Once upon a time long long ago,
when you got your rego inspection, they checked your headlight focus (alignment).
Lined a machine up with one headlight, wheeled it back a few feet (1 meter for you yougans) and checked where the headlight was focused to.
Then did the same with the other one.
I drove my Mini tonight and the headlights are focussed almost on the front bumper bar
I could adjust them so they are better but ?
Does anyone know what the "old" method is with a ruler and tape.
I'd ask my Dad but he's long gone

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Usual method was to park the car on level ground facing a wall. Measure from ground to headlamp centre, mark the wall at this height.
Put lights on high beam, the beam centre on the wall should align with the mark.
When dipped, the beam should throw lower and to the left.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks Kev
This would mean that on high beam the light from them would be parallel to the road and not focussed down at all. Is this correct ?
Your method is correct except at 8M the headlight beam centre should be 50mm below the centre of the headlight, so it is angled down slightly.

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Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

I don't like to be different or contradict the experts but headlights are usually adjusted on LOW BEAM.

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I think it amazing that headlight aim is no longer usually (ever?) checked during a NSW pink slip inspection. God knows some cars have megawatts of candlepower pointing in all directions, usually UP.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Our aligner you check them on high beam. Even has a doover that checks brightness'

Seems the so called rego check (NSW) isn't what it used to be, they call it a safety check now. Lots of things don't matter anymore.

The lazy, inept (in a lot of cases), red taped strung, rule-based, PC authorities might be getting slacker and slacker but safety related things (like badly aligned headlights) really DO matter

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