Any 4th gen headlight swap suggestions?

i have stock headlights and theyre peeling as well as clouded. i ordered some new headlights and taillights for a total of $380 but turns out they were 03-05 not 2007. so i refunded them and decided to just go with headlights for now bc theyre more expensive for 06-09 versions. anyone know where i can get some mean-looking headlights, $300 or less?

 

it’s a crapshoot, no matter what you purchase 2 to 3 years down the road they will start peeling and getting clouded unless you sand an professionally clear coat them. I am on my 4th set now. My next set I will wet sand and clear coat them prior to install. Good luck on your search.

 

OEM should last a good deal longer than aftermarket. You didn't specify which headlights you went with.

 

My OEMs are hanging in there but I have 2 suggestions to consider:

Teq Customs - $330 & they offer a 10% discount for email signup. Full disclosure - I have no affiliation but know their sales manager from an offroading group I’m in.

TRQ/1AAuto - Several cost effective options. I have several of their parts on my truck and they seem to be good quality. Also very easy to deal with.

You may be aware but Sport Editions have “smoked” chrome in the headlights, which is why there are separate listings. Fit is the same.

 

im hearing nonstop that i should stick w oem bc they last the longest. strongly considering just doing retrofit myself to save buying new housings every three years. at least thats what ive been advised. . .

 

I've had really good luck (both on my Tacoma (sold) and my 4runner) with OEM headlights and Chemical Guys Headlight UV protectant. Its like a paste/wax, every couple months i clean and apply that. Its been years and both look like new.

 

I did Free Outfitters https://www.freedomoutfittersus.com...th-gen-4runner-stealth-nova-series-headlights for my 4th gen but before they increased their prices and during a sale so they were ~$900 now they are more like$1350! They also took 6 months rather than the quoted 8 weeks when I ordered them however the quality is excellent.

I still have my old headlights which were in great shape and was considering doing a retrofit and then keeping as a spare or selling them. As you can buy everything you need to retro from freedom outfitters with no wait time.

 

That price is insane for headlight housing unless they are glass and last forever. Here in VA I cannot use LED bulbs unless the housings indicate LED compatible. While it is your rig and your money, do what you want.

 

That price (which is not what I paid) is for the housing, a full LED projector for low beam and a Baja squadron light for high beam. The LED projector is $250 alone and the Bajas are $250 so when I bought my light the actual housing was ~$250 of the total cost. Value is dependent on what you want, I needed headlights which actually work the stocks ones on mine were awful and dangerous at night. My new ones are amazing and make driving on backroads pleasant and much safer. I tried different LED and HID bulbs in the OEM units and it made to difference, a full headlight build was the only thing that did.

 

Well that sounds more sensible, when I read your post I thought it was for just the headlight housings. I know a company I think is BTX sells expensive light housings, but here in the out dated commonwealth of colonial Virginia we cannot upgrade anything lighting that will pass inspection.

 

Legit!! Can you post any photos of their output in both low and high beam?

 

I'm considering a couple of options for headlights too, so just wanted to get some opinions. One option is to get the OEM headlight housing and keep it stock. The other is a set of these halo style lights with LED running lights. I would go with the chrome ones for an almost OEM look, at least in daylight.

Main question is, does anyone have experience with these SPEC-D lights? I don't want something that's going to leak and have a bunch of water inside like the cheapo aftermarket ones.

 

Maaaaan, OEM is boring reliability...Spec-D is new Chinese stuff...

 

Whatever you wind up buying, probably best to go over the whole lens edge on both with extra silicone sealant to prevent water intrusion and lens fogging... ask me how i know

 

honestly i decided to restore my oem housing with a sylvania kit. that’s supposed to be the best one. and i plan to later paint the chrome black on the inside. ive seen a few examples and it’s laborious but it looks decent especially since i like the shape of the 07 stock headlights. most reviews and advice ive gotten from ppl ive been talking to say that stock will last you the longest. and after two or three years no matter how much you spent on the aftermarket housings they always fade and leak to an extent.