Can anyone tell me the specs on headlight aiming and how is the easiest way of doing it. I do not have a headllight aiming kit. My truck is a 73 high boy that I have resprung the spings to somewhat stock height (maybe an inch or two higher with the hepler I added).

Thanks in advance,
Scott

 

You need a perfectly flat surface and shine the lights on dark surface.

There are measurements that you go by to make it right.
I'll see if I can find article.


http://www.kkpony.com/AimingHeadlights.html

 

The standard instructions that come with Cibie or other good European code lights, say to measure up to centerline lamp height, then up the same height on a wall 25 feet in front of the vehicle. The hard part is finding a flat surface that extends over to a wall, so you an measure upward. I often go inside the powerhouse where I work. For some of us, it's hard to find a building in which to park, that has 25 ft+length of vehicle available.

Your low beam cutoff should be 3 inches below your centerline-of-lamp marks. Your high beam hotspot should center on your marks. This makes sense. High beam is parallel to the road for maximum distance. Don't get it too high, or you have a "black hole" in front of you, while you chase the moneys out of the trees. Low beam is on a shallow downward angle, so it does not blind other drivers, and it will get beneath much of the fog you may encounter.

Naturally, there are warnings about having normal load in the vehicle, etc.

The BIGGEST improvement you can make to your lighting is to get high quality European code lamps. I hope, for your sake, that we're talking about a '73-'79 pickup that will have standard headlights -- easy to fit with H4 replacements and relays. These new unique-to-one-vehicle lights are a pain.

You can learn a lot if you go here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

Good luck, and safe night driving.

 

Just get a set of silverstars from sylvaniam, they mount in the stock locations and are much brighter for the driver and not blinding for oncoming traffic like those stupid euro ones. The silverstars are direct replacement bulbs, and yes they come in the round style.

 

Clarification:

When I said "Euro," I did not mean the presently trendy and obnoxious purple lights we see out there, producing lots of horrible glare. I meant "European Code," referring to the beam control. If you replace your "oncoming driver" with a photometric dummy, and measure actual glare, you'll see that properly aimed European Code headlamps (and I mean quality lamps, like Cibie, Marchal or Hella) produce less than ONE TENTH the glare of typical cheapo American sealed beam headlights. This is because you're using an expensive high quality lens and reflector. There's no way you'll ever get that in a disposable (and disposably priced) American sealed beam headlight. I am not familiar with "Silverstar," except for noticing the name on some replacement bulbs. If there are sealed beams sold under that name, they will still be sealed beams with poor beam control, just brighter.

If you have a later model vehicle, you may use H9004, H9005, H9006 or other bulbs. But odds are, you still don't have that great a reflector and lens from the factory. Example: I have composite headlamps on my '96 Suburban, using H9005 and H9006 bulbs. I have wired it so the low beams stay on when the high beams are on, giving a better wider short range coverage. I could add relays and install higher wattage bulbs --- but I won't, because I'd be asking to melt the plastic lenses, and I'd still be using the same cheap plastic lenses with relatively poor beam control. Short of swapping for a "work truck" grille, with standard 200mm headlamps that can accept Cibie replacements, my options are limited to adding auxiliary lamps.

Buy GOOD auxiliary lamps, ignore the funny colored small "fashion" lamps.

Here's the whole story on aiming: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html
Naturally, it's oriented toward the nicely controlled beam pattern of European code bulbs.

I generally aim in this manner, then go out on a deserted straight stretch of highway, and make my own checks. Sometimes I do a little fine tuning at that point.

I used to run a '78 Saab 99 Turbo with 5-3/4" Cibie headlights and 7" "Oscar+" driving lights, all with rallye bulbs. When I hit high beam, I had six hundred watts -- two 80/100 H4's, two 100W H1's and two 100w H2's -- all at once. I have NEVER been stopped for my headlights or faced complaints. But I ALWAYS dim my lights any time I can see headlights or tail lights in front of me, no matter now far away they are.

I cannot recommend too strongly: Buy GOOD quality lights, aim them properly, use them properly. Start by going to the Daniel Stern Lighting site, and learning all you can there.

Good Luck,

Lane

PS: I do recognize a value to sealed beams. My old International, mostly for off-road use, sits out a lot in wet weather. Sealed beams have limited lighting capability and efficiency, but the sealed glass lamp will not fog up or lose the silver on its reflector. As with my sealed tail and marker lamps, this is a good feature. (Also, they're cheaper if you break 'em. Dad backed his tractor into a beautiful irreplaceable 7" Marchal on his '52 Dodge pickup a while back.)