Who wants brighter headlights?

[Kern Dog]

We don't always drive in just the daylight. Who wants brighter headlights?



A couple years back, I added the headlight relay kit offered by a fellow FABO/FBBO member. This kit is strongly recommended if you have standard sealed beam headlights but considering the drastic reduction in current needed to power LED lights, I don't see why the relays would be necessary.
I had sealed beams for years but changed over to Hella H1 and H4 headlights.

The H1 are a single filament for use in either high beam only or low beam only. The H4s are dual filament for high and low.
These have replaceable bulbs.

In general, I've been happy with them but I need to learn how to properly aim them.

It seems that the low beam on the left aims low.

Same with the high beam on the left.

The right side seems to be aimed right. These are the lowest wattage bulbs that came with the headlights, 55 watt low beam, 60 watt high.
I'd be interested in suggestions on how to properly aim headlights without using any fancy equipment.
Thank you.

Also...Is it possible that the recessed headlights in the car affect how wide the light pattern travels to the sides of the car? It seems that it could as compared to a Plymouth Satellite or a Dodge Coronet.

 

[kiwigtx]

View attachment 1911923

 

[Don selleck]

pull up to an overhead garage door or similar large flat vertical surface about 15 ft. away.
turn on headlights
adjust away.

 

[j-c-c-62]

pull up to an overhead garage door or similar large flat vertical surface about 15 ft. away.
turn on headlights
adjust away

Best to place your body weight of ballast in driver's seat and have 1/2 tank of fuel to really dial it in

 

[moparedtn]

TN doesn't do safety inspections, so it's not checked here - but in VA (where I grew up/went to school),
they do inspections and headlight aim is taken very seriously (they'll fail your arse if the aim is too off).
The garage I worked in while going to college had one of those fancy aiming devices with the reflector lens
and all that jazz that I got pretty quick and accurate with, so of course they hollered at me when a car needed
aiming.
The garage had actual steel rails embedded in the concrete floor for the device to ride on and you looked through
it from above, like an old Brownie camera sort of refracting type of deal. Pretty cool, to think about it...

Down here, I've used the sides of stores at night to do it; all you have to really worry about is being 3" - 4"
below centerline of the headlights @ 25' away, at least in this part of the world.
Side to side is pretty self-evident as well.
Tons of diagrams and videos out there on how to do it, of course...

 

[hunt2elk]

I bought one of these Hoppy headlight aimers on Ebay several years ago for not alot of money, I think it is from the 70's. It is pretty cheesy, but works surprisingly well.

 

[Mackman]

I use the aiming instructions in the FSM. Seems to work fine.

 

[toolmanmike]

The left lamp is supposed to be adjusted a little lower and toward the center to keep it out of oncoming driver's eyes. Illuminating the centerline is about where I want to be. I can see where newer designs with higher intensity would be a plus as long as you adjust them properly and keep from blinding the oncoming drivers.

 

[Don Frelier]

I'm still working on the toilet aiming thing.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Going blind?

 

[Cranky]

Best to place your body weight of ballast in driver's seat and have 1/2 tank of fuel to really dial it in

Heck with doing all of that! Adjusting with that in mind is easy enough....

I'm still working on the toilet aiming thing.

I gave up on it a long time ago!

 

[themechanic]

We don't always drive in just the daylight. Who wants brighter headlights?



A couple years back, I added the headlight relay kit offered by a fellow FABO/FBBO member. This kit is strongly recommended if you have standard sealed beam headlights but considering the drastic reduction in current needed to power LED lights, I don't see why the relays would be necessary.
I had sealed beams for years but changed over to Hella H1 and H4 headlights.

View attachment 1911925

The H1 are a single filament for use in either high beam only or low beam only. The H4s are dual filament for high and low.
These have replaceable bulbs.

View attachment 1911926

View attachment 1911927

View attachment 1911928

View attachment 1911929

In general, I've been happy with them but I need to learn how to properly aim them.

View attachment 1911930

It seems that the low beam on the left aims low.

View attachment 1911931

Same with the high beam on the left.

View attachment 1911932

The right side seems to be aimed right. These are the lowest wattage bulbs that came with the headlights, 55 watt low beam, 60 watt high.
I'd be interested in suggestions on how to properly aim headlights without using any fancy equipment.
Thank you.

View attachment 1911934

Also...Is it possible that the recessed headlights in the car affect how wide the light pattern travels to the sides of the car? It seems that it could as compared to a Plymouth Satellite or a Dodge Coronet.

The title of this thread is misleading. Maybe revise it to ask how to properly aim your head lamps.

 

[WileE]

Back in the day, we would say "your headlights are on"

 

[Roadhog51]

I bought one of these Hoppy headlight aimers on Ebay several years ago for not alot of money, I think it is from the 70's. It is pretty cheesy, but works surprisingly well.

View attachment 1911975

View attachment 1911976

I used that exact tool when I worked a at Chry-Ply dealer 1969 to, 1979. I had to check alignment on all new cars when I serviced them.

 

[Hubbarocks]

hello,
I've done several head light alignments over my career , I'll explain & assume you've got little experience, I apologize if i seem man-splaining. In the shop we would always use the garage door method. Even on late model cars / trucks. I have a 69 charger & below procedure is how i do it. I normally do this at dusk , so i can test drive it right away.

you'll need:
masking tape / painters tape.
tape measure
long Phillips #2
large piece of card board or wife's towels
beam type flashlight
optional - chalk


1. Park the car facing a garage door so the front is square to the door, about 15~20 ft away. Make sure you have level surface from the garage door to the car, not at a slant, etc. if not use a buddies driveway that is flat.
2. With the headlights / vehicle off - Measure from the floor to center of the head light. This is your height reference point.
3. Using your tape; measure at the garage door up to your height reference point - you're going to put a length of tape on the garage door horizontally longer then the width of the car.
4. Add a smaller 6" piece of vertical tape at the center of your horizontal reference line on the garage door. Matching up with the center of the hood. Use a laser light or flash light if you're unsure where this lands on the garage door.
5. Measure from the center of your cars hood to each head light & transfer those marks to the garage door using the tape - so you end up with a grid / targets with the marking tape.
6. (optional) I'd also mark in chalk where the tires are , in case you need to come back in for adjustments - you can get in the same spot being consistent.
7. Start by aligning 1 head lamp at time & covering the remainder with card board or towel. NOTE : i think those H4 bulbs are super hot; best to block the light with something a little further back. i.e.: garbage can with large card board about a foot from the head light not to cause damage.
8. Turn on head lights (start car if you need the headlamp doors to open l like i need) With 3 head lights being blocked off, you will witness one beam on the garage door.
9. Using a long Philips screw driver, you will adjust the windange and elevation. Make note of where each adjustment screw is on each lamp in advance so you can quickly access them. if you do this in the dark like i do, you may need the flash light to locate these on the side of the lamps.
10. Start by aiming the elevation of the beam slightly below the horizontal tape mark it should be alignment with / then the windage so it intersects your target on the door. This should be set & you can move to the next one.
11. move the cardboard (light blocks) accordingly so you have the next light hitting the door.
12. repeat the adjustment in step 10. until all lights are on your marks.
13. if dark / dusk, go test drive down the block & make any necessary adjustments by parking the car right back on your chalk marks

(tip) if you live in the country where deer are an issue like me. i aim my passenger low beam slightly toward the ditch.
(tip 2) you can aim the high beams right on the target instead of slightly below, this would be optimal light projection.

hope this helps someone !
- hubba