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Headlamp alignment

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IanIrving

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I'm about to start uprating my headlamps on the BJ8 with quartz Halogen lamps fed via relays. I want to check the front fender alignment before I start. Can anyone tell me, with the headlamps removed and just the steel bowls and their rubber gaskets installed and with the car standing on level ground, should the bowls be vertical as measured with a spirit level across top and bottom of the bowl? Also, with a staight edge across the two headlamp bowls, should drivers side outer and inner edges of the bowls be in line with passenger side inner and outer bowl edges?

Ian
 
IAN there is a specific procedure for adjusting the headlamps which are provided with positioning screws on each light fixture. The mechanical approach you are using will not solve the alignment problem. Another forum member may have the procedure which is quite simple but is not readily available to me at this time--Keoke
 
I used to park my mini a distance from the garage door and put the head lights on dipped, checking the height above the floor at the car and then the door to make sure they were not shining upwards or uneven heights and then angle them slightly to one side, then check the full beam. Something like that anyway. Did the same with the Healey when I refurbished the drivers side, but then I did have the other light to reference against. Past the MOT no probs.



Bob

:cheers:
 
Thanks Bob and Keoke. I found the section in the service manual on how to do it so will follow what has been suggested. I was just interested in the basic geometry to begin with because I suspect that one front fender on my car is about 1cm behind the other, ie the fenders are not quite the same length. looking at many pictures of the cars it looks as if the headlight hole in the front fender should be as near to vertical as possibe. I'm going to measure mine anyway when I take out the old lights this weekend. I just hoped someone with a car mid way to being re assembled might be able to measure and see what I should be aiming at as a start point. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter that much so long as there's sufficent adjustment in the screws to get them fixed in the right position. At the moment, as well as being too dim to be safe to drive on in the dark, they are way out in alignment. amazing what we now tqake for granted in headlight strength compared to what we used to drive on, unless my eyes are dimming as well!

Ian
 
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