How to Adjust Sealed-Beam Headlights on Your Classic Car or Truck | Hagerty DIY, by Hagerty on YouTube. 4 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Park on level ground about 25 feet from a flat wall, facing it squarely. Check tire pressures and unload heavy cargo so the car sits at its normal ride height.
Switch on the low beams and mark the car's centerline on the wall with tape. A helper makes this easier, but you can do it alone.
Measure from the ground to the center of each headlight lens. Put a tape mark at that same height on the wall, straight ahead of each light.
Add a second mark about 2 inches below each height mark. The top of the low-beam pattern should land on that lower line.
Find the aiming screws on the chrome ring around each sealed beam, usually one for up and down and one for left and right. Clean them so you can see the slots.
Cover one headlight with a towel so only one beam hits the wall. Turn the exposed light's vertical screw until the top of the bright spot sits on the lower line.
Turn the horizontal screw until the bright spot centers on that light's vertical mark. Uncover the other light and repeat both adjustments.
Switch to high beam and check that both patterns point straight ahead. Take a slow test drive on a dark road and fine tune if the beams hit signs or oncoming drivers.
Tips and common mistakes
Aim low beams slightly down so you do not dazzle oncoming traffic; a 2 inch drop over 25 feet is a good baseline.
Spray rusty aiming screws with penetrating oil the day before, because a stripped slot means removing the headlight ring.
Bounce the front bumper a few times before you measure so the suspension settles at its normal height.
Do the job with the engine off and the car in park, and chock the wheels if you are working near a slope.
Questions
Do I have to remove the headlight to adjust it?
No. The aiming screws sit on the outside ring, so you turn them with the lens in place and the lights on.
How far from the wall should the car be?
About 25 feet on level ground is the usual spec. A shorter distance still works if you reduce the drop on the wall to match.
Why is one beam higher than the other?
A small difference is normal, but a large gap usually means a bent mounting ring or a stripped adjusting screw.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
