Where are your headlights pointed?
 

Before you smartazzes start in I am not talking about the hooters on some drivers or lot lizzards, I am talking about the headlights on your truck. My wife and I have noticed that there are hundreds of trucks on the road that their headlights are either pointed straight to the ground in front, or one light is blinding pilots in the sky and people in their homes on the side of the road or the lights are crossed over each other. Both O/O and company drivers are driving these trucks.

Replacement of a headlight, bodywork or just the jolting of the road can make the adjustments off. So if you find that you cannot see well at night it may be your headlights, and not your eyesight. For those who have no idea on how to adjust your lights, there are two screws next to the headlight on the outside or inside (depends on model of truck/type of headlight). One screw is for moving it up/down and the other is for left/right. Make your adjustments in the dark with the headlights pointed towards a wall or place an object on the ground at the desired level for each light (gloves work) and align them. It may take a couple of adjustments over a few nights to get the desired level. Try to make it a level that doesn't have the oncoming vehicles flashing their high beams at you. There are also more in depth "how to's" on the internet, just search by "adjusting headlights" and the same technique applies to cars or trucks. This topic can also be applied to your personal vehicles.

park your truck 20 feet from a wall on level ground, then measure the distance from the ground to the middle of your headlight, now mark this distance on the wall, draw a horizontal line on the all at this point, then adjust you lights so that middle of the beam hits on the line, the side to side adjustment can be eyeballed at this tire, no one seems to have the headlight aimers anymore, you ask a shop and they say "HUH"?

On my trucks they are on the front of the truck and pointed forward to illuminate the road ahead....

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Not mine. I turn on the high beams and I can see the treetops.

With the new headlight units, like on the Columbias, it took me a while to realize just where the adjustments are for the headlights. I did have one that shined up, but I've since adjusted it down where it belongs. Adjusting them is not the same as it was with the replacement headlight. The high beams are supposed to be nearly parallel to the road surface. Or, nearly horizontal. But, if the lense has become milky, it's a whole lot harder to figure out just where it's shining. And, I find that with the high beams on, both of the little bulbs are lit. So I had to disconnect the low beam bulb in order to make it work out.

And, yes, the guys in the shop do give me a dumb look when I talk about adjusting the headlights.

The next thing I have to try to figure out is how to keep the headlight assembly steady. Even when idling the engine, the right one vibrates and it looks like I have a strobe rather than a headlight. Very annoying.

I usually like to keep mine pointed to the sides. I like to see how far I am from that barb wire fence.

Some of the Columbias we have at work shine the lights down at the ground. It gets dark on US24 at night and with the Columbias I'm lucky to see 50 feet ahead. The Prostar I usually drive has properly adjusted headlights.

On a Columbia, look under the fender, behind the lights. There are two white plastic knobs that stick back a couple of inches. You can crouch there, adjust the lights and see where they are aimed on that wall someone else mentioned. A few turns on the upper knob will bring them up.

I think I've met you on the road a few times and, yes, it IS annoying....

My right one is pointed up and to the right so I can read the signs over there. My left one is pointed up and to the left so I can read the signs over there. Most of my night driving is achieved by averaging.

Now, I read this post and, come to find out, maybe my headlights aren't adjusted properly? I went to adjust them and what do you know? Both headlights are pointed straight to the ground! Now what?