1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

How do I adjust my headlights?

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Old 10-24-2018, 01:36 PM
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How do I adjust my headlights?

i bought a new 1986 f150 not to long ago and the headlights were so bad I couldn’t see 15 foot in front of me. So I bought led headlights and I had no problem installing them but I have no clue how to adjust them. Can anyone tell me how to thank you to anyone who does help me out
 
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Old 10-24-2018, 02:20 PM
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There should be 2 adjusting screws per light, 1 on top and the other to 1 side.
by turning say the top screw in or out will make the light aim higher or lower.
The one on the side to aim left or right.

Only thing I don't know is if you have to pull the head light doors to access the screws,
Dave- - - -
 
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Old 10-24-2018, 09:19 PM
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My 86 F150 didn't have any doors. The screws were easily accessed with a simple phillips head screw driver
 
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Old 10-25-2018, 02:59 AM
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Originally Posted by dakotajeep
My 86 F150 didn't have any doors. The screws were easily accessed with a simple phillips head screw driver
In the field the trim around the head lights on older cars & trucks is called a head light door.
This trim needs to come off when replacing the head light.
Think our trucks use 4 screws to hold them on.
Some doors have notches to fit the screw driver in for adjusting, some dont.
I pulled my truck apart for ground up rebuild 3 years ago so I could not remember if you had to remove them or not.
Dave - - - -
 
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Old 10-25-2018, 07:54 AM
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theres some video on youtube how to line them up also, that might help you. Something about parking certain feet away from a wall, and measuring your headlight centerline, and so forth and so on. Also, the headlight trim panel, is also called headlight bezel by some folks.
 
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Old 10-25-2018, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by FuzzFace2
In the field the trim around the head lights on older cars & trucks is called a head light door.
This trim needs to come off when replacing the head light.
Think our trucks use 4 screws to hold them on.
Some doors have notches to fit the screw driver in for adjusting, some dont.
I pulled my truck apart for ground up rebuild 3 years ago so I could not remember if you had to remove them or not.
Dave - - - -
Both of my 1986 F150s headlights are adjustable without removing anything. My thumb and finger below show both the adjustment screws. There is a factory notch to allow access.

 
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Old 10-28-2018, 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Odisvan
theres some video on youtube how to line them up also, that might help you. Something about parking certain feet away from a wall, and measuring your headlight centerline, and so forth and so on. Also, the headlight trim panel, is also called headlight bezel by some folks.
What I do is find a level parking lot beside a large building (harder to find than you think) and you pull right up to the building wall. Turn the lights on high beam and mark the centerline of the beams on the wall with masking tape. Then back straight up 25ft. With the high beams still on, adjust the centers of the light beams till they line up with the masking tape you stuck to the wall. Then when you put on the low beams, the light should drop down and to the right.
 

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Old 11-19-2018, 11:47 PM
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Franklin you left out the part where the cops show up during the headlight adjustment
 
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Old 11-20-2018, 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by 82_F100_300Six
Franklin you left out the part where the cops show up during the headlight adjustment
I used the side of the factory wall where I used to work.
 
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