Arrived by 5 Oct 2026 — test-fitted, not permanently installed
AlphaRex
NOVA / LUXX series LED headlights
Ford (OEM)
Factory Level 5 LED headlights
Elite Max LED headlights
Chosen
Diode Dynamics
Received
Arrived by 5 Oct 2026 — test-fitted, not permanently installed
Part number: DD5177 · Elite Max, Projector OEM lamp style
Why this option
Chosen for output and beam pattern over the factory unit, and for being a direct-fit design rather than a retrofit project. Fitment confirmed for 2021-2023 F-150, and the projector variant was specified to match what this truck left the factory with. Elite Max over Elite for the adaptive low beam assist and the integrated off-road pods, which do work a towing truck actually gets use out of.
Trade-offs
At list price these are among the most expensive housings on the market, and that is the honest trade-off for anyone reading this and pricing them out. It is not the trade-off that was made here - they were bought at a discount, so the price comparison that would normally decide this decision did not apply. Weigh them on the number you would actually pay, not on what this build paid.
Photography
Bench photo once it arrives
As delivered
Added after fitting
Installed
Added once it's been lived with
In use
What it actually cost
Bought — cost not logged here yet.
Bought at a discount from Diode Dynamics, arranged directly with support from their team to bring this project to life. Nothing was supplied free, though the discount made it possible, no ongoing arrangement exists, and nothing about this write-up is owed to them — if these disappoint, that will appear here in the same detail as anything bought at full price.
NOVA / LUXX series LED headlights
Not selected
AlphaRex
Why this option
Strong presence in the F-150 market with sequential DRL and signal animation, and a look that photographs well.
Why it wasn't chosen
Styling-led rather than output-led, and never approached. Elite Max was picked on beam pattern and output first. Worth a reader knowing that only one of these two manufacturers was ever asked whether they would support the build - the comparison was real, the outreach was not symmetrical.
What it actually cost
Not purchased yet — no cost recorded.
Cost, installation notes, and a verdict will be added here once this part is bought and fitted.
Factory Level 5 LED headlights
Not selected
Ford (OEM)
Part number: ML3Z-13008-AF (RH) · ML3Z-13008-AG (LH)
Why this option
The factory comparison, and the honest one. There is no Raptor-specific headlamp: the Gen 3 Raptor uses the same ML3Z-13008 family as every other 2021–2023 F-150 trim, so the real OEM option is the Level 5 LED unit. Factory wiring, no adapters, and no risk to any driver-assist function.
Why it wasn't chosen
Roughly $1,108-1,130 each for no meaningful output gain over what the truck already had. There is no Raptor-specific headlamp - the Gen 3 Raptor shares the ML3Z-13008 family with every other 2021-2023 F-150 - so this was the factory part at factory money.
What it actually cost
Not purchased yet — no cost recorded.
Cost, installation notes, and a verdict will be added here once this part is bought and fitted.