Bonz (Vic) replied:

I just take a few towels or windcheaters to a dark road and cover the headlights and set the drivers up one by one, works every time and u can see exactly where they point, key is to only work one at a time.

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

The garage door idea will get you reasonably close, but you only have to be out by a p00fteenth and the beam could be meters out by the time it gets 500 meters down the road.

What I do is find a stretch of lonely, straight dirt track (luckily I live in a country town and there are hundreds of such tracks around the place). I take a few bits of old towel or blanket and cover up all bar the one light I'm about to adjust. Get that one just how you want it and then do the other/next one.

Cheers

Roachie

Member - Nick (TAS) replied:

Once you get them set up, go back home and mark the lights position/beam on the garage door.Then you can check your lights easily in future.

Scrubcat replied:

G`day Steve,
Yep, as all others have said but will add,,, try and pick a night with a little bit of fog and you can see the actual beam of the light.
ALSO be aware that it is possible to have a fire????
This particular ex Fireman (ME) did all of the above suggestions using an old pair of overalls to cover one of the spotties , all done just dandy , on the way home a strong smell of burning rag filled the cab, sh#t, stuff on the back parcel rack in the ute including the overalls was just getting going.
Regards.
Scrubcat.

Member - shane (SA) replied:

Hi Stephan M, did you know that you can take the 4by to the RAA or your road mob and get them to do it for a small fee if you are a member.

Rognet replied:

Hello Steve

Well many years ago someone explained to me that driving lights should be set-up with a slight crossover at the extent of the beam. This was to minimise shadowing. I have always set up my driving lights to cross paths and focus the right light just of to the left and the left light just of the the right on the edges of the road as far forward as you can giving the best illumination possible. This depends on the beam width and illumination. Clear as mud?
(This crossover can also assists illumination through corners!)

Rog & Net

blown4by replied:

Just be aware that if you leave the Lightforce lamps covered for too long (which is not long) you will melt the Lexane lenses. I know I have done it:-( When you have them covered the heat cannot escape. Also when you set them up one at a time gradually raise the beam until it just leaves the road surface then just go back down slightly. The vehicle will raise slightly at the front when travelling so you need to allow for that. Also the pencil beam is so wide you can have the left one just illuminating a bit of the verge and the right one the same and with both on together you can see all the way up the road and any road kill that may be on a suicide mission. When you set them up drive up the road and hit the brakes. When the nose dives if you can see further then you have them adjusted too high. I dont believe you need a spread as the two pencils gives enough spread unless you are driving in windy roads all the time. There are no legal requirements other than you dip your lights when another vehicle is approaching. I always dip mine when I can see the glow of oncoming lights so you dont dazzle the other guy. You need to be respopnsible and alert with powerful lights and a good idea is to get someone to drive you car up the road about a K and get them to turn around and come back toward you standing at the roadside with all lamps on hi beam and you will see one wopping great mass of light. That is what the other guys sees when he comes towards you so you will apprciate by doing this you need to dip them whenever someones tail lamps are in view (no matter how far away they are) and as soon as you see the glow of the headlamps (unless of course they are out of view for some time) Also dont forget truckies see the lights before you see theirs because they are sitting much higher above the road surface. Personally I have never tried "crossing" the beams and dont really see the point of doing this._

Waynepd (NSW) replied:

Stephen,
Regarding your lenses are you going to run 2 spreads?
I am running a spot on the driver side for distance and a spread on the kerb side to help find lurking wildlife. This is the way I understood it was supposed to be setup for country night driving.

I use the blue covers which seems to give a closer to daylight feel.

I am glad you raised this question because I have never really adjusted them successfully. I was either spotting possums or melting tar 20m ahead of me...LOL. Picked up a tip or 2 from this post.

rredbeak replied:

nose your car up to a wall [bout a meter away],turn your lights on high beam.DONT cover your headlights,and then raise or lower the spotties so theyre at the same height as your high beam on the wall.and,central between your high beams. this can be done day or night but night is better. Then take them for a drive to be sure theyre right. Takes only a few minutes and is dead easy to adjust.

happy touring.. Rod