Many times in the last few months, I’ve come really close to flashing my high beams at someone and stopped short. Why? Because it seemed like for awhile there, I would do that and get flashed back with even brighter lights.

I agree. It’s gone a bit too far, and this is coming from someone who prefers bright headlights. I’ve just never upgraded to the flamethrowers some of these people are driving around with.

Has anyone even tried to get headlights adjusted recently. I don't think any shops even have the equipment to check them any more.

flashguy

quote:

Has anyone even tried to get headlights adjusted recently.

I haven't seen any kind of adjustment on aerodynamic headlights on cars made in the last ~20 years. When they first came out in the 1980s they did, some even having little spirit levels. But now they are just bolted solidly to the car body.

I remember on State Inspection, they would check your headlight alignment but that was probably 20 years ago.

I had a pair of Lucas Flame Throwers on a 66 Corvette but there was few stretches of road you could use them.

my ford f150 comes stock with bright head lights I get flashed all the time people thinking I have my brights on, when I flash them back they get the idea. not much I can do about it.

With the newer white bulbs and LED's, lights do look a lot brighter. This all started a decade back tho, with the more tightly controlled prism headlights keeping the available light from a standard bulb concentrated on the road. And they are a lot brighter coming over a crest or hill - which is when all the complaining started.

I did an upgrade on a 90 Cherokee and had few issues, it made them as bright as most new cars. I have run across another problem tho. Certain drivers, usually older, just run with the brights on full time, irregardless of anybody. You catch them out when they won't flash back. They ran them on high all the time because their older eyes simply don't process light as well. Aging eventually leads to partial night blindness. We have friends who won't drive at night at all now.

Now I have escalated again, a side affect of getting a new vehicle. I got a 05 F150 and mine rides higher than all the econoboxes. Headlights from other trucks are the issue - but not as much. The worst are the huge LED bars on grilles which are illegal on the road, and most younger users are aware of it. And there is another issue - trucks are just getting taller every year. A coworker had an 85 stepside 1/2 Chevy, it was nearly the same height as a Honda. My 05 was taller than another F150 of the same year and they had a V8. We concluded mine was a utility spec high ride height truck, 2" more from the factory. And that is what is really causing all the problems - trucks and cars are running a lot taller now, which will put the lights up more than 18" over an 80's truck.

If you can't beat em join em.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
Has anyone even tried to get headlights adjusted recently. I don't think any shops even have the equipment to check them any more.

flashguy

Equipment? All you need is a garage wall, a tape measure, and a Phillips screwdriver. Park X feet from the wall and turn on the lights. Measure how high they are and adjust as needed.

It ain't rocket surgery.

I'm normally one who eschews all the fancy new electronic tech as it's just one more thing that can (and will) go wrong. A lot of it is unnecessary as well IMO as the old tech worked just fine. However, I'm a proponent of having a sensor placed on every vehicle that detects oncoming vehicles and automatically dims the headlights.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Park X feet from the wall.

My tape measure doesn't have Roman numerals.

https://www.nbcnews.com/busine...can-bright-rcna21042

You may be on to something, fresh recall due to headlights being to bright.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Park X feet from the wall.

My tape measure doesn't have Roman numerals.

quote:

Originally posted by XLT:
my ford f150 comes stock with bright head lights I get flashed all the time people thinking I have my brights on, when I flash them back they get the idea. not much I can do about it.

New Ford truck headlights are probably the worst OEM lights right now. They are absolutely blinding for everyone else on the road right off the showroom floor. I see GM had to recall a lot of vehicles to fix their headlights; hopefully Ford and some other manufacturers will have to as well.

My Tundra comes standard with a dial to adjust the headlights from within the cab.

"I am a small government guy and a federalist until my ox is gored."

Write your state congressman. Not the feds. I also suspect these may not comply with regs already out there. More regs may not help at all.