HID Retrofit Project- 2008 PSD (How to)

[mts678]

Some of you may have seen my last HID retrofit project on my 2005 PSD..That project was almost finished, I was in my final stages of finishing the beam adjustmenting when my truck was stolen....So, I have a newer style truck and couldn't use the old style headlights, so I've taken the projectors out of those headlights, bought a new set of 08-10 headlights, and got those in the working!
(I'll redo my steps to doing this)

Most people just buy the cheap HID bulb kits off ebay. Well this is the INCORRECT way to install HID's into your rig. HID (High intensity discharge) need to be behind a projector. Projectors control the light beam and provide a cut off line. The shade that makes the cut off line in bi-xenon projectors has a solenoid that will move the shade when you flick over to Hi-beams.

So the simple way of putting hid bulbs into your halogen housing is WRONG. This is why you get flashed and when your driving or walking or looking at your lights and they blind you!! HID's are designed to be used with a projector.

So I just ordered up my projectors, wiring, bulbs, and ballasts from the retrofit source: Bi-xenon FX-R Stage III Kit - Complete Retrofit Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc. They make a wiring harness that plugs right into your stock oem headlight plug, that runs to both of your HID bulbs- It truly is a great kit.

PARTS LIST FROM TRS.
FXR 3.0 projectors: Bi-xenon: FX-R 3.0 - HID Projectors from The Retrofit Source Inc
Morimoto ballasts: Morimoto 5Five Ballasts (D2S) - HID Ballasts from The Retrofit Source Inc
Morimoto 50w bulbs 5000k:D2S: Morimoto 5Five (50w) - HID Bulbs from The Retrofit Source Inc
Apollo shrouds: Apollo - Projector Shrouds from The Retrofit Source Inc
Wiring harness: Bi-xenon: 'MotoControl 9004/9007/HB5 - Relay Harnesses from The Retrofit Source Inc

STEPS

1) remove any screws and all bulbs on backside of headlight bucket, bake the headlights in an oven at 250 for 15-18 minutes. Find a place to start prying the headlights apart- I start on the inside part of the light that meets the grill and the top and or bottom of the headlight. You don't want to pry on the edge that meets the fender so it doesn't get chewed up or scared up during the separation step. I had to put each headlight back in for 10 minutes to heat up whatever glue didn't get pulled out of the channel or off the headlight lens. It's tough stuff, and a hell of a lot easier to remove when it's heated up.

2) Now you can start widening the lens bulb holder hole on the headlight. A dremel or air tool with a grinding bit on the end is perfect. This took me about an hour on the first light, and about 30 minutes on the 2nd headlight. You constantly test fit the projector and trim more off the bulb reflector till you've achieved the best fit. Grind less and fit more is the key- you can't undue grinding!

3) Attach the projector to the lens with screws- I used fine thread black coated screws. You will need to trim the projector shroud to fit depending on which shroud you pic. The shroud is the chrome piece that snaps onto the projector and hits the projector. There is about 15-20 different shrouds to pick from. This is where you can get creative and paint the reflectors and or shrouds your color of choice, and to paint the headlight lens bezel too..I'm undecided at what i'm going to do, I've tinted the turn signal lens for now till I can decide what scheme I'll go with later.

4) Now you test fit your headlights onto your truck and adjust the beams. You want to cut off line to match close to your stock halogen cut off line as possible. To do this, you can do it a few different ways...Build a temporary jig to hold the headlight, beam the headlight at a wall or your garage- anywhere that you can utilize for testing. You can beam your halogens at your garage, and tape off the cut off line on the garage and or a wall. Whatever is best for your testing. I'll be building a small jig for the headlights and beaming at the inside of my garage door. Then you'll make any minor adjustments once the lights are installed on the truck. After all adjustments are made and final, you can seal the headlights back up.

This may look time consuming, but it's not a big huge time consuming mod project. I've spent about 1.5-2 hours baking and separating the lights, and under 2 hours trimming the reflector and fitting the projectors. Ofcourse longer time for different people, and if your doing any painting on the bezels and reflectors.

For more info, check out HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum
HID Kits & Parts- The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications

The people at the retrosource are awesome at helping you get what kit you need!

Here's what I have completed so far:

Headlights separated, and reflector trimmed out for projector:


FX4 Projector (taped off for dust/dirt penetration):


Projector installed in reflector:

To attach the projector to the reflector, I used 5/16 bolts with lock washers. I drilled the holes in the reflector a little bigger so I could twist/ turn the projector as I needed for rotational adjustments, and I utilize the stock vertical adjuster for up & down. I'll then jb weld the backside where the washer and nut are so secure em in place.





Projector & Shroud with Lens temporarily attached:



Above in the last pic, that shroud is from my 05 project, waiting for new shrouds to come in the mail so I can trim and fit.

Next step is to build the jig and start adjusting the beam output patterns..Later in the week or next week I'll have that done.

[ExtremeFord4x4]

Looks very nice. Fx4 projector??

[mts678]

Thanks! Yes that's an FX4 projector
Maybe on the next go around I'll do quad fx4's, that'll be badass!

[mts678]

Made some good progress today. Got the passenger side light aligned and test fitted on the truck. Next is the driver side light..

First I made a jig (2x4) and levied the light and marked its spot:



Tested the stock halogen and marked its projection with blue tape (you,ll see in the next pic of the tape:




Adjusted the beam closer to the stock lines:


Test fit on the truck:



Don't mind the blue tape in the headlight, had to tape off the backside of the projector from dust and crap while trimming.

Next ill do the same to the driver side headlight, then put them both on the truck, point the lights at a wall and fine tune the beam adjustment. Then seal up the lights and be done!

[CountryAggie]

Subscribed. This is definitely going on the project list.

I'm curious what color you decide to paint your housings.


Sent from a phone smarter than me.

[04blackcrewcab]

Seriously wanting to do this! I hate the look of all the aftermarket headlights. Do your projectors have the shudder inside to activate the "high" beams?

[travisH3]

how much ya charging to do this lol, im not a fan of the aftermarket headlights either plus alot of them use really cheap projectors with h1 style bulbs which are awful small bulbs. i run HID in my stock housings but i have re aimed the headlights which most people fail to do. the only time i ever get flashed is when coming over a hill some times but no matter what kind of light housing you have its gonna shine up in the air coming over the hill. looks good

[mts678]

Originally Posted by 04blackcrewcab

Seriously wanting to do this! I hate the look of all the aftermarket headlights. Do your projectors have the shudder inside to activate the "high" beams?

Yes they do.
Here they are: Bi-xenon: FX-R 3.0 - HID Projectors from The Retrofit Source Inc

[mts678]

Originally Posted by travisH3

how much ya charging to do this lol, im not a fan of the aftermarket headlights either plus alot of them use really cheap projectors with h1 style bulbs which are awful small bulbs. i run HID in my stock housings but i have re aimed the headlights which most people fail to do. the only time i ever get flashed is when coming over a hill some times but no matter what kind of light housing you have its gonna shine up in the air coming over the hill. looks good

Lol no clue man, I think shops that do this charge around $800 for custom painted ones. There's about $300 in parts or so. That's good you adjusted them, nobody does that.

[mts678]

I have the headlights bench tested/adjusted pretty good. Waiting for the harness and Apollo shrouds to show up so I can test them on the truck and make final adjustments. Getting close!


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