Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Need Headlight Recommendation

Got a 08 Ford Expedition. Had it about a year very happy with it. But I am having a harder and harder time accepting the crappy ass headlights. Lenses are fine but the bulbs just suck.

Looking at replacements and I am very confused by the different offerings. Somewhat interested in some of the led upgrades. But reviews are all over the map.

Looking for the brightest direct replacement that will work with my lens housing. Plug in and be hassle free.

Appreciate any recommendations from realworld users for this truck or same vintage F150 as they use the same bulb I have been told.

I believe that the Expedition uses the 9008 bulbs. You can find them anywhere.

I've never been impressed with the plug in bulbs. They're never as bright as the old sealed beams. They're far less susceptible to breakage, though, because they don't leak out the gas if they get a rock chip.
We have 3 vehicles, '08 Dodge pickup, '04 Pontiac, and '87 Ford Bronco. The Bronc has sealed beams, the newer ones have plug-in bulbs. The Bronc lights put out FAR more light, no comparison.

Yep my older suburbans I drove before the expedition had sealed beams and were way better.

I can get the bulbs anywhere just hoping to hear what might be the brightest option before I spend the money and maybe end up with something worse than what I have.

From what I've read, the brighter they are, the shorter the life span. I've tried some extra bright ones. They weren't bright enough to be worth the higher price.

whatever you buy, get them to guarantee that the
bulbs won't get too hot and melt your headlamp
housings and wiring harness. i've seen it a bunch at the places i've worked at, mainly with the "blue" bulbs that
everyone wanted at one time. that's a big expense to replace all that just for more light.

I used PIAA extreme white plug in bulbs for awhile. Noticeably brighter than standard lamp, but only lasted 2 or 3 years.

Several companies like PIAA and Sylvania make higher performance, higher $$, bulbs. You may not see a big difference, but good news is they are a lot cheaper than an entire headlight assembly.

Thought about adding some led driving lights?

I've researched this a bit because I'm not satisfied with the OEM headlights on my 11 F250 or the Sienna van.

To not be disappointed with after market headlights, one has to change the housing with the aftermarket LED/HID/whatever bulb.

For a 9008, it is what it is! Add LED light bar to come on with your high beams for driving.

Some people like the Silverstar? bulbs. I tried them in the van and didn't find enough output to justify the price difference. Additionally, the longevity was measured in months of use.

I think brighter bulbs have smaller filaments making them burn hotter and not last as long.

I tried the Silverstar bulbs after my factory bulbs burned out. I felt there was a significant increase in light output. But they cost about 3X as much as standard bulbs and lasted about 1/4 as long.

Sylvania Makes 3-4 different grades of bulbs with the Silverstar the top end. I don't recall the name of the next level down, but chose those after the Silverstars went out. The price was much better and they have been in my truck for about 6 years now.

They don't put out as much light as I like, but I'll live with it before paying the price to upgrade.

Last week I had to replace one of the headlights on our Pontiac. I had a choice. I could remove the entire headlight, or...I could remove a fuse box, a steel grill support and the battery. There's no other way to get the bulb out. I want the longest lived bulb on the market.
I went with removing the headlight. That way it only took me 20 min. for a frikken light bulb.

I installed some Hella bulbs in the Jimmy recently and they are very bright. If they last a few years I'll be pleased.

I tried the Silverstars in my car, which has Daylight running lights, and they only lasted 2-3 months.

I put new lenses and silversatr ultras in my old Tundra. I really think it tripled the light. The lenses were really bad. Anyway the silverstar ultras supposedly last 3X longer than standard silverstars. They were 45 a pair at walmart. I also replaced the fogs with the ultras, and the difference was amazing. Hopefully they last a long time. I just put new headlamps and fogs in my daughters outback, and I used the ultras. I will be super pissed if these dont last for 90 bucks.

The head lights were developing leaks and getting condensation in my 07 F150. The tail lights were already getting water in them last year.

I went to car ID and replaced both with new HALO LED about 350.00. Purchased from CARID. Just the back up lights are worth it really bright.

The project took a few hours and I am quite happy with the results. Go to CARID and look at the options for your vehicle and choose one with a lot of reviews.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob