My headlights we’re getting pretty yellow and light output wasn’t much. So I decided to put Sport style headlights in to get separate bulbs and a better spread of light. I ordered set that looked like stock sport headlamps but they are horrible! Low beam isn’t to bad but high beam give a very very narrow band of low light. They are pretty much useless. I put LEDs in but it didn’t help. Has anybody had good luck with an aftermarket set of headlamps. I’m after performance more than looks. Thanks in advance.

 

What year is your truck? Were the housings you used stock replacements for the sport headlights? Or some aftermarket thing? What bulbs did you use initially?

 

I installed sport headlights in my truck to improve lighting output. To get them to operate with the highest output, I found that I needed to add a headlight relay harness so that both bulbs in each headlight would operate in each headlight on both low beam and high beam, as the stock harness only had a provision for the one bulb style headlight. In addition, the headlights consume a large amount of electricity and tend to fry the weak headlight switches in our trucks, so the relays will take the load off the headlight switch. The relay headlight harness I used can be reviewed here - https://ceautoelectricsupply.com/hea...ion-relay-kit/ - as an FYI, other folks have made their own headlight harness with relays or opted for the harness that LMC truck sells.

Since my truck is a 1996 model, I found that I needed to alter the fender's headlight bucket behind the headlight to accommodate the new sport headlight since it was deeper than the stock headlight. I cut out some metal with a sawzall and the new sport headlight fit fine after that.

I also added Sylvania Silverstar bulbs (9004 and 9007) in lieu of the stock bulbs that came with the aftermarket sport headlights. I can say that the light output for my headlights has improved drastically with the new sport headlights, new headlight relay harness and new bulbs.

 

Retro fit projectors in clear housings is the only decent upgrade. Plan on doing this eventually.

This is the basic retro fit job start to finish. (couldn't find any second gens)

 

It’s a 2001 and they were aftermarket “sport” that I got from Amazon, don’t remember the brand and I used the bulbs they came with. I’m going to a newer Ram in a few months so going with true projectors is not an option but I still need to see at night. There’s a dozen pick and pull within a hundred miles of here I’ll probably just go with some stock sports.

 

Upgrading the headlight wiring harness to relays that have both bulbs on on each side in low and high beam modes help quite a bit even with aftermarket sport headlights. You will need the harness upgrade with whatever style of sport headlights you use going forward.

 

With my 96, I replaced with stock oem style and purchased a set of fahren 60W LED bulbs. I am extremely happy with the outcome. It can be viewed under "what did you do to your second gen today" in the Non-Tech forum here....

 

Did you install a relay harness? If you just did the cheap harness with no relays it will not work

 

They came with a builtin relay.......

 

My 1997 1500 has HORRIBLE stock headlights. the lenses are fine, can I just replace the bulbs with something way brighter? I don't really want to re-invent the wheel buying new lights or doing wiring...hoping I can just do bulbs?