Hella 60mm question
Hella 60mm question Is it safe to run a 50 or 55 watt HID kit with the Hella 60mm like is from the old V1 BLS firebird kit? anyone here doing it long term, how have the bulbs held up to the higher wattage?
Thankfully there have been no issues with the original 55W DDM systems used in the Hella 60mm modules to date. The original kit installed many years back when we started the product offering is still in use today with no issues. The biggest issue we see from time to time is water intrusion getting past the bulb seal in the bulb holder area. This hasn't been a major issue but it's the only one a few customers have mentioned to us over the years.
So with that said, I don't see an issue running a higher wattage system in these modules.
So with that said, I don't see an issue running a higher wattage system in these modules.
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Ballasts aren't the only problem. Cheap Quality bulbs can also run hotter and emit more UV. That combination is what damages projectors.
If you want to save money on ballasts, check out the Fast Bright ballasts. I don't have any experience with them, but I've heard good things.
If you want to save money on bulbs, look in The Retrofit Source's closeout section for the previous generation Bulbs. Avoid "B" stock or "misaligned" bulbs. However, it looks like they only have the 3Five bulbs (35watt) right now and not the 5Five bulbs (55watt).
If you want to save money on ballasts, check out the Fast Bright ballasts. I don't have any experience with them, but I've heard good things.
If you want to save money on bulbs, look in The Retrofit Source's closeout section for the previous generation Bulbs. Avoid "B" stock or "misaligned" bulbs. However, it looks like they only have the 3Five bulbs (35watt) right now and not the 5Five bulbs (55watt).
Ballasts aren't the only problem. Cheap Quality bulbs can also run hotter and emit more UV. That combination is what damages projectors.
If you want to save money on ballasts, check out the Fast Bright ballasts. I don't have any experience with them, but I've heard good things.
If you want to save money on bulbs, look in The Retrofit Source's closeout section for the previous generation Bulbs. Avoid "B" stock or "misaligned" bulbs. However, it looks like they only have the 3Five bulbs (35watt) right now and not the 5Five bulbs (55watt).
If you want to save money on ballasts, check out the Fast Bright ballasts. I don't have any experience with them, but I've heard good things.
If you want to save money on bulbs, look in The Retrofit Source's closeout section for the previous generation Bulbs. Avoid "B" stock or "misaligned" bulbs. However, it looks like they only have the 3Five bulbs (35watt) right now and not the 5Five bulbs (55watt).
am running 55w on morimoto minis, i took them off once and found 2 or 3 tiny bubbles of the coating inside. am in the process of installing 2 more minis in the high beam housing and maybe go with 4 35w ballasts too.
While the 60mm units are not large projectors, they are a little bigger than the Morimoto Mini D2S 2.0 which is rated for 50W. I'd like to think the Hella's are better constructed as well. Regardless, running 35W and good lamps is always the safer way to go but I believe the Hella's will hold up.
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Verdad Gallardo got a problem, I was aligning the lights tonight and I noticed some light shooting out the side so I shined my flashlight in there and noticed the back of the projector sheared off, has anyone had this problem before? if so how did you stop it from happening? I know I probably need to order a replacement one, unless someone has a way to fix this. I think it's hitting off the core support behind the bulb.
the plates are the plates from the BLS V1 kit just spray painted black, but you could buy a set of low beam plates on ebay from the seller "tramsootru", the high beams are slightly different (in the cutout for the light) so I don't know where you could buy those outside of getting the whole premium kit from BLS, which if you have the budget I would suggest, the high beam output on the V2 kit is phenomenal.
Hella 60mm question Blackbird Lighting offers a budget kit for the low beam setup with 60mm Hellas and the plates and adapter wiring. I bet they would offer the same for the high beam parts since they are essentially the same thing. When you add up the cost, the eBay plates aren't any cheaper. Plates, stainless hardware, wiring, projectors, etc.
Blackbird Lighting offers a budget kit for the low beam setup with 60mm Hellas and the plates and adapter wiring. I bet they would offer the same for the high beam parts since they are essentially the same thing. When you add up the cost, the eBay plates aren't any cheaper. Plates, stainless hardware, wiring, projectors, etc.
Alright, I got NEW hella's 60mm to replace the busted one and went ahead and replaced the other one, it wasn't in very good shape either. still got to tweak the aim a little but I CAN SEE AGAIN. I have now had every variation of low beam lighting for the 98+ firebirds:
1. Stock Lighting
2. BLS V2 kit
3. LMC housings
4. LMC housings with HID kit
5. BLS V1 "budget" (basically a new set of hella 60mm combined with BLS mounting plates)
so with that said anyone buying LMC housings with the intent of shoving HIDs into them to save money STOP RIGHT NOW
lets run the numbers for a minute, LMC housings are 35 a piece plus shipping so you're looking like 80-90 to get them to your door, well thats what a set of hella projectors will cost you, then you just have an extra 60-70 for plates and mounting hardware and let me tell you this the Hella 60mm are LIGHT YEARS (LITERALLY NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE) better then the LMC's with HIDs, with the LMC's there was plenty of light but it was like ambient light it was just there faintly lighting everything no real focus, not any more usable light then the halogens that come with them, the Hella's on the other hand (with the 50watt ballasts) are like the surface of the freaking sun, nice wide beam spread and lots of USABLE light, while having a cut-off to prevent blinding on-coming traffic, if I have one complaint about them it is the size of the step in the cut-off.
