Jeep JK Headlight Adjustment: How to Do it Properly?
The Jeep JK is a superb vehicle for adventurous and risk-loving people. You’ll have a thrilling experience while driving it. However, the headlights have to pay the price during this thrill. The JK’s headlight might get misaligned or misplaced. Want to know about Jeep JK headlight adjustment?
First, you must park your JK 20 feet away, facing a wall. Then, use sticky tapes to mark 3 feet high on the wall when the headlights are ON. Next, use a screwdriver to adjust the beam screw before you change the jeep headlights.
If you’re fixing it yourself, you’ll need tools like a torque screwdriver, long tape, and sticky tape. However, it’s always best to ask a mechanic to align the headlight of your Jeep JK.
Why You Should Adjust Your Jeep JK’s Headlight
There are various reasons behind adjusting your jeep JK’s headlight. Some of these factors are so crucial that not obeying them might result in serious accidents.
Here’s a quick view of the importance of adjusting Jeep JK’s headlight.
Night Driving
It’ll be a headache to drive your JK with unadjusted headlights at night. You won’t have a clear vision of what is on the road. As a result, you may face accidents while traveling at night.
Blurry Headlights
One of the prime reasons for blurry headlights is keeping too much weight in the vehicle’s trunk. Consequently, these weights lower the jeep’s rear, and the front stays tilted, causing unclear vision.
Damaged Shocks
Defective shocks are another prime reason behind adjusting the headlights. The front of the JK stays lifted if the front shocks are poorly damaged.
As a result, it covers the headlights. Installing new shocks than adjusting the headlights solves the problem faster.
Car Crash
If your JK crashed face to face with another vehicle, there’s a high possibility that the headlights will come out of their place. So, you must adjust the headlights ASAP.
Imbalanced Tire Pressure
An imbalance of tire pressure can also cause maladjustment of headlights. While driving on a rough surface, the ride can get bumpy. Consequently, a bumpy ride imbalances the headlights and causes blurry light issues while driving.
Step Wise Guide To Adjust Jeep JK’s Headlight
Many methods are available on the internet for adjusting Jeep JK’s headlights. So, it’s not surprising that drivers are confused about choosing the right one. Therefore, we’ve discussed the best adjustment methods for JK’s headlights.
Before adjusting the headlights, you must collect tools and do critical tasks.
Tools Required
- Measuring tape
- Sticky tape
- Blanket
- Screwdriver
Compulsory Works
- Balance the tire pressure in all four tires. Before balancing the pressure, inspect if the tires have leakages or not.
- Empty the Jeep JK’s back. Take out the baggage from the back of the vehicle and remove the jeep’s spare tire.
- Clean the tires properly to balance the Jeep JK’s height.
Rember, the tool collection and the essential jobs must be done correctly. Now, let’s learn more about the JK headlight adjusting methods elaborately.
The 3 Feet Phenomena
Most jeeps have soft springs. So, when you put any weight on the jeep, the jeep’s height changes significantly. Therefore, you must adjust the headlights if you’re using a heavy front bumper.
Step 01: Jeep Parking
Jeep parking covers many steps. We’ve divided them into small steps for you to understand easily.
- Park your Jeep JK facing a wall.
- Then calculate a 20 feet distance and label it.
- Now, take the JK to the marked spot and park it facing the wall again.
- Remember, the headlights should be 20 feet away from the wall.
- Select a flat parking surface to put the tires on the same height.
Step 02: Label 3 Feet
Use the sticky tape to mark 3 feet on the wall from the driver’s side. Next, follow the same procedure from the passenger’s side.
Then, connect these two spots using the long tape. The long tape line indicates the 3 feet’ height from the ground.
Step 03: Headlight Adjusting
Well, you’re halfway done. Now that you’ve parked your JK 20 feet away from the wall and faced the wall follow these crucial steps to adjust the headlights.
- Use a torque screwdriver to adjust the corner headlight screws. Turn the screwdriver clockwise to loosen up the headlight and turn it counterclockwise to tighten them up.
- The screws are placed outside of the headlight in the Jeep JK model. Fix up the screws with the screwdriver.
Step 04: Alignment
Now that you’ve adjusted the lights, you must fix the JK’s beam. Follow the joined 3 feet tape line mark to adjust the beam. Voila! You’ve adjusted the headlights of your JK.
The Alternate Method
It’s the same method as the previous one, but some steps differ. Here are the steps you must follow to adjust your jeep JK’s headlight.
Step 01: Calculate Headlight Heights
Park your Jeep JK 20 feet away from the wall the same way following the first method.
Now, calculate the height to the center of the headlights from the surface. Then, decrease the length by 2″ and mark the measurement on the wall with sticky tape.
Step 02: Adjust The Headlights
Use the torque screwdriver to adjust the headlight’s screw following the previous strategy.
Step 03: Align The Beam
Again, use the screwdriver to balance the beam. Balance the shaft to the decreased 2″ length marked on the wall. (voiceoverherald.com) Apply enough force if you fail to align the beam correctly.
Step 04: Inspect
Check out the headlight’s light after you’ve completed the procedure successfully. Contact an experienced mechanic if you fail to adjust the beam correctly.
Cost Of Adjusting Jeep JK Headlight
It won’t cost a penny if you can adjust the headlights yourself. However, you might lose some screws while fixing it. Then, it becomes a pain to find the screws and modify them.
If you’re considering appointing a mechanic to adjust the JK’s headlight, he’ll charge you $35 to $44 on an average day. The adjusting screws will cost you $3.59 each. Sticky tapes for marking won’t cost you more than a dollar.
On the other hand, a long tape might cost you around $3.9 to $7.9, depending on its quality and warranty. So, the total sum stands between 40 to 55 bucks.
What will you do if you’ve damaged the headlights while adjusting them? In this case, you must replace the damaged headlights with new ones. You can buy new headlights for $65 to $100 if you’re on a tight budget. But if you want high-end JK headlights, you must pay up to $800.
Conclusion
Adjusting the headlight isn’t as challenging as interchange jeep wheels in your JK, CJ or TJ. But trying to fix them without any experience increases the problem’s complexity. However, it’ll be child’s play if you’re a veteran driver with headlight adjusting experience.
We hope the Jeep JK headlight adjustment analysis has provided accurate instructions to fix the headlight adjustment problem. It’s up to you which method you want to follow. Go for the second process if you’re in a hurry.
Research the part’s market price before buying them from the local market. Contact an expert mechanic if the jeep’s front bumper severely damages the JK’s headlights.
