What brand bulb people using for highbeams?

[sinistersix]

I figured most people arnet doing HIDs in the highs because I only use them to flash people and HIDs dont warm up as fast. What bulbs are people using in their highbeams so that they sort of match the HIDS when you have them on? Silverstars, PIAAs?

[bigjim]

I uas silver star ultras, high and low. Seems to work and I don't get flashed at night very often.

[Electrofreak]

I've been considering these (http://hirheadlights.com/) for my high beams. I've heard that they work, but it still looks kinda snake-oil to me.

Can anyone confirm whether these are a real deal?

[Super T]

I use silverstars. they've probably burned for less than an hour in 2.5+ years though.

Posted via LXFMobile

[MattRobertson]

I've been considering these (http://hirheadlights.com/) for my high beams. I've heard that they work, but it still looks kinda snake-oil to me.

Can anyone confirm whether these are a real deal?
HIRs are very real, and the best bulb out there. Literally hundreds of people across multiple user-sponsored group buys have them here (the one I ran in 2005 had about 100 sets run thru it). In terms of lumen output and longevity, nothing else even comes close, since you can't use an HID in the high beam.

Also, using objective measurements, Silverstars are... crap. They blue-shift the light to fool the eye/brain into thinking there is more light (there is actually less lumen output) and overdrive the bulbs to make up for the loss of life due to that overdriving.

From the Silverstar site, this is what Sylvania says about bulb life (in addition to officially recommending you replace Silverstars every year)

http://foohbar.com/magnum/silverstar_stats.jpg

Compare that to the rated life of a stock Sylvania hi beam bulb

Standard: 225 hours
HIR: 300 hours
Silverstar: 60 hours

BMW Car Club of America ran a fantastic side by side lightbulb test that they have since put in a protected area. A quote from it:
"The Sylvania 9005 “SilverStar” highbeam bulb is advertised as making “whiter and 20% brighter” light, and this is supposed to improve the driver’s ability to use the light. I can’t comment on that claim, although the bulb does have a blue coating on the quartz envelope. What is obvious in comparing the “SilverStar” to the standard Sylvania high-beam bulb is that the SilverStar makes less light than a standard bulb. The difference at the brightest point in the beam is 77 foot-candles from the SilverStar, and 109 footcandles from the normal high-beam bulb. This equates to ~23% less light. ..."

[Electrofreak]

Awesome. I guess web-design just isn't Fine Motoring's forte. :mrgreen:

Though, often it's the snake-oil product that has the flashiest website I suppose.

Looks like a set of HIRs are in my near future. I start driving at 4:30 AM for a good hour or so, so my high beams get a good workout every morning.

[nhdave]

Using the HIR's all around here and I can attest they are great bulbs, much better than the silverstar crap..

[Electrofreak]

Are the low beams too bright on the HIRs? Do you get flashed at frequently?

[nhdave]

IMO I don't think they are and I've never had oncoming cars complain.









but I have been flashed a few times thankfully... :mrgreen:

[MattRobertson]

Never. Its all about focus. However if you want bright, HID's in the low beams are the way to go. I paid $80 for mine off EBay.

[lmbcfls]

Using the HIR's all around here and I can attest they are great bulbs, much better than the silverstar crap..

Same here -- been running HIR's for years, on more than 1 car.

[sinistersix]

ok where is the best place to get some HIRs then?

[nhdave]

ok where is the best place to get some HIRs then?

Click the link that Electrofreak has in post #3

[MattRobertson]

the same guy sells them on EBay too. Has a ton of 100% positive feedback, but shipping is more if you do ebay vs. his web site from the looks of it. Here's one of his auctions (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOSHIBA-HIR-9012-BULBS-MAXIMUM-LIGHT-STOCK-WATTAGE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66 Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c2 93Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZ item29fcec5577QQitemZ180337005943QQptZMotorsQ5fCar Q5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories). Price has gone up since when we all went out and bought them.

Way back in the day, the hot setup was to put in lows and hi's, then move your old hi beams into your fogs. They fit and aren't too much of an overdrive so long as you use them sparingly. Nowadays I use HIDs in the fog and low beam housing and still have my original HIRs in the hi beams. They're freaking blowtorches.

