Headlight adjusters

[terrible one]

Anyone installed new headlight adjusters, particularly on a 2nd gen Charger? I can't get them to go in! Do you need to take the plastic piece out of the metal clip to get it into the grill frame or is it supposed to go in as a unit?

[69grad]

 Please anyone, I also need help with this. After destroying 5 of these I even asked the supply-er, for tips
on installation. Just got an "I don't know." nothing on it in the 69 charger service manual.
                                                        THANKS Any/or All help Appreciated

[gtx6970]

I wish I had an answer for ya. I destroyed 2 or 3 before giving up and putting in the 72 and later style plastic ones in on the cuda I'm doing. and is probably the same route I'll go with the charger when it gets to that point

best advise I could come up with was barely start the screw in the pastic part and knock it in with a hammer in one whappppp, yea right.

[terrible one]

Okay, I figured it out and was able to get them all in! Like you guys, I had broken a few and this was my second go at it (ordered some more) and it just had me stumped.

Anyways, they can't go in as a unit. I disassembled each one completely, so that I had the metal "cage," the white plastic, and the adjuster screw. I used a set of needle nose pliers to pull the metal cage off of the white plastic piece . . . don't be afraid to pull hard. You can always straighten them back out if they get tweaked.

THANKFULLY, you can push these in from the front. At one point I was scared I would have to take the grill out so I could have access to the back of the headlight support panel and install from the back.

So, the metal pieces were pretty easy at this point. With no white plastic in there, they flex enough to pop into place pretty easily by hand. The hard part is putting the white piece back in afterwards. I felt like I was going to break my thumb off trying to get them in and thought there was no hope. As a last resort I grabbed an old countershaft from a T10 and just gave them a good whap AFTER getting them started. This got the plastic pieces clicked back into the cage. Some of them took a couple wacks and I thought I would surely damage them, but they were fine. The thing about the countershaft was it had a good, perfectly flat face and lots of mass, but a similar object (it would be hard to get a good hit with a hammer I think) would probably do the trick.

Anyone who needs help PM me and I can help. I'm glad I wasn't the only one struggling with this. This was a great victory to me because it was the only thing keeping me from having my headlights. After I got these in I quickly put the entire assembly together and plugged 'em up! Now I just have to aim them.

FWIW, here is the kit that I was able to get installed: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400186929500&viewitem=

Another thing that'll throw you off is for some reason the screws are installed backwards. Like I said, you have to take them apart anyways, but that sure doesn't help when you are trying to figure out how they go. Thankfully there was ONE single old headlight adjuster left in my grill so I was able to tell which way they went in.

[bill440rt]

Ahhh... nothing like damaging your fingertips from trying to install those! 

Well, there is an easy way. Kinda.
Yes, I've seen some where the screw is installed backwards. Simply remove it & thread it in correctly on the other side. If you look closely, you'll see the metal "cage" is different on either side. The end pieces that "clip" into place are shaped differently. You have to put them in at an angle (the flatter side), then using the screw as sort of a "lever" apply pressure to snap in the other side (the angled side). Then, push straight down on the screw to snap the white plastic piece in (you might have to rock it back & forth, it can be stubborn). Once that's in, I usually take an awl or a small flat screwdriver to gently pry the side pieces out on the metal "cage" to lock that in place. This is done from the backside.

It's hard to describe, I hope I got that right so it's easy to understand. It took me a while to figure out a way that works right, every time.
Good luck! 
And wear gloves!! 

[Hemidog]

So switching to the later style is a problem solver?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dodge-Plymouth-B-C-E-headlight-adjuster-kit-adjusters-/190486096089?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c59db28d9

[BlueSS454]

Funny you bring this up.  I just got a new kit in the other day because I damaged some of the other ones I put in when I restored the car.  Not to mention I think I installed the wrong to begin with since I can't get the headlights to come up any higher than they are.  Can you take a couples pics of them installed at all? I haven't attempted to go change them out yet because I wanted to see exactly how they are installed.

[terrible one]

Here's about the best I could do without taking a light back out, hope it helps

[BlueSS454]

Yup, mine are in backwards    Thanks for the pic, that helps a TON!  One question though, the metal clip, is that inserted from the headlight side then the plastic piece pressed into it?

[terrible one]

Yup, mine are in backwards    Thanks for the pic, that helps a TON!  One question though, the metal clip, is that inserted from the headlight side then the plastic piece pressed into it?

No problem! And yep, that's exactly what I did. Take it all apart, then from the headlight side insert the metal clip, then shove the white plastic piece into it.

[BlueSS454]

Cool, thanks.  Good little thing to do after work one night this week 

[69grad]

   Thanks once again, You Guys are the BEST.