Headlight allignment in body
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Rutland MA
Headlight allignment in body
Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had any solutions for this issue. I bought the car with monza style lights and decided to go back to the originals. I got some at a swap meet however the rear section of the light door sits too low and gets stuck on the lip of the body when I try and open it. The front seems to fit flush but i just can't see a way to adjust the rear.
Last edited by supersonicvette; Aug 5, 2013 at 05:36 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,453
Likes: 67
From: Midland Ontario
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Not 100% sure, but I believe my AIM showed shims that were used to find the sweet spot when aligning the headlight pods. I'm sure one of our members will know the best/easiest way to get you taken care of.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
That seems down a long ways.
The up/down at the rear of the lights is controlled by the location of the pivot bearings on the sides.
You can shim the entire frame that bolts to the underside of the front down to lower the lights but there is no other way to raise them once the bearings are all the way up.
You'll need to find out why they are not sitting up into place, was something added to the cross-bar that's holding them too low. etc.
Pic's of where it's sitting at the rear (hood area) and front might help
There were some small modifications over the years to the headlight frame, perhaps someone know if they changes in that area. I thought they interchanged but don't know for sure
M
The up/down at the rear of the lights is controlled by the location of the pivot bearings on the sides.
You can shim the entire frame that bolts to the underside of the front down to lower the lights but there is no other way to raise them once the bearings are all the way up.
You'll need to find out why they are not sitting up into place, was something added to the cross-bar that's holding them too low. etc.
Pic's of where it's sitting at the rear (hood area) and front might help
There were some small modifications over the years to the headlight frame, perhaps someone know if they changes in that area. I thought they interchanged but don't know for sure
M
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Hmmm
Hardly seems possible but is there any chance the front is sitting under the lip instead of on top?
I kind of looked around a little and it seems that all the 68-82 used basically the same surround / mounting bracket. I can't hardly believe it's possible to bend that bracket without it breaking.
Any signs of damage to the rear cross-brace?
Rust (corrosion) on those rivets pushed the brace away (down) from the body?
Thickness of the body around the light hole? Did someone build it up when installing the other lights?
M
Hardly seems possible but is there any chance the front is sitting under the lip instead of on top?
I kind of looked around a little and it seems that all the 68-82 used basically the same surround / mounting bracket. I can't hardly believe it's possible to bend that bracket without it breaking.
Any signs of damage to the rear cross-brace?
Rust (corrosion) on those rivets pushed the brace away (down) from the body?
Thickness of the body around the light hole? Did someone build it up when installing the other lights?
M
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
One more question
Can't tell where/what linkages you have connected in the pics. For initial setup it's best to have basically everything disconnected so you can swing the lights freely.
With the bearings as far up as then can go, when you hold the front edge level with the body, how far down is the rear edge?
You can shim the front of the support up some and that will lift the rear about 1/3 (guess based on where the pivot it)
M
Can't tell where/what linkages you have connected in the pics. For initial setup it's best to have basically everything disconnected so you can swing the lights freely.
With the bearings as far up as then can go, when you hold the front edge level with the body, how far down is the rear edge?
You can shim the front of the support up some and that will lift the rear about 1/3 (guess based on where the pivot it)
M
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,221
Likes: 4,312
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
Didn't the headlight housing frame change in 1973...?... could that be part of the problem? Are these later frames?
If the head light support bar that's bonded to the hood surround below and behind the headlight openings isn't 'snug' enough to the underside of the surround, wouldn't that cause the problems shown.
Is the same thing true for the steel reinforcement that's in front of the headlight openings?
To me the position of those 2 pieces, relative to the surface of the surround, is what controls the gross position of the headlight frame in the surround. The adjustments in the mechanism are for fine tuning the up and down , and level positions.
Regards,
Alan
Didn't the headlight housing frame change in 1973...?... could that be part of the problem? Are these later frames?
If the head light support bar that's bonded to the hood surround below and behind the headlight openings isn't 'snug' enough to the underside of the surround, wouldn't that cause the problems shown.
Is the same thing true for the steel reinforcement that's in front of the headlight openings?
To me the position of those 2 pieces, relative to the surface of the surround, is what controls the gross position of the headlight frame in the surround. The adjustments in the mechanism are for fine tuning the up and down , and level positions.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Aug 6, 2013 at 07:27 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
The rear rivet/bonded reinforcement and the front metal "lip" set the vertical location of the headlamp mechanism.
Only adjustments that can be made there (but shouldn't be needed) is to shim the rear down or the front up.
AFAIK, there was a couple of changes to the headlight bits here and there, 73 and I think in 80 but I always thought they were to facilitate the differences in the front bumpers and they were otherwise interchangeable.
I have never measured or tried this personally
perhaps someone has put the later lamps into c3 and can tell the issues.M
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Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
Hi,
Didn't the headlight housing frame change in 1973...?... could that be part of the problem? Are these later frames?
If the head light support bar that's bonded to the hood surround below and behind the headlight openings isn't 'snug' enough to the underside of the surround, wouldn't that cause the problems shown.
Is the same thing true for the steel reinforcement that's in front of the headlight openings?
To me the position of those 2 pieces, relative to the surface of the surround, is what controls the gross position of the headlight frame in the surround. The adjustments in the mechanism are for fine tuning the up and down , and level positions.
Regards,
Alan
Didn't the headlight housing frame change in 1973...?... could that be part of the problem? Are these later frames?
If the head light support bar that's bonded to the hood surround below and behind the headlight openings isn't 'snug' enough to the underside of the surround, wouldn't that cause the problems shown.
Is the same thing true for the steel reinforcement that's in front of the headlight openings?
To me the position of those 2 pieces, relative to the surface of the surround, is what controls the gross position of the headlight frame in the surround. The adjustments in the mechanism are for fine tuning the up and down , and level positions.
Regards,
Alan