[Ghostface Mag]

Wow I forgot we have High-Beams...LOL I barely use them since I'm running HID's in the low beam(10k) and fog light(10k) but I love the PIAA bulbs that I do have in there... They are pricey but worth it...

[sinistersix]

40 bucks a pop? damn those are more expensive than my HID kit! Ill have to put that one on the back of the mods list

[Higshemi]

I bought my HIR's off the ebay seller as well. I absolutly love using my high beams when possible. I can honestly it says it turns night into day and the projected path of the light is extremely large giving you a safe wide field of view.

[bigjim]

Hirs will be ordered before the end of the weekend, Thanks for the info.

[Higshemi]

Jim, I can't believe with all the driving you do you haven't invested in a set yet. Your gonna love them man.

[bigjim]

For the night driving season (the five months of winter we get), I had been using the Intrepid, it had Hella FF75s in the grill for additional high beams. Now that I have to drive the beast, I need to get the lighting right. Stockers suck, and yes the ss don't approach what I had with the aux in the grill.

[Higshemi]

Ya I remember seeing those in Montreal.

[sinistersix]

anyone have pics of these lights lit up?

[bipto]

HIR high beams after fitment modification

http://bipto.smugmug.com/photos/87879029_kB9wf-L.jpg


OEM high beams

http://bipto.smugmug.com/photos/87880750_mdYx8-L.jpg


HIR high beams

http://bipto.smugmug.com/photos/87881461_deqyz-L.jpg


These shots really do not do the comparison justice - what will impress you is your increased forward visibility at night, and unfortunately that's almost impossible to capture accurately on camera...

There's a few more HIR shots HERE (http://bipto.smugmug.com/gallery/1770414_8F7An/1/87881461_deqyz)...

[bigjim]

Ordered.

[bigjim]

Installed, just got back from a test run. I have never had lights so good that my eyes adjusted to the light (IE the low beams suddenly look like lights are off for the few seconds after switching back). Worth the price without a doubt. Thanks "Max Lumens".

[lmbcfls]

Installed, just got back from a test run. I have never had lights so good that my eyes adjusted to the light (IE the low beams suddenly look like lights are off for the few seconds after switching back). Worth the price without a doubt. Thanks "Max Lumens".

You can put HIR's in the low beams as well -- different bulb, though.

[bigjim]

Yeah, and twice the price. My lows are ok, it was just an observation. I don't get flashed very often as it is and like it that way.

[netnathan]

If i understand correctly from a previous thread. These HIR units won't fit on a Charger?

[Electrofreak]

Think I'm gonna put HIR high beams in, put SilverStar Ultras in my low beams (the woman hates HID and won't let me get em), and then I just gotta pick something good for my fogs since one of my fog bulbs just went out and it's time to pick something better than the weak stockers.

When driving in the dark (my drive in to work in the wee hours of the morning) the light output on my low beams isn't really important because I'm either on the well-lit expressway, or going down dark back country roads crawling with wildlife, where I'll be using my high-beams anyhow. Low beams will basically just be for show. Good high beams will be my life-savers.

I'm not a big fan of the whole yellow foglights thing; I'd like them to match my low beams. I'd throw in SS Ultras in the fogs, but I generally run my fogs whenever the car is running, so they've got to have some reasonable longevity.

[bigjim]

Think I'm gonna put HIR high beams in, put SilverStar Ultras in my low beams (the woman hates HID and won't let me get em), and then I just gotta pick something good for my fogs since one of my fog bulbs just went out and it's time to pick something better than the weak stockers.

When driving in the dark (my drive in to work in the wee hours of the morning) the light output on my low beams isn't really important because I'm either on the well-lit expressway, or going down dark back country roads crawling with wildlife, where I'll be using my high-beams anyhow. Low beams will basically just be for show. Good high beams will be my life-savers.

I'm not a big fan of the whole yellow foglights thing; I'd like them to match my low beams. I'd throw in SS Ultras in the fogs, but I generally run my fogs whenever the car is running, so they've got to have some reasonable longevity.


Thats my ride to the t. I tried the ss in the fogs but got the worst life I had ever seen, in the area of 1 - 2 months. They needed to be changed every other oil change, too damn expensive. Went back with the stockers. Gotta watch the heat issues in there since they are not vented correctly and a small area.