>In my youth we had a formula for adjusting the headlights on a car ( I think
>it was actually part of the DMV drivers license test). It was something
>like the beam had to drop 2 inches at 25 feet and
>the left light had to be so many inches from the centerline.
>Anyone remember the formula? ( or remember your Dad telling you the
>formula :)
Basically, pull the car up to a wall. Mark the wall corresponding to
geometric center of the headlights. (all four, if you've got a four
beam set up). Draw a horizontal line two inches below the spots
marking hte centers of the headlights, then a vertical line from the
headlight center down to the horizontal line. Back the car up 25
feet. Turn the headlights on. Adjust the vertical aim so that the
horizontal cut out matches the horizontal line. Adjust the
left-light aim so that it starts to slope up at the intersection of
the two lines (the cut out is shaped like ___/ (\___ for fools
driving on the wrong side of the road)). Repeat for the other side.
If you've got a two beam system, you're done. If you've got a four
beam car, you need to adjust the high beams so that they point at
marks you marked for their centers.
All that assumes you've got a car of normal size. If you've got a
truck, particularly a big one, you need to follow special procedures,
or you'll be blinding oncoming drivers.
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/shop-talk
|