DIY Projector HID Headlights for ~$200
11-10-2010, 12:03 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nuke City, NM
Posts: 872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DIY Projector HID Headlights for ~$200
It's getting to be that time of year again, and my headlights are pretty dismal, so after searching around and finding my choices were ebay junk ($70-90) or expensive ($500+), i was about to give up until i stumbled on the hidplanet forums: http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/
There weren't any good examples of a 6024 swap on there, but i saw enough swaps to get the idea, and here it goes! I used:
So, getting started! Here's what i have:
Headlights. I made sure to get glass ones that were "diamond cut". The rest doesn't really matter...
I removed everything from the back side:
ABS Plastic coupler (found next to PVC pipes):
Made to adapt 3" to 2" pipe. Has ~3.5" ID. Best picture, sorry:
Projector with shroud, shown next to headlight....that's not going to fit!
And...start cutting!
I put the ABS adapter over the back of the headlight and stenciled out a line, then brought out the dremel. Make sure to cut on a flat plane (as shown in the picture):
Once that's done, carefully fit the projector inside (you'll probably have to do a little more grinding to get it to fit). Take your time and make it a snug fit!
Now, cut off the small part of the ABS coupler:
Use your dremel to remove the shiny stuff from the part of the headlight you cut off, then use Plast-Aid to glue the back piece of the headlight to the coupler. I used a level to make sure that the back piece was installed perfectly:
Tip for Plast-Aid: I found it worked best when i let it set for about 10 minutes. I also recommend adding the powder first in the bowl, then adding the liquid. It's a little tough to get the hang of, but it works well.... EXTREMELY well (i spent almost an hour trying to get two pieces apart to make a modification!).
For my exact setup, i removed 3/8" from the large end of the ABS adapter to allow the projector to seat as deep in the housing as possible. This is because we have a limited amount of space in the headlight area, so you want the assembly to be as shallow as possible. If you're doing something slightly different...measure!
I had to grind out the inside of the ABS adapter a little to fit the projector (with shroud attached) inside. Mine is a snug fit:
I installed the projector completely in the ABS adapter using the adapters supplied with the projectors. Specifically i used the adapter and the nut. Using the nut to tighten everything down (draw the projector back into the ABS) prevents anything from moving, so i didn't feel like any further modification was needed to keep it in place.
So now, it's all looking good! Ready to put some glue on it. Notice that i used the dremel to remove the factory paint on the headlight--Plast-Aid sticks better to plastic than it does to paint. The same goes anywhere you use the stuff. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that the "top" of the projector is aligned with the "top" of the headlight!! (Actually, i guess it doesn't even matter, since you can just rotate the headlight if need be!)
Put some Plast-Aid on it:
And WHA-LA!
It's not perfect (you can see gaps around the projector shroud), but for the price, i'm very happy with it. I'm curious to see what else people come up with for ideas on this. I realize it's ugly on the back side (that plast-aid stuff is tough to get the hang of, but it works!), but once installed nobody will ever know. A final note: on all the plastic pieces i cut, i lapped them on a flat surface and a piece of sandpaper to make sure they were flat and would fit together tightly.
Tonight after work i'm going to install the HID portion of it and put it in the car. The red and black wires you see sticking out of it are for a solenoid that turns on the brights (it moves a metal gate that blocks half the light). The rest of the HID setup is just a positive and a negative. I'm planning to wire the HID portion into the low beam and the ground, and run the solenoid to the high beam wire and ground. Doesn't get much easier than that!
In case you're wondering the difference between a $90 ebay setup and these, the ebay setups aren't real projectors--they just use a curved lense to mimic a projector look. They also don't (and can't) have cutoffs, because of the bulb position. In short, if you buy an ebay setup, it will be just as bright...but nobody in oncoming traffic will be able to see a thing! These are real projectors, with real shrouds. They'll be just like an OEM setup (for that matter, theretrofitsource.com sells OEM projectors...they just weren't as compact).
The nice thing about this whole setup is that it still retains headlight adjustability--so if you screw up getting it all straight in the housing, then you can just install it and adjust the headlight screws until it's right!
I'll add some pictures once i get them installed of old versus new....
There weren't any good examples of a 6024 swap on there, but i saw enough swaps to get the idea, and here it goes! I used:
- Morimoto Mini H1 Projectors & shrouds - $120 Link
- Ebay 6024 Halogen housings - $11 (see pic below)
- DDM Tuning 35W H1 4300k HID kit - $35 Link
- ABS 3" to 2" pipe coupler x2 - $7 (source: hardware store)
- Plast-Aid 6 oz. Plastic epoxy (-ish stuff) - $20 (source: ebay)
So, getting started! Here's what i have:
Headlights. I made sure to get glass ones that were "diamond cut". The rest doesn't really matter...
I removed everything from the back side:
ABS Plastic coupler (found next to PVC pipes):
Made to adapt 3" to 2" pipe. Has ~3.5" ID. Best picture, sorry:
Projector with shroud, shown next to headlight....that's not going to fit!
And...start cutting!
