Headlight bucket scratching piant. Alignment help!!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 526
Likes: 1
From: Millington TN
Headlight bucket scratching piant. Alignment help!!
My right headlamp seems to actually grind against the body of the car when it opens up. It never opens up fully either. I have to get out and give it a little lift. When the light is fully up I noticed a small chip in the fiberglass on the bottom right corner. It seems to be catching on a bracket that holds the grill insert. My guess is that by getting around this bracket it pushes the light back and into the hood. Which has left me with some nice paint chips. I got the car this way and originally the lamps opened fine by themselves although the paint was already chipped. I took some pics tiday but left my camera at work. I'll add those tomorrow. Anyone got any ideas?
-CR
-CR
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Check your header bar. These things have a habit of delaminating. When it happens, the headlight assemblies will not align properly.
A simple check for delamination is as follows......
Open the hood
Stand in front of the car, and grab it under the front hood surround, like you are going to pick up the front of the car. Keep your thumbs on top of the fiberglass, and your fingers under it. You should be able to feel a thin metal piece that runs the width of the front end. That is the header bar, and it's glued to the fiberglass hood surround. In addition to providing rigidity to the fiberglass, it also supports the back brackets of the headlight assemblies.
Squeeze your hands while observing the headlight cover. Do this at several locations along the header bar. If it's becoming delaminated, you will be able to feel and see it.
Once it starts to delaminate, it will get worse. One other symptom of this is that your hood will begin to rub against your fender assembly. I guess the bar sort of keeps the fender assemblies from "collapsing" in towards the hood.
A simple check for delamination is as follows......
Open the hood
Stand in front of the car, and grab it under the front hood surround, like you are going to pick up the front of the car. Keep your thumbs on top of the fiberglass, and your fingers under it. You should be able to feel a thin metal piece that runs the width of the front end. That is the header bar, and it's glued to the fiberglass hood surround. In addition to providing rigidity to the fiberglass, it also supports the back brackets of the headlight assemblies.
Squeeze your hands while observing the headlight cover. Do this at several locations along the header bar. If it's becoming delaminated, you will be able to feel and see it.
Once it starts to delaminate, it will get worse. One other symptom of this is that your hood will begin to rub against your fender assembly. I guess the bar sort of keeps the fender assemblies from "collapsing" in towards the hood.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
Oh the dreaded header bar nightmare 
. You could possibly buy some time on the header bar repair and get some extra clearance by loosening the 3 bolts on the headlight pivot bearing housing (on each side) and moving the entire assembly forward just a bit.
. You could possibly buy some time on the header bar repair and get some extra clearance by loosening the 3 bolts on the headlight pivot bearing housing (on each side) and moving the entire assembly forward just a bit.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by sperkins
...get...clearance by loosening the 3 bolts on the headlight pivot bearing housing (on each side) and moving the entire assembly forward just a bit.
Shouldn't take much.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 419
Likes: 4
From: Lewisville TX
I just rebuilt both my headlights (they were doing the same thing). My Passenger Light works fine, and aligns up perfectly.. The drivers side won't open unless I squeeze the upper fiberglass down to the header bar( I also pulled the header bar, and got rid of all the rust). Just have to find something to glue the sucker with! I did notice that the passenger side headlight has more adjustment on the brackets than the drivers side! Anyone know of the right glue to use?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
Originally Posted by sfallison
Anyone know of the right glue to use?
Do a google search. Or, you can find some good info here:
http://www.lord.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1146
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 1
From: Lafayette Louisiana
I went to a paint and body supply store and told them what I was doing. He sold me a two part adhesive and loaned me the gun that is required. The stuff is simply amazing. Sorry I can't remember the name but the product in sperkins' post looks like the brand.
Last edited by kevinator80; Aug 15, 2006 at 03:19 PM.
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Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Originally Posted by sfallison
I just rebuilt both my headlights (they were doing the same thing). My Passenger Light works fine, and aligns up perfectly.. The drivers side won't open unless I squeeze the upper fiberglass down to the header bar( I also pulled the header bar, and got rid of all the rust). Just have to find something to glue the sucker with! I did notice that the passenger side headlight has more adjustment on the brackets than the drivers side! Anyone know of the right glue to use?
I've been putting mine off until I can figure a safe way to completely remove it, clean it up, and re-glue it.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 419
Likes: 4
From: Lewisville TX
Originally Posted by cchristo
How did you pull the header bar?
I've been putting mine off until I can figure a safe way to completely remove it, clean it up, and re-glue it.
I've been putting mine off until I can figure a safe way to completely remove it, clean it up, and re-glue it.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Originally Posted by sfallison
I just unbolted mine after removing the headlights, and it came out. Others, I have read used a putty knife to gently pry the body away from the header bar.
.Mine is just starting to come loose at the ends, but it is getting progressively worse.
I'm afraid of tearing up the fiberglass by attempting to chisel it away.
Anyone else attempted this? What did you use, how did it turn out?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
One cause is something most overlook. You go nuts trying to adjust the headlight to no avail. After time what happens is the fibreglass behind the doors separates from the metal below...it lifts. Easiest way to check is by pushing down on the fibreglass if there is any movement the bond is gone. When I had my car painted i had it drilled and rivited. It solved the problem.
Jim
Jim
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Originally Posted by jdp6000
One cause is something most overlook. You go nuts trying to adjust the headlight to no avail. After time what happens is the fibreglass behind the doors separates from the metal below...it lifts. Easiest way to check is by pushing down on the fibreglass if there is any movement the bond is gone. When I had my car painted i had it drilled and rivited. It solved the problem.
Jim
Jim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
Originally Posted by cchristo
Are you saying that you riveted the header bar to the surround?
The area I'm talking about is just above the headlight doors. If you can push down on the fibreglass it has separated from the metal. What happens when the fibreglass lifts 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch it does no leave enough room for the door to clear...doesn't matter how much you adjust it. Its usually epoxied..at least i think it is. Its tought to reapoxy and clamp. The shop drilled holes through the fibreglass and injected apoxy. Rivits were then added to hold the fibreglass to the metal and to allow the apoxy to set. This was all done when the car was painted.
There is a cheaper easier solution if the hitting is due to separation. You can sand down the area the headlight door is making contact with.
Jim
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Renton WA
thanks
Just wanted to say thanks for the thread, this was a problem for me as well and I was just about to post something.
All fixed now, great community here...great people. I'm reminded of that every day I check new threads.
Thanks all.
All fixed now, great community here...great people. I'm reminded of that every day I check new threads.
Thanks all.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Originally Posted by jdp6000
The area I'm talking about is just above the headlight doors. If you can push down on the fibreglass it has separated from the metal. What happens when the fibreglass lifts 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch it does no leave enough room for the door to clear...doesn't matter how much you adjust it. Its usually epoxied..at least i think it is. Its tought to reapoxy and clamp. The shop drilled holes through the fibreglass and injected apoxy. Rivits were then added to hold the fibreglass to the metal and to allow the apoxy to set. This was all done when the car was painted.
There is a cheaper easier solution if the hitting is due to separation. You can sand down the area the headlight door is making contact with.
Jim
There is a cheaper easier solution if the hitting is due to separation. You can sand down the area the headlight door is making contact with.
Jim
Hmm, don't know If I'd do the rivet thing. Seems like it would eventually put stress around the rivets, unless they also put in some body washers or something to distribute it. Even so, to make that flush, it would seem like you would have to countersink it down until there was virtually no fiberglass left to support it.
How long ago was it done, and how much have you driven it since then? I'm always up for a better easier way to do something if it actually ends up being a better fix than original.