What Are Common F-150 LED Headlight Installation Mistakes to Avoid?

If you own an older generation Ford F-150, or even a new generation but with the base halogen headlights, it wouldn’t be a surprise that upgrading to LED headlights has crossed your mind. It's certainly an idea worth pursuing, and can dramatically improve nighttime visibility, modernize the front end looks, and make driving at night safer and less tiring. But that’s only true if you upgrade the proper way. There are quite a few common errors that can result in underwhelming or outright bad results. Below, we’ll go over the most common errors and their solutions, so that you can get the most out of your upgraded F-150 headlamps.

Using LED Bulbs in Halogen Reflector Housings

The most frequent mistake is installing LED bulbs directly into the factory halogen reflector housings. The reflector design is engineered around the characteristics of a halogen filament, which has a different focal point and overall characteristics compared to LEDs. Combining the LED bulbs with halogen housings produces uncontrolled light scatter that doesn’t give you all that much extra visibility and blinds other drivers. The best way to avoid this issue is to use a full LED headlight assembly. Options like Morimoto or Alpharex housings, as well as OEM take-offs from higher trims, are designed with proper cutoffs and beam patterns. Of course, this solution is much more expensive, but it gives you a result that reflects the investment – a sharp, controlled beam that doesn’t blind oncoming traffic. If replacing the entire assembly isn’t in the budget, you can still use LED bulbs, but only if you carefully re-aim them and choose a high-quality model. Never assume the solution is just plug-and-play.

Skipping Headlight Adjustment

Even with a high-quality LED kit, failing to re-aim the headlights is a big issue. LEDs sit differently in the housing compared to halogen bulbs, and if you don’t adjust them, the beam often points higher than intended. Not all LED kits are self-leveling, so you might still have to adjust them manually. To do so, after installation, park your truck about 25 feet from a wall at night and check the beam pattern. There should be a clean cutoff line, with the top of the beam slightly below the height of your headlight housings.

Choosing Cheap LEDs Over Quality Options

Low-cost LED bulbs may be tempting. Especially with their price tags that can be well under $50, it sounds like the perfect upgrade. Unfortunately, these bulbs often lack proper cooling, beam focus, and durability, with low price being the only focus. They will most likely burn out early, scatter light, or flicker. This is the exact opposite of what you’ll achieve with complete assemblies like the Morimoto or Alpharex. The bottom line is, if it's too cheap to be true, it probably is. Spending more up front saves you the hassle of replacing the subpar lights later and suffering the low quality, and in the end, a higher investment, too.

Underestimating Cost and Effort

Expanding on the point above, many owners assume LED headlight upgrades are simple and inexpensive. Yes, plug-in LED bulbs might only be $50, but we’ve already discussed why that might not be the best way. If you really are only after LED bulbs, then still budget around $250 for something like the Dual Beam Pro Series to avoid the most troubling issues connected with LED bulbs in halogen housings. A complete retrofit with premium housings and harnesses will be even more expensive. The most budget-oriented option, while still being of decent quality (and a cool design!), are the MK II PRO-Series LED projector headlights at around $500. A mid-tier option we often recommend is AlphaRex and their MK II LUXX Series, priced at around $750. On the other side of the spectrum are the already mentioned Morimoto headlights, such as the XB Evo, which offer premium quality but are priced north of $1,500. As is apparent, we recommend complete LED assemblies of better quality, and at the same time, we recommend that you set a realistic budget before starting your project. If you want the very best beam pattern and zero glare, go for full aftermarket or OEM LED housings. If you want a noticeable improvement on a smaller budget, it is possible, but you’ll still need $200 or more. Nonetheless, the results are worth it!

Upgrade Your F-150 at AmericanTrucks

Upgrading to LED headlights on your Ford F-150 is more than just swapping out bulbs. Cutting corners with cheap parts or skipping beam alignment can make your lights unsafe for both you and other drivers. But with the right components, you can avoid all of these issues. Such quality components are available here, so feel free to take a look. And in case you have any additional questions or need help choosing the specific LED kit, our sales techs are more than happy to help.