Swapping Headlights & Grill

[Guy7.0]

Ok so I figured I start my own thread.....

ive got '13 QX56...took some damaged to the front end I figured I get the whole car fixed with
- 2 tone paint job (black from the windows up, White on the bottom half)
- a chrome delete
- Painting Roof Rails (Black)
- Grille Swap to '15 QX80
- Headlight Swap to '15 QX80
-Powder coat Rims (Black)

SOoooo Here's what I would like some help with,.... id like to know whether or not the Grill swap and the Headlight swap will fit perfectly on my QX56 without any special modifications.

 

[Julian Antorelli]

Ok so I figured I start my own thread.....

ive got '13 QX56...took some damaged to the front end I figured I get the whole car fixed with
- 2 tone paint job (black from the windows up, White on the bottom half)
- a chrome delete
- Painting Roof Rails (Black)
- Grille Swap to '15 QX80
- Headlight Swap to '15 QX80
-Powder coat Rims (Black)

SOoooo Here's what I would like some help with,.... id like to know whether or not the Grill swap and the Headlight swap will fit perfectly on my QX56 without any special modifications.

That's an excellent plan for a custom look, and you're right to be concerned about the fitment. The front ends of vehicles, especially during a mid-cycle refresh like the one between the 2013 QX56 and the 2015 QX80, often have subtle differences that can complicate a swap.

Based on what I know about these vehicles, here's a direct answer to your question about the grille and headlight swap:

The Grille: The 2015 QX80 grille will fit your 2013 QX56. The grille itself bolts into the same locations on the bumper and body. However, the 2015 QX80 has a slightly different front bumper design with a different fog light area and lower valence. While you can install just the grille, for a truly seamless and OEM-quality look, it's often recommended to swap the entire front bumper assembly as well. This is especially true for the blacked-out grille, which will look best with the refreshed bumper design.

The Headlights: This is where it gets a little more complicated. The 2015 QX80 headlights will not be a simple plug-and-play swap with your 2013 QX56 headlights. The shape and mounting points of the headlights themselves are different, as is the wiring harness. This would require some fabrication work to the body and a custom wiring job to get them to function properly.

The easiest and most common way to do this conversion is to get an "OEM Style Facelift Kit" that includes the front bumper, the grille, and the headlights. These kits are specifically designed to bolt onto the 2011-2013 body and include the correct wiring to make everything work without major modifications. You should consult with a professional body shop that specializes in custom work, as they will have the experience and knowledge to make this happen correctly.

For the rest of your custom plans (the two-tone paint, chrome delete, and roof rail painting), those are straightforward cosmetic modifications. The grille and headlight swap, however, is a much bigger project than it seems on the surface.

 

[primov8]

Once again, the 15-17 QX80 headlights are a direct bolt-on if wanting to install on the 11-14 QX56/80. Tabs are the same, even the shape of the headlights are the same. The wiring has to be modified in order to work “legally” because the signal lights on the 15-17s are on the bumper. If you don’t install the 15-17 bumper and lights, then the drls on the 15-17 headlight would have to be re-wired to work as “signal” lights or both (drl & signal).
I had a pair that I was going to install several years ago. I installed them and no issues with fitment as every tab lined up. The only reason why I sold them was because the LEDs are proprietary and cannot be modified unless by opening up the headlights. If any of the LEDs fail, especially the low/high beam, it would require replacing the whole headlight. I just decided to stick with my modded headlights.
The 15-17 grill is also a direct bolt-on.

 

[Guy7.0]

First and foremost, Thank you.

Im getting mixed opinions on the headlights many ppl on here are stating it won't be a direct fit. They are also stating id have to do a full front end conversion. Yes I understand about the re-wire and that's not a problem.

Im going to hope & Pray it works out and order them any way... Wish me luck.

______________________________

 

[primov8]

First and foremost, Thank you.

Im getting mixed opinions on the headlights many ppl on here are stating it won't be a direct fit. They are also stating id have to do a full front end conversion. Yes I understand about the re-wire and that's not a problem.

Im going to hope & Pray it works out and order them any way... Wish me luck.

Here’s an old thread from a couple years back. If you’ve ever DIY’d fog lights or aftermarket lights, then re-wiring the 15-17 headlights isn’t really that difficult.
Scroll down to post #19 as that member installed it. Also in the thread are some wiring schematics for the wiring connectors/pins.

5

Thread 'Will QX80 headlights fit my 2012 QX56?'

May 9, 2017

I was wondering if the QX80 headlights would be a direct fit to my 2012 QX56. I like the daytime running LEDs in the new QX80 headlights.
....Or, if anyone manufactured headlights for my QX56 that had daytime LED lights incorporated within.
Thanks in advance.

• 56er
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Infiniti QX56 Forum

 

[Guy7.0]

Here’s an old thread from a couple years back. If you’ve ever DIY’d fog lights or aftermarket lights, then re-wiring the 15-17 headlights isn’t really that difficult.
Scroll down to post #19 as that member installed it. Also in the thread are some wiring schematics for the wiring connectors/pins.

5

Thread 'Will QX80 headlights fit my 2012 QX56?'

May 9, 2017

I was wondering if the QX80 headlights would be a direct fit to my 2012 QX56. I like the daytime running LEDs in the new QX80 headlights.
....Or, if anyone manufactured headlights for my QX56 that had daytime LED lights incorporated within.
Thanks in advance.

• 56er
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Infiniti QX56 Forum

Awesome
I really appreciate it. And after reading this over I’m considering on doing the whole front end conversion. Did some research on all the parts. It’s not as expensive as I thought.

I’ll talk to my guy tomorrow and see if he’ll stop production for a bit to allow me time to order the other parts. Let’s see how it goes. But for sure I’ll be ordering the headlights.