Headlight aiming

29spcoupe

29spcoupe

Well-known member
I just bought a 29 special coupe. While trying to aim the headlights, I noticed that the latch for the rim of the headlight hits the socket on the headlight bar and prevents the light from moving. The light body is aimed slightly upward preventing the light from being aimed at the road. Can anyone explain what is wrong?
 
Is your headlight bar on backwards? The sockets that the lights bolt into should lean to the front a little.
 
I can't post a picture because my camera battery is being recharged. The socket on the headlight bar does tilt downward towards the front. The screw for the latch is hitting the front of the socket preventing the light body from turning downward.
 
Here are pictures of my problem. The headlights are aimed upward and the latch screw is against the headlight bar.
 
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H/L bar appers right way but think there is the lower cup on the healight missing as its sitting too low in the h/l bar . Fault looks to be in the headlamp ?
 
Look for the square cast for the horn mount. It's only on the bottom side of the left headlamp mount. This will tell you if the bar is on backwards.
 
I'm going to take a picture of my left headlamp and post it. Something doesn't look right with your picture. Do you have the 1930-1 headlamp rims? Or would they even fit the 1929 Headlamp?

I think I can see the horn mounting pad in your picture, so I don't think the bar is backwards, but it's a bit hard to see. It would be real easy for you to check the mount for the right headlamp. It should be just a smooth rounded pocket with no flat horn mounting pad.
 
OK, here's a picture of my late 28 headlamp/horn mounting. Notice the clip has a good 1/8" clearance.
 

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Look at the angle of the top of the headlamp mounting cup on my bar and on your bar. Also look at the space between my bar and radiator shell, and compare it to your's. I think your bar may have been bent rearward.
 
Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank
 
emf said:
Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank
Click to expand...

I was thinking a large pipe wrench on the forged bar could be used to pull the bar forward and back into position.

I also thought the rims looked wide, and that's why I asked if they could be 30-1 rims, but I don't know if the later rims would even fit on a 29 bucket. My next thought was a poorly made repro part, but a picture from the front might help.:confused:
 
emf said:
Tom, look how deep John's headlight fits into the socket compared to yours. Perhaps the idea of shims that was posted above is the answer. If no shims are available, what about the idea to remove the headlights and put bars in the sockets as levers and twist the bar forwards? Would it kink the tubing??

Frank
Click to expand...
Maybe a heavy flat washer, hammered:eek: into a cup shape, could be used for a spacer???
Bill W.
 
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