How to Align Suburban Headlights

by Carl Pruit

Adjusting the headlights on your Suburban helps ensure you are prepared for obstacles or hazards you may encounter on the road. Occasionally, headlights can lose their adjustment from being shaken on uneven roadways or the constant rattling of the engine. It is a good practice to check the alignment of your headlights routinely. Just a few minutes of work can make a big difference when you are out on the open road. This article will explain how to align Suburban headlights.

How to align Suburban headlights

Step 1

Park your Suburban approximately 25 feet from a flat surface like a garage door or building wall. Park on flat, level ground and make sure all tires are inflated evenly.

Step 2

Measure the distance from the ground to the center of your headlights. On the flat surface, use masking tape to make a horizontal line the exact height you just measured. Make sure the line stretches the width of your Suburban.

Step 3

Locate the center of your Suburban's hood and transfer that location to your flat surface by making a vertical mark with the masking tape. Measure the distance from the center of the grill to the middle of each headlight and transfer those measurements to your flat surface by marking vertical lines with masking tape.

Step 4

Turn your headlights on. Make sure they are set on low beams. Locate the adjustment screws on the headlights of the Suburban. They should be on the outside edge and top of your headlights. Using a screwdriver, turn the outside adjustment screw so that the beams fall in the center of your cross marks on the flat surface. Then adjust the screws on the top of the headlight until the beams are showing with the top just below your horizontal line.