| Author | Message | ||
     Nillaice |
DDM tuning has upped their prices. $15 more for a set than earlier this year, and i'm sure they were even cheaper in '09 when i got my first set. where can i get a good set of them now? i put DDM HIDs in my bike, then my friend's bikes, then other bikes, even the man-van. now my one of my truck headlights is out and i'm sure the other one isn't too far behind it, since they are always on together ... so i might as well buy a set of damned HID's for it. the first few sets i ordered from DDM came in a box with a shipping label from CA, and only took a few days. but the last set came direct from china, and took only a week or 3. i'm reading this from others, too. looks to me like DDM has outgrown their manning/facilities and is outsourcing the whole operation  first; i don't want to over pay for anything. ever. second; i feel that not enough of my moneys spent ends up in an american's pocket. ... and third; i'f i'm gonna over pay i want the $ to go to one of the "good 'ol boys"  so. ... where can i get a good set of 9003's for my truck? ... don't ask me the make/model | ||
| Froggy |
Just the opposite. DDM used to get the kits from their factory in China, and then ship them to the US in bulk where they are then quickly sent out from their California location. Problem is, if I remember right starting back in January last year the laws changed regarding Customs, and it now takes significantly longer for items to get released if ever. Twin Motorcycles was having the same issue too at first. This ended up causing a shortage as the container full of HID kits kept getting held up for months at Customs, so DDM changed to a different fulfillment system that has the factory in China directly ship the kit to you. While it does add a few days to the shipping time, this loophole allows you to get your kit faster than the guys at DDM's store could get them. As for the cost going up, I think you might be mistaken. it is currently $22.50 for a single bulb 35w kit and $30 for two bulbs. I've never seen the prices this low. Hell thats about the same price as a premium Silverstar halogen. I haven't bought any kits in years as I haven't need anymore, but that is quite a bit cheaper than what I believe I paid. | ||
| Nillaice |
this march it was $60 for a set 55w hi/lo bulbs with harness. now it's $75 in 09 i bought HID's for me and all my bud's from DDM. and i'm a cheap-azz, so i know it wasn't that much money good explanation on the customs. that makes sense. i guess seeing a box that was shipped from CA gave me some semblance of piece of mind or what ever. so where can i get a set that has been handled/re-boxed by an american? | ||
| Nillaice |
if i could ask a favor ..... will one of you guys buy it, re-box it and send it to me from your street address so i can sleep at night? | ||
| Froggy |
I checked with the internet archive, it appears that in October 2010 that the Dual kit is $35 plus $10 for the 55w upgrade. $15 is the current price for the harness, that did go up from $12.50 in 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20101007105240/http://w ww.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-35W-55W-Dual-Motorcy cle-HID-Kit If you like I will do the rebox and ship to you, send me a PM | ||
| 6gears |
Nillaice....please do all the other drivers a favor and don't put HIDs in your pick-up. Buy a nice set of Silverstars and be done with it. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Since we are on the subject of lighting. I have been debating. LED replacement bulbs or HID. Has anyone found any good LED bulbs? | ||
| 6gears |
I have never used LED headlights, but I have switched my truck over COMPLETELY (including all the dome lights, LOL) to LEDs. I love the way it turned out. I bought all the bulbs from Hong Kong from Ebay. I have had great luck with all of them so far, no dead ones. I have had several sets of HIDs on everything from my RZR and Brute to both of my Duramaxes. My Duramax had a set of 35w 8k HIDs in it for a while and the light scatter was unacceptable no matter how I aimed the headlights. After doing some research online about light scatter I pulled them and put Silverstar Ultras in. Very nice output and clarity without all the scatter that I am sure was pissing off the other drivers I was meeting when I had the HIDs in. I may order a LED headlight bulb just to try sometime in the Buell. | ||
| Swampy |
I put a nice pair of pricey Silverstars in the Cavalier. They were no brighter than standard bulbs, it was money wasted when one of them burnt out in about a month. I did a HID conversion and the first thing my wife said was "Why have we been driving around without our headlights on for so long?" I can't say enough good about the HID kits that DDM sells. I put one in the low beam on the Uly and couldn't be happier. | ||
| 6gears |
Some HID kits work better on some vehicles than others. It all boils down to reflector style and bulb placement. When I have to adjust the headlights down and still get "brighted" that is unacceptable to me. Some of the truck drivers around here have a reflective vest they put over the passenger seat when they are not wearing it. I could see the stripes inside the cab of a semi for 100yds, not acceptable. The light was nice...but so are the silverstars. I have 3 sets of them all over a year old..oldest is goin on 2.5 years, no problems. The ONLY way that HIDs work best is with a projector lense that has a sharp light cut off. If you have ever driven a vehicle with REAL projector HIDs there is no comparison to standard lights/housings. | ||
