Tahoe Z71 renovation project - Headlight Retro Thread

[The Raven]

I almost traded my NNBS Tahoe Z71 in back in February because I had a ton of GM card points to use and the Tahoe needed some TLC. Unfortunately i'm not a big fan of the new Tahoes nor spending near $70k for one and I just wasn't happy with anything smaller. Got real close to a deal on a new LT Trail Boss but I backed out because i've never been a big fan of pickups. So i've decided i'm going to invest some money into the Tahoe and hold onto it for at least another 3 years. The idea is not to build the ultimate Tahoe - just to bring my NNBS more up-to-date with many of the now-available features that the GMT900 didn't offer.

I've got a bunch of threads detailing the different phases of the project - this is the headlight thread.

Ok so I love HID headlights. To me a vehicle just does not look like it belongs in 2019 without crisp white HID/LED lighting. So this was very high on my list of renovations when I made the decision to keep my GMT900 instead of trading it in.

There is a ton of information on retrofitting GMT900 Tahoes out there so I won't dwell on all those details. Here's what I went with:

- Depo Housings
- Profile Bi-Lens LED 2.0 projectors
- Profile Hi-Lens LED (for the stock high beam spots)
- SBL 3157K switchback LEDs (for DRL/Turn combos)

In all the research I did I found that aftermarket HID ballasts are still problematic and that OEM options are still pretty much unusable in retrofits. So I decided to try the LED route to eliminate the ballast weak spot. The advantages are that I don't have to worry about ballasts being worn out by the automatic lighting system, I don't have to worry about re-based bulbs or trying to make a D2S projector work somehow, and I don't have the slow-death of HID bulbs to deal with. The disadvantage is that the LED projector puts almost everything that could possibly die IN the projector. So if anything DOES break, I need to disassemble the entire housing again to get it out. I put my money on solid state being more durable and i'm hoping I made the right choice.

The main issue I encountered in my retro is that these projectors are relatively long, and require a good bit of cutting in order to make them fit behind the headlamp lens. I also had to remove the wiring bracket to make room to move the projector back:



I then had to cut into the reflector to make room for the projector bracket and cooling fan:



Not too bad though. I went with the all black approach (except for the DRL/Turn reflectors I would need):




Wired:



Assembled:

 

[The Raven]

Now the install - this was a pain because the only way to aim the damn things is on the truck...then remove them to modify, then re-install to check aim, then remove to modify...repeat 11 times.

Done:

 

[The Raven]

Results - the cutoff pic is terrible because I don't have a place where I can get 24ft from a clean wall and be completely level...so this is it...you'll just have to trust me that they're level:



Low beam:



High beam:



Outside:




I had to get a bit creative with aiming. Trucks are tricky because you have to strike a useable balance between low enough to not annihilate oncoming drivers and high enough to actually be able to see. There's a very small window in which you can have enough length of light but still be below the eyes of Corvette drivers while on level road. I ended up aiming my right side projector a little higher than the left to gain some distance. It's worked out great in the end though.

As for the products themselves, theses things are FRIKIN BRIGHT. I could actually live with them being a little less bright. In doing my research I kept seeing complaints about LED being not bright enough so I was concerned but eventually I realized that these were HID nerds whos standards for "bright enough" were more like "pavement-melting" than "brighter-than-stock" which was all I was looking for. These LEDs are not as bright as the Mini H1 Bi-xenon projectors but make no mistake, they're still many times brighter than stock.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Very nice job!

 

[The_Burban]

Seems a lot of expense for this venture. I wonder what you would think just dropping in LED replacements.

I went with the Hikari ones another user posted about. I did them for low and highs. It is a marked improvement. Less than $90.

For $100, I bought new headlamp assemblies.

I did drop the money to buy the Morimoto fog replacements. I prefer their tinted look and all-in-one solution.

 

[The Raven]

Seems a lot of expense for this venture. I wonder what you would think just dropping in LED replacements.

I went with the Hikari ones another user posted about. I did them for low and highs. It is a marked improvement. Less than $90.

For $100, I bought new headlamp assemblies.

I did drop the money to buy the Morimoto fog replacements. I prefer their tinted look and all-in-one solution.

There's no comparison between even the best LED drop-ins and purpose-built projectors...different league. HOWEVER, when you take price into account, there is an argument for the drop ins - as long as you get the good ones that work properly in the stock reflectors. There is a YouTube video comparison of like 10 or so of the more popular brand options in a 2012 Silverado headlamp and there were I believe three that produced a good cutoff and enough throw to actually be an upgrade over the stock halogens. They all are $150-$200 per set though, and I have no idea how long they last. They're not going to compete with quality projectors like the ones I used, but they're also 1/2 the price and still better than stock.

Also - if you go HID instead of LED, you can do what I did MUCH cheaper. TRS sells outgoing-version Mini H1's for less than half of the current model. The v7.0's were current when I did my retro, and were $150, but the v6.0's were $50. You should then be able to piece together a setup for under $200 using those. Of course for the Tahoes you then have to buy new enclosures but if you can score them for $100ish you're looking at $300ish for a complete setup...and thats only $100 more than some of the good drop in bulbs.

 

[The_Burban]

There's no comparison between even the best LED drop-ins and purpose-built projectors...different league. HOWEVER, when you take price into account, there is an argument for the drop ins - as long as you get the good ones that work properly in the stock reflectors. There is a YouTube video comparison of like 10 or so of the more popular brand options in a 2012 Silverado headlamp and there were I believe three that produced a good cutoff and enough throw to actually be an upgrade over the stock halogens. They all are $150-$200 per set though, and I have no idea how long they last. They're not going to compete with quality projectors like the ones I used, but they're also 1/2 the price and still better than stock.

Also - if you go HID instead of LED, you can do what I did MUCH cheaper. TRS sells outgoing-version Mini H1's for less than half of the current model. The v7.0's were current when I did my retro, and were $150, but the v6.0's were $50. You should then be able to piece together a setup for under $200 using those. Of course for the Tahoes you then have to buy new enclosures but if you can score them for $100ish you're looking at $300ish for a complete setup...and thats only $100 more than some of the good drop in bulbs.

LOL.

If that's how you justify the $$$ to your wife... Don't have to convince me.

 

[The Raven]

No justifying needed - my "play" money comes out of a separate budget specifically for "toys". I don't have to ask my wife for permission for any of this stuff.

Also I wasn't trying to convince you of anything. Just sharing my experience and some helpful hints for anyone who may be considering a retrofit.