So other than wanting to spend money ... what is your end goal ? ... bling ? ... or improved light output ?

 

I would have thought improved output/performance would have been obvious... I will be sure to include "I just want to spend money with no appreciable benefit" in future posts when humbly asking for advice

 

Toyota knows what they are doing. Most aftermarket headlight alternatives are garbage in comparison. For the Headlights ... Sylvania/Osram LED H4 Bulbs ... plug-n-play ... transforming ... bright as Hell ... but most importantly ... Sylvania/Osram have been in the business for over 100 years ... so they know how to place the light source in the precise focal position inside the lens assembly for controlled light projection ... versus most of the slick "brighter than bright" alternatives that spend more time and energy on their web site (marketing) presence than on actual product development.

I was running 80/100 watt Bosch Halogens prior ... the Sylvania/Osram LED H4's easily put 2+ times more light on the road but do not blind oncoming traffic ... identical (controlled) projection but significantly brighter and whiter.

As an aside, I disabled DRL's ... so as with any LED Headlight bulb ... the dash "headlights on" indicator does not illuminate but the high beam indicator does illuminate ... for me ... don't care ... otherwise would install a resistor to address.

 

What is the part number of the Sylvania/Osram LED H4 that you used in the stock location? Looked at the AutoZone website and there are a few.

Thank you,

 

I upgraded my turn signals front and rear to led; but wouldn't have if i hadn't crushed one on a tight trail, lol. The led's are brighter and better looking (subjective) than the oem; but the oem are fine, really.

 

My aftermarket Anzo headlights have already begun having issues. Wish I had stuck with stock OEM. Besides, every vehicle has LEDs these days, oem makes it look retro. Oh well, a fool (me) and his money are soon parted....

 

There seem to be either super cheap chinese made or $1000 custom with a 6 month wait. Is there anything good quality that's available now?

 

I installed the Anzo headlights in my FJ a year ago, and they are fantastic for the price. They are available on Amazon or from Anzo.

They are a projector headlight with a mechanical shutter that provides a great sharp cutoff so you're not blinding people. The high beam signal moves the shutter so you get full coverage, low beam has the shutter drop into place to cutoff the beam. This is far better than putting blinding bulbs in your stock housings.

They use a H9 bulb, and I compared Hella halogen Optilux 65W bulb, to the Anzo supplied bulb, and a couple of LED bulbs, and the Hella were white, brighter (according to my light meter) and provided better beam coverage than the LEDs.

I wired the halo CCFL to the DRL circuit so they perform as my DRL lights.

No problems after a year of mixed use (on and off road). I highly recommend them. They are a vast improvement in headlight performance, ensure you're not blinding oncoming drivers, and modernize the look.

 

You clearly want something that looks different than stock. Good luck.

 

... mechanical shudder ... necessary to compensate for lazy reflector / beam pattern engineering.

 

It's how all projectors systems work.

 

Have several $80k + vehicles with projector headlights ... suck in comparison to a well designed reflector system. An overly complex solution looking for a problem.

 

I recommend these people Headlights & Taillights | Freedom Retrofits

 

They are no longer taking orders.

 

They are currently out of stock but will take orders. I just received my front headlights and turn signals and will install soon. I’ll post some pictures when complete!

 

Don't get the anzos. They are cheap.

 

VLAND Headlights With Grille For Toyota Fj Cruiser 2007-2015 (vlandvip.com)

FJ Cruiser modified light design

Did anyone use this modified design for FJ lights? Is it durable?

www.fjcruiserforums.com

 

i ordered these and they came looking cheaply made. Didn't fit correctly (keep popping of the clips to keep securely connected to frame)
+ Glue around the rubber edges looked so bad I complained.

I ordered off Amazon and the company refunded me and said to just re-order them.

I just kept the original order and didn't order it again. I love the Day Running LEDS, but driving when Dark is pointless. I've tried every type of bulb and these are the worst.
I'm looking to retrofit the original housings & will be taking these off.

If in the Vegas Area, I don't mind hooking you up with these for a great deal. Ma

 

For better output on your headlights, I got sent a set of these in exchange for review over a year ago, and I actually liked them so much I bought a pair for my wife's FJ too

Amazon.com

Tail lights? Man, I wish there were other slim lights than those ugly Warrior ones that are way too expensive. I'd like slim tail lights cause I've come THIS close to breaking them on real tight trails a few times. But for real, I'd just leave stock ones on unless you're just hell bent on neato lights. To each his own, and I hope you share pics/gifs of whatever you end up with!

 

The cheap original Sylvania lasted about 10 years but the light is yellow. I put in the ultra white Sylvania. They only last a year. I put in LED they lasted a year. I prefer the white Sylvania they shoot further down the road. You want to put in Led for all the interior and mirrors. Be prepared to catch the mirror when it pops out.

