DDM tuning hids

[DenaliAK]

So I have the ddm 35w 6000k in my lows and want them a little brighter so I just need to buy a 55w ballast and use my existing bulbs and then move my 35w ballast down to my fogs and by 880 bulbs? So basically just need to buy a 55w 5000k 880 for my fogs and the lights are interchangeable between ballasts?

Yes.

Bulbs don't matter. You can swap 35 and 55w ballasts to adjust brightness. At least typically. Down-side is by doing so you are over-watting the bulbs, which are really made to handle 35w. They will run 55w, but won't last as long. More power=shorter bulb life, basically.

There are some bulbs that are 50w rated. I'm running Morimoto 5five 50w bulbs in my headlights. They don't lose color with the extra power and should last longer than a standard 35w capsule. That said, I think the old Osram Xenarc 35w bulbs I was running with the 55w ballasts were considerably brighter.....

HID bulbs are definitely not created equal. I've tried quite a few at this point, and the European bulbs seem superior.

---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------

Oh yeah, as far as 55w HID's melting fogs: I've toasted one set of lenses on my Denali fogs. They didn't melt, but got scorched on the inside-center of the lenses. Had another set get water in them and then bad electrical things happened, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the wattage, but there was definite melting involved....lol.

I am now running a retro'd set of fogs in projectors with 55w HID's. No melting issues thus far.

 

[oakrdrs187]

So I have the ddm 35w 6000k in my lows and want them a little brighter so I just need to buy a 55w ballast and use my existing bulbs and then move my 35w ballast down to my fogs and by 880 bulbs? So basically just need to buy a 55w 5000k 880 for my fogs and the lights are interchangeable between ballasts?

Exactly as long as everything is from DDM.

Use your 35w ballasts on the new 5000k bulbs and use the 55w ballasts from the kit with the 6000k bulbs.

---------- Post added at 11:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 PM ----------

I've never had any melting issues in my Yukon or my Saturn Vue or the Grand Am. All 3 vehicles have 55w 10k in heads and fogs( which for some reason I have to swictch them all out to 6k now with this new wonderful info...but anyways). Saturn and GrandAm have 10 hrs of night driving a week on them and the have not melted. Maybe it has somethin to do with our -30 windchills!

-30 and at night, then yea they get plenty of cooling. Our late spring, summer and early fall nights can be as high as 85.

<-----Lives in Coachella Valley, a desert. Mid-August can hit 120 during the day.

 

[Yuko04]

Exactly as long as everything is from DDM.

Use your 35w ballasts on the new 5000k bulbs and use the 55w ballasts from the kit with the 6000k bulbs.

---------- Post added at 11:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 PM ----------



-30 and at night, then yea they get plenty of cooling. Our late spring, summer and early fall nights can be as high as 85.

<-----Lives in Coachella Valley, a desert. Mid-August can hit 120 during the day.

120......woah! Id be dead. As much as we Minnesotans ***** about the cold winters and snow. I cant mess with 120.
Hats off to you

---------- Post added at 09:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------

Another one suckered into the "blue is better" line of B.S....

Kman is right; 4300-5000k is your best bet for the most usable light. The blue light that you are using looks bright, but it's actually significantly less lumens. And what's pissing people off is probably the fact that bright blue is extremely hard for our eyes to process since it's not a natural color of illumination and our eyes are simply not made for it. It causes a lot more stress on the eyes of on-coming traffic than the whiter and slightly yellow hues even though they are actually technically brighter.

I'ma gonna guess you don't have projectors, either, which further exacerbates the glare issue....

Hey DanaliAK, we were on the projector talk the other day and how I dont like the headlights. A memeber sent me a picture of these projectors that bolt right up in the factory foglight Yukon location. I know you have a Denali,but these almost made me throw up my lucky charmshttp://www.realtruck.com/ipcw-halo-...ations&utm_source=Froogle2&utm_medium=Website

 

[DefendHawaii]

I had IPCW projector headlights in my OBS and they sucked. The headlights used an H3 bulb and were really dim. The build quality is good but the actual projectors are crap.

 

[Yuko04]

OH I know...had them same ones in my 89 fox body stang and couldnt see s&%t at night...

 

[Yuko04]

Well I guess I will see if, Kman, DenaliAK and oakrdrs187 is right on this whole 6k vs 10k deal. I got the new bulbs today and put the heads and fogs in my Saturn Vue(DD). I have a 1/2 hour commute to work in the middle of nowhere. If you all are right....I guess I'll owe you a beer!

 

[DenaliAK]

120......woah! Id be dead. As much as we Minnesotans ***** about the cold winters and snow. I cant mess with 120.
Hats off to you

---------- Post added at 09:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------



Hey DanaliAK, we were on the projector talk the other day and how I dont like the headlights. A memeber sent me a picture of these projectors that bolt right up in the factory foglight Yukon location. I know you have a Denali,but these almost made me throw up my lucky charmshttp://www.realtruck.com/ipcw-halo-...ations&utm_source=Froogle2&utm_medium=Website

Here's my front end with both low and fog projector retros. It looks a little funky, but the light at night is pretty impressive. I'm going to redo the fogs at some point with better projectors, though. I got some pretty cheapo ebay ones for this project.

 

[Kman]

Well I guess I will see if, Kman, DenaliAK and oakrdrs187 is right on this whole 6k vs 10k deal. I got the new bulbs today and put the heads and fogs in my Saturn Vue(DD). I have a 1/2 hour commute to work in the middle of nowhere. If you all are right....I guess I'll owe you a beer!

The video I posted on page 1 of this thread does not lie. I'm running 4500k bulbs with 55w ballasts.

 

[Yuko04]

Here's my front end with both low and fog projector retros. It looks a little funky, but the light at night is pretty impressive. I'm going to redo the fogs at some point with better projectors, though. I got some pretty cheapo ebay ones for this project.

I like the spread on them fogs!

---------- Post added at 10:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 PM ----------

The video I posted on page 1 of this thread does not lie. I'm running 4500k bulbs with 55w ballasts.

Your vid Kman is what really pursuaded me...... Id be a lil bit leary if I had no visual ref.

 

[Yuko04]

Where do I ship the beer? 6k are hell of a lot better and softer on the eyes and seamed to reflect a lot better! The color is like a soft peach.....Thumbs up. I'll get all me new bulbs comin for all the toys in about an hour.

*******I ******WAS******WRONG******