Dremeled the Drivers high beam out for the projector.
- Unbolted Passenger high beam projector since I'll have to just use JB Steelstick & Weld to hold it in there. Not super thrilled about this since I haven't used this method before.

Photos:





It's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow morning so as of right now I don't think I will be doing anything with it tonight.. Could be wrong so I'll keep checking the weather report.



Also I put on a few decals onto my (new to me) metal cabinet. My dad snagged it from his work since they were going to throw it away. If anyone has any decals they'd be willing to contribute I'd be very gracious. My favorite so far is the F bomb one I forgot I had.
 
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