Headlight brightness

[docarter]

Colorado states "sufficient to light a person or car @ 350 ft." That's roughly the length of a football field and end zones. Seems pretty reasonable.

Also, as I stated FMVSS are a part of title 49. Which is not applicable to non CMVs.

Absolutely agree with you regarding power and beam alignment.


Your understanding of the law is severely flawed.

I've never seen such arrogance of ignorance.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Here's a good primer on the area of constitutional law:


Again, CFR 390.5 is a definitions section for that subchapter only That is Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter III, Subchapter B, Part 390. (See here).

The rule I linked to earlier is part of Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter V, Part 571. It has it's own separate definitions and authority sections which is quite different. See: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-523 and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-501.


Otherwise, can you show me how the "Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations" controls the " Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards?"

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[D Fresh]

Here's a good primer on the area of constitutional law:


Again, CFR 390.5 is a definitions section for that subchapter only That is Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter III, Subchapter B, Part 390. (See here).

The rule I linked to earlier is part of Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter V, Part 571. It has it's own separate definitions and authority sections which is quite different. See: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-523 and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-501.


Otherwise, can you show me how the "Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations" controls the " Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards?"

The entirety of title 49 applies only to CMVs.

Your truck is not a CMV.

I can explain it again for you but I cannot understand it for you.

Your ignorance on the subject is only exceeded by your willingness to share it.



Enjoy your day.

 

[docarter]

The entirety of title 49 applies only to CMVs.

Your truck is not a CMV.

I can explain it again for you but I cannot understand it for you.

Your ignorance on the subject is only exceeded by your willingness to share it.



Enjoy your day.

Sorry for not taking your blanket assertions of opinion as fact. Do you have some proof of this, or an opinion by a court? Do you understand the difference between the two parts of Title 49? I laid it out earlier.

 

[D Fresh]

Sorry for not taking your blanket assertions of opinion as fact. Do you have some proof of this, or an opinion by a court? Do you understand the difference between the two parts of Title 49? I laid it out earlier.

The proof is all in title 49.

It's easily researched if you would take the time to do so.

I do not know what you are meaning by the "two parts of title 49." Title 49 has 5 subtitles, not 2. All of them relate to CMVs only.

 

[docarter]

The proof is all in title 49.

It's easily researched if you would take the time to do so.

I do not know what you are meaning by the "two parts of title 49." Title 49 has 5 subtitles, not 2. All of them relate to CMVs only.

Go ahead. Like you said, I must not be too clever with this stuff.

Show me.

 

[Big Blue]

The proof is all in title 49.

It's easily researched if you would take the time to do so.

I do not know what you are meaning by the "two parts of title 49." Title 49 has 5 subtitles, not 2. All of them relate to CMVs only.

You might want to look up a copy of CFR Title 49 yourself. It has 2 subtitles. The first defines the office of the Secretary of Transportation. And the second is "Other Regulations Pretaining to Transportion". There are 12 chapters under that applying to various aspects of transportation. One is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Which applies to all motor vehicles not just CMVs.

 

[D Fresh]

Go ahead. Like you said, I must not be too clever with this stuff.

Show me.

Refresh my memory. What would you like me to show you again?

While I can admit my mistake in assuming the entirety of 49 is CMV only. The section you're referring to, Subtitle B, regarding the NHTSA doesn't mention aiming at all. Care to quote and cite something from title 49 571.108 referring to aiming? There's 1200 pages of it below.

You can't simply cherrypick from different parts of the law to make your own frankenlaws.

The quote you started your argument with was not clear about it's orgins.

I can find it's text in Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-218 though. You conveniently skipped the part right above it.

https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-42-vehicles-and-traffic/co-rev-st-sect-42-4-218.html

(1) Head lamps arranged to provide a single distribution of light not supplemented by auxiliary driving lamps shall be permitted on motor vehicles manufactured and sold prior to July 15, 1936, in lieu of multiple-beam road-lighting equipment specified in section 42-4-216 if the single distribution of light complies with the following requirements and limitations:

My truck is not that old and has multibeam lighting.

The pertinent code for our trucks in my state would be CRS 42-4-216.

https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-42-vehicles-and-traffic/co-rev-st-sect-42-4-216.html


Laws are tricky. You can't just make shit up as you go along.