In short anyone thinking about buying the LMC to put HID in just buy the Budget BLS kit.
1. Stock Lighting
2. BLS V2 kit
3. LMC housings
4. LMC housings with HID kit
5. BLS V1 "budget" (basically a new set of hella 60mm combined with BLS mounting plates)
so with that said anyone buying LMC housings with the intent of shoving HIDs into them to save money STOP RIGHT NOW
lets run the numbers for a minute, LMC housings are 35 a piece plus shipping so you're looking like 80-90 to get them to your door, well thats what a set of hella projectors will cost you, then you just have an extra 60-70 for plates and mounting hardware and let me tell you this the Hella 60mm are LIGHT YEARS (LITERALLY NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE) better then the LMC's with HIDs, with the LMC's there was plenty of light but it was like ambient light it was just there faintly lighting everything no real focus, not any more usable light then the halogens that come with them, the Hella's on the other hand (with the 50watt ballasts) are like the surface of the freaking sun, nice wide beam spread and lots of USABLE light, while having a cut-off to prevent blinding on-coming traffic, if I have one complaint about them it is the size of the step in the cut-off.In short anyone thinking about buying the LMC to put HID in just buy the Budget BLS kit.
Alright, I got NEW hella's 60mm to replace the busted one and went ahead and replaced the other one, it wasn't in very good shape either. still got to tweak the aim a little but I CAN SEE AGAIN. I have now had every variation of low beam lighting for the 98+ firebirds:
1. Stock Lighting
2. BLS V2 kit
3. LMC housings
4. LMC housings with HID kit
5. BLS V1 "budget" (basically a new set of hella 60mm combined with BLS mounting plates)
so with that said anyone buying LMC housings with the intent of shoving HIDs into them to save money STOP RIGHT NOW lets run the numbers for a minute, LMC housings are 35 a piece plus shipping so you're looking like 80-90 to get them to your door, well thats what a set of hella projectors will cost you, then you just have an extra 60-70 for plates and mounting hardware and let me tell you this the Hella 60mm are LIGHT YEARS (LITERALLY NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE) better then the LMC's with HIDs, with the LMC's there was plenty of light but it was like ambient light it was just there faintly lighting everything no real focus, not any more usable light then the halogens that come with them, the Hella's on the other hand (with the 50watt ballasts) are like the surface of the freaking sun, nice wide beam spread and lots of USABLE light, while having a cut-off to prevent blinding on-coming traffic, if I have one complaint about them it is the size of the step in the cut-off.
In short anyone thinking about buying the LMC to put HID in just buy the Budget BLS kit.
1. Stock Lighting
2. BLS V2 kit
3. LMC housings
4. LMC housings with HID kit
5. BLS V1 "budget" (basically a new set of hella 60mm combined with BLS mounting plates)
so with that said anyone buying LMC housings with the intent of shoving HIDs into them to save money STOP RIGHT NOW
lets run the numbers for a minute, LMC housings are 35 a piece plus shipping so you're looking like 80-90 to get them to your door, well thats what a set of hella projectors will cost you, then you just have an extra 60-70 for plates and mounting hardware and let me tell you this the Hella 60mm are LIGHT YEARS (LITERALLY NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE) better then the LMC's with HIDs, with the LMC's there was plenty of light but it was like ambient light it was just there faintly lighting everything no real focus, not any more usable light then the halogens that come with them, the Hella's on the other hand (with the 50watt ballasts) are like the surface of the freaking sun, nice wide beam spread and lots of USABLE light, while having a cut-off to prevent blinding on-coming traffic, if I have one complaint about them it is the size of the step in the cut-off.In short anyone thinking about buying the LMC to put HID in just buy the Budget BLS kit.
Does anyone have a road shot of the step in the Hella 60 mm? I want to see how bad the step really is because I know it's fairly large aimed against a wall.
I shoved some morimoto Mini H1s in some LMC truck housings and thermoformed some lenses over them to seal them. Huge pain in the *** but the light output is amazing. I just wanted to get rid of the square high beams to complete the look as well as wire them up to the H1s so when I turn on the brights, the Mini's and the Hellas both come on. I think I'll be happy with that amount of light output.
Does anyone have a road shot of the step in the Hella 60 mm? I want to see how bad the step really is because I know it's fairly large aimed against a wall.
Does anyone have a road shot of the step in the Hella 60 mm? I want to see how bad the step really is because I know it's fairly large aimed against a wall.
5000k bulbs with 50 watt ballasts.
Last edited by Daniel Richards; Aug 2, 2015 at 09:17 PM.