Headlight bulbs – Choosing a perfect fit
Today’s aftermarket offers a variety of products when it comes to car lighting. Of course, headlights are the most important part of that system. So, choosing a headlamp that would be a good fit for a specific car could be a little difficult sometimes. Old-school halogen bulbs will soon become history, not only because of less attractive visual appeal but for many practical reasons, as well as in the aspect of safety. Some experts prefer xenon lights, while others would always suggest LED technology. It is hard to tell which one is better since each has advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s start from the beginning:
First of all, there are two common types of headlights on the market. Conventional reflector headlamps are still more popular, due to a cheaper price. Design of these is pretty simple. There is a bulb positioned in the steel bowl, along with mirrors that reflect the light to the road. On the other side, there are projector headlights. Although invented way back in 1911, the first car application was in 1981 Audi Quartz Concept. The first production car to get these headlights was in 1987 BMW 7 Series sedan. Even nowadays, these can be found only in premium cars. It is still a pretty expensive technology, so most of the mainstream cars don’t have them in the offer, even when it comes to highest trim levels. Besides bulbs and mirrors, these lights also feature lens, which magnifies the glass. The result is obvious – brighter light beam. Compared to reflector lamps, the beam is more focused on the road, without wasting the light around. Thanks to such direction, it is less likely to blind other drivers.
Replacing conventional halogen bulbs is good for many reasons. Visual improvement is not the only benefit. There are many other practical reasons why you should go for xenon or LED bulbs. Still, it is hard to say which one is better. It all depends on your preferences. Xenon light is brighter for sure. It is perfect for projector headlamps. On the other hand, it probably won’t work so well in reflectors. On the other side, LED lamps are pretty versatile and will work well with both types of headlights. The biggest advantage over xenon lights is the lifespan. LED bulb usually works for about 25.000 hours, which is five times more compared to xenon. Speaking of durability, they are pretty solid, while xenon bulbs are fragile.
Finally, LED lights have lower heat emission and power draw. Installation time is much shorter as well.
Some general conclusion would be that xenon bulbs are brighter, while LEDs are far more practical in many aspects.
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Eibach Pro Kit
A tradition that lasts for almost seven decades is the reason why most drivers prefer Eibach products. Founded in 1951, this brand has been a synonym for hi-quality suspension for decades. These days, it is one of leading companies in the world, both in terms of quality and popularity. Production plants, as well as engineering centres, are spread all around the world, in Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and South Africa. However, such massive production didn’t affect quality, so many of Eibach’s products are absolute leaders when it comes both to performance and durability.
In the company’s wide palette of different products, springs have a special place and are core of every good suspension. This company offers several series of springs, designed for different purposes. Of course, we are usually thinking about racing suspension when we see Eibach recognizable logo, but there is actually much more. Not only that there are numerous products for passenger cars, but also a complete program for off-road vehicles.
For this occasion, we will stick to ordinary, passenger cars. In order to cut production costs and offer more competitive price, most of the carmakers usually install not so good suspension parts. Of course, hi- comfort is always a priority, but we don’t want performances to suffer. So, there are Eibach Pro Kit series, specially designed springs that will turn your car into a real street racer.
Pro Kit springs are an inevitable part of Eibach’s products offer. These are the most basic springs from the manufacturer and a perfect choice for every passenger car. Benefits are numerous. First of all, there is Eibach’s excellent reputation and unimpeachable quality. With these springs, you will lower your car for about 40 mm. This will turn a common passenger car into a real street racer. A lower centre of gravity ensures much better handling. There is no such thing as acceleration squat. Great thing is that the comfortremains on a pretty much same level.
Besides significant performance improvement, count on much better visual appearance too. You will not only lower your car but fill so-called fender well clearance as well. This would be a perfect mix of attractive styling and excellent performances.
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These springs will make your car a real street racer, but if you want even more radical improvement and true track performances, check Sportline series of Eibach springs.
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KW Suspension and its sub-brands
Founded less than 23 years ago, this company instantly became one of the leaders in the automotive industry when it comes to car suspension. It all started in 1995 when a small group decided to materialize their idea of making perfect suspension kits. Soon after, this brand became one of the leaders in the segment. The company started with just 3 employees, while today there are more than 200 of them. We always refer this company to excellent suspension components, but there is actually much more . There are several brands under the patronage, which offer many interesting things.
KW Suspension
Of course, this is the core of the company. Known for excellent suspension components, this brand offers a variety of products. There are upgrades for passenger cars, as well as hi-performance and track-racing kits. Today this company works with many major carmakers, delivering parts for both mass-production and limited-series models. Finally, KW is a partner of many motorsport teams. We won’t waste more words on this famous manufacturer.
LSD-Doors
Car tuning&styling includes various kinds of modifications, but wing doors have always been something special. A few decades ago, wing doors on ordinary cars sounded like science fiction. These days, Lamborghini-style doors are becoming a common thing, thanks to the companies like LSD-Doors, which offer a variety of product, for pretty much every more popular mainstream car.
Belltech Sport Trucks
We all know how specific U.S. car market is. It’s all about trucks and muscle cars and Belltech is a company specialized in these vehicles. It offers a variety of lowering parts for famous trucks, SUVs, muscle cars etc. Moreover, this company received plenty of awards, including many SEMA recognitions.
ST Suspensions
This is KW’s special division that offers an extender program mostly for passenger cars. Some sports car models are included as well. It covers not only parts like springs, lowering kits etc. Things like coilovers, anti-sway bars, and wheel spacers are also included. This brand covers all major car models from Europe, Asia, and North America.
RaceRoom
KW is present in the virtual world as well. This is actually a very good racing PC video game, which gives you an opportunity to experience all famous race series and famous car models. Count on very realistic laws of physics, even professional race drivers will find this game interesting. This game comes in both single and multiplayer modes and it is free, which is another benefit.
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AP Suspension kit
The affordable price is a pretty common way to establish good position on the market. Still, if there’s no quality, it won’t last for long. This manufacturer has been present on the market for years. It offers affordable products, but with plenty of quality. A wide offer of suspension components characterizes this small company. So far, the focus was on German carmakers, VW Group and its brands in particular. Additionally, there are suspension parts for several other major manufacturers, such as Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Alfa Romeo etc. Still, this group of enthusiasts is still expanding the offer, so we may expect additional car models in the future.
One of the most common ways for car lowering is installing a complete suspension kit. AP Suspension covers this area pretty well. Characterized by affordable price, these kits actually offer a very good quality, comparable with some far more expensive brands. Design is pretty common. A fixed dumper in a combination with lowering spring will provide lowering that usually goes around 60 mm. Numerous advantages over stock kits are guaranteed. Count on the lower centre of gravity, which will provide much better handling and agility. This significant improvement of performances shouldn’t effect on the overall level of comfort. Finally, the car will look far more attractive.
Many advanced technologies and design solutions that will provide longer lifetime are integral parts of this kit. These kits feature a very good dust and dirt protection. Also, all parts are powder coated, to prevent metal surfaces from going to a more stable chemical form. Do not be confused, we’re talking about corrosion. This powder coating feature is blue-coloured, unlike most of the suspension kits that are red or blue. So, count on unique visual appeal as well.
As we’ve mentioned before, this manufacturer covers a lot of models from different carmakers. Great thing is that these are not universal kits but designed especially for every specific car model.
Finally, all products from this manufacturer have German TUV certificate. A 2-year warranty is included as well.
In Great Britain, you can find AP Suspension spring kits here. Affordable, great service and shipping is free.