2nd Gen Headlight Adjustment

I swear I used the search function, and could not find a thread that specifically references this topic. I know it's gotta be on here somewhere.

so 3 questions:

1) Where the f*#@ are the adjustment screws on the stock headlights? (2013 specifically)

2) is there some standard for headlight cutoff? say '36" at 30 Ft.' or similar that allows you to know your meeting a legal requirement?

3) is there a fool proof process to achieve #2?

If this info is out there, please just throw a link or two at me and i'll ditch this thread. If not, maybe we can dump the conventional knowledge in here and sticky it?

My driver HL is blinding oncoming drivers, I believe it's more of a l/r issue than u/d, and what little I've found indicates there may be no left right adjustment? Edit to add, these headlights are original, although a bulb may have been replaced. Would have been done by the dealer (i'm friends with the original owner)

tagging the guru @crashnburn80

thanks in advance!

 

Even though a bulb may have been replaced by the dealer, I would still check to make sure that it is fully seated in the socket and seated properly.

 

You can see the headlight adjustment diagrams from the 2nd Gen headlight thread above posted by @Unchained 5150. I agree with @dbbd1 that you should check the bulb is seated properly, this is relatively easy in the 2nd Gen assemblies to get it installed incorrectly and this seems most likely the cause of your issue. In the 2nd Gen assemblies you can actually look through the front of the, and see the bulb and it should be sitting straight and flush, compare your passenger and driver side. I would use caution in any horizontal adjustment, as that is very easy to mess up and extremely difficult to recenter. The headlights should not need any horizontal adjustment, only vertical, unless someone messed with it.

As for aiming, see the chart here. At 25' the drop should be 2.1 to 3" depending on the height of the headlight.
https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

@Unchained 5150 thanks for the quick kickback!

@dbbd1 I'd read that in regards to first gen's

@crashnburn80 caution noted. And that link is exactly what I was hoping for. Found something similar from California DOT which ranges slightly from what you shared.

I just pulled the bulb. Not sure how you can mess it up. 3 tabs plus bottom ctr 'groove'. Everything sure seemed correct. Osram HB2 9003 L 12v. Assuming these are original.

Hopefully it was 'off' despite appearances. I'll hit my designated wall after dark and see if it has changed.

Thanks for the quick council

 

Anytime my friend

 

That article made my head hurt...

 

LOL. Very simply, park your truck with the bumper almost touching the wall, mark your headlight cut off height with tape. Based on the height of your initial mark from the ground, look at the chart to see if you need the beam to drop 2.1", 2.5" or 3". Back up 25' and see if your headlight cut off drops accordingly to the chart. If not, adjust to meet the needed drop.

The biggest challenge is just finding somewhere perfectly flat with a wall to do this. If you don't have 25', you could do 12.5' in a pinch and since the distance is only 1/2 as long, the drop will also be half of what the spec says. It won't be as accurate as the 25' adjustment, but it is a start.

 

That works-back in the day we stuck on the black boxes, zeroed the bubble gage and adjusted away... thank you!