Adjusting Headlamps So They Sit Straight (Lamp Itself, Not The Beam)

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Noticed my left hand side headlamp is not quite sitting right - see the photo below. It has a bit of a gap underneath it unlike the other one.

 

Any idea of how to adjust it so it sits properly?

 

Cheers

 

[welshpug 1,666]

Loosen the nuts&screws on the mountings and move them appropriately

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

The mountings on the indicators? If I recall the headlamps then just slot into the inidcator bracket or am I mistaken?

[Stu 18]

I think Mei is saying to move the actual headlight/indicator mount up; there's two posi-drive screws top and bottom, and from memory the hole in the part is square allowing for some adjustment.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

You can adjust the adjuster bracket fixing screws too i think.

 

Might just be the photo but your indicators don't seem to be sitting nice/correctly, which may throw everything out.

 

Are the indicators OE?

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Oe indicators buddy, what do you think is wrong with them?

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Maybe just be the photo, and cos they're clear it's hard to see, but they look as though they are sitting a wee bit wide?

 

I think they should be flush with the side of the wing if you ran your hand along it there would be no rise, and also flush/sit under the very end of the wing.

 

What sort of gap have you between indicator and headlight?.... do you see much of the silver refective part of the indiactor between HL's and indicators?

 

Your grill looks a smidgen high too on the bottom OS, as if the tab on the black plastic part of it isn't seated in the fan couling correctly (or you've lost the tab from it on the NS and it's dropped that side a tad.)

 

minor details!

Edited May 22, 2014 by dobboy

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Cheers bud, I will have a good look over the next few days when I get a chance.

 

There's not much gap if any between indicator and HL.

 

The grill is a little loose on the NS top, think it must be missing the tab you mentioned! Will check!

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Right, had a good look.

 

It does not appear to be the indicators. If you look at the pic of the Offside headlight, it needs lowering on the side closest to the grill. So I thought I'd just shift the bracket by the grill (with the back/forward adjuster on it) down a bit. However, its all the way down and cant be moved down any further (room to move up but not down).

 

I'm stumped, any ideas?

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Ps indicators are flush, pic is a little deceiving

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

ATK, if yor sure the bracket is sitting high you could elongate the holes with a very small file. Or drill new ones, depending on what distance you need.

 

Or, what i would do first and it may sound harsh, but if before filing you could wrap a bit of 4x2 in a rag, sit it on edge of slam panel and give it a thump with a decent hammer and see what sort of movement you get and take it from there. I think that's why it's called panel beating!

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Hmm, interesting one on the slam panel beating!! You mean to deform the slam panel to make the bracket sit lower?!

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

lol, all the metal work around that area is fairly flimsy. I would say take the slam panel off before rattling it, but then you risk not being able to line the slam panel holes up again.

 

I wouldn't be scared to do it, your headlight panel must be sitting high at that side for one reason or another and maybe just need a bump.

 

Or start filing! lol

[Tom Fenton 1,547]

What utter tosh, only an idiot would suggest this. The headlamp panel is spot welded to the chassis leg which in turn is not going to move anywhere in a hurry. All you will achieve by whacking it is making a f***ing mess. If the headlamp mount bracket really needs to go down then elongate the holes.

[welshpug 1,666]

or move the indicator up and the bumper up.

[ATK 143 1 Cars]

Right! Had another look.....sound slike elongating the holes the adjuster (back/forward) sits in is the way forward.

 

BUT I can't get the bottom bolt out, it's rusted solid and is rounded off. No room at all in there to get anything other than a small spanner in there.

[Dizzee stuff 33 1 Cars]

Take the radiator out, easy enough.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Dizzee stuff

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

What utter tosh, only an idiot would suggest this. The headlamp panel is spot welded to the chassis leg which in turn is not going to move anywhere in a hurry. All you will achieve by whacking it is making a f***ing mess. If the headlamp mount bracket really needs to go down then elongate the holes.

Utter tosh?

 

Assuming all his brackets are ok, if his headlight is sitting high at one end then its either been like that from day 1 or it has moved up.

 

And I'm not suggesting slinging a 10lb hammer from the sky, I'm sugesting give it a bump and see if there is any movement, as I think I said.

[PAGOS 15 4 Cars]

It's a beauty man .Enzo Ferrari once said ' I don't give a damn if the door gaps are not straight .I want the driver to s##t his pants when he accelerates ' .Sure , check if their is any adjustment ,but don't be overly concerned .