Have you noticed that the headlights on your Jeep Wrangler JK don’t seem to be aimed correctly? Many JK owners find that their headlights need adjustment, especially after swapping the factory halogen bulbs for brighter LED headlights. Properly aligned headlights are important for nighttime visibility and avoiding blinding other drivers. Fortunately, adjusting the headlights on a Jeep JK is a quick and straightforward job you can knock out in under an hour with basic tools.

In this DIY guide, you’ll learn how to easily adjust your JK’s headlights both vertically and horizontally for proper aim. We’ll cover the step-by-step process to center the beams 2.5 inches below the headlight housing at 25 feet. You can perform these steps yourself in your garage in less than an hour with no special tools required. Let’s go over the prep work, measurements, and alignment process to get your Jeep’s headlights shining bright and aligned properly!

What You’ll Need to Adjust Your Jeep Wrangler JK Headlights?

Before starting this project, gather the following tools and supplies:

• Torx T15 screwdriver
• Tape measure
• Masking tape
• Flat garage door or wall spaced 25 feet away
• A friend to help check alignment

You’ll need a Torx T15 screwdriver to loosen the factory adjustment screws on your headlights. Making precise measurements is critical for proper aim, so have a 25 foot tape measure handy. Masking tape will help you mark reference points on the headlights and wall. And a flat garage door or wall placed 25 feet from the Jeep’s front bumper provides an ideal surface to adjust beam alignment. An extra set of eyes is also handy for checking left-right and vertical alignment as you go.

Parking and Preparing Your Jeep JK for Headlight Adjustment

The first step is finding a suitable location and parking your Jeep appropriately. Here are some tips:

• Park on a flat, level surface like a driveway or garage floor. Any slope or unevenness can throw off alignment.
• Position the Jeep exactly 25 feet from the wall or garage door you’ll be using for alignment.
• Make sure the headlights are switched off for now.
• Using masking tape, mark a vertical line at the center of each headlight lens. This will be your reference point.

Parking on level ground is important so that the beam cutoff and illumination pattern won’t be distorted during adjustment. Marking the center of each headlight with tape will make it easy to identify the aim point on the wall for proper vertical alignment. Now you’re ready to start adjusting!

Measuring and Adjusting the Jeep JK Driver Side Headlight

With your tools gathered and Jeep prepped, follow this process to align the driver side low beam:

• Have your helper turn on the headlights (low beams only)
• Measure the distance from the ground to the center of the beam’s brightest point on the wall.
• Adjust the headlight bolt counter-clockwise or clockwise until the beam is centered 2.5 inches below the** headlight** housing.

Let’s break this down step-by-step:

With the headlights on, the center of the beam on the wall should initially land somewhere near the headlight’s vertical center you marked with tape. Take a measure of how many inches this reference point is from the ground.

On most JKs, the beam center should be adjusted to 2.5 inches BELOW the marked headlight center point. Slowly turn the adjustment screw on the back of the headlight counter-clockwise to bring the beam downward, or clockwise to raise it up. The adjustment bolt is accessed from behind the headlight housing.

Make small adjustments and frequently check the beam center position on the wall until it’s dialed in at 2.5 inches down from the headlight center mark. This will ensure the driver side headlight is angled slightly downward for optimal illumination distance without blinding oncoming drivers.

Adjusting the Jeep JK Passenger Side Headlight

After getting the driver side headlight properly adjusted, move to the passenger side and repeat the same process:

• Have your assistant turn on only the passenger headlight
• Measure beam center height on the wall and compare to headlight center
• Turn adjustment screw counter-clockwise or clockwise to center beam 2.5 inches below marked headlight center

Follow the same steps to make vertical adjustments until the passenger side beam cutoff lands 2.5 inches below the headlight center mark. Make small turns of the adjustment bolt and frequently measure until the beam hits the target.

Re-checking Jeep JK Headlight Aim and Making Final Adjustments

After adjusting both headlights, it’s critical to re-check your work for proper aim.

Walk back 25 feet and have your helper switch the headlights on and off a few times. The beam cutoff on the wall should be centered 2.5 inches down from the tape marks on both headlights.

If further adjustments are needed, take your time making small turns of the adjustment bolts until both sides are aimed correctly. The initial adjustment often needs some minor tweaking once you see both beams on the wall from a distance.

Checking Left-Right Alignment of Jeep JK Headlight Beams

In addition to vertical aim, you also need to ensure your JK’s headlights are aligned horizontally so that light reaches evenly to the left and right:

• With both low beams on, observe the beam cutoff line on the wall. Is it perfectly horizontal?
• If beams are askew horizontally, you’ll need to mechanically adjust the headlight housings.

Once the vertical alignment is dialed in, inspect where the beam cutoff line hits the wall. It should be perfectly horizontal and even on both sides.

If the cutoff line is obviously angled or uneven side-to-side, the headlight housings will need to be adjusted. This requires loosening retaining bolts to re-position the headlights for proper left-right aim.

Test Driving Your Jeep JK at Night

A good way to check your work is to take your JK for a spin down a dark road at night. Observe how the headlights illuminate the road and check that the beam cutoff is aligned properly.

• Do the headlights reach far enough for safe nighttime driving?
• Does the beam pattern look evenly distributed without dark spots?
• Is the beam cutoff sharp and angled down so you don’t blind other drivers?
• Are both headlights aligned and reaching evenly to the shoulder lines on each side?

If anything looks off, you can make final adjustments when back in your garage. Proper alignment is critical for visibility and avoiding headlight glare for oncoming traffic.

Helpful Tips for Keeping Your Jeep JK Headlights Aimed

Here are some additional pointers for maintaining your headlights after aiming:

• Re-check alignment any time the Jeep’s ride height changes – installing heavier tires or a lift kit can knock headlights out of whack.
• Mark reference points on the wall and headlight housings with tape to make realignment quicker.
• Aim headlights again anytime you replace bulbs or the entire headlight housing.
• Avoid heavy off-roading that can damage headlight housings and shift their aim.

Proper and consistent headlight aim is important for night driving visibility and safety. Following this guide, you can easily adjust the headlights on your Jeep JK Wrangler yourself in just an hour or less. Adjusting vertical aim and horizontal alignment will get you maximum illumination of the road ahead without blinding other drivers. Drive safely!

Conclusion

Adjusting the headlights on your Jeep Wrangler JK is a straightforward DIY job any owner can tackle in their garage with just basic tools. Following the step-by-step process in this guide, you can properly aim the headlights both vertically and horizontally in under an hour.

Taking the time to center the beams 2.5 inches below the headlight housing at 25 feet significantly improves visibility at night when driving your JK. This adjustment also reduces glare that can temporarily blind oncoming drivers. And perfectly horizontal beam alignment ensures even illumination to the left and right shoulders.

So don’t ignore those misaligned headlights on your Jeep – get them adjusted for maximum performance! With minor tools like a Torx T15 screwdriver, tape measure, and some masking tape, you can precisely dial-in the aim following this tutorial. Drive safer at night and let those upgraded LED headlights shine bright with a proper alignment.