Who wants brighter headlights?

[Kern Dog]

I don't have a level place anywhere here except inside the shop and garage. My driveways are sloped. I'd have to go to a nearby shopping center to find a spot level enough to work.
Awhile back I found out that countries with LEFT hand drive cars have headlights with a different light pattern than countries with RIGHT hand drive cars.
I absolutely do NOT want to blind the oncoming drivers.
Remember when all cars were double or quad headlight systems? If you drove around with all 4 headlights on, everyone knew you had your BRIGHTS on but nowadays, most people don't seem to notice. The later model cars all seem to have different headlight shapes.
I have tried aiming from inside my shop but it isn't deep enough to have all 4 tires of the car inside with 15-20 feet in front. I've adjusted, driven, adjusted but I will benefit from the suggestions made here.
Thanks everyone!

 

[kiwigtx]

The left lamp is supposed to be adjusted a little lower and toward the center to keep it out of oncoming driver's eyes.

And Vicky-Verka for people who drive on the opposite the side of the road.

 

[Bird 426]

And, I hate bright headlights. Really hate LED's, so much, that I rarely ever get caught out after dark. It's bad enough to to put up with them in broad daylight. This lights on for safety, brighter lights to see better, for who? Certainly not for all of the people that you blind with them. Drove truck for 37 years, the end of my career was the worst, night road. I have had enough of led, and out of aim headlights to last me the rest of my life.
Been in this argument before, go ahead and be selfish, don't think of others. Guess that if you need that much light to see, maybe you shouldn't be driving. I am in the 2 million plus miles club, I must have been doing something right.
Okay everyone, go ahead and disagree.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Bird 426, I believe nearly everyone agrees with your distaste for crappy LEDS, the ones that have no beam control, no focus, they just blast, they suck for everyone else, and they are highly illegal, and that is seldom if ever enforced.
The problem is the lack of enforcement has allowed them to nearly flood the market, with the results you mention.

 

[Bird 426]

Sorry, I wasn't even aware of them! I was actually thinking of factory headlights. Doesn't matter if it's a new car, SUV or pickup, or semi. Mind you, I was sitting up in a semi, it's worse sitting down at say a car level. Got in an argument with a mechanic of the transportation company that I worked for. Asked him to adj a lamp that I replaced the night before, didn't have the proper tool at the time, I did later. He said that all headlights had been aimed and an adjustment wasn't needed. He didn't believe that changing a lamp would alter the aim. Couldn't convince him of that simple fact. The aim changes everytime a lamp is replaced. That's one reason some are so off, not just high from the already high factory setting. Or, just out of a body shop front end damage and the shop didn't bother to align the headlamps.
I'll jump out here, rant over.

 

[70VCode]

Look up daniel stern lighting. He is a lighting expert that I used to update all the lighting on my cars. He has a really nice write up on his website on how to properly aim these lights. He goes by slantsixdan over on forabodiesonly

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

 

[themechanic]

Remember to readjust your head lamps after you change your ride height.

 

[themechanic]

How to use a Hoppy Headlight Aiming Tool.

 

[themechanic]

Garage door headlight aiming by Hagerty.

 

[Kern Dog]

The goal here was not just headlights aimed properly but also brighter.
Standard sealed beams would have shown improvement with these headlight relays but I wanted more.
These Hella lights are brighter than the halogen sealed beams but like an improperly tuned engine, I have the power but it needs tuning.
I still want more power than these lights have but I don’t want to light up a football field.
I was surprised at how CHEAP new bulbs are. $7.00 a pair through Summit ???

 

[themechanic]

The goal here was not just headlights aimed properly but also brighter.
Standard sealed beams would have shown improvement with these headlight relays but I wanted more.
These Hella lights are brighter than the halogen sealed beams but like an improperly tuned engine, I have the power but it needs tuning.
I still want more power than these lights have but I don’t want to light up a football field.
I was surprised at how CHEAP new bulbs are. $7.00 a pair through Summit ???

Then retro fit a pair of fog lights and be done.

 

[Kern Dog]

Pffft.
I never liked that look.
This can be done with headlights without any tack on stuff.
Besides….$14 for lights as bright as a new car is hard to beat.

 

[themechanic]

Pffft.
I never liked that look.
This can be done with headlights without any tack on stuff.
Besides….$14 for lights as bright as a new car is hard to beat.

I hope you're not installing cheap LED bulbs.

 

[Kern Dog]

Of course not.
I’m frugal, not stupid.

 

[j-c-c-62]

It was a fair question though on an open online forum.

 

[themechanic]

Of course not.
I’m frugal, not stupid.

So, what's this about a $14 light?

 

[Kern Dog]

The light pattern of these bulbs seems fine, I just need to aim them right.
I may have figured a way to do it here. If I put the car with the back tires at the edge of the slab….

Rolling out the tape…

I’m just over 16 feet to the cabinets.

I just bought a sheet of plywood to use as a “wall” To aim Against.
More later ….

 

[Kern Dog]

So, what's this about a $14 light?

Come on, you skipped right past that, didn’t you?
The replacement bulbs for these headlights are $7.00 a pair. Two pair is $14.

See post #30.

 

[themechanic]

Come on, you skipped right past that, didn’t you?
The replacement bulbs for these headlights are $7.00 a pair. Two pair is $14.

See post #30.

I searched the term "$14" before I answered.

 

[themechanic]

I searched the term "$14" before I answered.

Did I also miss what type bulb a Hella brand light uses?