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View Full Version : Proper Headlight Alignment


cherrington17
11-29-2008, 06:19 PM
How to?

somehow mine seem to have gotten screwed up. my car is cockeye'd. drivers side looks a little low, passanger is a little high.


i know there is a white hex adjustment near the headlights, but which direction raises, which lowers? and how do you know where to stop??

jayson_waltz
11-29-2008, 06:46 PM
put the headlights of your car 6 feet from a wall. make sure its on level ground. measure the distance from the ground to the filament on your high beam bulb and then put a line on the wall that high off the ground. turn on your high beams and adjust them so the middle of the focused light is just a bit above the mark.

For left and right just make a mark on the wall straight out from the bulb and center the focused high beam on it.

woohoo your done! :lol:

meadus101
11-29-2008, 07:56 PM
Aim the driver's side headlight slighty right... it's done to be considerate to other drivers.

jayson_waltz
11-29-2008, 09:24 PM
^ if you drive in cities a lot that works. but on rural roads its just makes it harder to see that side ditch to watch for animals, mainly deer around here. i'm actually gonna be getting 2 sets of aftermarket lights, 1 fog set and 1 driving set, and mount them up with one set pointing towards the ditches. when there is nobody else around there is no such thing as too much light just shut them off when someone is coming. thats also y i have my lows and highs on at the same time.

Redog
11-29-2008, 09:26 PM
Use a Torx socket!!

Don't know what size and I don't have any, my headlight have been f'd for years

jayson_waltz
11-29-2008, 09:27 PM
i think i used a 1\4 inch socket and it worked perfect.

AlbinoMonkeyRat
11-29-2008, 10:30 PM
use the levels????

Bad99Olds
11-29-2008, 10:47 PM
pretty sure i remember seeing something about that in the owners manual. not sure, but i think so.

jayson_waltz
11-30-2008, 12:36 AM
use the levels????
pretty sure i remember seeing something about that in the owners manual. not sure, but i think so.
there are many different ways for different cars. i just posted the universal way that works for all vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles.

Cliff8928
11-30-2008, 02:15 AM
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

Spilner521
11-30-2008, 10:45 AM
Aim the driver's side headlight slighty right... it's done to be considerate to other drivers.
If they're aimed correctly, this doesn't need to be done. The cut-off line should be just below eye level of oncoming traffic. I know Alero lights don't have the sharpest cut-off line, but it's there.
use the levels????
That only works if you know for sure you're on completely level ground. Any little variance and that little bubble moves a lot.

cherrington17
11-30-2008, 10:57 AM
use the levels????


i don't think my levels work... i've never seen a little bubble in mine... regardless of which way i turn it.

Spilner521
11-30-2008, 11:03 AM
Pull all the way up to a wall so you're just about touching, about an inch from your bumper.

Turn the headlights on and make a mark through the middle of the brightest spot of the lights. These spots should be towards the top of the beam.

Back up 10-15 feet and aim them so the cut-off line is just touching the bottom of the mark.

Done.

I've done this a few times. It works.

It's easy to figure out which way you turn the screw. If you want it to go up and the way you're turning the screw is making the beam go down, turn it the other way :p

Bmorezcmunee
12-13-2008, 11:14 PM
what if your screw is broken? :cry:

cherrington17
12-13-2008, 11:28 PM
^ just found that one out a week or so ago. BOTH screws on both sides are busted.


i need to pull them off, sand the rust off the metal pin, and hopefully epoxy the plastic gears back into place.


lame.

irondiezl3
01-24-2009, 09:28 PM
yup 1/4 socket worked perfect thanks waltz

lonnie
01-25-2009, 07:59 AM
Mine are screwed up to, but thats because the bottom brace broke on the driver side so I had to screw it to the frame so the light would stop bouncing around...LOL Now the drive side low beam looks like the high beam.

I'm thinking of just doing the same to the other side...being that I don't ever have to get it inspected again.

cherrington17
01-25-2009, 09:08 AM
the metal pegs that hold the "gears" in place rusted like crazy, and the "gears" broke off... so i guess i get to fix those in the spring.

sand and epoxy, maybe?

jackal2000
01-25-2009, 10:35 AM
^ if you drive in cities a lot that works. but on rural roads its just makes it harder to see that side ditch to watch for animals, mainly deer around here. i'm actually gonna be getting 2 sets of aftermarket lights, 1 fog set and 1 driving set, and mount them up with one set pointing towards the ditches. when there is nobody else around there is no such thing as too much light just shut them off when someone is coming. thats also y i have my lows and highs on at the same time.

u dont want fog lights, you want kc daylighters.

cherrington17
01-25-2009, 11:14 AM
kc daylighters?

rustyballs_69
01-25-2009, 11:26 AM
http://www.kchilites.com/store/Daylighter-C13.aspx?UserID=4124500&SessionID=LntgnuM1et4Ju244Wp9r

Ghadsphi
01-25-2009, 11:46 AM
I've set my lights as high I can and they they'll show me a pole cat after it goes under the wheel. And0 sorry Jackel I haven't polished them since I got them. I promise as soon as it stops raining. Hopefully picking up the struts this paycheck, springs next one and random bits and alignment next one lol.

cherrington17
01-25-2009, 12:43 PM
http://www.kchilites.com/store/Daylighter-C13.aspx?UserID=4124500&SessionID=LntgnuM1et4Ju244Wp9r

i've thought about somehow mounting a set of those (or something smaller, but still effective at extra light for country roads) .... but only if i ever got the AAS kit. something to fill in the big gap some, but still look good.


.. it'd be a hard job to do those... to have both looks and functionality

jackal2000
01-25-2009, 12:47 PM
I've set my lights as high I can and they they'll show me a pole cat after it goes under the wheel. And0 sorry Jackel I haven't polished them since I got them. I promise as soon as it stops raining. Hopefully picking up the struts this paycheck, springs next one and random bits and alignment next one lol.

AHHHHHHHHH u are abusing my rims! shame on you lol