NEED HELP Is there a way to fix this broken Headlight Adjustment Screw?

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
Basically this is what I have to deal with right now on my driver side headlight off my 03 Envoy. (Pictures from another forum down below of the problem). Some how they neither vibrated loose and broke or broken off in some other odd way. I can still adjust the headlight by pushing the screw in and out which I already have done earlier.

Just want to know is there a way to permanently fix it? Pictures are from http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=85830
attachment.php

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Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
That happened to me while doing my last retrofit. I was able to fix it (it's only been about a month so far) but it would involve opening your headlight.

Basically, you need to remove the white plastic ball joint from the upper adjustment screw, that's attached to the reflector bowl. Then take the screw out of the headlight. Grab a hammer or a mallet, place the black gear backside down, set the tip of the screw in the opening, and give the other end of the screw a few light taps. It will re-seat in the gear quite firmly.

Then just reassemble, and you're good to go. :thumbsup:
 

Chickenhawk

Member
Dec 6, 2011
779
I have both break over the years. One I replaced with a new headlight housing. It's not really that bad an idea because one gets a brand new front lens and it was amazing to see the difference in clarity. I went to Rock Auto and got the premium headlamp assembly. When the other one broke off completely, I used a shaft collet to get the right adjustment spot and then some spot glue to fasten it down to prevent the bulb housing from bouncing up and down.
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw what you are saying is that just push the black gear back on to the metal shaft. The metal screw that the black gear is attach to... can it be turned all the way out far enough to get needle nose pliers to hold it and force black gear back on that way from the outside. If I have to open the headlight lens I might as well retrofit it.

Just wondering how did the metal shaft got disconnected from the black gear on the outside? Right now with that problem my headlight is actually level with my passenger side. The passenger side black gear is still attach to metal shaft so I am good there.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
If I have to open the headlight lens I might as well retrofit it.

I see the subliminal messages I have been posting, are starting to work!! :yes: :satan: :biggrin: :cool:

what you are saying is that just push the black gear back on to the metal shaft. The metal screw that the black gear is attach to

Yes, it's held on by friction. There are the teeth on the shaft, that bite into the plastic of the gear. I wasn't able to push it on by hand, so I tried tapping it with a hammer and it worked like a charm.

can it be turned all the way out far enough to get needle nose pliers to hold it

There's a washer built into the adjuster with a rubber spacer, on the inside of the headlight, that keeps the screw from being pulled outwards through the back of the assembly. Here's a pic I took while fixing mine.

20160102_104920.jpg


Just wondering how did the metal shaft got disconnected from the black gear on the outside?

My assumption is, if you turn the adjustment screw to raise the light output (pulling the top of the reflector bowl deeper into the assembly) enough, the large white ball joint bottoms out in the headlight assembly and starts pulling the adjustment screw forward into the assembly. With enough force, you overcome the friction inside the gear, and it pulls free.

In this pic, you can see how the ball joint assembly is mounted, the fins on the bottom, and sides.

20141226_102502_zpsif4baypx.jpg
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Chickenhawk What kind of shaft collet did you use as there are many different styles and types. Without the black gear holding the metal shaft screw my light housing does move a lot and it even drop my entire light adjustment all the way to the ground which I spotted yesterday.
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw so basically it is impossible to turn the screw all the way out (Counter Clock Wise) far enough from the outside without the headlight adjustment being completely off.

Those white plastic piece are the ball joint adjustment screw from the inside.

If I don't want to open the headlight lens can I still use twist tie to hold the adjustment in place. The level is perfectly fine.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Correct, under normal function, the screw itself does not move at all, it remains stationary, as it's secured from the inside by the built in washer and spacer, and from the outside by the black gear. This is what allows the ball joint to move, when the screw is turned.
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw last night what I saw was when I push the screw in the light goes down. When I pull the screw out the light goes up. (Turning Clockwise) Lower the light and (Turning Counter Clock Wise) Raise the light.

Just curious to know can I attach like a metal shaft collet that is long enough sticking far pass black plastic piece and fit tight on the end and turn adjustment screw that way from the outside.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Basically, if you're not gonna open the headlight to fix it like OEM, you will have to find a way to hold the screw at a fixed depth, so it can't slide into the headlight, and conversely slide back. Or you'll always have a dancing headlight, as you've already seen.

