I've been working on a TL/ZKW project for my SRT4 for a little bit now. Check out the progress. I still need to come up with a way to merge the modified E46 shroud with the stock reflector (yep, reusing the stock reflector with the TLs ). Possibly try vacuum forming them together. Also...everything's going to be blacked out to match the car when I'm done.
And here's the back of the housing. No holes to seal up!!! I took a different route with removing the stock reflector. I plan on reusing the stock water gasket...just not at that point yet.
I plan on marrying this up to a DIGITAL 55W HID kit from LightWerks.
Last edited by NJKiko : 03-26-2009 at 06:52 AM.
Reason: Update title
A vacuum formed shroud would look nice. You can get that chromed too. Everyone does black headlights, you should do something different. How did you get the reflector off without drilling the back? How are you sealing the rear? It looks like the projector is a tight fit, but I cant see it being perfect. It doesnt look like the projectors are mounted to the reflector. Do you have the tls mounted to a bracket? How is the reflector mounted?
A vacuum formed shroud would look nice. You can get that chromed too. Everyone does black headlights, you should do something different.
Where would I get the vacuumed formed shroud chromed out at?? I read that any chrome spray paint is garbage. I'd probably have to send it out somewhere huh??
Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor
How did you get the reflector off without drilling the back? How are you sealing the rear?
To get the stock reflector off without drilling out the rear housing I drilled two small holes in the reflector at the top two mounting locations where the small figure eight looking bracket is screwed to the housing (the other side of the bracket attaches to the reflector). Once you have access...just unscrew those bolts...and then undo the stock alignment bolt all the way until it falls out. Now...no need to seal the rear as the housing was unmodified.
I took this approach because I knew I'd be gutting out the reflector considerably to clear the TLs if I were going to reuse it. You may be able to do this with smaller projectors as well. Then just bondo up the holes, sand it down, prime, and paint.
Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor
It looks like the projector is a tight fit, but I cant see it being perfect. It doesnt look like the projectors are mounted to the reflector. Do you have the tls mounted to a bracket?
The TLs are a tight fit...probably regardless of your mounting approach it'll be tight for them. I mounted them as far back as possible to give some clearance so they wouldn't hit once sealed up and making vertical aiming adjustments.
They're not mounted to the reflector...I made a custom aluminum bracket to mount the TLs too. I also drilled out 1/2" holes in the bracket at the stock mounting locations and reutilized the stock flex screws and adjustment screw. This way when you adjust the adjustment bolt outside the housing...you keep your stock adjustment and the entire bracket shifts for vertical aiming. Here's a picture of the bracket before drilling out a hole for the projector to fit through and one of the projector mounted in on a line reference I used a laser level to make. I may trim the bracket down later once done...or leave it as is so it's sturdier.
Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor
How is the reflector mounted?
I saved the bottom stock mounting location on the reflector when gutting it out. Then I drilled a small hole in my custom bracket and attached it. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this in once I have the vacuumed formed shroud as it'll be covered anyways. I need it there for now so there's a shape to form to though. Here's a picture of the gutting reflector...you can kind of see the bottom mounting location:
Last edited by NJKiko : 12-22-2008 at 04:32 PM.
Reason: Added some pics
Yeah you have to send it out. Ive heard they sell chrome spray paint that actually looks like chrome but its expensive. Not sure how it would hold up to the heat in a headlamp either. I mounted my e55's the same way but I used 16 gauge steel. It was a pain to cut with a dremel but it works good. I think this is the best mounting method for our headlamps. You can keep the stock adjustment screw and its strong as hell. Make sure you take pics of the shroud. I dont know of any other neons who have used vacuum forming on retros. If I do another pair I will be doing the same thing.
Have you done test aiming yet to make sure the rotation is correct? If so did you mount the projector before doing this and how were you able to adjust it? On mine I took a drill bit and and made a channel at each screw hole. THis way I could loosen the bolts and twist the projector and tighten it back down once they were aimed. I figured there has to be a better way of doing this but I couldnt think of one.
Fyi if you get small enough ballasts you can mount the on the underside of the headlight. I fit hell gen 5's there. It makes it a little harder to install them, but its nice because its all one unit.
