Replacing Light Assy's; Aiming Needed?

Ok, so my truck is long overdue to get the headlight assy's replaced due to yellowing and whatnot.

What are the chances that, after replacing them, they will need re-aimed? If I don't touch any of the adjustment screws, should I be okay without aiming?

Reason I ask, is because I do not have anywhere I could go to aim the lights. My driveway has a slope, and the garage is not usable.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I have used a grocery store parking lot beside the bldg. Fence in a office parking lot.

In answer to your question...you may have to reaim. No way to tell untill you change the lights.

 

[gavin]

I have used a grocery store parking lot beside the bldg. Fence in a office parking lot.

In answer to your question...you may have to reaim. No way to tell untill you change the lights.

I figured that's what the answer would be, just not the one I was hoping for

 

[Bill Kemp]

Aiming the lights is the easiest part of changing them. And the most important. I would guess that 90% of the cars on the road could benefit from aiming the headlights correctly. Seems most factory aims I have noticed are much lower than is acceptable.

 

[gavin]

Aiming the lights is the easiest part of changing them.

easy if you have a flat ground you could use, maybe

 

[corkey]

use the wall of the local grocery store, or walmart, just pull up to within 30 feet and start adjusting, that is what i did with mine,, now they are much better , they were too low,,
just make sure they are not too high ,. or too much towards the middle of the road,

 

[Lankhimself]

Ok, so my truck is long overdue to get the headlight assy's replaced due to yellowing and whatnot.

What are the chances that, after replacing them, they will need re-aimed? If I don't touch any of the adjustment screws, should I be okay without aiming?

Reason I ask, is because I do not have anywhere I could go to aim the lights. My driveway has a slope, and the garage is not usable.

Yes indeed you will need to reaim them. A few years back when I replaced my headlights up front with the diamond units they were in such bad need of aiming it was unbelievable.

 

[BrettR]

If it is just yellowing..
Try one of those head light lens resurfacing kits...
The ones I have seen ..you just sand/polish the lens and work your way up.
Might be worth a try.

 

[gavin]

If it is just yellowing..
Try one of those head light lens resurfacing kits...
The ones I have seen ..you just sand/polish the lens and work your way up.
Might be worth a try.

yellowing, staining, fogging... all that good stuff.

I did buy a cleaning kit... just haven't taken the time yet.
but figure if I had to remove the dam things anyway, might as well upgrade at the same time

 

[gavin]

well I had bought one of them headlight restoration "kits" a while back (www.myheadlight.com) from Wal-Mart I believe it was.

decided to give it a go today, since it's warm out.

Needless to say, it didn't do a damn bit of good. Atleast, looking at the surface of the headlights, it's still nasty.

sooooo... time to start looking for a new set.

As for aiming, I just thought about it.... even though the driveway is a slope... if I mark the spot on the garage door where the headlight's main focus is before replacing the assy's, then when I swap the new assy's in, aim for that mark. Atleast get me in the ballpark, no?

although I may just try another kit, or something, first. Since I wouldn't be able to afford a new set until late next week at the earliest. Wouldn't hurt to try, anyway.

 

[corkey]

marking a spot on the door will get you at least close,,,than you can go out to a section of road at night and fine tune a bit better,,

 

[Bill Kemp]

You mean to tell me that there are no flat parking lots with a near wall in or around Chugiak? Whos to say that your lights are aimed correctly now?

I guess you could use the side of a glacier and a magic marker.

Just getting a tape measure and some masking tape to stick on the wall at the measured heights is quick & easy.

I had a cop come by one night when I was in a dark pkng. lot and ask what I was doing. When I told him he said he wished more people would aim their lights and even offered to help.

 

[gavin]

You mean to tell me that there are no flat parking lots with a near wall in or around Chugiak? Whos to say that your lights are aimed correctly now?

I guess you could use the side of a glacier and a magic marker.

Just getting a tape measure and some masking tape to stick on the wall at the measured heights is quick & easy.

I had a cop come by one night when I was in a dark pkng. lot and ask what I was doing. When I told him he said he wished more people would aim their lights and even offered to help.

well I guess I could drive up somebody else's driveway and use their garagedoor, but that might be a wee bit suspicious.

and ummm... yeah, there really isn't much around here lol. Sure, I could go to walmart, but they still got ish busted up from expanding to a superstore. Not many buildings around here you can pull up to...

as for how do I know they're aimed correctly now? well... I don't seem to blind people. But no, I've never aimed the lights on this truck. Never felt the need to.

seriously