Then you have to make sure you can still turn the screw to fine tune your adjustment. How you can do that, I don't know... If the method @Chickenhawk used doesn't work, you will have to get creative...

... or just do that retrofit like you know you want to! :laugh:
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw right it like why waste my own time opening up the headlight once just to fix the adjustment screw and closing it back up. While I can fix the adjustment screw and retrofit it all at one time.

When you replace the black gear back onto the metal shaft part how did you put it back into that hole again. You remove rubber spacer and washer than slide it from the outside in and than put everything back together.

The way I am going to fix the movement of in and out on that metal shaft is to use twist ties and make sure it is thick enough so that headlight adjustment can't move downward.
 
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Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
:duh: Now that you mention it, the way I told you earlier was the first way I tried it, which was wrong. I had to use the claw part of the hammer to rip the gear back off the screw. Sorry for misremembering the solution.

With the white ball joint off the screw, and the screw still in the headlight assembly, sticking out the back, hold the headlight pointed upwards, with the end of the screw resting on the black gear. THEN tap the end of the screw, where the ball joint usually sits with the hammer. THAT will seat the screw back into the gear...
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw I figure how is that even possible to get it back in if you already have the gear on the shaft first. Now I see that you hold the black gear on outside of the shaft and hit screw from inside. How did you remove the white ball joint from adjustment screw and which one is it?
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
The vertical adjuster is the one on top... With the headlight opened up, the adjuster just slides out, the same way your headlight goes down if you push on that shaft. The ball joint simply unscrews from the screw.
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw for the reflector piece is there any screw holding that in place I would need to take out and do it safely. For now I am thinking of using garbage twist tie to hold the adjustment.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Yes, and no... There are 3 ball joint sockets, which are held onto the reflector bowl by screws. You can't access them normally, unless you drill holes in your housing. If you look closely at my last pic, you can see that this is exactly what I did.

Here's a pic of one of the sockets, from when my stationary mount snapped off some years back after I did my first retrofit.

IMAG0591_zps4986594f.jpg


All you have to do, once you get the front lens and bezel removed, is get your fingers behind the reflector bowl and pull hard. The ball joints will release from the sockets and pop loose. Just don't make the mistake of pulling from the edges of the reflector bowl, the stress can cause it to crack and break. Less of an issue with Voy headlights, as they are more square than the TB ones. But still...
 
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DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw so do what you did and drill three holes just like that and are they phillip head type screw. How hard is the reflector attach to those ball joint type sockets. That screw in the picture with the wood is that how long it really is.

I seen my adjustment screw and it is turned in too far clockwise. There isn't a safe alternative way to put that black gear back on without having to open up the housing.
 
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DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@Blckshdw When I went out to my vehicle and see how to put it back together. The black gear won't even sit firmly on the end of the shaft at all. Black gear is so very loose off the shaft it just spin freely. I guess that why adjustment screw won't rotate anymore. The in and out movement is very little doesn't even affect the lighting adjustment height.

Now I have to figure out... OPTION ONE: should I buy a shaft collet and slip it onto the adjustment shaft and put the black gear on that new shaft with super glue. OPTION TWO: should I buy a brand new good looking housing and retrofit that.
 

DIY Fixer

Original poster
Member
Nov 10, 2015
104
Wisconsin
@dmanns67 yeah I did mention it a lot before. Was thinking of getting a brand new headlamp housing because previous owner who own this 03 Envoy before me had very bad scratchy lens on it. I do need a new set of HID Kit since mine are 55w and with projector it will be too bright on the road even though any kind of wattage will work in The Retro Sources projectors.
 

Chickenhawk

Member
Dec 6, 2011
779
I lost my gear completely. I noticed this when I saw one headlight pointing at the ground. I got a cheap set of drill stops, found one that fit around the metal shaft and pulled the shaft out to the proper aiming point. I then screwed down the set screw and it worked perfect.
image_17257.jpg

I found the internal reflector housing would bounce a bit on bumpy roads. There is a spring inside that tensions it toward the ground, but just the drill stop around the metal shaft of the adjustment screw was not enough to stop it bouncing. So I bonded the drill stop to the housing, and all is good.
 

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