There are no quality aftermarket replacements; the aftermarket options range from "mediocre" to "trash". The low price is attractive, but the quality, performance, and durability are all significantly inferior to the genuine items (which is really saying something, because the originals weren't especially good lights). And that's just applicable to the OE-lookalike units -- there's another whole level of crap coming in from China...projector headlamp conversions, clear-lens conversions,
etc...none of it worth the box they come in. There's no optical engineering behind any of the aftermarket replacements, they're just cruddy physical copies. "Perfect OE fit and performance" is the usual language in the ads for the copycat lamps. Nice theory, too bad about the reality: look at
this report on a large DOT-sponsored test of OE vs. TYC vs. Depo (biggest-name aftermarket) versions of simple, cheap American-car headlamps. Epic fail for the TYC & Depo units (see page 21 and 30 if you don't have time to read the whole report).
There are options for better lights if you are willing to work at it. This truck was sold in Brazil with European-code lights (front/side/rear) nicely made by
Arteb. Their website is only in Portuguese, but the vehicle make and model search is right there in the top right corner of the front page. Put in GM, then Silverado, and you can see pics of the lights. The E-code headlights take the same bulbs as the DOT lights (9006/HB4 low beam, 9005/HB3 high beam), but produce the European type beam patterns and have a city light. The problem, of course, is
getting them! I had a left one (only) but sold it some time back. If you have a "man on the ground" friend in Brazil, it looks like these headlamps can be ordered online
here and
here (don't freak; they use the same "$" sign for their currency as we use for the dollar, R$261 is about $118 USD).
You could also grab the brackets for the quad mini rectangular sealed beam lights off an '88-'90 Chevy or GMC truck so equipped, and instead of the useless mini sealed beams put in
these H4 units. No grille change would be needed. Or for a more substantial seeing upgrade, you could swap on the grille and headlight bezel/bracket setup that looks like
this, then put in some good (Cibie, Bosch, Hella...here again, stay away from the off-brand junk) large rectangular H4 headlights, or reasonably decent and better than the DOT aero lights
GE Night Hawk H6054NH sealed beams. Tromp through your local wrecking yards or
search online for the grille and bezel/bracket parts. Lots of interchangeable variants available...with Chevrolet bowtie, with GMC logo, chrome, painted, etc. Search 1997 Chevrolet 1500 pickup, first look for grille, then for headlight assembly; in each case you'll have to choose right/left and paint/chrome and composite/sealed beam (obviously you want the "sealed beam" setup).
