Which Fang Light Kit is better for your 5th Gen 4Runner? Generic or KC HiLiTES?
When it comes to Fang lights, you have plenty of options. You can buy a set from Amazon and/or other retailers importing products straight from Alibaba. It's all coming from the same place when you're ordering these fang lights. And, they are decent lights for the money. But there's a better, higher-quality option out there from KC Lights X TrailMade.
Formerly offered by Aiden James Customs (AJC), the Gen4 5th Gen 4Runner Fang Lights are the highest quality fang light set on the market.
I wanted to draft up a post and call out some of the differences between the two kits to help you decide which might be the better option for you.
First, let's look at them directly back to back and compare the color, texture details, finish, and overall look.
KC Fang Lights Vs. Amazon Brand
KC Fangs on the right and the Amazon brand left.
The KC fangs are a darker/richer color than the generic brand. Where the KCs look like a polished, rich black, the generic brand fang lights look muted, and unfinished... almost like a faded dark grey rather than a rich black.
The KC fangs also feature spot-on OEM details (texture behind the hexagon and the factory holes in the bottom of the shroud) where the generic Amazon brand does not.
The light tube is more white on the KCs, and the generic brand is more translucent. The KC LED tube fills up more space inside the cover over the generic brand.
The wiring harness on the KCs features higher-quality connectors (4 Pin Waterproof Connector Pigtail Kit vs. generic plastic connectors). The KC harness also features high-quality loom, tessa tape, one-piece "T" Tap Wire Splice Connectors, and thicker gauge wire throughout. The generic brand has two-piece low-quality t-taps and thin wire gauge throughout.
KC X TrailMade Fang Lights
Bezel Accents
The KC bezels feature an OEM texture finish behind the hexagon pattern.
Bezel Finish
The bezel finish is smooth, refined, and very polished all the way around. It feels and looks exactly like the OEM fog bezel on the 5th Gen 4Runner.
Wiring Harness
The wiring harness features high-end T-Taps, wiring loom, braided sleeve and tessa tape... a very high-end wiring harness all the way around. The Gen4 fog light fangs feature 5 modes.
- White only with ignition on
- Amber only with ignition on
- Switchback (White with ignition on and amber when you use your turn signals)
- Amber/Amber (Amber with ignition on and amber when you use your turn signals)
- White/White (White with ignition on and white when you use your turn signals). *NOT DOT APPROVED TO RUN WHITE & WHITE TURN SIGNALS
Light Output
The new Fang Light kit is now 30% brighter with a whiter light to match Morimoto, AlphaRex white DRLs. The amber is a classic orange/yellow hue close to a 2000 Kelvin color.
Generic Fang Lights
Bezel Accents
No OEM accents.
Bezel Finish
Matte textured finish, very rough around the edges.
Wiring Harness
Cheap connectors and thin wire gauge.
Light Output
Color output is closer to a 1000 Kelvin... which some people might like more than a 2000 Kelvin. It's dimmer than the KCs.