01 tahoe headlight upgrade

Mike1967

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
1
New guy here. :wave: I'd like to upgrade the bulbs on my 01 tahoe. It comes with 9005 low beams and 9006 highs. I don't want cheap imported bulbs that blind other drivers, and stop working shortly after installation. Would anyone like to offer suggestions as to what is the brightest/overall best illumination available without breaking the bank ( and upsetting the wife due to horrendous cost)
thanks!
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
Welcome to the board. The first thing to do is to look hard at your headlamps. They need to be genuine GM items in perfect, like-new condition. If the lenses have any visible fog/cloud/haze to them, and/or they're not genuine GM lamps, you will never see well with them. Looks like the real lamps are still available left and right. The best bulbs are these or these. They are standard-wattage bulbs but better-focused than the originals, and higher luminance, so the beam will be wider and longer. For the high beams, the strategy is a little different, get these and trim the base tab like this. They put out a lot more light than the originals without drawing more current.

Very important: make sure to aim the lamps correctly as described in the "mechanical aim" description here.
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
:welcome:
New guy here. :wave: I'd like to upgrade the bulbs on my 01 tahoe. It comes with 9005 low beams and 9006 highs.
It's actually the other way around; the lows are 9006 (HB4) and the highs are 9005 (HB3).

This doesn't change that -Virgil-'s reply is correct: Use the Philips X-Treme Vision 9006 or the GE NightHawk Xenon 9006 (links already in the prior message); use the 9011 (HIR1) for the high beams (which requires the tab trimming as prviously described), and, of course, be sure they're aimed correctly.
 
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