Help me decide! Retrofit Headlights.

[Raptor_man]

Ok, so I keep bugging Dawson over at Raptor Retrofit for some new headlights. The only problem, I cant decide what would look best on my truck - so I never get around to pulling the trigger. I really really want to get some retrofits. I just can't picture what would look good on my truck until its actually on my truck.

So I'm going to see if any of you could help me pick. I'll post some pictures of my truck in its current state. There has got to be a good retrofit match. You just need to help me find it

 

[Goofball]

Dude you have 13' HID's leave it alone! Dont say I didn't tell ya so!

 

[rojo212]

Ill take the hid's off your hands when you make the transition to retrofits.. keep me in mind!

 

[Billit]

I have a 2012, and would like to get a set myself.

 

[Shortbed]

I have a 2012, and would like to get a set myself.

Not so sure you want the 2013 OEM HID's. They do not mount flush, with large gaps between .14 to .21 of and inch (either 2 or 3 quarters). The light output is fantastic on my Raptor Retorfits. But there is no visibility to the side. Driving around last night on dark roads, and making a 90 turn onto a side street, I could not see where I was driving as I made the turn until I was at least 45 degrees into the turn.

Complete opposite with my 2012 OEM lights, as well as the wife's A6. Taking a 90 degree turn on a dark road is now a leap of faith.

A fellow forum member with a 2014 (the same HIDs I now have) has no gap. The fellow member does not complain about feeling like a horse with blinders on at night. But will get back to me on that. Wondering if there were others with a 2011 or 2012 that have the same issue.

 

[Shortbed]

Can't seem to get more than one attachment per post

 

[Shortbed]

Gap 3 quarters wide here (.21 inch). These are 2014 OEM on my 2012

 

[Shortbed]

Only .14 gap at the top

 

[ARH1956]

Only .14 gap at the top

Have you checked back with Dawson? I understood the OEM HIDs were a direct replacement for the 10-12 headlights and would line up perfectly.

 

[Shortbed]

Have you checked back with Dawson? I understood the OEM HIDs were a direct replacement for the 10-12 headlights and would line up perfectly.

Yes, I PM'ed Dawson. My wife's 5 year old A-6 has HID's that produce more than enough light on the sides, just like my 2012 stock lights. I live on a cul de sac. I have routinely driven around it at night (say taking a left) and had no problem seeing what I was driving into. Not so last night. Leap of faith is the best description for the experience. Could just be a design weakness on these - lack of reflectors means zero light off to the side??

This beamshot may be instructive as to what is wrong - pic is upside down which sucks... My wife's A-6 on the right (on the left if the pic was not upside down) has high beam on against the low beam from my new 2014 OEM's. In case it's hard to tell, i am subjecting oncoming traffic to the same light as my wife's A-6 on high beams. My lights on low throw just as far as my wife's A-6 on high as well. No complaints about projecting light straight ahead. My wife's car does the same, plus gives off enough light on the side to see where you are going went taking a turn.

I took both for a few rounds of late night driving last night. So unless I fix this during the day tomorrow, I will be one of those ******** in a pickup truck tomorrow night.