99/00 Escalade/Denali headlight installation/alignment

[95escahoe]

Hello, I have a 95 Tahoe with the 99/00 Escalade/Denali conversion im going to be replacing grille surround installing a new one and a billet grille and at the same time going to replace the headlights (99-00 escalade) there are two bolts that hold the lights in if you take those out u can pop the headlights out to change the bulbs, don't really see a way to align the lights if you have too, from the diagram I have looks like you unbolt the lights from the front and pop the new ones in and your good to go, so do these lights need to be aligned or not? cause when I had my Mustang you had to do the whole back up like 25 feet from a wall and align them

 

[SunlitComet]

Should be if you don't see the them outright look for two holes in body abouve headlamps. the rod should take a socket or screwdriver and probably has threads the length of shaft. They will look like rods and not have a flat head on it like a bolt but can accept a tool. Not sure thou if it has two vertical rod or one vertical and one horizontal but I think I see one of them I believe between the two release bolts slightly in front and tor the center of vehicle slightly more then the inner fixture release bolt.

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

BTW I think that hole is on a triangle shaped angle of body metal.

 

[Devs93]

those are the adjusters and yes you can take em out that way but while the grille is off I would just pull the brack these lights are a pita to adjust and they strip out easy I cant get mine perfectly alligned but it just gives me another reason to get new headlights cause I dont like the way mine look If you wanna use the adjusters to pull it though I think it was a 10 mm socket

 

[95escahoe]

Should be if you don't see the them outright look for two holes in body abouve headlamps. the rod should take a socket or screwdriver and probably has threads the length of shaft. They will look like rods and not have a flat head on it like a bolt but can accept a tool. Not sure thou if it has two vertical rod or one vertical and one horizontal but I think I see one of them I believe between the two release bolts slightly in front and tor the center of vehicle slightly more then the inner fixture release bolt.

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

BTW I think that hole is on a triangle shaped angle of body metal.

thanks for the help, I found this http://www.ehow.com/how_4454200_adjust-headlights-cadillac-escalade.html its pretty helpful, only thing is when I did my Mustang there was a certain amount of feet you measured up when you were the 25ft back to align the lights on that line or as close to it as you could what would you go with?

---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

those are the adjusters and yes you can take em out that way but while the grille is off I would just pull the brack these lights are a pita to adjust and they strip out easy I cant get mine perfectly alligned but it just gives me another reason to get new headlights cause I dont like the way mine look If you wanna use the adjusters to pull it though I think it was a 10 mm socket

your talking about just taking the screws out while the grille is off and installing the new ones that way correct? and right now mine are adjusted pretty damn good but they get a lil condensation in them and don't match the black signal lights I got off ebay so they gotta go

 

[SunlitComet]

Did you need the that wall chart setup instruction set for light alignment? Or is what you got good enough.

 

[Devs93]

thanks for the help, I found this http://www.ehow.com/how_4454200_adjust-headlights-cadillac-escalade.html its pretty helpful, only thing is when I did my Mustang there was a certain amount of feet you measured up when you were the 25ft back to align the lights on that line or as close to it as you could what would you go with?

---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------



your talking about just taking the screws out while the grille is off and installing the new ones that way correct? and right now mine are adjusted pretty damn good but they get a lil condensation in them and don't match the black signal lights I got off ebay so they gotta go

Yea I think 4 across the top the then pop off the coners and there is a screw behind ech of those then the grille sheel should pull off then it should be 12mm bolts for the headlight brackets.

 

[95escahoe]

Did you need the that wall chart setup instruction set for light alignment? Or is what you got good enough.

ya do you have that at all?

---------- Post added at 10:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------

Yea I think 4 across the top the then pop off the coners and there is a screw behind ech of those then the grille sheel should pull off then it should be 12mm bolts for the headlight brackets.

thanks for the info

 

[SunlitComet]

Visual Aiming Procedure

• All equipment for testing headlamps must comply with the SAE Recommended Practice for Headlamp Inspection Equipment.
• If you use a headlamp testing machine, the machine should give results equivalent to the results obtained using the screen procedure.
• The machine should be in good condition and be properly adjusted. Use the machine in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Machines that use a photoelectric cell or cells to determine aim, should also include a visual screen on which you can project a beam pattern proportional to the beam appearance, and aim on a screen at 7.62 m (25 ft) .
• The screen should be plainly visible to the technician who is adjusting the headlamps.
• The screen should have horizontal and vertical reference lines in order to permit visual evaluation of the headlamp beam.

