# Installed Hids in my western nighthawk lights



## fireboy6413

Almost done installing hids in my nighthawks, Love them very bright. Figure ill post some pics, since everyone is asking about them.


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## Evanbrendel

nice where did you get the kit?


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## EGLC

How about some install pix??


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## fireboy6413

Ill be posting them as soon as the rain lets off, hey EGLC what happened to buying the light bar


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## 2COR517

Do you have HID for both Hi and Lo beams? What wattage and temp? They look pretty blue


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## fireboy6413

8000K and yes hi and low, I wasn't going to go with the hi/lo because of the banging from the plow, but Ill see how long the bulb will last I cant see it lasting too long, since its the actual bulb that moves up and down, its not like its a dual filament bulb. Its the camera, I think my lens is a little dirty,


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## hitachiman 200

Installed a set of low beam only, also 8000k,and they are still more than twice as bright as the stock bulb on high. figured the less moving parts the better and the replacement bulbs are only about $10.00. snagged them off Ebay for $69.00 and used them all last season no problem. The 8000k are a lot easier on the eyes than the 6000k in the snow and really make anything with flourescent stand out for miles. Almost like having a jumbo UV cannon (blacklight) on the front of your rig. easy to install also as the shell has lots of room for the ballast


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## Too Stroked

fireboy6413;973883 said:


> 8000K and yes hi and low, I wasn't going to go with the hi/lo because of the banging from the plow, but Ill see how long the bulb will last I cant see it lasting too long, since its the actual bulb that moves up and down, its not like its a dual filament bulb. Its the camera, I think my lens is a little dirty,


I'll be real interested in seeing how well HIDs hold up on a plow frame. My main concern is the same as yours - how well they'll hold up to the constant banging. Where did you hide the ballasts?


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## Grn Mtn

have you guys been on the receiving end of those lights, they are bad enough in a car, I can imagine total blindness high up on the plow frame....

don't get me wrong, I'm all for more light, but the new lights were a vast improvement over the old style, hard to believe you needed to upgrade even more.


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## nevrnf

Here is some good reading on lighting. Make your decision on color. I bet you wiil be surprised what is best.
Headlight article


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## 2COR517

The glare to oncoming drivers shouldn't be nearly as bad, the Nighthawks are projectors.

I thought those were hotter than 6000K. I would imagine the glare coming back at you off the snow would get real old real fast.

If I do HID on my plow lights, I will probably do something like 3700K.


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## grec-o-face

I installed 6000K hi/low's in my MM2 (old style lights). 
HUGE difference. I'm in it for about $100. I wish I had saved a few bucks and gone with single beam HIDs, as I never use the hi beams anymore - but it's too late now...
I'll get some dark pics soon if anyone is interested.


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## hitachiman 200

Grn Mtn;973999 said:


> have you guys been on the receiving end of those lights, they are bad enough in a car, I can imagine total blindness high up on the plow frame....
> 
> don't get me wrong, I'm all for more light, but the new lights were a vast improvement over the old style, hard to believe you needed to upgrade even more.


With the 8000k's they produce less glare than the old style headlights. I should have taken a pic when we had three rigs side by side with the old style , the new style and new style with HID's.


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## hitachiman 200

grec-o-face;974064 said:


> I installed 6000K hi/low's in my MM2 (old style lights).
> HUGE difference. I'm in it for about $100. I wish I had saved a few bucks and gone with single beam HIDs, as I never use the hi beams anymore - but it's too late now...
> I'll get some dark pics soon if anyone is interested.


Aren't the old style a sealed beam unit? If yours are not what brand and part # please. I installed the GE sealed nighthawk lights in one unit but they are still crappy. I have been looking for a headlight that has replaceable bulbs, like a H13, for these units but have not found any yet.


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## Diesel Nick

grec-o-face;974064 said:


> I installed 6000K hi/low's in my MM2 (old style lights).
> HUGE difference. I'm in it for about $100. I wish I had saved a few bucks and gone with single beam HIDs, as I never use the hi beams anymore - but it's too late now...
> I'll get some dark pics soon if anyone is interested.


