2001 F150 Headlight Adjustment - help!

I recently got a Ford 2001 F150. Excellent condition. No body work at all, no modifications of any kind. What I found on my first night ride was I could hardly see the road being that the headlamps were aimed so low. It was dangerous to drive the truck!

I was told how to adjust the headlamps by backing out on the top adjusting screw on each lamp. Well, I have the screw out as far as it will go. The lamps are OK now, not too low, not blinding anyone. But the alignment of the headlamp in the front grill is quite a bit out of line. It's is obvious to the eye that the headlamps are pulled back on the top, and there is an uneven verticle space between the headlamp and the parking lights next to them.

Is there something here I'm not doing right? I know the lamps should be done professionally, but the professionals at the dealer told me the lamps are not adjustable! So much for the dealer who obviously won't spend the time.

Anyway, any ideas on improving the alignment between the headlamps and the body of the truck would be appreciated. Or is this just the way they will look? When the lamps were aimed out 15 feet from the front of the truck, they aligned with the body of the truck perfectly. But there was no way the truck could be driven like that. Even the high beams were bearly enough to see the road.

Reply to
EFK
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Is the truck excessively high in the rear by chance?

Reply to
Steve Barker

Actually, not bad. Rear is about 8 inches higher than the front end by aligning the bottom of the body with the road. I don't carry any weight in the rear.

I spent the last hour, now that it's dark out, finding a happy medium between view of the road and alignment of the lamps with the body of the truck.

I found that pulling them all the way back as far as they could go (raising the beams), then adjusting them forward between test drives on a level road, I was able to get a decent view of the road and now the lamps are not that far off alignment with the body. Beats me. Lamp mountings are tight. They line up better with the body and parking lights now.

I guess when you screw with something enough, you either break it or fix the problem. I just don't know what fixed it.

Thanks

Reply to
EFK

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