2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission How Do I Aim Sport Headlights?

[rrausch]

Got my Sport Headlights in my '95, gottem all wired up, and I did a neat, clean job if I say so myself! All connections crimped & soldered & shrink-tubed, then run in wire looms. Upgraded all load wires to 12 gauge. All headlight load is off of the lightswitch through 2 Bosch relays. Lookin' Good!



But how in the heck do I aim the darn things? Anybody know?

 

[Canadian Cummins]

Check out this web site DS has some good info check on aiming lights



http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

[pgleavitt]

Don't waste your time. Go to a good bodyshop and have them aimed with the tool they use. Call around because some places are out of line on the price. I tried the aim it yourself on the wall trick and it was not even close. I run sylvania silvers on my setup and never get flashed. The guy that aimed them showed me how far off I had them and I was way off. It cost me a case of beer.

 

[Loren]

Robert,



My method requires a dark, straight, level, isolated road.



First rule: On two lamp systems, adjust the low beams and let the high beams take care of themselves. For your four lamp system, you can adjust each bulb separately. (Great! Twice as much work. )



I unplug, or cover with cardboard, all lights except the one I'm working with. Adjust the bulb low to start.



With the single bulb illuminated, drive down the aforementioned road. If you can park on the road, that's even better. Get out and adjust the low-beam, right-left screw to put the ramp-up cutoff towards the right side of the road. Then adjust the up-down screw to put the horizontal cutoff (the top edge of the main light beam) out as far as you can without allowing the cutoff to rise above the road surface.



Then cover the other lights and make the same adjustments for the other low-beam.



Adjust the high beams to suit yourself, since you won't be blinding anyone with them. I would aim my right one a little to the right of center and the opposite with the left to get a bit wider beam.



This will work for only one condition of loading. If you load the truck, or hitch up a trailer, you will probably have to re-adjust the up-down screws. After some experimentation, I have learned how many turns it takes to compensate for the trailer.



My bottom line is that I adjust my headlights by driving the truck and setting them to suit me without blinding oncoming traffic. I'll know very quickly if I have the lights adjusted too high because oncoming traffic will flash their lights at me.



My method is not very scientific, but it works, it's very precise, and it's free.



Good luck,

Loren

 

[Extreme1]

Ditto on Loren's method except: Our lights are still tied together so you are adjusting both with on adjuster.



A ralley racer told me several years ago that the best method is to go to Loren's dark road and adjust the high beams so they reach farthest down the road (centered and heightwise). The low beams will be where they belong.



I've used this method for over 20 years and never had a problem with the aim being off.

 

[rrausch]

Thanks Loren, thanks Extreme1, now the only problem is to find a dark deserted road in Los Angeles without getting mugged!!! I am not kidding!!



Oh well, I'll be heading to the midwest in a couple of weeks, maybe I can gesstimate them now and then fine tune them later. Thanks!

 

[NVR FNSH]

rrausch,

Got any pics of your wiring harness and where you mounted the relays?



Brian

 

[Extreme1]

Glad to be of assistance. Wait until you get them on a dark road. If you built your harness like I did (all 4 high beams lit when highs are on) you will be impressed. There is no comparison between the 2 lamp system and the sport system with 4 high beams.

 

[rrausch]

Brian, I don't have a digital camera. But first I mounted 2 Terminal Blocks (From MadElectrical) against the sheet metal to the rear of each battery. I soldered 10Gauge wire into each Positive Battery cable, and ran the 10Gauge to the terminal block, ending each run with a fusible link. The Mad Terminal Blocks are really neat, and will allow me to access 12V+ for 3-4 more add-ons on each terminal Block if I need to. The relays are mounted on the angled portion of the sheet metal sort of above each headlight. I had to run 3 wires across the radiator, and I ran them in the big loom which the Battery Cable runs in, taping it firmly shut afterwards.



One neat thing is that I can hold the Miltifunction switch on now if I want to illuminate the road using all 4 elements, without burning out the headlight switch.



Extreme1, I thought of hooking it up so I could run all 4 on high beams, but was discouraged by another TDR guy who said too much heat from running all 4 had ruined his reflectors around the base of each 9007 bulb. Is this happening to yours? How long have you been running all 4?



I really recommend MadElectrical. Com The Terminal Blocks are not all they sell. They mostly cater to the hot-rod market, but the guy who runs it is very savvy about 12V+ electrical systems. Here is the phone # (559) 539-7128

 

[NVR FNSH]

Robert,

You're using aftermarket sport headlights, correct? Any problems with them?



Brian

 

[rrausch]

No problems with them at all except for aiming them! I ordered "Delo" brand, (made in Taiwan) through ImportVision.com and paid about $210 for them I think. The fit was perfect, although before the install I had to cut out some of the existing sheet metal per the instructions available here on the TDR, using a 3. 5 inch hole saw and a sawzall. It took a few hours to do the mechanical installation, and then I just hooked up the 9004's for a few weeks until I had the time to re-wire them correctly. It took me about 4-5 hours to do the re-wire.

 

[Extreme1]

I run the two outer low beams on low beam and all 4 bulb's high beams on high beam. The heat problem comes into play when you run both elements on each bulb at the same time. On high beam I'm only running 1 element in each bulb.

 

[Thomas]

Originally posted by rrausch



. . . I thought of hooking it up so I could run all 4 on high beams, but was discouraged by another TDR guy who said too much heat from running all 4 had ruined his reflectors around the base of each 9007 bulb. . .

You may be referring to my experience after wiring my Depo brand after-market Sport headlamps to burn all eight filaments on high beam. After the lamps had been used for eight months or so I noticed that the lamp refectors were slightly discolored near the bases of the inboard 9004 bulbs. I removed the wire that powered the 9004 low-beam filaments and have noticed no further problems. D/C does not wire the 9004 low-beam filaments and the lamp reflectors are likely not designed to use these filaments, perhaps a contributing factor to the small discolored areas I noticed. The reflectors are in no way ruined.



The BriteBox (manufactured by Baker Auto Accessories in Steamboat Springs, Colorado) and sold by Geno's Garage, lights up the outboard 9007 low filaments along with all high-beam filaments when high beams are selected. I can't remember any posted complaints by Sport lamp-BriteBox users.



If aiming the Sport lamps using the dark road or FSM wall methods, the inboard low filaments must not light.

 

[rrausch]

Sorry Extreme1 and Thomas, I had temporary brain fog... I was referring to running all 8 elements on high beam--that was what I had contemplated, but thought better of it.



And yes, Thomas, I was referring to your experience. And THANKS for providing more info. Looks like I'll be doing some more rewiring! I like the idea of running the outboard 9007 low beams on high.