 

Be prepared to catch the mirror when it pops out.

Funny you phrase it like this- i put diode dynamics LEDs into the side markers, reinstall mirrors, etc. Then the next day, going 70 on the highway, I see my driver side mirror wiggling. It almost looks like it's about to fly out, so I roll down my window, reach out to it, and it flies into my hand! At highway speed! I pulled into a gas station, superglued it back in, havent had an issue since.

 

You got LUCKY! My luck would have been a mirror in 1,000 pieces. My mechanic wouldn't swap the bulb for me. He said step one was "warm the mirror with a hair dryer to prevent damage to the glass". He laughed and said "nope". The CAR CARE NUT on youtube actually recommends to let the bulbs go out and leave it. So you don't risk breaking the mirror. I watched two guys swap out the bulbs. I think they edited the part of it popping in the air and catching it. My wife laughed, I think you should not do it over concrete in any case.

 

Unlike most youtube videos ... must lever the mirror from the bottom and not from the side as many youtube videos suggest. A quick sharp tug works every time. If removed from the side ... the upper (hook) retainers will break and then not secure properly when the mirror is reinstalled. The mirror must rotate out from bottom so the upper hook retainers can disengage as the mirror is dropped down and out.

To keep the mirror from flying off I used Gorilla Tape ... on the back of the mirror shell ... wrapped over the top ... and down the mirror.

When reinstalling I put some Silicone Spray on the lower clips so excessive force was not necessary to re-engage.

 

I'll do that next time. I have Gorilla tape holding my black light trailer hitch cover on now. A guy bumped it on day 2 after installation.

 

I had good luck with Sylvania zXe bulbs. A lot brighter and whiter. Have since moved to Freedom Retrofits and love them. Looks like they aren’t taking orders though?

edit: as mentioned in another reply, the zXe bulbs do tend to burn out a lot quicker, but it was worth the sacrifice to me. But, it was part of why I decided to go with retrofit LED, with their much longer life.

 

as mentioned in another reply, the zXe bulbs do tend to burn out a lot quicker, but it was worth the sacrifice to me.

If you have DRLs disconnect them. The plug is sort of behind the driver's side headlight. Tape off the two connectors to prevent corrosion. This will make aftermarket bulbs last longer.

 

i have In Pro Car ware led signal and rear tail lights on my rig...work and look great

IPCW 07-UP FJ Cruiser Tail Lights - Bermuda Black / LED [LEDT-2038CB] - $389.71 : Pure FJ Cruiser, Parts and Accessories for your Toyota FJ Cruiser

Pure FJ Cruiser IPCW 07-UP FJ Cruiser Tail Lights - Bermuda Black / LED [LEDT-2038CB] - Don't look at a cracked tail light lens as bad luck-look at it as an opportunity to upgrade your car to IPCW tail lights. A far cry from boring stock lenses, IPCW tail lights feature the latest in Euro-look...

www.purefjcruiser.com

 

Thanks for the link. I have a whole new wish list. What is funny to me is the passenger side armrest I bought in 2008 was $100 and now it is $95. I got it from the dealer. I wonder if they would be like $300 now from the dealer?

 

I used
Piaa 26-17404 G3 H4 LED Bulb
for the headlights, been super happy with them for over 4 years. Superbright LED and Diode dynamics bulbs for all the others. Dome and mirrors too. Very pleased.

 

The aftermarket headlight bulbs will last longer if you unplug your DRLs, assuming you have them. Search the forums for exactly how to do it, but the plug is sort of behind/below the driver's side headlight.

 

I upgraded all my exterior lights, except the headlights, with LED lights I bought from Diode Dynamics. I've been really happy with them. They are made in the USA.

 

For a headlight upgrade to LED lamps, I would recommend the Lasfit LS series 90w bulbs. Yes they do have the cooling fan, but install was very easy with no wiring mods. Only mod was to open up the hole in the dust boot that protects the lens housing. $121 total cost. For DRLs I already had a toggle switch and relay to turn on/off. If on, the brightness is the same as full on. These lights do provide a distinct line on low beam to eliminate blinding oncoming traffic. Compared to OEM brightness, these are so much brighter and superior for lighting up dark roads which was my goal anyway.
good luck!

 

I could use some help with a new set of headlights for my 2014 FJ and would love some recommendations.My preference is something plug and play and I would prefer to replace entire unit replacement rather than bulbs. Would also like to update the taillights and turn signals as well. Cost is less important than quality
I would love to get Freedoms but the wait is just too long
let me know what you suggest

I love these bulbs!
HELLA H71071242 Optilux XB Series H1 Xenon White Halogen Bulbs, 12V, 55W, 2 Pack

https://a.co/d/4P2d54n

 

I still like the ultra bright H4. It took about one minute to swap when my LED went out on a rainy night on the way to work.