Aim your headlights!

"NaturallyAspirated" (NaturallyAspirated)
10/20/2014 at 15:57 • Filed to: Headlights, How-to

Just a friendly reminder to all y'all to make sure your headlights are properly aimed. I took the time this weekend to adjust the aim of my headlights, and I'd encourage all of you to do the same. You'll see better at night, and you won't blind other drivers. It's a win-win.

All you need is 25 feet of flat ground with a wall at the end, masking tape, a marker, and a tape measure. Here are a few resources to get you started:

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Eric the Car Guy shows us how to use a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (9)

Stupidru > NaturallyAspirated
10/20/2014 at 16:05

I assume you first need headlights bright enough to be capable of seeing at night. Mine hardly light the ground 5' in front of me, therefore I am screwed. Honestly kind of hoping someone rear-ends me this winter and totals my car so I get insurance money to buy something better

NaturallyAspirated > Stupidru
10/20/2014 at 16:15

Even with complete garbage headlights like those tiny H4656 sealed beams on Gen 3 Camaros, you should be able to at least improve your nighttime visibility with a good re-aim. Chances are that a lot of your light is wasted going in directions you don't want it to.

JGrabowMSt > NaturallyAspirated
10/20/2014 at 16:19

My headlights are all purposely aimed slightly high. They are well below shining into someones mirrors, but conventional wisdom is out the window for me. I pulled up behind my moms parked car, and made sure they were not shining into mirrors, but honestly, I'm going to actually see where where I'm going. My girlfriend lives in bear country. Once I get closer to my house, it's all deer, but I'd rather have at least a shot at seeing a bear before hitting. Luckily I know where all the deer are by me, so I can avoid them, or at least know where to take it real slow.

NaturallyAspirated > JGrabowMSt
10/20/2014 at 16:33

California regulation is 2.5" drop at 25 feet, which gives pretty good lighting. If they are actually angled upwards, I would expect you to get fairly poor results. Is there a reason you can't use high beams to get what you want?

CAR_IS_MI > NaturallyAspirated
10/20/2014 at 16:35

I left mine unadjusted after lifting the Jeep becasue fuck you other driver. Nah, it's really because I'm just lazy. I love when people flash me like "your highs are on", so I always flash back and light up the tree tops.

JGrabowMSt > NaturallyAspirated
10/20/2014 at 16:40

high beams are not angled differently than low beams on my cars, so I aim the lights slightly high. I do not care for the 20' of pavement directly in front of me, I care about the 150' ahead of me. The slight upward aim also gives a better fill from the high beams.

My Magnum has the best high beams I've ever had, the SL600 has funky high beams which are bright as hell, but only really cover the roadway, not much of the shoulder at all. The Neon has piss poor output, but I'm using GE Nighthawk bulbs which are way better than stock, and do a pretty good job, but the light throws significantly less than the Magnum. The Magnum is probably the only car I really feel safe in when driving late at night. The SL is nice, but it is a little on the low side, so I get a lot more light in my face from other drivers with poorly aimed lights, or the fucking blue lights that should be illegal. The magnum puts me up higher than the SL without making me feel like I'm in a truck so there's less light in my face, better headlights, and just makes me feel safer overall.

The Compromiser > NaturallyAspirated
10/20/2014 at 17:59

I only have one headlight and it turns when I steer. If it moves I hit it with the heel of my hand.

Rico > Stupidru
10/21/2014 at 12:44

Whoa time for new bulbs or maybe some headlight restoration if your housing is oxidized to death.

biker > NaturallyAspirated
10/30/2014 at 21:09

most people would hate me, I aim my lights illegal, always have, always will, I turn drivers side up & to left, & passenger up to right, so if you marked your aim area, my right would be in upper right quadrant, my left in upper left over what is dead senter, & before everyone gets panties in a wad, I live in mountains, back road curves, 95% of my driving at night is going home through them, & normally not alot of traffic, the first few miles small city, but I feel I need it, because of so many animals, & you cant see around curves, Deer & Bear or the 2 most common to see, & the roads are 55mph, but rural country. I do go out of town from time to time, but not alot, compared to my motorcycle.