easier way to replace headlights?

[93toyota pickup]

well i bought some sylvania silverstars the other day and installed them today. is there an easier way to put the lights in without having to take the whole radiator grill off? it was such a pain in the ass to do and i broke a couple of clips in the process. i went by the owners manual too. also when i pulled the old lights out. the plugs were covered in like this old solid grease.

[anotherjeff]

I can tell you that it's easier to replace headlights at home than not! It helps to have spare clips. And, if your truck has never been crashed, it's usually easier. Yep! A royal PITA!

The grease is probably dielectric silicone.

[Vicoor]

Use a long #2 phillips screwdriver and squeeze it between the grill and the headlight ring and remove only the top two screws. Then bend the headlight ring down and squeeze the headlight out. The ring should bend at the lower tabs and bend right back where it was. reassemble in reverse order.


hey,,,,,,It works......

[93toyota pickup]

i like vicoors idea but i would be afraid of snapping the ring. and i also did it right in my driveway. you dont have to change out headlights often but when the time comes to do so it sucks. why do these trucks have to be so complicated? LOL!

[Vicoor]

I've changed headlights like this many times without fault, But obviously you could break the ring.

[farmboy191]

here is a good idea replace them with these
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/82-95-TOYOTA-PICKUP-TRUCK-7X6-EURO-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHT_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQihZ008 QQitemZ180287286611QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

i did and did an H.I.D. upgrade i got a set of hids out of an bmw



i am going to get some more to put in the upper lights soon

[Quickywd01]

Has anyone put projectors in a pickup? My plan is to buy these ebay projector headlights and then an hid conversion kit ($75 shipped, thanks japan) and retrofit projectors into these ebay headlights since the backs are plastic and can be opened up unlike the stock glass ones. I have silvania glass ones in right now but they someone have water/condensation inside. I bought it like that.

[farmboy191]

here try these you and just get the lights with the projector already in them

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/82-95...spagenameZWDVW

[93toyota pickup]

dont you need a kit for hids?

[Jayota]

Once you break like 6 of the 8 or so clips that hold the grill in, its easy peasy to get it out... Trust me, toyota kinda went a little overkill there

[guitarman]

Of all the cars I currently own and have ever owned, this Toyota was the hardest set of headlights I've ever had to change. It took me close to an hour to do both sides.

The easiest was changing my '03 Xterra. Twist off the bulb assembly, replace the bulb and twist it back on. 5 seconds total per side with no tools and no bruised hands.

[Quickywd01]

I've seen those and that was my plan but are those projectors really any good? For most that's a concern but not for me because I'll end up retrofiting projectors into these since they have plastic housings unlike the glass stock ones. I'll look around but are there any threads where someone has done any of this with good pics to show how it looks?

Originally Posted by farmboy191

here try these you and just get the lights with the projector already in them

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/82-95...spagenameZWDVW

Yes. You can get a kit for $75 shipped.

Originally Posted by 93toyota pickup

dont you need a kit for hids?

[maxpower_hd]

I use Vicoor's method too and I haven't broken a ring yet. Beets removing the grill any day.

[93toyota pickup]

oh yea. it just sucked trying to find and release the pins

[badjuju]

I usually do the 'halfway' method described above. On my '90, though, the screws were little chunks of ferrous oxide..couldn't even tell what sort of screws they were anymore - definitely a job for vice-grips. Who says there's no rust in California? This truck found it..