Yeah you have to send it out. Ive heard they sell chrome spray paint that actually looks like chrome but its expensive. Not sure how it would hold up to the heat in a headlamp either. I mounted my e55's the same way but I used 16 gauge steel. It was a pain to cut with a dremel but it works good. I think this is the best mounting method for our headlamps. You can keep the stock adjustment screw and its strong as hell. Make sure you take pics of the shroud. I dont know of any other neons who have used vacuum forming on retros. If I do another pair I will be doing the same thing.
Holy sh!t...you used steel!!! I'm sure that thing isn't going to budge AT ALL!! The aluminum was really easy to work with. I just picked up a medium metal saw bit for my jig saw and cut out the bracket. For the mounting holes...I think I used a heavier duty drill bit, but I'm sure even crappy ones would do the trick.
Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor
Have you done test aiming yet to make sure the rotation is correct? If so did you mount the projector before doing this and how were you able to adjust it? On mine I took a drill bit and and made a channel at each screw hole. THis way I could loosen the bolts and twist the projector and tighten it back down once they were aimed. I figured there has to be a better way of doing this but I couldnt think of one.
I haven't test the aim yet, but I'm pretty confident it'll be fine. Well, vertically and horizontally level wise at least. I still have to ensure they're pointing straight out and are aimed correctly...but the weather here in Jersey has been crap the past few weeks to verify.
Here's what I did...I figured there was a lot of factors playing into the car's levelness: tire pressure, coilover height, and pavement levelness. So...I put a regular level across the radiator...then jacked up which ever side of the car needed it to level it off. Then I loosely held the TL in the bracket, marked off "1" of the top mounting locations...set up my laser level on a tripod in the center of the car...shot a level line across both brackets at the height of the mark I made...then marked off the level line with a sharpie. This way...both projectors are level with each other as well as level in the car.
I then made a template out of cardstock of the TL mounting locations to ensure they were exact. Then transferred those locations to the bracket on the level line reference and drilled out holes with a bit that matched the width of the projector mounting holes.
I like your idea too. I don't know that I would've made a channel for all four mounting locations initially though. Maybe make a channel for one of the top mounting locations and a standard hole for the other top location and bolt this one down...forget the bottom two for now. Then...adjust that one in the channel until it's leveled out...bolt that one down...then make two standard holes for the bottom locations and bolt them down. With all four in a channel I'd be worried the nuts and bolts in the channel would drift over time with going over bumps, pot holes, small animals, etc.
Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor
Fyi if you get small enough ballasts you can mount the on the underside of the headlight. I fit hell gen 5's there. It makes it a little harder to install them, but its nice because its all one unit.
How'd you mount them under the housing? Velcro or something?
Here's some pics of how it looked before I shaved down the E46 shroud. The lip was higher than the reflector. This would have thrown the vacuum form off so I shaved it down to where I wanted the transition to start from. Really didn't want to do it, but had to think of how it would turn out with a hot piece of plastic being sucked down over everything and into the voids.
Working with steel was a pain. It took 3-4 reinforced cutoff discs to cut through each bracket. Its 16 gauge so theres no flex at all. I used lock washers wherever a nut is, and also some loctite. At the ends I put on two nuts (not those nuts) and I used a small pair of bolt cutters and cut the end of each bolt right after the nut. This kind of flattens the bolt so the nuts cant back out. It was probably overkill, but I didnt want them to loosen on me over time. I was thinking of putting some jbweld over the channels once I was done, but I decided against it. I really doubt they will be moving anywhere. I really hope boostlee chomes in on how he aims his. When i saw a pic of his bracket I didnt see a channel, so im guessing he aims them and then drills/bolts them down.
Hopefully your way works out. If its off a little you will notice it from a distance. My driver side is off just a very very small amount, but it doesnt bug me too bad. It throws a ton of light on the road and its not blinding anyone so I dont care. I would have to turn the projector about 1 mm or less to correct it. Try and aim them before you finish them up. You will kick yourself if you have to take them back apart because they are off. Weather here sucks too. Im glad I have a garage though.
Very nice work! I'm in the middle of a TL retro right now, but before i started i was thinking of doing some kinda bracket like that. I figured it would be overkill for my first project though. How do those E46 shrouds fit? They look really good!