Did you have sealed beam lights on that prior? If so how did you convert them? 
I have been wanting to do that since I installed HID's on my truck.


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## Too Stroked

2COR517;974030 said:


> The glare to oncoming drivers shouldn't be nearly as bad, the Nighthawks are projectors.


I could be wrong, but none of the trucks we have (four of them so far) with those particular lights are projectors. Capsule style halogens yes, but not projectors.


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## grec-o-face

Diesel Nick;974130 said:


> Did you have sealed beam lights on that prior? If so how did you convert them?
> I have been wanting to do that since I installed HID's on my truck.


I did have sealed beams prior. I swapped them out for conversion headlamp - H4656's that take H4 bulbs. The headlight were like $45. Then just bought HIDs for H4s.
I've been running HIDs for a long while now - I figured why not on the blade too.
Something like this:


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## Fourbycb

So where is it you guys are coming up with these HID kits to convert I could be interested in the 8000k for my nighthawks to if I could find them


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## 2COR517

Too Stroked;974157 said:


> I could be wrong, but none of the trucks we have (four of them so far) with those particular lights are projectors. Capsule style halogens yes, but not projectors.


I was under the impression that any headlight that does not use the lens to focus/control the light is considered a projector.

I could be wrong.

Happened one other time:laughing::laughing:


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## fireboy6413

All you need is a H13 hid conversion kit, the ones I have need a 12volt power source, so I need to run a separate battery lead to the plow its self, the other sets I bought were for my sisters cars, they did not have the hi/lo so they were just plug and play no need for a constant 12volt wire. Its very simple if you go with the lo beam only, its just plug and play, how ever go with a slim ballast, their is not much room in the housings, I will get some pics when its stops raining.


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## hitachiman 200

2COR517;974403 said:


> I was under the impression that any headlight that does not use the lens to focus/control the light is considered a projector.
> 
> I could be wrong.
> 
> Happened one other time:laughing::laughing:


Nighthawks are focused by the reflector portion of the light.. not the lens.... whereas projectors use a lens like a magnifier to focus and an internal baffle to create a horizontal cut off so the light is below the oncoming traffic. Projectors produce a tighter beam so less of the light is lost.


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## Fire_n_Ice

Subscribed


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## 2COR517

Regardless of projector or not, since I switched my Intensifires over to relays and dual burn, they are incredibly bright and effective. I don't see the need for much more.

The focus control is so tight with the H13 bulbs I can see a dark spot between the Lo and Hi beam area when dual burn is switched on.


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## hitachiman 200

grec-o-face;974279 said:


> I did have sealed beams prior. I swapped them out for conversion headlamp - H4656's that take H4 bulbs. The headlight were like $45. Then just bought HIDs for H4s.
> I've been running HIDs for a long while now - I figured why not on the blade too.
> Something like this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Thanks, now I just have to find them up here, Have 2 westerns and a fisher that run the same light.


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## Too Stroked

hitachiman 200;974976 said:


> Nighthawks are focused by the reflector portion of the light.. not the lens.... whereas projectors use a lens like a magnifier to focus and an internal baffle to create a horizontal cut off so the light is below the oncoming traffic. Projectors produce a tighter beam so less of the light is lost.


That would be 100% correct. Think of the lens a slide projector uses to focus the light from the bulb.

Interestingly enough, that's also the reason most factory HIDs are also projectors - because it cuts down on stray light which shows up as glare for oncoming drivers. Most folks in the know will not recommend converting a halogen capsule type light over to HID for that very reason.


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## grec-o-face

hitachiman 200;975277 said:


> grec-o-face;974279 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I did have sealed beams prior. I swapped them out for conversion headlamp - H4656's that take H4 bulbs. The headlight were like $45. Then just bought HIDs for H4s.
> I've been running HIDs for a long while now - I figured why not on the blade too.
> Something like this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Thanks, now I just have to find them up here, Have 2 westerns and a fisher that run the same light.
> 
> 
> 
> They're everywhere online. Ive seen them locally, but very expensive. Check ebaymotors.
Click to expand...


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