Consensus on headlight upgrade

I have the projector headlights and am looking to upgrade.

It doesn't seem like there is a consensus on what is best to upgrade to. Not just LED vs HID, but also on where and what brand to buy from.

What would be best?

Seems that HID can be unreliable so I am leaning toward LED.

Is there already a thread showing comparisons between products and before and afters of everyone's upgrades?

Below, I'm going to list your 3 main choices that are your best options with some of them having multiple choices. I will list them below in NO specific order:

▪ 1a. HID Kit - Price: $180+
If you have the 13+ OEM Projector headlights then you can order a "drop-in", 100% plug-n-play kit from TheRetroShop www.retroshop.us. Email the owner, JJ, and he will help you pick the proper kit for your truck so you get everything you need the first time, and get it done right. RetroShop uses Morimoto HID kits and they are one of, if not thee, best HID kits you can get. Period. Obviously if you have Halogen lenses (Dual or Quad Housings) you don't want to put HID's into them as you WILL blind oncoming traffic and your light will scatter and not be as good as it could be in a projector lense.

• Quads - Morimoto Drop-In HID Kit http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4G.HIDs
• Duals - Morimoto Drop-In HID Kit http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4GD.HIDs

▪ 1b. RetroFit Stock Duals/Quads - Price: $400 - $1200+
If you don't have the stock 2013+ projectors, then you can't get HIDs. Well... you CAN, but you WILL blind oncoming traffic, cause accidents, and you won't actually see any better because the light won't be shining properly without a projector lense. There are a few company's out there that do RetroFits. (www.retroshop.us, https://www.theretrofitsource.com )You can either send them your lights or they can start from a set of OEM lights. From there the options are endless. Check out the links at the bottom of this section for the custom light builder. You can build a custom set of lights exactly how you want. RetroShop can custom build you a set of Quads, Duals or Projectors. If you don't want to spend $1,800 on lights, you can order all the stuff you need and do the Retrofit yourself. (https://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/morimoto-retroquik-dodge-ram.html) It will run you around $400 for everything you need to do the retrofit. It's not that hard, there are 100s of walk thru's and how-to's online showing you exactly how to take your light apart, and how to mount the projector and reseal the light.

• Duals - Headlight Builder: http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4G.DL.RETRO
• Quads - Headlight Builder: http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4GQD.CUST
• 13'+ OEM Projectors - Headlight Builder:http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4GPRJ.CUST


▪ 2a. Opt-7 LED Bulbs - Price: $100 - $110+
You can go with the Opt-7 LED's and order the FluxBeam LED Bulbs for $99 or you can order their brand new FluxBeam-X LED Bulbs for $110. I have a 10% off promo code for the Opt-7 site. If you want it, just let me know, i'll send it to you. Many members on these forums have said that the Original FluxBeam bulbs (** NOT THE FLUXBEAM-X**) fit inside the Quad, Dual and even the 13+ OEM Projector housings with the ability to close the dust caps with no drilling or modifications required. As for the FluxBeam-X, some members have said they fit, while others have said they dont fit without modifications. I ordered a set of the new FluxBeam-X bulbs in size H11 that are going into my Retrofit Quads that were custom made by RetroShop. I can let you know how they fit, and how the output, range, color etc. is. Many members have reviewed the Original FluxBeam bulbs and love their color, output and range. As for the FluxBeam-X bulbs, they just came out in early November so not to many members on here have them.

• FluxBeam LED Bulbs:http://www.opt-7.com/fluxbeam-led-headlights/
• FluxBeam-X LED Bulbs:http://www.opt-7.com/fluxbeam-x-led-headlights/
• FluxBeam LED Fog Light Bulbs http://www.opt-7.com/fluxbeam-led-fog-light-kit/

▪ 2a. Morimoto 2-Stroke LED Bulbs - Price: $130 - $150+
Here is a second LED option. The Morimoto 2-Stroke LED Bulbs (http://www.morimotohid.com/led-lighting.html/). They are a little bit more expensive than the Opt-7 FluxBeam series but then again, Morimoto makes the best HID kits on the market, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that their LED Kits are probably one of the best, if not thee best. You can order a set of these from many different sites, I've seen them as cheap as $130 and as expensive as $180. But you can get them straight from the source, Morimoto, for $150. I have zero experience with Morimoto LED's, but everywhere I've seen their name mentioned online, it's always been 5 star ratings and excellent reviews. As for fitment into any of the 13+ housings, I can't answer that. Maybe another member can chime in and answer this from personal experience.


