Here's an easy way to give you an example of what the stock headlamp reflectors will do.
Aim your truck's headlights against a wall. Be about 10 feet away, 30 feet, and 60 feet away. Take a digital picture using a SLR, with these settings:
1/125 shutter speed
Maximum f-stop.
Ensure that you have as close to pitch black as possible for lighting, to where your headlights are the only source.
Take the pictures, then do a digital enhancement of the photo for light and contrast balance.
The lighting pattern you see will be what you're projecting with a HID retrofit, but 3x as much. So, where ever you see light scatter, that's where light from a reflector retrofit will theoretically be.
If you use an European Code headlamp retrofit, you will end up with a line that goes from lower left (to avoid oncoming traffic) to upper right and lower right (to light up the sidewalk and signs).
If you use the stock DOT headlamp, you'll get some severe scatter upwards about midline from the headlight. This will have a tendency to dazzle people.
Either way - true HID will always be far better than the colored bulbs.
As for color temp - this page has a chart on the bottom that shows the actual output difference between various HID colors, from 4200k to 10,000k. You'll note that 10,000k has just slightly more useable light output than a 3200k halogen. An overwattage bulb (80w) will likely produce more light than a 10k HID.
Here's the page:
http://www.azhog.org/headlights/Hella_ecode_visionplus.htm
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HSTONKA:
I thought that if I did go with these bulbs that I would get the 4300k to get the "most light to the ground" effect...
So you think the stock housings are going to be less effective as a reflector with these HID bulbs....
Im still curious on anybody that has something similar, looks like it would be brighter than halogen bulbs? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>