Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Headlight Upgrade Help - Ford Super Duty

I need better headlights. I have an ‘05 Excursion and the headlights suck. I’m prepared to add LED fog/driving lights, but want to know if anyone here has found aftermarket headlights for an excursion or 99-07 super duty that are on par with the current oem offerings. I don’t care what it costs within reason - just want to be able to see.

Are your current lenses faded/yellowed? Are you wanting the entire housing or just new bulbs?

They could probably benefit from a cleaning, but are not too bad.

I’m open to whatever. I’m skeptical that a set of LED bulbs for $99 off Amazon is going to be the answer to my problems, though.

Most stuff I’ve seen seems geared towards “style”. I’m not interested in looking cool. I don’t want blue or any fancy colors. Just pure bright white light. I rode in a buddies wife’s Lexus SUV the other day and was like holy smokes I can see.

Badger seems to be the King of Lumens.

LED's or HID bulbs will get you more light, but it MAY also be scattered in every direction. Another route you might consider is an upgraded headlight harness. The upgraded wires bring much more current flow to your existing headlight bulbs, giving you more light on the road. The upgrade harness uses your stock headlight bulbs and headlight housings.

If you look at a newer vehicle, you'll see they use a projector to focus the light pattern on the road. As far as I'm concerned, the best headlight you can get for an Excursion is one that has been modified by adding a high quality projector.

There's a guy that does these modifications over on the Ford Truck forum. You'll have to join that forum in order to contact him if that's the route you decide to go. Check out his forum posts with photos.

Click Here

Click Here

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/headlight-conversion-kits/ford/super-duty-non-sealed-beam/2005

This is your huckleberry. Quality products that work. Yes, more expensive than eBay crap, but you won’t be blinding oncoming traffic and you’ll be able to see where you’re going.

There are also other options, auxiliary light add ons, etc. but if you simply want stock looks, and better light performance, this is the way to go.

On my 2015, I replaced the headlights with the Peak LED Bulbs from The Retrofit Source. Then replaced the foglights with Baja Designs Squadron Sport LED Amber lights. Very pleased with this upgrade.

Sounds like Walt’s guy over on the ford truck forum uses a lot of same/similar parts as in Badger’s link and then sticks it all in a new aftermarket headlight assembly. If I’m reading it all right. Looks like the retrofit upgrade is the way to go. Thanks, fellas.

My '07 has sealed beams, so YMMV. I went with Retro Solutions well over a year ago and their LED upgrades have been excellent. I think they were around $200 and were plug--n-play. Wish I would have done it years earlier.

If you want to try an LED that won't break the bank look for some Beamtech LED bulbs. I have them in my Polaris Ranger and they are great. My son liked them so much he switched is higher priced LEDs over to Beamtech and had a lot better luck. I honestly think they are about $50 for them on Ebay. I did my due diligence and they were one of I think two bulbs readily available on Ebay that people recommended.

Do you have them in an on-road vehicle? My experience with just swapping bulbs was (as mentioned above) that the LEDs put out more light, but it is in every direction and oncoming traffic is not a fan.

While you are at it.. I'd replace your backup lights. While doing the headlight and foglight upgrades on the Ford and 4Runner, I decided should upgrade the backup lights as well. Worthwhile improvement but probably need to add some auxiliary lighting.

Self darkening mirrors are a major PITA on rainy or foggy nights. Replaced the OEM backup light bulbs on my truck long ago, with LED bulbs. Amounted to about a 10% improvement. Should've just bit the bullet and installed some LED lights on the headache rack. They'd also come in handy for discouraging tailgaters, unless an overly righteous cop happened to be around?.

Are you against OEM replacement headlight housing?

15 month update. I ended up going with the headlight kit from Walt501’s guy over on the ford truck forum. He sent me new focused-beam housings, new HID bulbs, wiring, etc. The result is bright light with a sharp cut off when using low beam. Lights up the whole world on high beam. I think I paid the guy $425-ish for the DIY kit. I’m a happy camper. I don’t know the guy but I would highly recommend his system. Here’s his email:

t.rojo at yahoo dot com.

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful campfire replies, as usual.

Thanks for the update on this.

I need to take the plunge myself.

Good update info on problem child of the ford's. I'm not sure why they can't seem to get the headlights figured out on the damn trucks.

that's something on my wish list for my 01 super duty. That along with upgrading my mirrors. Things to do, things to do..


thanks for the update

TR, I put '08 mirrors and ebay headlights on my '99 after hitting some deer. Big improvement.....

those headlights have LED bulbs I assume? Mucho better then OEM?

Yep, those mirrors look like just what I have in mind also.