Headlight adjustment for lifted trucks?

TwoBallScrewBall · February 21, 2019

On 1/21/2019 at 9:14 PM, TXGREEK said:

Ummmm, you’re just leveled, not lifted. So I wouldn’t worry about it. Never ever had a problem when my truck was leveled before the lift, and now being lifted I still don’t have any issues. Maybe you’ve just got bright lights in general or could be that they’re gang members waiting for you to flash them

Sent from above

This is unequivocally incorrect. Light alignment is even more of a problem with a front level than it would be with a front/rear lift. With just a front level installed, you're lifting only the front of the truck higher, which not only raises the headlights but also causes them to be pointed at a higher angle 'up' than they were before. With a full lift, the lights are being raised, but the angle of the beam remains closer to where it was before.

In either case, spend the 5 minutes and adjust them to where they are supposed to be.

Cwiggy · February 21, 2019

Here is the link to the light I used. There are no shutters on this grille. I also asked them to swap the chrome series led light for the black series which they will do for you. Hope that helps. https://www.roughcountry.com/gm-1500-pickup-30in-led-grille-kit-70625.html

TXGREEK · February 21, 2019

This is unequivocally incorrect. Light alignment is even more of a problem with a front level than it would be with a front/rear lift. With just a front level installed, you're lifting only the front of the truck higher, which not only raises the headlights but also causes them to be pointed at a higher angle 'up' than they were before. With a full lift, the lights are being raised, but the angle of the beam remains closer to where it was before.

In either case, spend the 5 minutes and adjust them to where they are supposed to be.

Leveling a truck doesn’t mean just raising the front end, I had added rear as well which had perfect balancing out. Just last week, due to a couple flashes from incoming traffic, I decided to adjusting my headlights, I noticed immediately that “I” couldn’t see as well and yet still being flashed. I did a test, left my truck running with lights on, driving another vehicle and yet still bright to incoming traffic. Readjusted a bit higher for better lighting. Because I’ve got factory HID’s, they’re bright whether hitting incoming drivers in face or not.

Needless to say, they’re perfect now and still get flashed, just going to be this way cause that’s what you get when you drive little cars in Texas

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TwoBallScrewBall · February 22, 2019

15 hours ago, TXGREEK said:

Leveling a truck doesn’t mean just raising the front end

That's actually exactly what it means, leveling implies raising the front (or lowering the rear) to change the truck from having a factory nose-dive stance to having a level stance. If you're raising the front and the back, it's not a level, it's a lift. Doing this inherently changes the angle of the headlamps from their factory nose-down angle to a level angle. It's like taking a flashlight that is pointing at someone's chest and raising the beam into their eyes.

HIDs have a razor sharp cutoff, if your cutoff is near or above oncoming drivers eyes, they will 'see' the full intensity as if the high beams were on. There is no increased intensity when switching to high beams with HID, only the shutter that creates the low beam cutoff is retracted to allow the full beam to shine forward.

TwoBallScrewBall · February 22, 2019

16 hours ago, TXGREEK said:

Needless to say, they’re perfect now and still get flashed, just going to be this way cause that’s what you get when you drive little cars in Texas

But you're right about that, I know mine are adjusted properly, and every once in a while, someone will blink me. I can almost always tell when it's going to happen, if you're cresting a hill or in any other situation where the lights are higher than usual in relation to oncoming traffic it's easy to see when the beams light up the face of the guy (or girl) coming at you from the other way.

TXGREEK · February 22, 2019

That's actually exactly what it means, leveling implies raising the front (or lowering the rear) to change the truck from having a factory nose-dive stance to having a level stance. If you're raising the front and the back, it's not a level, it's a lift. Doing this inherently changes the angle of the headlamps from their factory nose-down angle to a level angle. It's like taking a flashlight that is pointing at someone's chest and raising the beam into their eyes.

HIDs have a razor sharp cutoff, if your cutoff is near or above oncoming drivers eyes, they will 'see' the full intensity as if the high beams were on. There is no increased intensity when switching to high beams with HID, only the shutter that creates the low beam cutoff is retracted to allow the full beam to shine forward.

I’m not going to get into a back and forth discussion about leveling but there are different height levels and depending on the height then may need to raise the rear as was the case for me, raised rear too. I’m never leveling again, sticking to my custom lifts instead, huge difference in ride quality. Good luck

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TwoBallScrewBall · February 22, 2019

I think we agree here, you can do a 6" level which would need to raise the rear. You can also just level, which would just raise the front or lower the rear. My point was more along the lines that a 'level' inherently raises the front in relation to the rear, which 'aims' the headlights higher. I drew a picture

I'm also not into getting into dumb fights on the internet I just want folks who search these threads to have good info, which is ultimately what I think we all want.

TXGREEK · February 22, 2019

I think we agree here, you can do a 6" level which would need to raise the rear. You can also just level, which would just raise the front or lower the rear. My point was more along the lines that a 'level' inherently raises the front in relation to the rear, which 'aims' the headlights higher. I drew a picture [emoji4]

I'm also not into getting into dumb fights on the internet [emoji4] I just want folks who search these threads to have good info, which is ultimately what I think we all want.

You’re really into this aren’t you lol, strictly lifted but with lowered lighting cause of added rear add a leaf for that slightly raised rear for hauling or pulling.

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