I put the ABS adapter over the back of the headlight and stenciled out a line, then brought out the dremel. Make sure to cut on a flat plane (as shown in the picture):
Once that's done, carefully fit the projector inside (you'll probably have to do a little more grinding to get it to fit). Take your time and make it a snug fit!
Now, cut off the small part of the ABS coupler:
Use your dremel to remove the shiny stuff from the part of the headlight you cut off, then use Plast-Aid to glue the back piece of the headlight to the coupler. I used a level to make sure that the back piece was installed perfectly:
Tip for Plast-Aid: I found it worked best when i let it set for about 10 minutes. I also recommend adding the powder first in the bowl, then adding the liquid. It's a little tough to get the hang of, but it works well.... EXTREMELY well (i spent almost an hour trying to get two pieces apart to make a modification!).
For my exact setup, i removed 3/8" from the large end of the ABS adapter to allow the projector to seat as deep in the housing as possible. This is because we have a limited amount of space in the headlight area, so you want the assembly to be as shallow as possible. If you're doing something slightly different...measure!
I had to grind out the inside of the ABS adapter a little to fit the projector (with shroud attached) inside. Mine is a snug fit:
I installed the projector completely in the ABS adapter using the adapters supplied with the projectors. Specifically i used the adapter and the nut. Using the nut to tighten everything down (draw the projector back into the ABS) prevents anything from moving, so i didn't feel like any further modification was needed to keep it in place.
So now, it's all looking good! Ready to put some glue on it. Notice that i used the dremel to remove the factory paint on the headlight--Plast-Aid sticks better to plastic than it does to paint. The same goes anywhere you use the stuff. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that the "top" of the projector is aligned with the "top" of the headlight!! (Actually, i guess it doesn't even matter, since you can just rotate the headlight if need be!)
Put some Plast-Aid on it:
And WHA-LA!
It's not perfect (you can see gaps around the projector shroud), but for the price, i'm very happy with it. I'm curious to see what else people come up with for ideas on this. I realize it's ugly on the back side (that plast-aid stuff is tough to get the hang of, but it works!), but once installed nobody will ever know. A final note: on all the plastic pieces i cut, i lapped them on a flat surface and a piece of sandpaper to make sure they were flat and would fit together tightly.
Tonight after work i'm going to install the HID portion of it and put it in the car. The red and black wires you see sticking out of it are for a solenoid that turns on the brights (it moves a metal gate that blocks half the light). The rest of the HID setup is just a positive and a negative. I'm planning to wire the HID portion into the low beam and the ground, and run the solenoid to the high beam wire and ground. Doesn't get much easier than that!
In case you're wondering the difference between a $90 ebay setup and these, the ebay setups aren't real projectors--they just use a curved lense to mimic a projector look. They also don't (and can't) have cutoffs, because of the bulb position. In short, if you buy an ebay setup, it will be just as bright...but nobody in oncoming traffic will be able to see a thing! These are real projectors, with real shrouds. They'll be just like an OEM setup (for that matter, theretrofitsource.com sells OEM projectors...they just weren't as compact).
The nice thing about this whole setup is that it still retains headlight adjustability--so if you screw up getting it all straight in the housing, then you can just install it and adjust the headlight screws until it's right!
I'll add some pictures once i get them installed of old versus new....
Looks great!!
11-10-2010, 01:09 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nuke City, NM
Posts: 872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fiberglass would have been a good choice. Honestly that ABS adapter worked so easily that i don't think i'd bother with fiberglass. I'll see how the whole assembly handles temperature, but so far in spite of it being ugly it's very solid.
Trending Topics
11-10-2010, 08:25 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
I've been thinking of a project like this for a long time. Really glad to see someone did hid's "right" with a projector setup.
Any chance you'd be interested in doing a little group build for the list? or just me?
I just know I wouldn't have the fab skills to do this right.
This also makes me wonder how hard it would be to get the euro headlight height adjuster switch/**** to work on our cars.
Any chance you'd be interested in doing a little group build for the list? or just me?
I just know I wouldn't have the fab skills to do this right.This also makes me wonder how hard it would be to get the euro headlight height adjuster switch/**** to work on our cars.
11-11-2010, 01:29 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nuke City, NM
Posts: 872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, good news, and bad news. So we'll start with the bad news!
The bad news is that i forgot to take one little piece into account....the bulb! (D'oh!)
The assembly fits (under the cover and everything). When the bulb is installed, it adds another full inch to the back of the assembly, which i didn't take into account--I hadn't even looked at the bulb until now!
The good news is that i fired one up, realized how close i was and how much of an improvement this would be, and decided to put it in there anyways. I cut a notch in the top of the headlight bar. I was going to weld in some reinforcement on it, but after pushing and prying on it every way i could, the thing still doesn't flex or budge, and i don't think it's structural in any way.
I also ran the assembly for about 10 minutes in my garage (no moving air) to see what kind of temperatures i'd be looking at. So far, so good! It really doesn't get that hot. The main metal pieces were too hot to hold a finger on, but the plastic parts didn't even get warm to the touch on the outside.
So, here's some pictures:
(Yes, the cover fits over it)
Here you can see the notch:
I've only installed one so far, the other is still halogen:
I am also going to have to change the wiring. I didn't realize that the stock headlight turned *off* the low beam when the high beams went on. I'm going to have to figure something out here (i have some ideas, but i'm open to suggestions from the electric gurus).
