HID lighting & lift questions on 2004 sport trac

[hopsing-nh]

Hi everyone!
New to the forums and I am ready to start modifying my 2004 Sport Trac 4X4 and the first question is:
1. I am thinking of upgrading my headlights to a HID Bi-Xenon and was looking for a recommended product/opinions.
2. Really need a lift and bigger than stock tires. I noticed suspension lifts seem hard to find and a bit pricey. Any suggestions of body lift manufacturers? The higher, the better!
Thanks! Steph

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome steph

 

[JohnnyO]

1. Dunno.
2. A torsion bar twist and Warrior shackles will get you about 1.5" lift and you can fit 32's or a narrow 33. The torsion twist and alignment should cost about $50 and the shackles are about the same.
Performance Accessories makes either a 2" or 3" body lift, I forget.
The only true suspension lift kits currently available are from Superlift, which is expensive, and Dixon Brothers Racing, which is really really expensive.

Late model Rangers, Explorers, and Sport Tracs are cheap to lift a little and expensive to lift a lot. It is what it is.

 

[06bluez]

do you know what Bi Xenon is? that will require a whole new headlight housing and projector. Bi-xenon is a special HID projector and lens that incorporates a shade to change between high and low beams...

Hid conversion kits are a bad idea IMO in non projector beam headlight housings because the light cant be focused on the ground properly, and you will be blinding other drivers and getting high beamed constantly. not to mention that your existing wiring is probably not up to the task of the current draw of the ballasts.

 

[adas]

bluez, I'm afraid that's not entirely true...I'm Using bi-xenons I. The stock housings...works awesome. Of course, using a non projector housing is not ideal, as long as aimed correctly, won't blind traffic much.
I'm Using the ones from ddmtuning, and I did have to mod the bulb locking ring but other then that almost simple plug n play.

Lift wise, start with the torsion twist and shackles and then you need to figure out what size tires you want to use before you go body lift

 

[06bluez]

here is a bi-xenon projector. How did you incorporate this into your stock housings?

 

[DonaldBrown]

I recently purchased a kit off ebay and love it! It is just the regular HID kit not the bi-xenon. I am using stock housing and have had no one flash their lights at one since I installed them about a month ago. I do believe that adas is not running a projector, 06bluez. Only problem I currently have is that when the headlights are on the radio is fuzzy on weaker channels!

 

[hopsing-nh]

Thanks for the info so far! As far as the lighting goes, I was thinking of the plug and play kits, I find that the stock bulbs are just too dull. If anyone can suggest a different bulb that may be comparable, I am up for that option too.

The torsion twist sounds interesting. I had never heard of such a thing. I am looking to squeeze no more than 33's and I like to go wide.

 

[adas]

here is a bi-xenon projector. How did you incorporate this into your stock housings?

I didnt...you have bi xenon bulbs...and bi xenon projectors. But the bi-xenon bulbs do NOT need to be in a projector housing in order to function...they move in and out slightly, and the amount that they move allows the focus of the beam inside the housing to move up and down. The work quite well in the stock housing.... the light actually surprised me on how concentrated it is...this is coming from also having 2 other cars, both with HID projectors...the only thing the stock housings don't give is a cutoff.

Long story short, it takes 2 little things to run bi-xenon bulbs in the stock housings. I promise I'm not the first one thats done it :

 

[JohnnyO]

The torsion twist sounds interesting. I had never heard of such a thing. I am looking to squeeze no more than 33's and I like to go wide.

Then you are looking at a 3" bodylift either with or without the torsion twist and shackles.
A torsion bar is basically a straightened out coil spring. The spring rate comes from the bar being twisted instead of compressed like a spring.

 

[celly]

I've used two different bi-xenon HID kits and they both sucked. One was the mechanical one, one magnetic. Neither one did much outside of moving an already blotchy beam pattern around a bit. Save your money and go with a single beam kit. You won't miss high beams with HID anyhow. One less thing to break down as well. I had to re-seat the connections on my second kit a few times when the high/low stopped working a few times.

p.s. you should have broken your post up in to two parts. We have a great lighting forum here on EF.

 

[plance1]

Is this company any good? The kit they offer for jeeps got a pretty good write up...

http://www.electrosport.com/car-truck/truck-model-products-listing-truck_10760.php

 

[celly]

Is this company any good? The kit they offer for jeeps got a pretty good write up...

http://www.electrosport.com/car-truck/truck-model-products-listing-truck_10760.php

There are so many resellers of HID kits, it's hard to keep them straight! I bought the best kit I've ever owned locally. OK, I paid a bit more but I also got me a new ballast, no questions asked when one died. He also upgraded me almost 2 years later to a better setup for a small fee.

It's pretty much hit and miss as far as I'm concerned.

 

[06bluez]

Long story short, it takes 2 little things to run bi-xenon bulbs in the stock housings. I promise I'm not the first one thats done it :

thanks for explaining that to me, I didnt know about how the bi-xenon bulbs can change position, makes sense..