| Jcjohnson33 |
My '11 Sorento has the "projector" headlights. It did not come stock with HiD's but installing the DDM 55w it does look better and it does have the "cut off" at the top | ||
| B00stzx3 |
DDM doesn't stand by their "lifetime" warranty. Just a warning. | ||
| Tq_freak |
Just placed another order with them on the 16th, Still waiting for them to get it. Just shy of 2 weeks. Anyone else waited this long? Last time I ordered they came pretty quick. | ||
| Edgarr |
I have had good luck with http://vvme.com. They offer good pricing and the kits have always worked well. They ship direct from over seas, but it usually beats domestic coast to coast UPS. | ||
| Ratbuell |
LED's still don't have the Lumens to work well as a headlight bulb...at least not in a package that will fit the back of a headlight. or that costs less than a few hundred dollars. | ||
| 7873jake |
Tq_freak, The last order I placed with DDM took a little over two weeks to get to me in central Fla. That was earlier this summer. --Jake | ||
| Pikeben08 |
Took a look at VVME. What does it mean by one beam in HID and one in halogen? Are both contained in the same bulb or is it somehow using your old halogen bulb as the low beam. Do they fit in an X1? | ||
| Pikeben08 |
Nevermind, that one was just for passing inspections. Looks like the Bi-Xenon is the one that you would want. Still do they fit in an X1? I know the high low versions from DDM don't. | ||
| Tq_freak |
Jake - Thanks for the heads up. I see your in Deland, I'm in Ormond Beach. Hit me up if you are in this area. | ||
| 7873jake |
Will, PM'd you on another topic after I saw your profile. --Jake | ||
| Nillaice |
Found a USA seller on eBay $40 and they should be here in 2 weeks or less I hope I don't blind you guys in the oncoming lane Thanks for the offer froggy but I was only kidding | ||
| Aesquire |
Usually high beams are halogen. HID's don't like to be switched on and off too much, and unless you're blitzing empty desert out west, that's an issue. ( although I do recall one run down the Taconic Pkwy at 3am with zero traffic. Cars, anyway. Deer? thousands.. ) Some will say that halogens don't like to be switched on & off often too. True, but the factor there is getting the quartz of the bulb and the gas inside up to temp. Once the lows are on, the high beams ( if in the same bulb ) don't have the same problem that turning the bulb on for a second then off give you. Quartz Halogen bulbs "work" because the chemistry redeposits the vaporized filament material ( tungsten alloy, IIRC ) back on the filament. That lets you run the filament hotter, brighter, and at a higher output freq. ( bluer) Without the Quartz envelope ( more heat resistant than glass ) and the Halogen gases, a Halogen bulb would have a lifespan of a gnat. As it is, the metal does not redeposit evenly, and the bulb will eventually fail. ( still, darn good lifespan ) If you don't get up to temperature, ( say, by flipping on and off ) the metal vapor deposits on everything, glass, filament, bracing & feed wires... the normal cause of failure in normal incandescents. The filament gets thin in a spot, ( and the irregularity accelerates vaporization at the thin spot ) and eventually snaps. I figure LED headlights are within 5 years of common use. You'll know they're getting there when the high end cars start bragging about them. In many cars and bikes you have a seperate bulb OEM style (XB) , or in a double bulb HID kit ( with a halogen bulb alongside to be "legal" in states that require hi/lo beams. Some manufacturers admit that style high beam is useless, since it's not aimed properly... ) Or a Bi-Xenon... ( my choice for my Cyclone... dang, that's a good price... ) http://www.vvme.com/hid-headlights/hi-low-one-beam-in-hid-hid-kit http://www.vvme.com/hid-headlights/bi-xenon-hid-conversion-kit http://www.vvme.com/difference-between-single-beam-hi-low-and-bi-xenon-hid (Message edited by aesquire on November 30, 2012) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I like dual filament H1 cos I can get 80/100w to stick in instead of the standard 50/55w. They're actually illegal for road use but I've never known anybody get a ticket for it. The good thing about it is that it doesn't alter the spread pattern, but you get more light on dip which helps you to be seen, & enough on high to see by. Wifey's Focus C-Max has H7 55w single fil, & automatic lights on. I have never ever replaced so many headlamp bulbs in a car & you have to remove the whole headlamp assembly to change them. Still could be worse some of the late model Renaults you have to take off most off the front of the car & with special dealer only tools to change some of the bulbs. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I just don't think the dual filament would work so well with the 1125R and it's "lovely" charging system. Otherwise I would have an interest in it. As it is, thinking HIDS or if I can find them LEDs. LED seems like it's not quite there yet. Yet. |
