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Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
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12/05/2003
19:54:53
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 Subject: Brighter Lights...
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Alright, my '95 Dakota runs great, but I want to get a wider angle of light, and a much brighter light out of it. I wanted suggestions on the different types and bonuses they offer, as well as draw-backs. I've seen one type at NAPA, btu I want real opinions and facts.
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
06:46:15
|  RE: Brighter Lights...
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There are a number of good lights available that provide additional power and whiter light. Look for a name brand like Sylvania or Piaa. Look for a higher wattage, like 80/100. DO NOT buy blue lamps, or "HID" lamps. These are junk and will decrease visibility.
As far as greater angle, that's a problem for a couple of reasons. The shape of the beam is determined by the housing, not the bulb. So you're not going to be able to change that easily. Secondly, the DoT specifies the angle, shape, and aim of the beam (all things serve the beam). That's to prevenet some yahoo from blinding every other driver out there.
If you want a truly powerfull and broad beam, you'll need to add auxillery lighting and only use it "off road".
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.DOC.
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
13:00:09
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Our truck lighting systems really aren't too good! The older my eyes get, the more night lighting I seem to need :-}(.
Good fog lights and driving light as auxillary lighting will help siginficantly. Buy name brand, quality lighting and use appropriately.
I've found interresting beam patterns on one of the CIBIE sites on the WEB. (If I had the money, the CIBIE APOLLO VA would be be my choice).
Nothing good will be cheap. Everything cheap will not be good.
Doc
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Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
13:52:46
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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OK that's what I wanted to hear. Now NAPA sells some that are $14.99 per bulb. They claim to be much brighter than regular halogens. Is this possible? They're some of those white lights you were telling me about.
They also sell a new housing for the lights allowing a wider angle for the beams. Would that make my truck illegal? I don't need to blind a state trooper :D!
I also have rectangular fog-lights on the front of my truck down below the radiator. I'll look today to see if they can be replaced. If I can, what bulbs for fog-lights are the brightest without going to KC off-road lights?
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
16:54:40
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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I don't know what's available for higher wattage bulbs for our trucks but I used to go 55/90 on my motorcycles. That way you're not blinding anyone with an illegal low beam and if you use your highs responsibly no one will ever catch on to the extra wattage. On familiar roads I usally just use my low beams in the truck to help keep my speed quasi-legal. ;)
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
17:15:40
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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The bulbs that NAPA sells may be a little brighter and/or whiter. Check the wattage. As for the housing, if it's stamped DoT approved, then it's OK. It's also not much different than the ones you have.
For fog lights, be carefull about changing the bulbs. Making a good fog lamp is tricky, apparently. Not many companies seem to be able to do it. You can't just put a brighter bulb in there and expect it to perform better. Too much light creates glare, which is just the opposite of what you want. Around 35-45 watts is about right, depending on color temp. If you're hoping to get a good projector/driving lamp out of it, forget that too. The housing isn't designed for that.
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slopehead
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
17:44:22
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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try Sylvania SilverStar lights, they are much brighter then anything but HID bulbs and are DOT legal. HID systems are, contrary to another a much beter lighting system as Mercedes Benz And BMW use them as stanard lighting systems, and I for one cannot understand why companies that are so much further ahead then those in the states are as far as lighting (EVER run on the autobahn?) would use "junk". The HID bulbs are rated 4100 degrees Kelvin in brightness and the SilverStars are 4000 degrees Kelvin a halogen rated at extra bright, or blue bulbs, is rated 3400 Kelvin and the normal halogen longlife bulbs our trucks come with are rated only 3000 Kelvin. all of this info is on the back of the SilverStar bulb package, and they are available nationwide at walmart for 37 bucks a pair. I called the local NAPA store and asked about their brightest legal headlight bulbs, they finally told me that they are rated at 3400 Kelvin. There is one trade off, the SilverStars have an expected live of only 150 hrs. verses 1500 for the long life bulb. but Dude they are the brightest thing going.
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draugluin
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
17:46:21
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Well what I did, since my dad is an electrician, was got him to take my fog lamps out, and cut the connector off the end, and went to a junk yard and got a headlight lamp connector for each of the fog lamp ports. Then stuck 2 9004 Starbrights in where the fog lamps go, then just upgraded my normal headlights with the starbrights 9007s.
He also did something, i really don't remember, but my fog lights use to kick off whenever my bright lights came on. Now it's wired so the fog lights will kick onto brights whenever my headlights kick on to bright.
Theres more then enough light coming out of my truck now, but it's mostly for night time offroading. But i'm putting out around 500 watts of light infront of my truck.
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Matt03DAK
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2003
22:26:00
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Slopehead:
I drive a truck for a living and I have used Silverstars on my Freightliner for over a year. I got about 8 months out of my first pair, and I drive mostly at night. I can't tell much of a difference in bulb life versus standard bulbs. Just thought I'd toss that in...