---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 PM ----------

Or:



Headlamp Aiming Procedure

1. Park the vehicle square with the screen, with the headlamps directly over this reference line.
2. Ensure that the components are in place if other work has been done on the vehicle.
3. Ensure that the vehicle is on a level surface.
4. Stop all other work on the vehicle.
5. Ensure that the vehicle has halt a tank, or less, of fuel.
6. Close all of the doors.
7. Rock the vehicle sideways.
8. Line up the centerline of the vehicle with the centerline of the aiming screen.

• • Mark the vertical center of the rear and front windows using tape.
  • Use these lines as sights in order to line up the centerline of the vehicle and the screen.

1. Adjust the vertical tapes on the screen in order to match the vertical centerline of each low beam headlamp. Measure the distance from the centerline of the low beam lamp.
2. Adjust the horizontal tapes on the screen in order to match the horizontal centerline of each low beam headlamp. Measure the height from the floor to the center of the low beam.
3. Turn on the low beam headlamps.
4. Observe the left and the top edges of the high intensity zone on the screen.
5. Adjust the headlamps to the following specifications:

• • The top edge of the center of intensity on the screen for the low beam should be less than 101.6 mm (4 in) above or below the cross section of the headlamp centerlines.
  • The left edge of the center of intensity on the screen for the low beam should be less than 101.6 mm (4 in) to the left or right of the cross section of the headlamp centerlines.

 

[Devs93]

Holly crap that chart gets down and dirty on the details pretty fin sweet

 

[95escahoe]

Holly crap that chart gets down and dirty on the details pretty fin sweet

lol ya it does

---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 PM ----------

Visual Aiming Procedure

• All equipment for testing headlamps must comply with the SAE Recommended Practice for Headlamp Inspection Equipment.
• If you use a headlamp testing machine, the machine should give results equivalent to the results obtained using the screen procedure.
• The machine should be in good condition and be properly adjusted. Use the machine in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Machines that use a photoelectric cell or cells to determine aim, should also include a visual screen on which you can project a beam pattern proportional to the beam appearance, and aim on a screen at 7.62 m (25 ft) .
• The screen should be plainly visible to the technician who is adjusting the headlamps.
• The screen should have horizontal and vertical reference lines in order to permit visual evaluation of the headlamp beam.

---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 PM ----------

Or:



Headlamp Aiming Procedure

1. Park the vehicle square with the screen, with the headlamps directly over this reference line.
2. Ensure that the components are in place if other work has been done on the vehicle.
3. Ensure that the vehicle is on a level surface.
4. Stop all other work on the vehicle.
5. Ensure that the vehicle has halt a tank, or less, of fuel.
6. Close all of the doors.
7. Rock the vehicle sideways.
8. Line up the centerline of the vehicle with the centerline of the aiming screen.

• • Mark the vertical center of the rear and front windows using tape.
  • Use these lines as sights in order to line up the centerline of the vehicle and the screen.

1. Adjust the vertical tapes on the screen in order to match the vertical centerline of each low beam headlamp. Measure the distance from the centerline of the low beam lamp.
2. Adjust the horizontal tapes on the screen in order to match the horizontal centerline of each low beam headlamp. Measure the height from the floor to the center of the low beam.
3. Turn on the low beam headlamps.
4. Observe the left and the top edges of the high intensity zone on the screen.
5. Adjust the headlamps to the following specifications:

• • The top edge of the center of intensity on the screen for the low beam should be less than 101.6 mm (4 in) above or below the cross section of the headlamp centerlines.
  • The left edge of the center of intensity on the screen for the low beam should be less than 101.6 mm (4 in) to the left or right of the cross section of the headlamp centerlines.

thanks for the info