REVIEW: BRAND-NEW Carbide Series for 4Runner 2014+ by GTR Lighting

Since the announcement of the Carbide series in October, which included housings for the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and C6 Corvette, it has been one minute. These fantastic headlights, which come with new housing designed for the 2014+ Toyota 4Runner, can give your SUV a significantly higher degree of performance and style.

These headlights offer an excellent compromise between your original equipment headlights and the expensive (but well-earned) Morimoto XB LED housings. You are getting OEM+ performance together with the same contemporary design, plug-and-play features, and build quality for which Morimoto is renowned.

ABOUT

The GTR Lighting Carbide Series LED headlamp, which takes design inspiration from the Lexus headlamp lineup, significantly improves the current 4Runner's appearance. The headlight's three LED projectors are functional and have a noticeable design. The specialized high beam projector is located inside, while the two exterior projectors are the low beam projectors. Activating the high beams will light up all three projectors.

For us, this model's futuristic daytime running light (DRL) is the most notable feature. As previously said, these are based on the current lineup of Lexus OEM headlights, which include aggressive, sharp lines to their DRLs.

These DRLS reduce their brightness to half when you turn on your headlights. Whatever the case, these are very noticeable and really enhance the 4Runner's front end. In addition, the DRL has a sequential turn signal, which is a given for aftermarket headlights.

On the sides of the lights, you can choose between an amber side marker and a transparent side marker. Note that the explicit amber side marker is not DOT-compliant, but the amber version is.

Finally, these LED headlights from the Carbide Series are incredibly well-built. Similar to Morimoto XB LEDs, they have a UV-resistant polycarbonate lens that shields them from sun damage. The housing's back is likewise constructed from high-quality materials to shield it from the weather.

PERFORMANCE

The SUV will be parked 25 feet from the wall, and the lights will be turned on to ensure a precise and reliable result for every light we test. After that, a digital Lux meter will be used to gauge the lights' intensity. The test's key metric is the percentage increase from one headlamp to another, not the Lux rating.

First, at a maximum brightness of 220 lx, we tested the stock halogen headlights on a low beam. This is mediocre at best but a bit low for OEM headlights. With a maximum brightness of 800, the Carbide Series headlights outperformed the stock headlights by 263%. The enhanced beam pattern also features a more uniform distribution of intensity and sharper cut-off lines.

We also offer the 4Runner's Morimoto XB LED headlights here for further protection. The XB LEDs outperform the factory ones by 54% when used at low beam (1410 max. Lux).

Regarding the high beams, the Carbide Series headlights had a 71 percent boost in brightness compared to the standard headlamp, which was tested at 730 max. Lux. Once again, deep and wide coverage contribute to a stronger beam pattern.

The maximum brightness of the Morimoto XB LED headlights for the high beams was 1940 Lux, which is 165 percent brighter than the standard.

When considering several factors, the Carbide Series headlights are outstanding housings. Although both perform better than OEM housings, the Morimoto XB LED is the headlight to choose if you want to completely level the OEM parts and are prepared to pay more. For those seeking a more cost-effective solution without sacrificing quality, GTR Lighting's Carbide Series Headlights are an excellent choice.

INSTALL

For our installation, we ultimately used a 4Runner with a stock bumper modification.

Tools needed for the job:

10mm Socket

Impact/Ratchet Wrench

Pry Tool

Needle Nose Pliers

Start by taking out the three 10mm bolts located in the wheel wells. Ours has a single bolt because the bumper was chopped.

Once the bolts are out, you have to push back three plastic clips. This will detach this section of the bumper from the fenders' lining. Furthermore, we advise unplugging your car's fog lights if you plan to obliterate your bumper.

Then, loosen the three bolts at the front of both tires, near the base of the bumper. Two 10mm bolts in silver and one in black should be present. The only bolt on the passenger side will be black and silver.

Under the vehicle, in the middle of the bumper, are two additional 10mm bolts.

After that, you may remove the plastic radiator cover by popping your hood and taking out all 13 plastic pins. After pushing them in, remove them thoroughly using a pry tool.

When this plastic piece is removed, two plastic pins situated toward the headlight's internal and exterior corners will become visible. After removing these, repeat on the other side of the automobile.

Next, the grill's inside side is dotted with four plastic pins. Take these off.

Also, take out the 10mm bolt in the middle of the grill.

The bumper may now be gently pried away from the vehicle.

Four 10mm bolts keeping the headlamps in place can be removed. There are four of them: one on the outside of the automobile, right behind the fender; one at the top of the headlamp, close to the fender; one in the middle of the headlight; and a third right behind the grill.

Prying up the tabs can remove the headlamp from the vehicle. When removing the headlamp from the automobile completely, make sure to unhook all four connectors.

Wiring

The DRL harness will be plugged in before the Carbide Series headlights are installed. Proceed to your fuse box and take off the lid. The DRL harness should be plugged in here after the 10A fuse shown below has been removed.

Then, run the shortest wire to the closest headlamp and the longest to the farthest.

Use the factory connectors to attach your Carbide Series headlamp to your vehicle. The DRL harness we just ran to each headlamp should then be plugged in.

if, after installing these housings, you are having trouble with the DRLs. We have published another piece here that discusses how to solve this issue. There is no wiring involved, and it is a very fast fix.

Test the lights to make sure they function correctly before fastening everything and tidying up your wiring. After you have verified this, you can reassemble the front end of your vehicle.