How easy is it to swap Factory halogen headlamps for Led headlamps

I need some advice!

My local dealer has a TRD off-road allocated that I can put a deposit on but it doesn't have the LED headlamp which I want. How hard is it to add these down the road? Are the factory LED headlamps expensive?

Thanks for your input

 

TRDs are easy. Just get the @daveeasa harness from FBC and it will be plug and play.

yes, they are expensive, relatively. Although not worse than any other brand like alpharex or Morimoto. OEMs are the way to go. I wished my truck came with them but for a TRD, it’s really no big deal to upgrade them assuming the money is affordable. Most trucks that come with them are significantly higher in price overall so there is really no cheap way to acquire the LEDs unless you find them used.

so for that reason there is no reason to buy a truck without them, just buy it and swap when you can.

 

Thanks. I guess I'll go ahead and take the one without the LEDs. You can't really be picky these days. You hear quite a bit about how automakers are struggling with production but you don't realize just how bad it is until you go to buy one. Some of these places are charging 5K over MSRP.

 

Yep. I looked at Tacomas for over 6 months. It didn’t help that I insisted on getting a manual. Choosing a manual that also had the LEDs, was just too difficult or too expensive once I found one. So I finally got a truck without them and it will be one of the next things I do. It’s no big deal really. Get the truck you can find and worry about LEDs later.

 

I just added LED bulbs and never looked back!

 

They’re pretty easy to swap but take your time.
Check out this video (she also shares a 5% off code at a Toyota parts dealer) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPvuQG-y4os&list=PLeaTOAB0mh6vZHbvovDLlK1_h8s6cmvfk&index=28

 

If you want the led lights you should definitely get them but please do it right and don’t be one of the poser d bags that wants the led look but is to cheap and inconsiderate to invest and do it right so they blind everyone else. Yes it’s an expensive project but the rest of us on the road will greatly appreciate you caring enough to mod your truck correctly.

 

I replaced the majority of exterior and interior lighting with LEDs. Headlights were easy, just pulled the old bulb out and inserted the new then secured the wiring. I got my replacement at headlight revolution. I did both the low and high beams.

**edit**
I did not swap out the whole headlight housing, just the bulbs. Not a fan of the new styling - just a personal preference thing.

 

Same situation, wanted LED, no allocation for 4 months and the truck I found didn’t have them. Looks like $1200 for a pair last time I looked

 

I swapped mine and the hardest part was removing my steel bumper that blocks the grille. On a stock truck it would have been a cake walk. Best upgrade I made other than a tune.
Get the truck and wait for a parts sale for the headlights. The oem LEDs are absolutely the way to go over plug/play bulbs and can be had for between $1k on sale and $1.3k anytime on the right site (sparks Toyota). If you want a different grille this would also be the time, as you have to remove yours to access the lights.
Watch several videos (there’s a ton) to familiarize yourself with the process and take your time. A common mistake is snapping off the tabs on top of the light housings upon removal, by pulling them out away from the bumper. The housings actually sort of tilt or pitch inwards, toward the engine and slide left or right toward the center of the truck while you gently lift on those tabs to free them. You’ll see how it works if you don’t go ham on it.
Just be aware that your stock halogen housings aren’t going to get you very much if you decide to try and sell them to recoup money. I was lucky enough to find someone locally who gave me $300, but there are guys on the marketplace here struggling to get $150-200
Edit: Like someone else mentioned you’ll need a wiring harness for the halogen->led conversion. +1 for FBC. Dave is a great guy to work with and backs his wiring products with customer support, oem connectors and experience

 

If you just put LED bulbs in your stock halogen housings you actually have less light output and blind other drivers. This is a common mistake among people who don’t understand how LED vs Halogen works.

To do it correctly you have to get the entire lamp assembly. Don’t be that guy if you did do just the bulbs, do it right…Function over form…the LED look isn’t cool if done incorrectly and is somewhat selfish to other drivers on the road.

Plus, you won’t see anything when rain or snow happens…you ruin your night vision because the light can’t penetrate well from a stock halogen housing

 

you just put LED bulbs inside the original headlight housing?

 

Do not. LED bulbs throws light in 2,3 ... maybe 4 directions. Halogen housing is designed to reflect bulbs that throw light in all directions ... halogen bulbs. H9 bulbs (remove the green insert first) make better headlights but are still halogen ... about $20 for two H9s.

People who put LED bulbs in halogen housing get less range (looks brighter at distance to you but really is shorter), they also throw light often at the eyes of oncoming traffic (blinding). Buy OEM LED headlight assemblies ... Black Friday sales coming up to reduce the $1600 cost. Read the first post of this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-hid-vs-led-vs-halogen-h11-projector-headlights.589465/

 

Yeah this is what I've always read about any light that you attempt to just put an LED bulb in. Also don't want to blind other drivers with something done improperly

 

Great thread looking to do this soon