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amerrycan
Dodge Dakota
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12/07/2003
17:07:29
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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ok here is what I have found to like. try finding hella part #78322 bulbs they are 85/100 nonhid and non blue they work real well but they are not dot aproved they are for "off road use only" they wagner makes a realy nice 50w driving light blub that is a blue bulb. Ihave found that the lower watt bule bulb along with the higher watt standard compement each other nicely. they blue driving bulds seam to light the ditches better but do not give you that bad glare that the blue headlamps do. and the bright head lamp bulbs over ride the blue from the driving lamps straigh infront of the truck. that is my story and it works well for me. the bulbs are not that east to find try a company called lighthouse they will have it and just tell them what you are after and they can give you all the in's and outs
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ricardo cape
Dodge Dakota
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12/07/2003
22:15:54
|  RE: Brighter Lights...
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Dakotas have poor illumination sistem,specially when you turn to high bean and the fog lights shots off automatically.What i did 3 years ago,was to install a switch On Off, [under dash near left knee] and have the fog lights controled from there.This is a great improvement since it enlights that black hole just ahead of truck. Don`t forget to switch to Off. If you do,there is no plim...plim...plim...to alert you.
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Marco
Dodge Dakota
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12/08/2003
12:48:24
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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I think legally 65w bulbs are the max you can go, but you can go higher but don't get caught.
Running higher that 65 watts in your headlights you are incresing the heat inside the headlight and within time your nice clear lens will turn cloudy on the inside of the lens deteriorating the clear plastic from the increase of heat.
(Trust me on this, I have already replaced my lenes twice )
When choosing new bulb for your headlights, try to get pure white bulbs, as they are the closet too a natral light spectrum.
H.I.D. lights are great if it's not snowing or foggy from my experiences with them, the low beam is too bright for those condition. The biggest down fall of H.I.D. lights is the price for the lighting system, and replacement bulbs are not cheap either.
For brighter/wider lights get some auxillary lighting and REMEMBER!!! to put in fuses and relays in.
Also a note, for those people that have aux. driving lights please put a switch in them or wire them with your high beams as for most of those lights are brighter than your low beams for respect of other drivers.
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Spiller
Dodge Dakota
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12/08/2003
23:47:04
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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I'll third or fourth the Sylvania Silver Stars. I noticed quite a difference over the stock bulbs. And I have to agree to that the stock headlight system on our trucks (I have an 01) are quite poor. The same stock bulbs in my 02 Caravan seem to make twice the light they do in my Dak.
Also, I replaced my stock fog light bulbs with 886's which are 50watt bulbs with a clear tip instead of the coated tip. They throw a ton of light.
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RallyDak
Dodge Dakota
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12/09/2003
20:18:29
|  RE: Brighter Lights...
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i run Piaa Extreme whites 9004 series, i did pay 70$ for the pair but they are by far the best bulbs ive seem. I rally my dakota for SCCA Club rally, ive used almost every bulb out there from Piaa to Hella to the cheapie blue bulbs. Piaa all the way, for brightness and visability
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Ima Anus
Dodge Dakota
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12/09/2003
21:37:30
| Brighter Lights...Dimmer Drivers
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Hey, just like all of you I want to blind the $hit out of everyone else on the planet and am looking for the cheapest way to do it. I don't give a f*ck about how abusive the blinding light is to oncoming traffic because like the rest of you I love me more than anyone else. So please, offer me your best advice so I can get on the merry road to abusing every other driver in the world. If I'm really lucky maybe I can blind one of your moms and cause her to flip her car and die an agonizing death in a huge fiery ball of flame!
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Scott
Dodge Dakota
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12/09/2003
21:42:01
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Do I see a Dark Tower refrence in there .boB??
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URanANUS
Dodge Dakota
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12/10/2003
04:11:05
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Message:
Hey ANUS,
why the fcuk don't you just fcuk off and die?
You don't have to worry about your mother dying in a car wreck because she's here in my bed sucking my balls and letting me fcuk her chocolate starfish.
Fcuking faggot.
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RallyDak
Dodge Dakota
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12/10/2003
15:34:37
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Again, if you want a lot of light your going to need to go with true HID, expensive but great. But if you want something close to HID, go with Piaa Extreme Whites, I use them and will never use anything else ever again. I use them in my daily driver and my Rally truck.
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Mr. Sun
Dodge Dakota
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12/10/2003
15:44:16
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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I fail to see how bright lights can cause a car to flip. I guess IMA ANUS truly is an ANUS. For some of us in rural areas that don't have street lighting the Dakota lighting system is third rate at best.
Guy's like Mr. Anus there shpould get a clue before they open their mouthes.
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David Mitchel
Dodge Dakota
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1/04/2004
22:00:35
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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886 bulbs in the stock fog light housings. I was looking at that, but then again, that is nearly 150% of the heat of the original bulb. With the heat cracking problem of the stock housing lenses, I am thinking it wouldn't be long until the lens cracks.
Looks like Pilot PL-119B/C ($70.00)or the PIAA 510's ($230.00 w/mounts) would be the beter answer. Someone has managed to mount the 4" rounds at Wal-Mart, also.
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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1/05/2004
21:27:15
| RE: Brighter Lights...
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Yes, Scott, it is ;)
After reading this post, and many others around here, I think I'm going to shell out the big bucks for PIAA main bulbs.
Still not sure what I'm going to do with the fog lamps. I was driving between Pagosa Springs and Durango last Friday during the heck of a snow storm. The factory fogs were pretty useless. They illuminated the area immediatly around the front bumper, and that's about it. Maybe some PIAA's there, too.
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