Headlight aiming

[29spcoupe]

I just bought a 29 special coupe. While trying to aim the headlights, I noticed that the latch for the rim of the headlight hits the socket on the headlight bar and prevents the light from moving. The light body is aimed slightly upward preventing the light from being aimed at the road. Can anyone explain what is wrong?

[daveymc29]

Trying to visualize this situation. Can you post a picture? Might help us help you.

[Will N]

Is your headlight bar on backwards? The sockets that the lights bolt into should lean to the front a little.

[29spcoupe]

I can't post a picture because my camera battery is being recharged. The socket on the headlight bar does tilt downward towards the front. The screw for the latch is hitting the front of the socket preventing the light body from turning downward.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I'll have to go look at mine because I can't picture the rim latch even coming close to hitting anything.

[1932BB]

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I vote for Will N! I did that once on my 32!

[29spcoupe]

Here are pictures of my problem. The headlights are aimed upward and the latch screw is against the headlight bar.

[29spcoupe]

I don't know if they are repros or not. I will try to put some shims in place.
Thanks

[quickchange]

H/L bar appers right way but think there is the lower cup on the healight missing as its sitting too low in the h/l bar . Fault looks to be in the headlamp ?

[J Franklin]

The bar looks backwards too me. Look at how much material is on each side of the cup.

[1930artdeco]

I think Franklin has it dead on.

Mike

[Tom Wesenberg]

Look for the square cast for the horn mount. It's only on the bottom side of the left headlamp mount. This will tell you if the bar is on backwards.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I'm going to take a picture of my left headlamp and post it. Something doesn't look right with your picture. Do you have the 1930-1 headlamp rims? Or would they even fit the 1929 Headlamp?

I think I can see the horn mounting pad in your picture, so I don't think the bar is backwards, but it's a bit hard to see. It would be real easy for you to check the mount for the right headlamp. It should be just a smooth rounded pocket with no flat horn mounting pad.

[Tom Wesenberg]

OK, here's a picture of my late 28 headlamp/horn mounting. Notice the clip has a good 1/8" clearance.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Look at the angle of the top of the headlamp mounting cup on my bar and on your bar. Also look at the space between my bar and radiator shell, and compare it to your's. I think your bar may have been bent rearward.

[rocket1]

It appears to me that those headlight rims are awful wide,repro headlights?

[emf]

Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by emf

Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank

I was thinking a large pipe wrench on the forged bar could be used to pull the bar forward and back into position.

I also thought the rims looked wide, and that's why I asked if they could be 30-1 rims, but I don't know if the later rims would even fit on a 29 bucket. My next thought was a poorly made repro part, but a picture from the front might help.

[700rpm]

I'll put my money on an incorrect headlight door (rim). Bad repro or 30-31.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by emf

Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank

Maybe a heavy flat washer, hammered into a cup shape, could be used for a spacer???
Bill W.

[Bob C]

Yes the bar looks to close to the radiator.

Bob

[ericr]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

Maybe a heavy flat washer, hammered into a cup shape, could be used for a spacer???
Bill W.

could he use one of those stainless wheel lug nut spacers that the dealers sell to shim out a hogged-out wheel?

[700rpm]

Could you post a picture from the front?

[Tom Wesenberg]

I'm thinking the owner should run a seat belt or tow strap around the bar (near the end) and then use a come-a-long or such to pull the bar forward.
We need more pictures of the bar from the front and side views.

[29spcoupe]

My headlights are too new inside to be originals. I think they are repop. The headlight bar is on correct but I think it is bent backwards toward the radiator. I am going to try the washer technique and later try to bend the bar. Thanks for the info. John

[1931 flamingo]

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Have you tried loosening and adj the h/light bar to fender/brace??
Paul in CT

[29spcoupe]

I didn't know it could be moved. How much play is there in the bolts?

[ericr]

Originally Posted by 29spcoupe

I didn't know it could be moved. How much play is there in the bolts?

-unfortunately, at least in my experience, there is very little play within that front fender/headlight bar/fender bracket assembly. I doubt you could get much play there unless you loosened the fender bracket at the frame horn.

[Tom Wesenberg]

As Ericr said, it's tight at the mount. The first time I removed my headlight bar to change the motor, it took some penetrating oil and light taps with the hammer to get it apart. I greased the bolts and now it comes apart with ease.

I just measure the air gap between the bar and radiator shell on my all original parts and undamaged 1928, and it's 15/16"

[JohnLaVoy]

You are missing a piece on the headlight that holds the mounting bolt.

[29spcoupe]

I don't see the piece you are talking about. On Tom's light I see a thick piece of metal that is sitting inside the socket. Is this what you mean? I tried putting dished washers in the socket, but they don't change the angle of the socket, so the result is the same.
Regards, John

[Will N]

The base of the headlight that fits into the socket on the light bar should be semi-ball shaped. There is a slot in it so that the mounting stud can slide from front to back. So you end up with a ball and socket joint that allows the headlight to pivot and then be locked down in place. I can' t tell from your picture if you have this ball, but even if you do, it appears your ball is sitting much deeper in the socket than what I have on my car.

[Tom Wesenberg]

The heavy slotted plate for the mounting bolt has to be there, or the 6 rivets wouldn't be holding anything and the headlamp would fall off the bar. I still think the bar needs to be pulled forward.

What's the air gap from the bar to the radiator shell?

[29spcoupe]

Tom, there is 1 1/8 " between the radiator and the light bar. I think the problem is the repro headlights. The 'ball' part of the ball and socket does not appear to be as large as the originals. I tried putting dished washers in the socket, but that does not change the angle of the socket. I instead cut a dished washer in half and placed it in the back of the socket. I am now able to aim the headlights. Not perfect, but it works.
Regards, John

[Will N]

29spcoupe, nice ingenuity to fix the problem. I bet it's completely invisible too. All those "old farmers" out there would be proud of you.

[PeteCruz2715]

I've messed with a lot of headlamps and I think you may want to look at the swivel bolt that connects to the headlight bar. The round "globe" of the bolt seems to be too small or the well in the headlight bar is too big. I would guess that either the bolt or the headlight bar are repop parts that don't work. I can't imagine what sort of "wear" would have to take place to have "widened" the well for the bolt. The other issue may be the "base" piece that the swivel bolt attaches to. I'd get some "donor" headlights and pull the parts you need from them to avoid any aftermarket issues. The swivel bolts were the same from '28 through '31 so the headlight bar "well" must also be the same (note that I am not saying the headlight bars themselves were the same just the "well")

[PeteCruz2715]

Oops didn't see the post from 1930 Coupe. Yep this is exactly where I'd look to solve the problem.