headlight lens question
 

Does anyone know where I can buy both clear lenses for my headlights? I spent a lot of time black housing and doing the yellow highbeam conversion, so I don't need new headlights. I've sanded and polished till my hands are raw, and still cannot get those pesky cracks out. They're especially visible at night once the HIDs are on. I've searched ebay and the usual places to no avail. Any ideas?

Re: headlight lens question
 

I've never seen the lense sold separate of the housing.

You'll probably need to buy new lights.

Re: headlight lens question
 

you say you have hids... this makes me wonder if they are aftermarked headlights or oem. if oem try to find a cheap pair then you can bake them and take the lenses from that set and put them on the set that you have done work on. thats the only way i see to preserve the work you put into them.

Re: headlight lens question
 

How hot do you have to get them to release the adhesive? What adhesive (if any) do you use to put them back together? Even with Sylvania Silverstar Ultras, I don't seem to have enought light. Instead of an HID conversion (I'm cheap), I have toyed with the idea of taking out the internal covers for the low beams and changing the plugs to allow the installation of a 65 watt high beam bulb in the low beam position.

Should have searched first - I think I found what I was looking for.

Re: headlight lens question
 

please don't remove the covers over the low beams. that would probably be worse than cheap PnP HID's for oncoming traffic. i use silverstar ultras and they provide plenty of light for me. are your lenses yellowed, clouded, or anything like that? if so a good polishing would probably do wonders for your lighting situation. you can get kits to "restore" headlights at any auto parts store or even walmart, they aren't expensive and they work really well. its basically very fine grit sandpaper and a polishing compound. but there is a technique that they recommend to use. i think its up and down with the roughest grit, side to side with the middle grit, and circular motions with the finest. check out the lighting forum too. they have write ups on how to restore them and how to bake them to open them up if you end up doing that. the one question that i can answer for sure for you is that you do not need any adhesive to put them back together. you just bake them again and as long as you put them back together quickly the original sealant will reseal them. i think the baking time is like half an hour at 350 but don't quote me on that part.

Re: headlight lens question
 

You can do the 9005 conversion and get brighter output in low beams - no reason to take out anything. You just notch the light bulb and it pops right in.

Re: headlight lens question
 

Thanks MM, maybe I'll try that first - I don't really want to be one of the guys I hate for having TOO bright headlights. The lenses aren't too bad. I have a kit (Eastwood) for polishing windshelds that I will probably try on the lenses just to freshen 'em up. I've saved three windshields now by polishing out the wiper marks. It can be a bit tedious, but it sure beats replacing one.

Re: headlight lens question
 

i did mine at 215 for close to 10 minute try to split it if not put them back in for 5 minutes. you dont want the oven too hot to warp or melt the housing .

Re: headlight lens question
 

To install the 9005 in the low beams, I had to remove the two notches inside the connector (a little tricky), and make the tab at the top a little narrower (the 9006 is offset to one side, the 9005 is offset the other. Couldn't bring myself to put Ultras in. Plain SilverStar 9005 on driver's side appears brighter than the 9006 Ultra still in the right side.

Re: headlight lens question
 

You need new headlights then. Cannot buy seperately.

Re: headlight lens question
 

umm i think he was satisfied with putting high beam bulbs in the low beam spot?

fleetw00d would you mind posting a couple pics of the light output? preferably one of the high beams and one of the low beams?

Re: headlight lens question
 

I'll try to get some pictures. As I said, I couldn't bring myself to pay for the Ultras again (I had a set of 9006 low beams in both sides). The left one burned out, so I modified a standard Silverstar 9005 (high beam) to fit in the low beam location. I haven't done any extensive night driving since; but the standard Silverstar high beam in the low beam location appears to be at least as bright as an Ultro low beam bulb.

Re: headlight lens question
 

pics would be awesome :thumbup: i might do this conversion eventually since i have 2 perfectly fine 9005's (not sure what brand, they were in it when i got the car) laying around because i bought silverstar ultras for my low beams when one burned out and then it bugged the hell out of me that my high beams were yellowish and my low beams were bright white. but for some extra light it may be worth it to deal with yellowish low beams.

i definitely know what you mean about not wanting to buy ultras again (i have them in my high and low beams.) they are definitely not cheap! i might go with regular silverstars if i do this long term just so they wouldn't be quite as bright for other drivers. i'm pretty sure those have a longer life anyways which would be a benefit.

Re: headlight lens question
 

hmm... i just decided to do some searching on this topic. some people claim that the 9005's have caused their harnesses to melt, that seems unlikely to me. but i also found that 9012's (also called HIR) are supposedly a direct replacement for 9006's, they are the same wattage and they don't create extra heat, but they have "90% more intensity." here is a link to them. they are about the same price as silverstar ultras too. heres a link to some. http://store.candlepower.com/9012.html

anyone have some insight into this or ever tried it?