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Aiming Your Headlamps
Proper aim puts light on the road while reducing glare for other drivers. Start with a level setup, measure carefully, and work on one headlamp at a time.
Understand your beam
For a headlamp operating in both modes, set aim on low beam. The added light above the cutoff in high-beam mode is not your low-beam aiming reference.
Beam illustrations show pattern shape, not a measured aiming target.
7-inch and 5.75-inch setups
7-inch headlights
Each Dapper Lighting 7-inch headlamp has both low and high beam built in.
5.75-inch four-headlight setups
Each Dapper Lighting 5.75-inch headlamp also has low and high beam built in. With standard wiring, the lamps connected to the vehicle’s high-beam-only positions operate only on high beam.
To run all four headlights on low beam and all four on high beam, use the Dapper Lighting H4 splitter harness.
Before you begin
You’ll need a vertical wall, a tape measure, masking tape, a level, and the correct tool for your headlight adjusters.
The surface under the vehicle and all the way to the wall must be flat and level. Choose an area with enough room to position the front of the headlamps 25 feet from the wall.
The vertical aiming steps below apply to VOR-marked headlamps. Follow any vehicle-specific aiming requirement, especially if the vehicle’s ride height or headlamp mounting height has changed.
1. Prepare the vehicle
Check tire pressures and set the vehicle at its normal driving height with its usual load. Let the suspension settle and make sure the headlamps are securely mounted.
2. Mark the wall with tape
Park close to the wall with the vehicle facing it squarely. Measure from the ground to the center of each headlamp.
Place a horizontal strip of masking tape on the wall with its top edge at the measured height. Use a level to keep the tape straight and level. Add a vertical tape mark directly ahead of each lamp so you can identify its position.
Back straight up until the front of the headlamps is 25 feet from the wall. Measure from the lamps, not the bumper.
3. Align the VOR low-beam cutoff
Turn on low beam and block the other lamp’s beam with a freestanding screen. Adjust up or down until the right-hand portion of the cutoff lines up with the top edge of that lamp’s center-height tape mark. Repeat for each lamp that operates on low beam.
The right-hand side means the right side of each beam as you face the wall. The basic VOR reference uses the lamp’s center height, with no two-inch drop.
4. Check the finished setup
Check low- and high-beam operation against your wiring setup. With the Dapper Lighting H4 splitter harness, confirm that all four lamps operate in both modes. For lamps operating in both modes, verify high beam without changing the correct low-beam adjustment.
If a headlamp is wired to operate only on high beam, contact Dapper Lighting for the aiming procedure for that setup. Do not use the high-beam hotspot as the VOR low-beam cutoff.
Need help with your setup?
For product-specific installation and wiring help, scan the QR code provided with your lamps or visit the Dapper Lighting Installation Guides page.
VOR aiming reference: FMVSS 108.