HEADLIGHTS / LED LIGHTING

A Uniquely Designed Morimoto XB LED for the 2019+ Ram

A Uniquely Designed Morimoto XB LED for the 2019+ Ram

Back in the fall of 2021, Morimoto released a facelifted XB LED headlight for the 2019+ Dodge Ram. This version featured a prominent design change from the Gen 1 XB LEDs for this generation of Ram. They must have slipped under our radar because we really enjoy the unique look of these headlgihts. In the past, Morimoto has also produced Ram headlights for the 2006-2008 and the 2009-2018 model years.

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Possibly their most striking design on an XB LED housing yet, the 2019+ Ram XB LED Gen 2 features these prominent quad-LED pillars next to a primary projector. You will still find the standard Morimoto features here, like the DRL, sequential turn signal, and the quality you expect from Morimoto as a brand.

ABOUT

GDL05399This XB LED marks a slight departure from the standard Morimoto design language. The quad LED parking lights draw your eye almost immediately. While they give off the appearance of being a low-beam projector, these four pillars are actually part of the daytime running light (DRL) system. They also break up the all-black housing with a bit of contrast.

When your headlights are off, they are at full brightness along with the bottom DRL bar. Once you flip your headlights on, they dim to 50 percent brightness. The top DRL bar is for the sequential turn signal, a common fixture of Morimoto’s LED housings, including across trim levels. You can also choose between the sequential and a standard turn signal blinker when installing the headlights.

Beyond the DRL, you also have a single large Bi-LED Projector that puts out an incredible amount of light and a solid beam pattern. 

The housing itself is made of the standard quality Morimoto is known for. You have an OEM-grade backing with a UV-polycarbonate lens to prevent cracking, yellowing, and fading of the lens. Morimoto has included all the OEM mounting points and factory connectors to make the installation an easy process.

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Notably, these headlights come with a 5-year warranty. Morimoto truly believes in their products and puts that effort forward if ever their housings should break or have defects. Which is rare in our experience. Nevertheless, it is a good pillow to lay on with such a premium purchase.

Lastly, these headlights are fully DOT compliant, meaning they can be legally used on the road.

Performance

Morimoto tested these by parking the truck 25 feet from a wall and measuring the light via a digital Lux meter. We go into what Lux means and why the Lux percentage difference is important here. In short, you want to pay attention to the percentage difference from stock to understand how much brighter the XB LEDs are.

The stock headlights come in at 270 max. Lux and 490 max. Lux for the low and high beams, respectively.

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As expected, Morimoto’s XB LED Gen 2 housing for the 2019+ Ram tested at 1170 max. Lux on low beam. That is 333 percent brighter than the OEM headlight. You will also find the standard beam pattern XBs have been known for.

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On high beam, the XB LEDs came in at 1220 max. Lux, a 148 percent increase over the stock headlights. The beam pattern here is atypical for Morimoto but will still be very capable for use on the road.

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INSTALL

Tools Needed for the Job:
8mm Socket
10mm Socket
Pry Tool
Needle Nose Pliers
Plastic Tools for Clips
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Impact/Ratchet Wrench

To begin, pop the hood and remove the 12 plastic push tabs located on the radiator cover with a pry tool. Remove the radiator cover and set it to the side.

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Remove the plastic trim piece on the top of the grill. There are eight 10mm bolts and two plastic push clips to be removed.

Screenshot_46 (2) Bolt and Pin Locations-01

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Move to your wheel well and remove the four 8mm bolts along the forward-facing side of your fender liner.

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Once done, you can peel back the liner to reveal a 10mm bolt. Remove the bolt to remove the trim piece. Be careful when removing this piece as it has two plastic clips near the grill that are a little delicate.

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Removing this trim piece will reveal three 10mm bolts and four more on the top of the grill. Remove these to free the grill from the vehicle.

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Carefully set the grill to the side.

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Next, remove the 10mm bolt and the plastic pin on the top side of the headlight housing. There is one more plastic pin at in the middle of the top of the headlight.

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There are two then two 10mm bolts on the side of the headlight. Before removing these, be sure to have a good grip on your headlight to prevent it from falling out.

Once you have freed your headlight housing, disconnect the two factory connectors.

Transferring OEM Bracket

Before installing the XB LEDs on to your Ram, the OEM trim pieces will need to be moved from the stock headlights to the new ones.

There are three Phillips screws on the bottom and one on each side of the housing. Take these out, bring your trim piece to the XB headlights and screw it back in.

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On the top side of the housing, there are three more Phillips screws to remove. Once that is done, move the trim piece to the XB LED.

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Wiring

While these are plug-and-play housings, you do need to run a DRL harness. No need to worry, all you need to do is remove the number 38 fuse slot and plug in the harness.

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Then, route the longest wire to the furthest headlight and the shortest wire to the closest headlight.

Connect the DRL harness to your XB LED headlight, along with the two factory connectors.

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If you connect these two connectors, you will have a standard blinking turn signal. If you leave them unplugged, you can get the sequential turn signal.

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Before buttoning up your car, make sure the headlights work properly by running through each of their functions.


CONCLUSION

And there you have it, a nice set of Morimoto XB LED headlight for the 2019+ Ram. If the XBs are not enough to fulfil your LED cravings, there are 4Banger fog lights that we absolutely adore, interior lights, and more.

If you would like to see these lights in action, check out the video below where Morimoto gives you a tour of the XB LED headlights for the 2019+ Ram.

Want your own set of XBs but do not have a Ram? Head over to their website, put in your vehicle Year/Make/Model, and see what Morimoto has to offer for your ride.

Have any questions about the products mentioned? Looking for something Morimoto does not offer? Just want to say ‘Hi’? Drop us a comment! We would love to hear from you.

 

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