• Morimoto H11 2Stroke LED Bulbs:http://www.morimotohid.com/led-lighting/h11-morimoto-2stroke.html
• Morimoto 9005/HB3 2Stroke LED Bulbs:http://www.morimotohid.com/led-lighting/9005-morimoto-2stroke.html
• Morimoto 9006/HB4 2Stroke LED Bulbs:http://www.morimotohid.com/led-lighting/9006-morimoto-2stroke.html
• Morimoto 9012 2Stroke LED Bulbs:http://www.morimotohid.com/led-lighting/9012-morimoto-2stroke.html
• 09' - 12' Ram - Morimoto XB LED 5000K Plug-N-Play Projector Fog Light Kit:http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RM.LED


▪ 3. Halogen Bulbs - Price: $40 - $90+
If you don't have $180+ for HID's, or $100+ for an LED kit then you should just buy some really good halogens. I had Phillips CrystalVision's in my 06 Rams Headlights & Fogs and they were the BEST Halogen bulbs I have ever seen! They are almost pure white with NO yellow and they're SUPER bright (see picture below) with a slight tint of blue. These bulbs run $49.99 for a set of 2 at Pepboys, but if you use the in-store-pickup feature on their website, you can get them for $35/pair plus a mail-in-rebate for $20 for each set you buy, and end up costing $15!!! Amazon also sells them from $20-$31, depending on bulb type. Now, other members have raved about the Sylvania ZXE bulbs, but I have no experience with them either, but I've read nothing but good things. Amazon has them for $32- $48. As for any other brand of Halogen, I can't personally recommend anything else. I promise you the Phillips are the best Halogens on the market!

• Amazon - Phillips Crystal Vision - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00U1OLAJA/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1482313657&sr=8-5 - Price: $20.19 - $31.49
• Amazon - Sylvania ZXE Bulbs - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005...lvania+zxe&dpPl=1&dpID=51Sclpz2YUL&ref=plSrch - Price: $32.04 - $48.91

▪Conclusion:
Its really up to you what you choose to buy, it all comes down to your budget and what your willing to spend. But, for the love of god PLEASE do NOT buy a cheap $40 eBay/Amazon HID Kit!!! If you MUST have HID's then you really only have 3 options. Get a set of lights custom Retrofit ($1,000 - $1,800+); Buy a Retrofit kit and do the build yourself ($400 - $800+); or buy a set of Aftermarket Projector Headlights off of ebay or Amazon ($209 - $600) and buy a HID Drop-In Kit ($180). Now I don't recommend the 3rd option, but it's atleast better then running HID's in a halogen housing. Whatever you do, do not cheap out on the HID kit! It's somewhat ok to go cheap with eBay Projectors, but DO NOT buy a cheap $40, $50 or $75 no name eBay HID Kit. Otherwise, your just asking for trouble. With how these Rams are setup, you will have a ton of wiring issues, chance a fire happening or worse, shorting out your system, etc. The reason they cost $40,$50,$70 is because the materials used are cheap crap and the kits are universal for each bulb type, meaning if you order an h13 kit, the wiring is setup for the most common H13 wiring setup. That means you will most likely have to cut up and hack the wires to get them to work. Reverse Polarity, switch the high/low/ground, etc . The Morimoto kits, or the RetroShop kits, are made SPECIFICALLY for our Rams tricky systems and come with the plugs already plugged into each other. It's that simple.

Here is a picture of my 12' Ram with the Phillips CrystalVision 9145 Bulbs in my Fogs



Here is the list of bulb types our trucks take:

09'-12' Dual Headlights:
▪High/Low • H13
▪Fogs • 9145/H10

09'-16' Quad Headlights:
▪Low • H11
▪High • 9005/HB3
▪Fogs • (09' - 12') 9145/H10
▪Fogs • (13' - 16') 9006/HB4

13'-15' Projector Headlights:
▪Low • 9012
▪High • 9005/HB3
▪Fogs • 9006/HB4

2016 Projector Headlights:
▪Low • 9005/HB3
▪High • 9005/HB3
▪Fogs • 9006/HB4


▪ Important Links To Check Out
• http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/ram bulb guide (09' - 17' Rams List Of Bulb Types)
• www.RetroShop.us
• www.TheRetrofitSource.com
• www.LightWerkz.net
• www.MorimotoHID.com
• www.Opt-7.com
• www.LightHeadz.com/URL] • [URL]www.AmericanRetrofits.com


This should help you get started... good luck and let me know if you have any more questions about what watt Ballast to get (35w/50w) or what Kelvin bulb to order (3000k, 4500k, 6000k etc). I can help with that.

Good luck....

