...Want to check and/or adjust the head light aim on my '57 Chev Sta Wag. No T-3's or T-3 adjusting tool in my collection of J tools. I recall doing some cars and motorcycles by shining the light/s on a wall from a given distance and using a given measurment, being able to ballpark the adjustment parameters. C/L of my lights is about 30" from the floor. Would appreciate some guidance, if available. TIA Best, Dennis
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Re: O/T - Generic Head Light Adjustment Help...
European code and Cibie Z-beam headlamps can be easily adjusted because they have a very sharp horizontal cutoff on the left side of the beam. (The cutoff rises 15 degrees on the RH side of the beam on Euro code lamps and is horizontal on the right, but higher than the left on Z-beams.)
The basic spec is that the left side horizontal cutoff should be three inches below the center of the lamp at a distance of 25 feet. (The horizontal cutoff on fog lamps should be the same height as the center of the fog lamp.) This is easy to do in a flat parking lot with a wall on one side.
American code headlights are difficult to adjust because they don't have a sharp cutoff, but as a general rule the "spotch" of light should be about 50 feet ahead of the car, and slightly to the right. The final check is to have a buddy come at you in another car and make sure they don't glare excessively.
Typical Amercian code sealed beams are TERRIBLE - poor light and lots of glare to oncoming drivers. I've got either E-code or Z-beams on most of my cars and highly recommend them if you do a lot of night driving, but PLEASE adjust them according to the above specs.
I can't tell you how may clowns (most often in BMWs) there are in So. Cal. who drive around with their foglights on in clear weather, and the cutoff is invariably angled up instead of being level at the height of the center of the lens, so they constantly glare into oncoming drivers' eyes.
Duke -
Re: O/T - Generic Head Light Adjustment Help...
Hi Dennis,
Without any special tools this is what I used to use, a reference car.
I used my other daily driver(with correctly adjusted beams), and pointed them from about 25 feet away towards my garage door(driveway was flat), mark the spots with masking tape, and mark a straight line were the refernece car was perpendicular to the door. Then swap out the daily driver with the other car to be adjusted and set them up to the same taped spots. As long as the 2 cars were close in height at the headlights it seemed to work ok. Afterwards, I never had anybody flipping high beams at me thinking mine were on. Crude, but effective.
RichComment
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Re: O/T - Generic Head Light Adjustment Help...
been through my fair share of chp road side checks---with the suction cup head light gizmo---i think there is/are specs in the aim for this---or if maybe in a motor manual that will give good specs---i like the blank wall behind a grocery store for the perfect light tune up---and yes you can have your vintage lights "blown" up to ??? and a bmw will still blind you with fog lights at lunch time in tucson---joke---philComment
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Re: O/T - Generic Head Light Adjustment Help...
get breast pump from local apothocary, plumb bob from local hardware store and a 1/5th of jack at local watering hole. its a piecde of cake. (been taking my smart-ass pills again. regards, mikieComment
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I jest new I cud kount on u fer tha W. VA...
...anser two mi queschun. Thanx 2 u mikie. Jack is gud stuf... Night, night
So, wat about that bresst pump thang...???Comment
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Try some Templeton Rye and you'll want to....
pour that jack in your gas tank just to get rid of it.Comment
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Re: O/T - Generic Head Light Adjustment Help...
Dennis -
If you have the 1961 Passenger Car Shop Manual, the "shine-'em-on-the-wall" headlight aim diagram is on page 9-58.Comment
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Thanks All... *NM*
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Re: Thanks All...
gotta email Sondra to beware if she sees you coming at her with the pharmacy-acquired pump. mikieComment
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I am embarassed to report that I found the...
...headlight aiming instructions in my '57 Chev AIM - the method that John H. described - headlights on the wall... Thanks for putting up with me. DCComment
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