You might want to look up a copy of CFR Title 49 yourself. It has 2 subtitles. The first defines the office of the Secretary of Transportation. And the second is "Other Regulations Pretaining to Transportion". There are 12 chapters under that applying to various aspects of transportation. One is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Which applies to all motor vehicles not just CMVs.

Thankyou for you pointing out that "Subtitle B" is what @docarter was referring to. The CFR is very complex and precise "GPS coordinates" are necessary to be on the same page. I failed to pick up on where he was at with that one previous link.

This section does indeed cover the NHTSA and non CMV vehicles. I was incorrect in that assertion. However, the only number relevant to our conversation I can find is a headlight mounting position of 22"-54" for both lowbeam and high beam, page 475 below, it says nothing that I can find about alignment after scanning 1200 pages.

Maybe you can find it. Here's the sections on the NHTSA, volume 6. It's mostly testing requirements.

The alignment bits quoted earlier are, however, I believe, only applicable to single beam headlight vehicles made before the 1930s in Colorado. As I cannot find them in any part of Title 49.

And yes, I think you were right. I was reading CRS 42-4-216 wrong earlier. 350ft for highbeams, and 100ft for lowbeams. Observing on my drive into work last night and re-reading it, I agree with you.

Edit: The 1200 page Volume of Title 49 was too large to post. Googling "title 49 volume 6 pdf" will find it though.

 

[BassRanger]

Lulz this went way longer than I thought it would.

I believe it's been stated, but ultimately headlight low beam aiming is about angles. Because it's very difficult to put protractor or angle finder on a beam of light, we use length and height measurements and very basic trigonometry to set the correct angles.

At the absolute highest low beams should be parallel to a level horizon. Low beams should NEVER be angled upward. Nearly every source I've read states they should be on a slight downward angle.

The issue with using arbitrary measurements is that it does not take the height of the source of light into account. My Mustang low beams are centered about 24" off the ground. If I aim my headlights at 42" at any distance they will be at an upward angle. Using simple right triangle logic, this means as distance(b) away from my source of light increases so does the height(a). This makes it very likely that the cutoff of your low beams will be well above oncoming traffics line of sight.

TL/DR
A stupid simple way to aim your headlights, is grab whatever tool you need to adjust them. Go for a ride at night and lower them until people stop flashing. Then lower them a tad more for good measure and boom you're done. Not scientific, but it works.

 

[VAMike]

People still flash? I've just given up on the legions of assholes with overly bright/misaimed headlights.

 

[1pt21gw]

I just raise the front or the back via suspension changes til I get the headlights right. Much more fun than a little screwdriver to adjust,

 

[Jason B]

I just raise the front or the back via suspension changes til I get the headlights right. Much more fun than a little screwdriver to adjust,

Install air bags and you can have headlight adjustment on the fly.

 

[halligan1201]

A decent visual guide of how things should look if decently aimed (from headlight revolution). Notice how much reflection is showing on the road signs in the image of the bad aim job.

https://blog.headlightrevolution.com/how-to-aim-and-align-your-headlights

 

[dinosplace]

I keep having people flash their high beams at me thinking I have my high beams on when I don't. My truck is sitting perfectly level with my camper mounted. Does anyone else have this problem? Can the headlights be adjusted so they point more downward?

i had the same issue. People hi-beaming me. The dealer said the driver side was out of alignment. 50% of head light alignments out of the factory are misaligned according to a documentary I saw on TV. This issue is with most car manufacturers, not just Ford .

 

[seanellaz]

I keep having people flash their high beams at me thinking I have my high beams on when I don't. My truck is sitting perfectly level with my camper mounted. Does anyone else have this problem? Can the headlights be adjusted so they point more downward?

Lights were factory aimed with the built in rake / downslope of the truck. Camper probly settles the rear a bit, pointing them up. I did a 3" BDS Lift n level and get the same thing you do. I will figure out how to re-aim the lights in good time.

 

[D Fresh]

Lights were factory aimed with the built in rake / downslope of the truck. Camper probly settles the rear a bit, pointing them up. I did a 3" BDS Lift n level and get the same thing you do. I will figure out how to re-aim the lights in good time.

I've posted the procedure to adjust multiple times in this thread.

It's very simple.

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