I want my headlights brighter and I saw some 9004 super white 4500k 12v 80w bulbs, can I swap these with my factory bulbs or does it require a conversion due to the power draw?

 

Power draw would be a concern I should think. These trucks tend to melt headlight switches as it is. What I was considering doing was, running some fat wire for the headlights, and just using the current headlight circuit to control a pair of relays. Hit the switch, enables the relays, and the headlights are fed power almost directly off the battery. Will make even the stock lights brighter. (put a fuse inline though....) You could even install your meaner bulbs with such a system, and not have to worry about it.

Also, make sure your headlights are aimed properly. Makes a big difference.

 

i got a set of hid bulbs off ebay 8000k they worked great.

 

Do you know how many amps they draw?

 

The heat caused by the higher amp draw will cloud the lenses faster too.

 

the box said 35 watt. the stock headlights are 55 watt low 65 watt high. i had left the lights on for a half hour and the lens didnt get any hotter than with standard bulbs. if you use a hid kit bigger than 8000k thats when you start melting lenses etc.on the gen three rams you may have to use a relay kit. i think i paid 130.00 for the kit with shipping. the only bad side is it's cheaper to buy another kit than it is to get a replacement bulb

 

Any other opinions on if this would be ok? How exactly could I make a relay like you say?

 

You can buy a wiring harness with relays already attached. LMC truck sells it, but it's just a universal 9004 harness. I just installed one on my ram, but I haven't gotten it all back together yet (doing a bunch of stuff) to test it out. It plugs right into the stock headlight harness and draws power from the battery using a pair of relays. It's extremely simple to install.

 

I may just get rid of these bulbs and get some within the correct power range, I dont want to mess up my new aftermarket lenses and I dont really feel like rewiring stuff

 

Most of those bulbs that say they are 80 watts are full of it and are dimmer than the stock bulbs, don't buy em unless they are name brand from a reputable dealer. Don't run them on stock wiring, use the relay harness.

The HID bulbs if used in a non HID projector with proper cutoff shield will just scatter light in front of you with no focal point. It gives a little more light but blinds the opposite traffic, and it blinds you in fog and spray. Not worth it. Any HID's over 5000K are pointless because the light output from those bulbs is outside the visible spectrum and the output appears dark. 3000K is yellow, 4300k is white with a hint of blue, 5000k is blue

I scrapped all my HID bulbs and went back to stock PIAA Halogens (Xtreme white plus) they are brighter than most. I also use 35watt 4300K HID fog projectors to assist. They flood the pavement in front with bright white light with a distinct cutoff line so they don't blind traffic. They're made by Blazer International and called Blazers. The 55watt HID's are damn hot and will melt most housings. You can get Blazers here
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...roducts_id=249
If you are really serious about lighting you can send your headlights to these guys and they will put projectors in them for you.