1st gen headlight assembly

Hi Taco men and women. I have an 02 with the shittiest aftermarket headlights. They had these little wires that piggy backed the plug to light these little LEDs. I go through lamps every month or so and they leak.
Any how.
Where can I get OEM replacements or what aftermarket lights do you all recommend?

P.S.
I also need the grill.

 

Started with Amazon copies and regretted it. I got OEMs from Camelback Tacoma (they ship and are my go to due to better prices than my neighborhood dealer) but any dealer you are happy with can get them. Buy once, cry once, good for another 20 years.

 

I got some aftermarket lights that were decent enough when I replaced them a few years ago but I spent a ton of time modifying them so they could be properly aimed. They are spot on now but it took a few days of tweaking and I had the space to setup measurements on a wall to gauge from. Ya couldn't pay me to do it again. I took those f'ers out dozens of times to get 'em right. But if you don't care about other drivers...game on! Hehe.

 

highly recommend "Epic Lighting" on Amazon. the restoration kit didnt do the job but these have worked for over a year with no problem at all

$73 EPIC LIGHTING Halogen Replacement Spec Headlights Compatible with TOYOTA 01-04 TACOMA [ TO2502136 TO2503136 8115004110 8111004110 ] Pair

https://www.amazon.com/EPIC-LIGHTING-Replacement-Headlights-TACOMA/dp/B0DDG2LLBS

 

I went with the cheapest 'CAPA certified' headlights from Rockauto + 2.5 in b-led projectors from Ali. ~$100 and it's way better than any stock halogen.



You do have to be a bit crafty to be able to a) open/re-seal the headlights, and b) change wiring.

 

So what everyone is saying is...
No OEM.
I just want to bring this bad bitch back and make her bad AF.

 

I personally went with DEPO brand headlights and MORIMOTO Projectors, Halo switchbacks, LED H1's , and had no issues since then is now been almost 3 years, NO Leaks, No component failures or anything, all good here !

 

Running CAPA certified TYCs from Rock Auto, here. Just halogens, unmodified. Not the greatest throw but better than fogged up OEM lenses. Holding up fine a year in but my truck is garaged so ymmv on the weather sealing.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

TL;DR: OEM assemblies are the best

 

yes 100% OEM. Never seen an aftermarket solution that integrates well and is a higher quality.

 

OEM housings for old trucks aren’t any better than highish quality aftermarket housings. 2nd + Gen sure but not on 20 year old trucks.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-oem-headlights.835374/#post-29932807

 

Not sure I understand. OEMs lasted 20 years on these trucks. Sure they are now mostly chipped by rocks and dulled by UV.

I started with

$86 For 2001-2004 Toyota Tacoma Pair Head Lights Driver and Passenger Side TO2502136 TO2503136 | 81150-04110 81110-04110

these ($78 a pair -- yay, I am a financial genius who unlocked and exploited some amazing value!!) off Amazon but lemme tell you, they are not "highish". When I had them in my hand, I realized I wasted $78 and went online, and paid $188 each for OEMs that will last another 20 years, more than the life of the truck. And they look right.


My question is: how do you decide which aftermarket headlamp assembly is "highish quality" and which is absolute trash that will chip and dull in no time?

 

Depo and TYC generally have higher ratings on Amazon and parts sites than random suppliers. I bought a pair of $65 aftermarket headlights back in 2019 which started to flake the protective film off of the lenses recently. This may have been from my 1st Gen being a project truck and me cutting and welding too near to the front of it, but a can of 2k clear coat and some da / wet sanding and they’re good to go.

OEM suppliers change over time - an example is Harrison not making OEM radiators anymore. Quality’s going to fluctuate over time with the suppliers of older vehicle parts and I’ve seen aftermarket housings increase in quality over the course of the last 9 years with the ones I’ve put on my 2nd Gen which never had oem housings from the time I purchased it or I would have just sanded the lenses and clear coated them again. FWIW I’ve done the high powered H4 mod in my daily and my 4runner.

I think use case also is something to consider; spending $400 on H4 housings would probably not be what I'd want to spend the money on because I live in a big city that is so well lit, it's not uncommon for people to forget to turn on their headlights when leaving parking lots at night. I'd prefer to spend the extra $300 on BajaDesigns pods or light bar that I can use when out in the desert. Even on road, there's many times I drive for dozens of miles without passing another vehicle when I'll use the aux lights. If I were out in the countryside on two lane twisty roads passing a bunch of people at night and having to watch out for deer, etc. it might be more likely I'd go for OEM housings if there really was a $300 difference in price / value.

 

Wow that's great information. Thank you

 

ordered doorman off rock auto oe headlights.
no issues
super bright