Ye olde eyes, headlight adjustment?

With daylight savings my commute, like many, is now in the dark. The last few nights while driving home I was contemplating the 24 years I have been staring at a computer and what that has done to my eyesight. Then I remembered I put a 3" lift on the truck and never adjusted the headlights.

Huh, I guess that's something I should do, eh? Might help ye olde eyes.

Thank you

 

Yup. With any significant weight or suspension change, you should check your headlights. Also, consider swapping the H11 low beams for H9 bulbs. It is a simple mod to cut down one of the tabs just a bit. Much better light.

 

Yeah Standard Time sucks with it getting dark so damn early, good luck with the headlight adjustment.

 

Thanks for the reply. Initially, I was thinking the stock headlights were not that great, but then I remembered I messed with the geometry of the entire truck! Ha!

 

So, looking here :
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aiming-3rd-gen-headlights.467447/page-2

I'm understanding the mechanism for the adjustment. I assume when you turn the cog with a screwdriver you can see the headlight move?

 

Yep. Phillips head will move it way easier than a wrench.

 

Thank you. Are there notches to count or just keep track of the 1/4 turns?

 

They engage the Philips head with the screwdriver oriented vertically.

For me, counting doesn't factor in. What I do is find the most level space that I can and adjust one of the headlights for the hot spot to just move slightly up the wall as I drive toward it and for the fog light hot spot to not move at all, then adjust the other side to match the cutoffs.

 

For me its the sharp cutoff line. My old eyes have trouble seeing beyond the highly illuminated foregound into the black abyss. I know the sharp cutoff does not blind oncoming traffic, but it sucks for me. Did the h9 upgrade, but it's the sharp cutoff that causes me the issues. I guess I need to accept that I'll never be able to see far enough ahead at night for my own comfort level.

 

I hear you, brother. At night in the rain? I should probably just pull over and call it.

 

Lol I get it! Amen brother.

 

If it's in your budget, the OEM LED headlights with the adapter harness is well worth it imo. I upgraded my 2019 this spring and am now really enjoying the increased light output. The difference is day and night... no pun intended.

 

Thanks, all. I agree, upgraded LEDs is an amazing addition. Not Tacoma related, but I added aftermarket off-road LEDs to my BMW GS this summer. And good lord! Those things are lasers! I'm hoping to fiddle with the lights tomorrow night. Again, thanks for all the replies.

 

Yeahhhh, I’d recommend it. I’m lifted 2.5” with LED’s and people didn’t appreciate being blinded, apparently.

So! Adjusted things, now I can see better and more importantly incoming traffic can see too.

 

Thanks, in truth, since I went up 3" I do notice folks giving me a flash every now and then when I'm on low beam. That should have been the indicator!

 

No different that the rest of the people who do the same and wonder why people flash their high beams at them all the time.