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shaggyfrog
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
12:26:53
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 Subject: brighter headlights
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I am going to put some "shades" on my headlight lenses and i thought it would be a good idea to put some brighter headlights in. Wal-Mart sells some high output headlights. Do you think these are any brighter? How hard are the to install? Do I have to take the entire lense out to get to the bulb?
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RMoody
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
14:06:02
|  RE: brighter headlights
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Headlights are not hard to change... you do not have to take out the lense or the unit at all... just maybe a little tight moving around if you have huge hands or something... About the brighter lights I cant speak for the Wal-Mart lights but I know there are some very bright lights out there you can buy... they are expensive though (i think around $80 dollars)
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don94
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
14:35:53
| RE: brighter headlights
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i am using standard headlights and find no problem with them, the ones that were brighter in my estimation only caused problems for the on coming traffic, and certainally were not cost effective. for fog i would use lights that are low to road be it amber or white but in no way would i go for brighter lights to blind ppl in oncomming traffic. just my humble opinion.
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shaggyfrog
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
16:17:54
| RE: brighter headlights
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well, i'm putting tinted lenses on my headlights and i figured brighter lights would counter any visibility loss. i still have to look out for my own safety right? by the way, anyone know what size bulb the dakota has (2002)?
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bjlindsey
*GenIII*
6/17/2002
18:28:39
| RE: brighter headlights
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shaggy....there is a list of all bulb numbers in your truck in the owner's manual.
01 QC 4x4 5.9L 3.92 LSD
3" Body Lift, 305/70-R16 XTerrains,
K&N clone, Clear Corners, Carbon Fiber Tails,
www.FreeGasForYou.com
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kevster
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
18:30:36
| RE: brighter headlights
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9007
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Bill Smith
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2002
22:51:39
| RE: brighter headlights
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shaggy go to autozone and checkout the cool blue's, they are brighter and only run about 15 bucks a piece. we also have the silverstar's. they are the equivalant to the (hud-hid ) type lights like are in the new lexus,and bmers. the ones with the transformers. this is the closest thing to them in a " standard" type bulb. they run 25 bucks a piece. hope this helps
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juniork
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2002
00:39:16
| RE: brighter headlights
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shaggyfrog, If you look at any store bulb they will say 55 watt low beam and 65 watt high beams. Both the HO and the cool blue are the same wattage. I ordered some through JC Whitney that were 80 watt lows and 100 watt highs, and they shine blue for $12.95 each. the look and shine great. good luck
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2002
01:07:05
| RE: brighter headlights
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most of the so called hyper bloe or cool blue lights actually have a lower light output than normal white halogen lights. it looks brighter cause the human eye sees better in the blue spectrum. I read about this in a bunch of magazines and they all say the actual light output of normal halogens is brighter than the blue lights. personally I think the blue lights are lame and all yore doing is pissing off the oncoming drivers
Rob
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Daddy-D
*GenIII*
6/18/2002
01:13:09
|  RE: brighter headlights
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Message:
WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
"Cool Blue" and other HID-poser headlights have REDUCED light output. The blue tint appears to be brighter because human eyes are more sensitive to blue light and that creates an illusion of higher output (it just dazzles). In actuality, blue lights produce fewer lumens (real light) than stock. ANY light with a visible coating will suffer reduced output; if you can see it, it will absorb some light. Another minus is the blue lights provide POORER rain/fog/snow visibility because more of the light is reflected back to your eyes (remember eye sensitivity?) without penetrating the weather. Why do you think the world's best fog lights are pale yellow (or at least not HID)?
Your best solution is to go with Xenon/Halogen coctail lamps. These are commonly available as NAPA BriteLites, Philips HiVisibilty, Sylvania XtraVision, etc. and are relatively inexpensive. You won't see much improvement in the low beams, but the high beams will noticeably reach a little farther.
Higher-wattage lamps, in theory, would be brighter, but our plastic headlight assys cannot take the heat.
The ideal is to install E-codes - these are European-spec headlight assys with superior beam patterns. But alas, they are not available for our Daks.
The answer is not so much more light, but more precise light. My wife's car has E-codes with standard 55/65 halogens and produce more usable light than other vehicles with just 80/100 "upgrades".
Real HID headlights might work okay, but that would require completely-reengineered assys, made just for HID. Even the conversion kits ($$$!) still don't solve the problem of stock lenses and their less-than-stellar beam patterns.
HID-look lights look tacky and are a major waste of money.
There is a lot of real information about automotive lighting, you just have to sift through a lot of marketing BS.
Check out Daniel Stern Lighting http://lighting.mbz.org/. This guy's a bit pompous but knows the noise.
'98 DakSport C/C 3.9 2WD A/T
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Daddy-D
*GenIII*
6/18/2002
01:16:26
| RE: brighter headlights
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One last thing:
Spend the time to carefully and correctly aim your headlights.
'98 DakSport C/C 3.9 2WD A/T
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Bill Smith
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2002
06:58:38
| RE: brighter headlights
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ok my bad on the cool blue's.... i can see better with the blue's in my 96. lookin at the lights up close they still look white. as is stated , just in a different part of the light spectrum. may or may not help with the lens covers you gonna use. sorry
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Bernd
*GenIII*
6/18/2002
09:17:31
| RE: brighter headlights
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I've tried many different bulbs (including the "HID" Blue clones)...none of them come close to the PIAA bulbs. (Of course none of them were that expensive either.)
In this case...you get what you pay for - Don't expect a set of blue-tinted lights to work as well as the higher grade bulbs...they're just cheap imitations.
if you want HID lights, you'll wind up paying well over $900 for a conversion kit.
1997 Dodge Dakota SLT - V6
Supercharged/Intercooled @ 10# w/Nitrous
14.55 @ 96.01mph
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shaggyfrog
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2002
13:01:10
|  RE: brighter headlights
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Wow, thanks for all the info guys. Maybe a little over my head though. I just want white lights that burn a little brighter to shine through the smoke colored headlight covers. If I understand correctly, stock is 55/65 watts. Is there something like a 80/110 watt bulb that I can just plug in without any kind of HID conversion?
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shaggyfrog
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2002
13:07:18
| RE: brighter headlights
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Wow, thanks for all the info guys. Maybe a little over my head though. I just want white lights that burn a little brighter to shine through the smoke colored headlight covers. If I understand correctly, stock is 55/65 watts. Is there something like a 80/110 watt bulb that I can just plug in without any kind of HID conversion?
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juniork
Dodge Dakota
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6/19/2002
00:15:54
| RE: brighter headlights
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yes, you can find them in the JC Whitney catalog pretty cheap, or www.jcwhitney.com they are 80w/100w
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