Working with steel was a pain. It took 3-4 reinforced cutoff discs to cut through each bracket. Its 16 gauge so theres no flex at all. I used lock washers wherever a nut is, and also some loctite. At the ends I put on two nuts (not those nuts) and I used a small pair of bolt cutters and cut the end of each bolt right after the nut. This kind of flattens the bolt so the nuts cant back out. It was probably overkill, but I didnt want them to loosen on me over time. I was thinking of putting some jbweld over the channels once I was done, but I decided against it. I really doubt they will be moving anywhere. I really hope boostlee chomes in on how he aims his. When i saw a pic of his bracket I didnt see a channel, so im guessing he aims them and then drills/bolts them down.
Hopefully your way works out. If its off a little you will notice it from a distance. My driver side is off just a very very small amount, but it doesnt bug me too bad. It throws a ton of light on the road and its not blinding anyone so I dont care. I would have to turn the projector about 1 mm or less to correct it. Try and aim them before you finish them up. You will kick yourself if you have to take them back apart because they are off. Weather here sucks too. Im glad I have a garage though.
Sounds like they're mounted in the channel pretty solid.
I saw some of boostlee's work...looks really clean!! Do you know if he's done larger retrofits? Like the TL?
I'll definitely be verifying the aim soon. Have to get the other side caught up first and then tough it through the cold weather to verify the aim. The only thing I wish I would have done was tapped the projector mounting locations on the bracket with a pointed tool first...this way the drill bit wouldn't drift. I think it did on a few so they may be off a hair as well. As with you...it probably won't bother me much and be worth remaking the bracket. After that all that...I have to build a vacuum table.
Very nice work! I'm in the middle of a TL retro right now, but before i started i was thinking of doing some kinda bracket like that. I figured it would be overkill for my first project though. How do those E46 shrouds fit? They look really good!
Trust me...making a bracket for the TLs is definitely not overkill. IMHO I think it's necessary. To me it just makes for a cleaner retrofit. Plus you get to keep the stock adjustment. This was my second attempt at retrofitting the TLs. The first attempt was about a year ago and I just drilled out four holes in the rear housing. It would have worked, but it would have been a pain to aim...not to mention all of the sealing. After reading through a bunch of stuff here, on HIDPlanet, High-Intensity, and other sites to see other people's approaches...I decided to go this route.
The E46 shrouds fit good. You'll just have to trim off a section on the flat part so the solenoid doesn't get in the way. Here's a before and after shot:
And one of just the trimmed up one:
And some of the E46 shroud on the TLs mounted in the housing:
Sounds like they're mounted in the channel pretty solid.
I saw some of boostlee's work...looks really clean!! Do you know if he's done larger retrofits? Like the TL?
I'll definitely be verifying the aim soon. Have to get the other side caught up first and then tough it through the cold weather to verify the aim. The only thing I wish I would have done was tapped the projector mounting locations on the bracket with a pointed tool first...this way the drill bit wouldn't drift. I think it did on a few so they may be off a hair as well. As with you...it probably won't bother me much and be worth remaking the bracket. After that all that...I have to build a vacuum table.
What did you do for a shroud on yours?
The original projectors I had were e55 singles. I got them from 2009 town and country headlights. I actually used alot of the material from that headlight including the shroud. I really didnt want to cut them up, so I figured I would try to use as much of the headlight as possible. I was even tempted to use the leveling motors, but it would have been a pain. It would have been cool to adjust them in the cabin though. I just swapped those with bi xenons and the shroud still fit since the selenoid is inside the projector.
Last edited by Remax Realtor : 12-23-2008 at 11:46 AM.
You didn't have to drill the bowl to get the brackets off......
I saw that AV6NHBP6SPD did it without drilling out the housing or the bowl. Said something like it was tricky to get the bolts off but did it with a small ratchet and pliers or something.
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TL/ZKW/E46 Shroud/55W HID Kit Retrofit Project
). Possibly try vacuum forming them together. Also...everything's going to be blacked out to match the car when I'm done. 
It would have worked, but it would have been a pain to aim...not to mention all of the sealing. After reading through a bunch of stuff here, on HIDPlanet, High-Intensity, and other sites to see other people's approaches...I decided to go this route.
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