Long story short, I had one lazy headlight, so I rebuilt the actuator and all went really well. Here comes the problem.

When I went to reinstall, I wanted to get the headlight adjusted properly with the body. I was able to adjust the rear up/down and the collars that control side to side movement. The issue is, I don't think my actuator has enough travel to get the light fully extended to fully closed.

To achieve the proper open height, I moved "Bracket A" toward the rear, effectively lowering the open position. Now, I can't thread in the clevis enough. It stops by the actuator, and not the down adjustment hex screw like it should. I could tap more threads into the clevis to allow it to screw in farther, but then I have the issue of the rod being too short when the headlight is up!

I don't know what else I can adjust to make this work. I feel like the actuator shouldn't be the limiting factor here. I want it to hit both stops at the right positions, but something isn't right. Any ideas?

 

Hi G,
It appears to me that the adjustment screw has been inserted into the link from the wrong direction.
The head of the screw is typically at the other side of the link.

Could this be part of your problem?
Regards,
Alan

I'm not sure that the screw in your photo is like the original adjusting screw. Was it replaced with a regular bolt?

 

Alan,

Thanks for the reply. It's very possible this is not the original screw. The other headlight matches, so someone probably changed out both at the same time.

I don't think that screw is the issue though, because I am able to adjust the headlight to exactly where it needs to be without the clevis attached to the linkage. The trouble comes when I go to connect the actuator and run out of travel...

Garrett

 

as I recall the body height adjustment is last.
bracket A needs to be adjusted to allow the clevis pin to go through the bracket. since you have that apart, now is a good time to check the link pins and bushings.
I had a similar problem with mine.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...or-ever-i.html

 

After you adjust the actuator, you may need to add shims to either the front or rear of the headlamp support. Here are the pictures from the AIM and a video I did a while back that may help you. You can view a larger version (and clearer) either by doing a copy and past into your paint program or go to this link. http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/1...ng-adjustment/







Headlamp housing adjustment video

 

The adjustment bolt that Alan pointed out is not your problem In Willcox's video at 5:26 ...the bolt is installed like yours and I have seen them installed different ways...depending on the year model. This bolt may still need to be fine tuned and adjusted...but its orientation does not matter.

'garrettb'

IF your headlgith actuator housing IS bolted correctly at the front and rear. And you can get it to fit the opening correctly. I have all linkages connected EXCEPT for your actuator pod.

What I do next is to raise the headlight door and install the headlight bezel (if it was removed).

I then raise the assembly and move that bracket that you are dealing with so when the headlight door is UP...I can easily remove the headlight bezel and install it without damaging paint. I generally have the front edge of the headlight bezel slightly lower than the front edge of your headlight opening. You may find that you might need to remove the side stop bracket also.

Once I achieve this....then usually everything can be adjusted.

The odds that you have an actuator with a longer shaft in it is unlikely...but I do know that some actuators DID come with longer shafts where the threaded clevis goes on.

DUB

 

You hit the nail on the head. What I ended up doing was adjusting that bracket to set the open height. I adjusted it so the bezel was just under the body, but still able to remove the bezel, just like you mentioned. If I ever have to change a bulb I'll bump them up a little more because the bezel is snug when trying to remove. I just wanted to help improve aerodynamics by keeping them lower. HA!

To fix the travel issue on the actuator, I tapped the clevis just a little more to get another half turn out of it, and that basically solved the problem. It's preloaded at both ends now, but not as much as it was. The other light is adjusted very similar, so I feel good about what I have. When I started, this light popped up 3/8" higher than the driver's side, and now they come up the same.

To me, it seems that the stop bracket (hockey stick looking thing) is to prevent shaking and vibration when driving, because the actual stop height is determined by adjusting "bracket A". I adjusted my stop brackets to the "touch" position, so there is a slight load on the ends, but not so much that the "snap" sound isn't heard when they lock into place. I had it loose before, and the lights were shaking up and down like crazy.

Hopefully this helps someone else with the same issues. Lesson learned here- just because you found it one way doesn't mean it was right to begin with.