Headlight adjustment

[Newfy Trac]

Have you guys with lifts, re-adjusted your headlights after the lift ?

Besides getting people flashing their lights at me, the pattern ins't on the road any longer.

I was thinking about pulling up to the garage door and dropping the adjuster screw down so the beam is 3-4" lower.

 

[Carguy3J]

Have you guys with lifts, re-adjusted your headlights after the lift ?

Besides getting people flashing their lights at me, the pattern ins't on the road any longer.

I was thinking about pulling up to the garage door and dropping the adjuster screw down so the beam is 3-4" lower.

I don't have a lift, but as someone who is sick and tired of being blinded by other peoples modified and/or improperly aimed headlights, YES, you absolutely NEED to have your headlights re-aimed. Those people flashing their lights are trying to tell you something, and it is not "have a nice day"! Its more like :fire::frustrate (where'd the "middle finger" emoticon go? I thought there used to be one?) You are blinding other drivers, and jeopardizing everyone's safety.

Just "roughing" it in in front of your garage door is ok as band-aid, for the drive to a professional. Just because its "good enough" for you, doesn't mean it is safe for everyone else. Take it to a body shop that deals with high end cars, not some local low-rent "Earl Scheiv"-type, who will probably tell you there is no way to even adjust them. Not true, but it keeps them from revealing their own ignorance. Its possible some quality mechanical repair shops may have the right equipment, but a good body shop is more likely to have it, and know how to do it right.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

You can easily adjust the headlights down using the garage door or a flat wall. I've done this on may lifted vehicles using a tape measure and marking the wall with blue masking tape.

Now for the other side of the debate. I'm always getting blinded by cars and smaller trucks because their headlights are aimed higher for longer distance (most stock vehicles have a downward front rake to them).

If you want to take it to a garage that does safety inspections than they will have a grid and headlight sheet and or markings on the wall to aim headlights, shouldn't cost more than $10 tops.

 

[Carguy3J]

You can easily adjust the headlights down using the garage door or a flat wall. I've done this on may lifted vehicles using a tape measure and marking the wall with blue masking tape.

Its more then just up and down though. Headlights need to be aimed left/right as well. Since they are likely already "skewed" to the right, simply adjusting only up/down is also going to move the pattern diagonally, or in some other "funky" way. Since we drive on the right side of the road, there is supposed to be a bias to the right, with your headlights showing the right shoulder, YOUR lane, and maybe just a little of the other side of the road. By everybody "pointing" them to the right, no one will be shining their lights into to eyes of oncoming drivers. Granted, its a subtle amount, but its there.

Now for the other side of the debate. I'm always getting blinded by cars and smaller trucks because their headlights are aimed higher for longer distance (most stock vehicles have a downward front rake to them).

I don't really think that is the "other side". Its the same side. My complaint wasn't directed ONLY at lifted vehicles, although their raised headlight height does make it worse, as it now tends to be directly in line with other drivers' line of sight. I'm just as annoyed with all the "ricer" HID/Halo/Projector "conversion" fools as well; along with people who just install a stock replacement headlight assembly off ebay, to fix the one the deer, or a rock, took out, and never bother to have it aligned. Those are usually the ones with one light appearing "normal"' and one super-bright, shining right in your face.

If you want to take it to a garage that does safety inspections than they will have a grid and headlight sheet and or markings on the wall to aim headlights, shouldn't cost more than $10 tops.

To do it precisely, so it is not a nuisance at varying distances, requires a fairly expensive piece of equipment. "Safety" inspections are often a "joke" Many un-safe things are "acceptable" to a state inspection. Yet, stupid things will fail. And nothing costs $10 at a shop anymore. I think $40-$50 is probably a closer estimate.

 

[01STrunner]

I hate people with the HID conversion in stock housings and the others that tape their lights back on. Yes aiming headlights helps when lifting a truck and yes I have used the alignment screws on my housings to aim them lower. That being said the lights are still much higher than most. Heck mine are level with some cars' roofs. Theres nothing a body shop can do to help that they will appear brighter than if I was still stock sheerly because they are that high.

My advice would be to pull up to a flat wall 20' away. I can't remember the correct heights of low and high beams but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find online. There are screws on the back of the housings you'll see if you open up the headlight access under the hood. I will say spending the extra 5 min to take that entire plastic piece off will save you a lot of headache.

 

[bdmaash]

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

[05dakotatrac]

the proper aiming procedure is in your owners manual and the distance from wall and height wont change just the adjustment on the light