Need Advice On Changing Headlights

Titan XE · 08-15-2004, 08:20 AM

Greetings, I am the proud new owner of a silver Titan XE King Cab as of 8/12/04. I have purchaced 2 Sylvania Silver Star (9006 ST ) bulbs to replace the low beams. The 9005 ST bulbs are to replace the hi beams. Personally I do not use the hi beams often and at 40 bucks a set I find the existing factory hi beams sufficent. I attempted to change them today only to find my two "catcher mits for hands" would never fit in the tiny space and the assembly must be removed. Any advice on how many bolts, tools needed, us or metric, time per side etc? Note: I was advised by a family member that his Nissan mechanic mentioned that these are the best high intensity after market bulbs to use and that some of the others (Phillips 4000 Blue Light and others) have been melting the harnasses causing them to be changed. Any advice would be appreciated.

Slurppie · 08-15-2004, 10:59 AM

Take a look at this and see if it helps any. http://maxhawk.bravepages.com/misc/titan_bulbs.pdf

BTW, welcome to the board and congrats on your new purchase.

Titan XE · 08-15-2004, 12:46 PM

Thanks Slurppie. This is by far the most informative instuctional. I will take my time and start it tomorrow. Nice Titan you got there. My 2000 f-150 was the same black color. I forgot to mention 4x4 and had the dealer add on matching gy/silver running boards on mine.

pciley · 08-15-2004, 02:58 PM

Same hand issue here. I had to lay on the ground and reach up from the bottom (hands wedged beneath the fender liner) to change the bulbs, had a neighbor spotting up top to line things up cuz the visibility sucks from beneath the truck.

Did anyone else have to come from the bottom?

PS just read the PDF. I did not have to remove the grille as instructed by that document. I would think after removing the grille several times, some of those clips would bend/break and the plastic clip mounts will snap off the truck/grille. Not good. I rather leave the truck in tacked, probably takes just as long to do it the hard way as it would to take the grille off anyways.

Titan XE · 08-15-2004, 03:38 PM

The sun came back out here in the northeast and I proceeded to follow the faq. The whole job took me personally 1 hr 40 minutes. It was not that difficult but time consuming considering the end result is the replacement of 2 bulbs! Notes: 1- if you have bad back, knees etc.. try the initial steps sitting in a chair while facing the grill. 2- use a short squat slotted screwdriver. You will realize this while turning clips on the bottom. Also, other that the initial 8 slotted clips (in my case XE, had 7, 4 on top and 3 on bottom) you will no longer need the screw driver because you eventually remove clips from chasis, reset them on already removed grill and snap it all back in place. 3- I never had to lay on ground while taking out 3rd headlight screw on either side. Sit in the chair like a gentleman and look all the way in toward the fender and you will see 3rd screw. You may get some redness on top of forearms when arm has disappeared while working 8mm ratchet to loosen and later tighten. Overall the job sounded scarier than it really was. As long as you don't gorilla the clips, I do not forsee any future worries when you remove grill for whatever reason again. By the way, those Sylvania Silverstars look nice and I am still waiting here for dark!

TNTITAN · 08-17-2004, 06:36 AM

It took me about ten minutes to pop off the front plastic liner in the fender and reach up and change the bulbs. I did this awhile back. I just laid on a creeper and it was real easy.

pciley · 08-18-2004, 03:56 PM

haha exactly TNT !! I don't know who the heck wrote that FAQ but its a LOT of work.

Don't get me wrong, it DOES get the job done, but all that disassembly is TOTALLY unnecessary to change a head lamp.

Wow. 1 hour and 40 minutes...

What a PITA that process is doing it that way. Just go underneath the truck. Don't remove the grille.