Projector Upgrades & Lens Etching

Our Projector Upgrade services are the ultimate in lighting performance improvement. Technological advances only have two driving factors, to become more efficient and perform better than before. Efficiency makes room for better performance. From halogen bulbs drawing 55watts of energy, HID with 35watts, LED specific projectors at 30watts, even laser technology has made its way into lighting at only 12watts! Although laser is not quite there yet, aftermarket-wise, it should be an industry standard soon enough in the next few years.

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Some options will have a Basic and Pro option. The difference is between a generic brand and a well-known industry leader aftermarket brand. Brightness already exceeds factory standards in all cases and just comes down to the quality and warranty coverage. All of the aftermarket projectors are bi-xenon or bi-LED, meaning they can function as both low and high beam. 

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There are a number of ways of incorporating aftermarket projectors in headlights with reflectors or factory projectors. The most basic way is directly bolting the projectors into the reflector bulb hole with just a few adjustments for fitting. Most aftermarket projectors are designed to have a threaded base where the bulb is inserted. This method is the least accurate as the shape of the reflector bowl is usually pointed down which causes the projector to tilt lower. The reflector is usually adjusted higher than stock settings to make up for it. However, most of the time the adjustments are maxed out and the desired height is still not achieved. The rotation of the light output also has a higher rate of not being horizontally level if not done properly.

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Next is known to lighting enthusiasts as the "nut and bolt" method. In our opinion, this process is the messiest. A lot of trimming is involved and one mistake can mean buying another set of headlights to complete the project. The idea is to create similar adjustment points for the projector onto the reflector itself utilizing at least three bolts, as the reflector to the back casing. This allows independent adjustability for the projectors without relying on the factory specifications. Rotation-wise, it has to be perfect since it would not have the same rotational adjustment once everything is finalized, unlike the previous method.

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Designing projector retrofit conversion brackets would be the most accurate and easiest of all, and our preferred method whenever possible. This process requires basic knowledge of geometry, computer aided design and a type of CNC machine capable of precision cutting aluminum or steel sheets. Although we used to cut aluminum sheets by hand, we have since invested in a CNC milling machine which allows us to manufacture our brackets in-house.

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More focused on our Level 6 Pro Projector Upgrade service, this is the most labor-intensive and the most tedious process of all. To utilize factory headlights with LED array of projectors or reflectors, this process involves fusing two different headlight casings to maintain basic adjustability and achieve waterproof and watertight seal casings. While these types of factory lights are not the brightest, they definitely look unique which explains the high demand for them. The smaller projectors or reflectors are made into an array to make up for the size and brightness that the LEDs can provide. These are strategically mounted on a slight incline to light up certain parts of the road and achieve a horizontal light output. Mounting it any other way would mean a slanted cutoff plane. The aluminum mounting structure of the arrays also double as heat sinks for the LEDs. Removing a huge amount of it will shorten the life span of the LEDs and considering how much this type of conversion costs, we take the initiative to maintain as much of the OEM safety features as possible. After taking all of these in consideration, we take countless geometrical measurements of both headlights to find common points to maintain adjustability and mounting points and most importantly achieve a perfectly horizontal light output and keep the light where it needs to be on the road. We then trim all excess material to make way for the fusion of both casings. They are plastic welded together inside and outside for a perfect seal. Due to the nature of this conversion, some modification and trimming may be required to fit these type of lights into your vehicle.