h3 HID fogs in the stock z26 housings

[berettaboi]

anything i should worry about? do i need to mount the ballast in a spot that gets good air flow to cool it? and does the bulb housing heat up a lot?

[3X00-Modified]

Bulb doesn't fit without removing the deflector... and then you make the fogs abnoxiously bright. Depending on local law enforcement you could get crap for it, but most times they don't bother.

[berettaboi]

ahha, ok thanks for the heads up. so there shouldn't be a problem with heat on the bulb's part, or the ballasts?

[Kris GTwhat?]

I wouldn't think so

[heavywoody]

I would just remove the deflector and call it a day. Plenty bright.

[berettaboi]

right on thanks guys.

[Cliff8928]

If you can find a H3C bulb, it should function better and work with the deflector. The arc discharge on some of the kits is radial on them instead of axial.

[3X00-Modified]

I'm assuming H3C is h3 compact correct?

[berettaboi]

i saw a diagram showing the h3c as a bit shorter of a bulb yes.

well worked on the fog light situation today... i was able to bend the reflector inside the stock fog housing and the bulb was able to fit... however the brittle glass had no problem cracking when lightly stabbed with the small flat blade i was using...

so i had a brand new set of 'blazer' fog lights kicking around, they are pretty thin in comparison to the stock z26's, but they are a good size for many other applications as well. about 1 1/2" tall, 5" long, and h3 bulbs. no reflectors, so the hid bulb sits in there nicely. i'm using a piece of hardwood to bring them up to center them in the hole, and mount them. a couple screws in the factory spots will hold the piece of wood in place, and i cut it to match the metal bumper frame, so it sits nicely and will line up each time if you need to remove. i'll paint the wood black, and am thinking of cutting a piece of that household/shop fluorescent lighting diffuser to put in front of the fog light as well. i have the clear signals to mount up as well soon enough, and i think i may spray tint them and the diffuser just a touch...

i'll get some pics up possibly tomorrow should get it done.

[berettaboi]

well, i hooked them up and mounted them up just to line everything up/test fit... they light up nice! i think 8000k... i'll have to double check. i'm going to order up the lowbeams now. they were super cheap on ebay... see how long they last. $40 shipped, slim ballast. china. they look just like any other kit i have seen...

i painted up the wood mount (actually the same paint i'm using for the subframe and rockers... chassis saver), since it was handy, and i know it coats well, so should seal the piece of wood against the elements.

[Barry]

At first I thought you screwed them to the top of the bumper with wood and I freaked out. They fit alright I guess, but wood and brackets is not my think

[DTMAce]

No worse than the small blocks of wood I used to provide better inner support of my Sony HU, so it couldn't flop up and down. As long as you're happy, it works. You get back from it and look and I highly doubt anyone would even know they were there anyway. Like 3x00 said a couple times when I was following him back from the park at fest, you can't see the turns or much of the bumper with the fogs on, the light obscures much. LOL

[berettaboi]

yeah i wasnt fond of using a piece of wood, but it is so much easier than making metal brackets... (i have no problem doing that, but the wood is so much more stable and so much easier... i can replace a piece of wood if need be every couple years for the sake of looks...)

the lights themselves, i'm alright with, i was at walmart yesterday and saw a set of 'blazer' driving/fogs that looked close to stock, for $19. decided not to get them after pulling them out of the package and checking them out. only one single down bolt mount, which would be more of a b!tch to install me thinks, and a plastic housing... it is actual glass on the front, and i thought about swapping those to the stock z26 fog housings, but the stock housings have angled glass, it's thicker/fatter at one end, and i'm not sure adjustments can pick up the slack.

i still want to cut up a piece of fluorescent light fixture diffuser (to cover the complete cutout in the bumper for the fogs) and see what it looks like. while likely do that today.

when testing the fogs for the first time yesterday they got pretty hot, had them on about 2 mins... i think they would for sure melt a plastic housing... especially if it was as small as the set that i currently have them in (my set is metal and glass)

[3X00-Modified]

shoulda used pressure treated... it will last longer... LOL

I'm not a fan of how thin they are in comparison to the bumper opening... I would have tried a set of square fogs and got them to line up better first.

Also as far as that deflector goes... there are two rivits on the housing of the light, if you had just drilled them out you could have pulled the whole thing out of the hole the bulb goes into... But oh well...

[berettaboi]

ya i read and saw of the 2 rivets... i just tried to push the deflector in (and the bulb did fit!), so the bulb wasnt 'dead on bright' to on-coming traffic... but only took 2 seconds of trying... to break that glass...