I'm going to go finish up the install right now, so hopefully tonight i'll have some great "finished product" pictures to post up!
ninefiveone: I wish i had the time or the expertise to make these for everyone, but i think it would be a bad idea. This is just an experiment for me right now
I did notice that there are a few people on hidplanet.com that are willing (and experienced) at building custom assemblies like this for anyone. It might be worth checking in to!
The bad news is that i forgot to take one little piece into account....the bulb! (D'oh!)
The assembly fits (under the cover and everything). When the bulb is installed, it adds another full inch to the back of the assembly, which i didn't take into account--I hadn't even looked at the bulb until now!
The good news is that i fired one up, realized how close i was and how much of an improvement this would be, and decided to put it in there anyways. I cut a notch in the top of the headlight bar. I was going to weld in some reinforcement on it, but after pushing and prying on it every way i could, the thing still doesn't flex or budge, and i don't think it's structural in any way.
I also ran the assembly for about 10 minutes in my garage (no moving air) to see what kind of temperatures i'd be looking at. So far, so good! It really doesn't get that hot. The main metal pieces were too hot to hold a finger on, but the plastic parts didn't even get warm to the touch on the outside.
So, here's some pictures:
(Yes, the cover fits over it)
Here you can see the notch:
I've only installed one so far, the other is still halogen:
I am also going to have to change the wiring. I didn't realize that the stock headlight turned *off* the low beam when the high beams went on. I'm going to have to figure something out here (i have some ideas, but i'm open to suggestions from the electric gurus).
I'm going to go finish up the install right now, so hopefully tonight i'll have some great "finished product" pictures to post up!
ninefiveone: I wish i had the time or the expertise to make these for everyone, but i think it would be a bad idea. This is just an experiment for me right now
I did notice that there are a few people on hidplanet.com that are willing (and experienced) at building custom assemblies like this for anyone. It might be worth checking in to!
11-11-2010, 09:31 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nuke City, NM
Posts: 872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alright, got 'er done!
Tell me this doesn't look cool!
I got the wiring figured out. I added a 3A diode (35W / 14v = ~2.5A necessary) to each of the high and low beam wires, then connected them both to the positive on the HID bulb. I connected the positive on the high-beam solenoid behind the high-beam diode. Here's pictures of the wiring:
Heat-shrinked and ready to have electrical tape put on:
And now....low beams!
High beams:
It's hard to tell a difference between high and low in the pictures, but it actually makes a fairly big difference (look at the sign in the distance!). Even on low the lights provide way better visibility than i had before with my brights on. I do think i need to do a little more adjusting, but so far i'm extremely happy with how these turned out! No more worrying about animals on the freeway and stuff. Woohoo!
I still haven't put the covers back on, but i have test-fit them. I've been monitoring temperatures but i don't think it's going to be an issue. Others have suggested using epoxy instead of plast-aid out of concern over the temperatures, but we'll see how the plast-aid holds up.
The final issue i ran into was that the headlight retaining rings weren't holding these light housings in place. I solved this by running a 12ga electrical wire around the rim of the ring and then installing it. Once in place you can't even see it, and it holds the headlight perfectly in place.
Anyways...enjoy!
Tell me this doesn't look cool!
I got the wiring figured out. I added a 3A diode (35W / 14v = ~2.5A necessary) to each of the high and low beam wires, then connected them both to the positive on the HID bulb. I connected the positive on the high-beam solenoid behind the high-beam diode. Here's pictures of the wiring:
Heat-shrinked and ready to have electrical tape put on:
And now....low beams!
High beams:
It's hard to tell a difference between high and low in the pictures, but it actually makes a fairly big difference (look at the sign in the distance!). Even on low the lights provide way better visibility than i had before with my brights on. I do think i need to do a little more adjusting, but so far i'm extremely happy with how these turned out! No more worrying about animals on the freeway and stuff. Woohoo!
I still haven't put the covers back on, but i have test-fit them. I've been monitoring temperatures but i don't think it's going to be an issue. Others have suggested using epoxy instead of plast-aid out of concern over the temperatures, but we'll see how the plast-aid holds up.
The final issue i ran into was that the headlight retaining rings weren't holding these light housings in place. I solved this by running a 12ga electrical wire around the rim of the ring and then installing it. Once in place you can't even see it, and it holds the headlight perfectly in place.
Anyways...enjoy!
11-12-2010, 11:27 AM
#14
Drifting
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great job! More pics of your LS1/S2 please!
Nice Cherokee! I have a 170k mile XJ daily driver and I will run it into the ground. I love it the same as my 951, but for different reasons. It takes a beating and never talks back.
Nice Cherokee! I have a 170k mile XJ daily driver and I will run it into the ground. I love it the same as my 951, but for different reasons. It takes a beating and never talks back.
11-12-2010, 12:25 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nuke City, NM
Posts: 872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Love my Cherokee too, it's a great combination of cars to own!The LS1 car is still (always) a work in progress, but here's my photo album:
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a60/cacollo/Porsche2/