OnSale said:

09'-16' Quad Headlights:
Low • H11
High • 9005/HB3
Fogs • H10/9145

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Great write up except for the 09'-16' Quad Headlights, IIRC the fog bulb depends on the shape of the fogs. The vertical shaped fogs use the 9006/HB4, the trucks horizontal ones use the H10/9145.

crash68 said:

Great write up except for the 09'-16' Quad Headlights, IIRC the fog bulb depends on the shape of the fogs. The vertical shaped fogs use the 9006/HB4, the trucks horizontal ones use the H10/9145.

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Good catch.... I'll edit that right now.

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Cleaned up the post a little bit, organized it better.

Updated Information.

Added proper links to Websites, HID Kits, Retrofits, LED Bulbs etc.

Added a list of useful websites.

Added the Fog Light Bulbs for the 09'-12' (Horizontal) and 13'-16' (Vertical) Rams.

If I'm missing anything, feel free to reply and let me know. I would like this post to be as thorough as possible so in the future when people use the search feature (like that will ever happen) they can find this thread and won't need to look anywhere else because this will have everything they need.

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Read your post and used the links already. Nice work! Thanks!


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Very useful post thanks for a great write up


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tfeni52355 said:

Read your post and used the links already. Nice work! Thanks!


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weeseven said:

Very useful post thanks for a great write up


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Your both Welcome... it seemed like nobody has done anything similar, that I could find. And I figured it needed to be done because when I was new to Rams, 3 months ago, I had no idea what to buy, or from where, etc.

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any answer given here as what is the best is going to be opinion based off personal experience. My opinion is that if you want the best light output in your stock projectors you will want a drop in HID kit. Can get them several places, but retroshop is a vendor here and has great customer service.

I personally have had no issues with HID, so I can't comment on any reliability issues.

Very thorough post...nice job.

quietpeen said:

any answer given here as what is the best is going to be opinion based off personal experience. My opinion is that if you want the best light output in your stock projectors you will want a drop in HID kit. Can get them several places, but retroshop is a vendor here and has great customer service.

I personally have had no issues with HID, so I can't comment on any reliability issues.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I was really just posting what I did for others, and the OP could just find the info related to his stock lights and the kind of new lights he wanted.

I agree a drop in hid kit is the best option for the oem projectors. As for trucks with the Duals/Quads... HID's are a bad idea unless you retrofit projectors.

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Thank you for the awesome write up! That helps a lot.

I think this thread would benefit greatly if members posted what they have and have tried and what they like and don't like.

I am tempted to go HID because the light output is better and there is no fan noise like the LED's do.

OPT7 Fluxbeam X doesn't come in the 9012 size

Honeybadger556 said:

OPT7 Fluxbeam X doesn't come in the 9012 size

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You can buy the 9006 bulb style and it will fit right into the 9012 bulb housing with no modifications at all.

Now, if you have a 9006 style headlight and want to put in a 9012 bulb, then you need to do a little trimming. There are 3 locking rings that go around the bulb, 2 are the same size, the third one is slightly bigger. If you cut off enough of the bigger one so it matches the other 2, it will fit and lock into 9006 housings. Many members on here have done this and it's worked for them, no problems.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

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I used the Retroshop projector upgrade for my 2014 Bighorn and installed an HID kit. Jeremy shipped me the projector headlight assemblies and I shipped the old ones back after I swapped them out. Kind of like a core charge. It worked great. The projectors were a huge upgrade and I had zero issues with the HID kit. I also did the fog lights. No issues.

I now have a 2016 Longhorn and will be upgrading the stock projectors to an HID kit along with the Fog lights.

I don't know about the other vendors but when I did the install on my 2014 I called Jeremy at 4PM on Saturday and got my questions answered. I wont use anyone but Retroshop.



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I have a 2016 Outdoorsman with quad headlights. After much reading on this site and others, I thought I had 9005 bulbs for low and high beams. I planned to get two pairs of 9011 HIR bulbs to replace all four. According to the chart posted above, I have H11 low beam bulbs. I didn't want to pull the headlight assemblies just to check before ordering, so can anyone with 2016 quads confirm?

sammon287 said:

I have a 2016 Outdoorsman with quad headlights. After much reading on this site and others, I thought I had 9005 bulbs for low and high beams. I planned to get two pairs of 9011 HIR bulbs to replace all four. According to the chart posted above, I have H11 low beam bulbs. I didn't want to pull the headlight assemblies just to check before ordering, so can anyone with 2016 quads confirm?

Click to expand...

Yea H11 Lows and 9005 Highs.

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http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/ram bulb guide




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12sportmc said:

http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/ram bulb guide




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Click to expand...

I added this link to the list of Useful Links about. Thanks.

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Am I going to run into foggy headlights more often with HID's?