2019+ Ram Heavy Duty Morimoto Hybrid LED Headlight | HR Tested
It is hard to believe that in 2021, we still have vehicles being produced with weak headlights. Thankfully, Morimoto has the answer to this. If you own a 2019 and newer RAM Heavy Duty pickup truck, Morimoto has their Hybrid LED headlights to modernize your truck’s appearance and vastly improve the lighting performance.
Morimoto’s iconic line of XB LED headlights is known for quality, performance, and durability. With the XB Hybrid, you are getting those same aspects but less the fancier bells and whistles. The entry-level model maintains the same build quality and plug-and-play capabilities but at a more wallet-friendly price.
INTRODUCTION
Make no mistake, the drop in price does not mean a drop in quality. The same UV-Resistant Polycarbonate lenses, advanced optics, easy to install, and they meet & exceed all SAE, DOT, and FVMSS108 regulations.
The biggest difference between the two is XB Hybrid has one less projector and uses the existing incandescent turn signal that is already on your truck. This is a great headlight if you are not a fan of the sequential signal on the high-end XB LED (pictured below).
And if you are still wanting to maintain that LED appearance, you can always switch out the stock incandescent bulbs to LED. We recommend these front turn signal bulbs from GTR Lighting’s Carbide Series. These turn signal bulbs are a huge upgrade over the stock turn signal bulbs. GTR Lighting makes some of the brightest turn signal bulbs on the market, coming in right at 1,200 lumens per bulb with the Carbide 2.0 LED. A huge benefit of these bulbs is that they are fully plug-and-play without resistors, so you don't have to deal with any wiring in order for them to not hyper flash.
Otherwise, the XB Hybrid is a completely sealed headlight. No maintenance is required. As a bonus, they come with a 5-year warranty from factory. This is an upgrade for appearances, quality, and performance.
If you are all concerned about safety, this is a worthwhile upgrade. Manufactures cheap out on headlights often to keep the cost of production down, which means there is room for improvement. The visibility you get from these XB Hybrids gives you more width and depth to your beam. The daytime running light (DRL) also means other vehicles will be able to see you at all times of the day.
PERFORMANCE
With all our performance tests, we have a set standard. First, we pull our car into the garage and park it perpendicular to the wall at 25 feet. To gauge the brightness of the light, we run a digital Lux meter across the beam pattern in search of the brightest point. This is not 100 percent accurate to real-world performance, but it will give you a good idea of how bright these headlights are.
The stock headlights on most cars are going to be pretty dim. They’ll get the job done, but it would be so much easier and beneficial to you to upgrade them. For the 2019 and newer Ram HD, we found that the stock headlights rate at 210 max. lux for their low beams.
Morimoto’s XB Hybrid LED headlights are 266 percent brighter than the stock headlights on low beam. Not to mention the beam pattern has been vastly improved. You will see more consistent brightness across the whole beam as well as a slightly wider spread. Clean cut-off lines make for a sharp pattern, thanks to the projector LEDs.
Moving on to the high beams, the stock headlights produce 610 max. lux. This is pretty good, but still not as bright as the XB Hybrid’s low beam. Plus, with the XB Hybrid’s high beam, you get a max. lux of 1770. That is 190 percent brighter than the stock high beams. Crazy!!
There is no need to worry about not seeing obstacles in the dark with these lights. The high beams maintain those shape edges while increasing the vertical spread of the beam pattern.
COMPATIBILITY
As it is with most Morimoto products, especially their full LED headlight housings, they are entirely plug-and-play. These XB Hybrids for the 2019+ Ram HD use all the same mounting points and bolt sizes as your OEM headlight. You will also find the same connectors for the headlights as on your car. The only difference is the need for the DRL harness that comes with the headlights.
The only shared piece is the black mounting plate at the base of the stock headlight. You will need to remove that from the stock halogen headlight and transfer it to your XB Hybrids.
INSTALL
Tools Needed for the Job
10mm Bolt
High Impact Drill
Pry Tool
Blade
Screwdriver
T15 Torx Bit
To begin the installation, pop the hood and remove the 14 plastic pins with a pry tool. Two of which are located a little further into the engine bay. This will free up the plastic cladding at the front of the engine bay.
Next will be to remove the chrome brow at the top of the grill, stretching the width of the car. To do so, there are 18 10mm bolts and four plastic pins to remove. The four pins are located on either side of the engine bay, just behind the headlights.
You can then remove the top brow.
Move to beneath your headlights, you will be removing the panel beneath the housings. To do so, take your hand and pry the exterior corner, closest to the wheel, and pull gently toward you. You may need a pry tool if this is your first time removing this panel.
Repeat for either side.
Next, you will be removing the lower chrome brow. This one is a little difficult as there are four 10mm bolts. This will need to be done beneath the vehicle and with an extension for your screwdriver. Locate the four grommets to find a bolt behind each one.
The other two are located just beneath the headlights. One on either side.
You will also find one more 10mm at the center of the bumper through those same grommets you went through before.
Now you can remove the trim piece.
Next is to remove the grill. First, undo the three 10mm bolts located just below the headlight housing. Repeat for both sides. Please note that the two interior bolts are longer than the exterior bolt.
You can now remove the grill.
Now you will begin removing the headlight housing. The first step is to remove the 10mm bolt and two T15 Torx bits just under the headlight. You will need to get beneath the car to reach these. Repeat for both sides.
There is one more 10mm bolt located at the front of the headlight. Keep a hand on the headlight so it does not fall out of its place. From here, you can remove the plastic trim beneath the headlight, which will reveal a push tab located on the outer edge of the vehicle. Remove this with a pry tool.
You can then begin to pull the housing away from the vehicle. Remove the wire connector before fully separating the headlight from the car.
Wiring the DRL Harness
To install the DRL lights, remove the T10 fuse in your fuse box, and plug in the fuse tap on the harness to the T10. From there, run the longer portion of the DRL connector to the furthest headlight and the other to the nearest headlight.
Transferring and Changing the Turn Signal Bulbs
If you are wanting to keep the halogen bulbs, just pinch the tabs on the rear of the OEM housing blinker bulbs and move them to their corresponding positions on the XB Hybrid.
If you are wanting to swap your halogen blinker bulbs for LED bulbs, take the GTR Carbide 2 Amber LED bulbs and connect them to the headlight connector. Line up the bulb to the hole and twist.
Before reassembling your truck, be sure to test all the functions of your headlight to ensure they work properly. Once that is done, follow these steps in reverse to get your truck all back together.
Now that you are all set with your Morimoto XB Hybrid LED headlights for the 2019+ Dodge Ram HD, let us know what you think!
If you are more of a visual learner, be sure to check out our video on the Morimoto XB Hybrid LEDs for the Ram HD. While you are there, make sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest lighting upgrades for your vehicle.
Have any questions about one of the products we mentioned? Contact us today, and our customer service team would be happy to help.
