Truck-Lite sealed beam LEDs

[skyrat]

The H4 adapter arrived today and the lights are in. They look great. The color temp is perfect. They are WAY BRIGHTER than OEM, I'm guessing x3 or x4.
One question to all you headlight experts out there.

What method of adjusting the headlights do you use?

Since mine are made up of a pile of parts, I have no zero, or baseline.

[rallypanam]

To get close you can use a piece of cardboard out front.

To get good, find a dark area, turn them on, see where the light shines, adjust as necessary.

[JWA]

Originally Posted by skyrat

One question to all you headlight experts out there.

What method of adjusting the headlights do you use?

Since mine are made up of a pile of parts, I have no zero, or baseline.

Here's but one article how to about aiming headlgihts: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

This is pretty much how its been done just about forever. Even with all the sophisticated and/or computer devices that procedure gets you just about perfect.

HTH

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by JWA

Here's but one article how to about aiming headlgihts: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

This is pretty much how its been done just about forever. Even with all the sophisticated and/or computer devices that procedure gets you just about perfect.

HTH

That looks very comprehensive! Too long for me to read, and certainly too long for me to do! But probably a bit better than my method.

[skyrat]

Great link JWA.
Yesterday I watched a few videos and read a few articles on the process.
Most rely on the previous aiming of the lamps, this method is based on the center axis of the physical lamp itself. That is good. While the article was a bit long it covered fog, driving and high beam specific lamps. There is also a lot of info on the euro stuff and regs. Once you distill what elements I needed for my application it is really a pretty short and concise process. Just what I needed. The illustrations seem complex at first, but when used in conjunction with the written copy, great!
Thanks!

[arctictraveller]

What I have always done is to find a level place with a flat wall. Park about 15 to 20ft back from the wall and turn on the low beams. After getting them pointing straight ahead, adjust them to be just slightly below level. I measure the height of the center of the light and then put a mark at that height on the wall. I try to get the top of the beam just below that mark. Covering one light at a time helps too. The goal is to avoid having your low beams shining into the majority of the rearview mirrors of the cars in front of you (cars, not SUVs). Back in the days when there were roadside inspection stops, this method got me passed when they used a device that attached to your light to check alignment.

[Bbasso]

I some somehow forgot to post the link to the video of my trucklite 5X7 in action.
https://youtu.be/j9GOu-1j5jk

[Taylor3633]

Thanks guys!!!

[JWA]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

That looks very comprehensive! Too long for me to read, and certainly too long for me to do! But probably a bit better than my method.

Daniel Stern's approach is very specific and lengthy, he goes into great detail, almost like a PhD candidate might do with a relatively simple task.

If the end result is suitable then whatever method is used becomes moot. We're always facing a compromise between great visibility for us and not blinding on-coming street traffic.

BTW I have a Hoppy B4A complete headlight aiming kit, free to anyone who'd truly work with it, perhaps sharing a new found skill with other close by SMB users or people in general. Sadly it has been sitting complete idle since purchase some 5-6 years ago, hate to see it wasting away.

I think this is representative of my kit, not seen it in forever: http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hoppy...-/361524672793

Rather than this be a one-time hobby experiment only to once again sit unused I'd hope to pass it along where it would find some sort of new life. PM me for details, perhaps we'd talk via phone.

[skyrat]

Well, LOVE the lights. Painted the trim around the new sealed beam lamps made the grille look BAD, and not in a good way. So, I cleaned up the grille, sanded everything but the chrome, masked off the chrome elements and painted the grille to match the Headlamp Trim.
Here is before with Aero Lamps.



Here is after painting, don't look at the bird dookey.

BTW, that reminds me of a joke...

"You know the white stuff in bird poop?
Do you know what that is?
That's poop too..."

Anyway, MUCH BETTER, Huh? What do you think? Totally different look, I would say BAD in a GOOD way...