Are GTR Lighting Carbide Series LED Headlights Any Good?

GTR Lighting has focused on creating complete LED assemblies for a variety of automobiles and trucks, but it is still primarily a manufacturer of LED bulbs, reverse lights, and HID conversion kits. We wanted to conduct a quick rundown of the lineup and talk about the entire product range, even though we have already reviewed them.

GTR Lighting has done a fantastic job of entering a market space that is primarily controlled by a small number of brands. You will always have your low-cost marketplace brands, but purchasing headlamp assemblies from companies like Morimoto or Ledlightjeep will get you DOT-compliant ones. A fresh candidate has emerged, though.

ABOUT

Most headlight assemblies from the aftermarket market are not DOT-compliant and are not as bright as their OEM counterparts, including halogen ones. We NEVER advise driving with completely useless beam patterns, and some can have even worse ones.

We anticipate the brightest LED bulbs available with GTR Lighting, regardless of whether they are offered for headlights or taillights. Their complete LED housings have performed admirably in that regard. GTR Lighting can handle any vehicle, whether it's an off-road beast like a 4Runner or Ranger or a speedster like a Corvette.

Amber turn signals, OEM+ fitment, LED single and bi-LED projectors, and LED daytime running lights (DRL) are also available. You also receive a UV-resistant polycarbonate lens, similar to what you'd get on a Morimoto XB LED housing.

It's also impossible to overlook the excellent deal you're receiving here. Despite spending an average of $860 on a set, you are undoubtedly outperforming stock performance even though you may not be reaching XB LED performance levels.

OUR FAVORITES

We particularly appreciate the C6 Corvette lights and the housings for the 2014–2020 Toyota 4Runner when considering the entire lineup.

As the 4Runner sits atop the angular DRL, the chrome accents surrounding the three projectors look fantastic. The most noticeable aspect of these lights is the DRL, and the angular shape of these lights gives the 4Runner a more aggressive appearance than, say, the stock lights and the Morimoto housings.

It's amazing to see the C6 Corvette lights. In terms of style, the OEM lights are undoubtedly competitive due to their color-matched interior; unfortunately, the light output and lens quality are far from satisfactory. The UV-resistant lens keeps the lights from being damaged by the sun, and the Carbide Series light for the Corvette significantly fixes the light output problem.

SPECIFICATIONS

There is something for everyone in the Carbide Series in terms of design specs and appearance.

Naturally, you have the conventional projector-style, blackout headlights. Others have reflector-style LEDs or chrome shrouds. Depending on your preferred style, carbide taillights are frequently available in both regular red and smoked colors.

An excellent feature of all high-quality LED headlights and taillights is that they come with factory mounting points and connections. The installation process for a set of Carbide Series LED housings is entirely plug-and-play. There are no needless panel gaps because the fitting is the same.

Every headlight in the Carbide Series is DOT-Complaint, has a two-year warranty, and is generally two to five times brighter than your original equipment. You may view all of the ones that we have previously tested here!

NO CORNERS CUT

The wiring system on this Dodge Ram headlamp gives you an idea of how it all appears. The metal box on the back, which you can see below, was specifically designed for the Carbide series. The LED driver in this headlight is intended for the projectors. There are no more wires or lightbulbs to connect.

The headlight also has adjusters on the top and bottom, much like the original equipment manufacturer. This implies that you can effortlessly modify your headlight's aim.

You can plug the lights in and start driving because the wiring matches that of the OEM connectors. A DRL wire and one connection are often included with Carbide Series headlights; these only need to be attached to the original equipment connectors.

PERFORMANCE

We will be comparing the maximum Lux of the OEM headlights from a 2009–2014 Ford F-150 Raptor to the Carbide Series headlight in order to demonstrate the performance of the Carbide Series. To achieve this, pull the vehicle into the garage and park it 25 feet from the wall, perpendicular to it. We move a digital Lux meter around the beam pattern to find the brightest point in order to measure the light's brightness. Although this is not a perfect representation of how well these headlights will work in the real world, it will give you a decent notion.

We tested the factory headlights' low beams at 210 max. Lux. In contrast, the low-beam Carbide Series headlights were more than three times brighter than the factory ones, with a maximum brightness of 540 Lux. The increased brightness benefits light intensity distribution, a broader beam pattern, and sharper cut-off lines.

We tested the high beam, and the results were the same. The Carbide Series headlights were tested at 1130 max. Lux, an 189 percent increase in brightness, while the factory headlights displayed 390 max. Lux on high beam. For improved visibility on the road, the high beam provides a little more brightness and a broader beam pattern.

CONCLUSION

With its Carbide Series, GTR Lighting has truly outdone itself. The fact that there aren't any more fitment possibilities is the only drawback to these. But we do not doubt that the lighting company will eventually broaden its offering to compete with other complete LED assembly companies.