Aiming A-pillar lights

[Sig Fanboy]

So does anyone have suggestions on aiming a-pillar lights?
I put mine on a couple of weeks ago and just kinda aimed them using my garage door as a back drop. Went into town early this morning and since I live in the boonies I turned them on to help my look out for the deer. I found the glare off the hood to be rather distracting. I guess I’ll try tilting them up some what to lessen the glare. Mine are a white light, would the yellow ones be better? Mine are just somewhat cheap Rough Country’s that have a 45degree angle lens on each side to throw the light more to the side, but are on SDHQ mounts. I think the BD yellow one look cool, but pretty salty for what is basically an ornamental decoration.I have a Rigid yellow light bar coming for my ADD bumper, not really liking the Rigid cubes I have currently, but will move two of those to the back as I seriously need better reverse light.

 

[smurfslayer]

I found the glare off the hood to be rather distracting.

would the yellow ones be better?
Hold that thought

Mine are just somewhat cheap Rough Country’s that have a 45degree angle lens on each side to throw the light more to the side, but are on SDHQ mounts.

It sounds like the lens chosen isn’t focused enough for this use case. You want a spot type lens for pillars to avoid this. as an example, @4x4TruckLEDs.com sells the Baja Designs XL80s with spot lenses and they’re insanely good for this purpose.

Mine can light up the earth and features beyond my ability to distinguish details. I have a .6 mile straight close to home, and that’s where I test the aiming; I can count the trees visible out to that distance, any critters in the path, etc. Garage door should be doable with a tape measure and some Kentucky reckoning. At close distance you can use the right headlight as a reference point.

Measure the center of the passenger headlight beam first. Mark with painters tape.
Measure the distance between the center of the headlight elements.
Measure the distance between the 2 pillar lights, center to center.
Note the offset of the 4 lights ; width of a pillar lights - width of headlights / 2
Note the height difference of passenger headlight to passenger A pillar light.

With lights on- you may want to wear sunglasses for this exercise...
Aim the passenger side a pillar so the center of the dot is the height of your A pillar light center. Confirm this by measuring distance to the passenger headlight center of beam.

Measure from passenger a pillar dot on the wall/door to the driver’s side, then establish the height and mark with painters tape.

Aim the driver’s side pillar light using the dot as a reference.

Driver’s side headlights are aimed slightly inboard so depending on your distance to the garage door you may see a slight variation using it as a reference. I’ve used this method to success and I vary it for different uses. My bumper pod lights I have aimed a bit lower for use in low visibility.

Let’s return to the lens selection. I don’t know which model light you’re using, and the lights would probably be better suited to bumper height mount. A Pillar lights should be spot type lights/lenses. Opinions may vary on this but I want white light on the distance lights.

Good luck!

 

[downforce137]

changing to the spot pattern lenses seem to help with this, but its also the nature of the beast when having lights higher than the hood..

mine are aimed straight and level down the road to an intersecting point. the garage door method is more for getting the cut off level on headlights, doesnt really work on a round beam pattern.

 

[Sig Fanboy]

Ok, may move the RCs to the back given they throw light to the side, nothing good happens in reverse. I have a RC steel bumper with two built in cubes on the back of my Superduty, it’s nice.
Guess I’ll pony up for some XL 80s for the A-pillar after I get my Rigid light bar mounted. “ Buy once” I guess they say. The salesman at the local Trick Trucks talked me into the RC’s.

 

[Nex]

I have XL80s on my a-pillar with combo lens in yellow. Still have wash on the hood. Ordered some new clear spot lens to replace them with.

 

[Sig Fanboy]

I have XL80s on my a-pillar with combo lens in yellow. Still have wash on the hood. Ordered some new clear spot lens to replace them with.

Yeah, I’ve lusted over your light combo

 

[Nex]

Yeah, I’ve lusted over your light combo