Headlight alignment

[richardcoxid]

Sometime back I remember seeing a chart that you painted on your garage wall as an aid in aligning your headlights. Does anybody have that chart or the dimensions or remember where they are shown?



The sideways adjustment screws are a torq screw just inboard of each headlight assembly. How do you adjust the up/down of the headlights?



When shining my lights on the garage wall the left lo/hi beams are much higher than the right side. Even when driving at night the right side of the road is much brighter than the left. The left bright is usless.



Richard



Ps- I will correct my signature to the 2005 Cummins

 

[ENafziger]

The sideways adjustment screws are a torq screw just inboard of each headlight assembly. How do you adjust the up/down of the headlights?

I believe this is the up/down adjustment... at least it is on mine. I'm not sure there is a side to side adjustment.

--Eric

 

[JVolpe]

I don't think you have a side-to-side adjustment. The screw you refer to is the up/down adjustment.



I will see if I can find the manual page that has the diagram and post it.

 

[JVolpe]

Ok here is the DR instructions for head/fog light vertical adjustment with the adjustment diagram.



The procedure that follows will prepare a suitable front lamp alignment screen.



1. Tape a line on a level floor 7. 62 meters (25 feet) away from and parallel to the flat wall that will be used as the lamp alignment screen. The level floor will be used as the horizontal zero reference.

2. An adjacent wall or floor member that is perpendicular to the alignment screen can be used as the vertical zero reference. If there is no adjacent wall or floor member that is perpendicular to the screen, tape a second line on the floor perpendicular to both the alignment screen and the first line, and outboard of either side of where the vehicle will be positioned. This will be used as the vertical zero reference.

3. Position the vehicle so that the side of the vehicle is parallel to the vertical zero reference, and so that the front of the lamp lenses are in the vertical plane of the parallel line taped on the floor 7. 62 meters (25 feet) away from the screen.

4. Rock the vehicle side-to-side three times to allow the suspension to stabilize.

5. Jounce the front suspension three times by pushing downward on the front bumper and releasing.

6. Measure the distance between the optical center of one of the lamps being aimed (head or fog) and the floor (horizontal zero reference). Transfer this measurement to the alignment screen with a piece of tape placed horizontally to the floor. This line will be used as the lamp horizontal reference.

7. Measure the distance between the vertical zero reference and the optical center of the nearest lamp being aimed (head or fog). Transfer this measurement to the alignment screen with a piece of tape placed vertically across the appropriate (head or fog) lamp horizontal reference. This is the centerline reference for the first lamp.

8. Measure the distance on center between the first and the second lamp being aimed. Transfer this measurement to the alignment screen with a second piece of tape placed vertically across the appropriate (head or fog) lamp horizontal reference. This is the centerline reference for the second lamp.





HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT

NOTE: Due to the linear nature of the headlamp cutoff, a properly aimed low beam headlamp will project the top edge of the high intensity pattern even with the headlamp horizontal reference line on the alignment screen. No horizontal (right/left) adjustment is required for this headlamp beam pattern. The high beam pattern will be correct when the low beams are properly aimed.

1. Turn the headlamps On and select the Low beams.

2. Rotate the headlamp vertical adjustment screw on the inboard side of each front lamp unit housing to adjust the beam height as required.



FOG LAMP ALIGNMENT

NOTE: A properly aimed front fog lamp will project a pattern on the alignment screen 100 millimeters (4 inches) below the fog lamp centerline and straight ahead of the lamp.

1. Turn the fog lamps On.

2. Rotate the fog lamp vertical adjustment screw on each lamp to adjust the beam height as required.



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[Matt400]

The horizontal adjuster is in the center at the bottom and takes the same torx size although that shouldn't need adjustment. Vertical is the one you were looking at.

Odd... its just opposite of what you think it would be.

 

[richardcoxid]

Thank you for your input! I didn't know that the adjustment screws are located opposite for what you would expect.



It has been about 10* each AM with a 20*-25* high in the afternoon. So I haven't tried to adjust the lights. Next Wed/Thur it will be in the mid 30's to the low 40's so the garage will be warm enough to work on the lights.



Richard

 

[RideSlow2004]

Great post, thanks, I needed to set mine lower when trailer pulling.

 

[PatrickMarshall]

I just went through the adjustment sequence on my 07 Megacab. The question I have is; since my truck is lifted 2", do I use the original headlight height measurement on the wall 25' from the truck? Or do I use the current headlight height?