Bratton's New Headlight Reflectors

[AL in NY]

I just installed the new Bratton's headlight reflectors and I have a question. The after-market reflector that I replaced with the new Bratton reflectors have the slot for the headlight bulb that allows the bulb to move in and out on the right side of the two bulb reflector when installed in the car. The new Bratton reflector have that slot on the left side. This changes which filament is turned on by the steering wheel headlight switch. It is now back wards from the way it was before. With the old reflectors the headlight switch would turn on the low beams first then the high beams. With the new Bratton reflectors, the high beams come on first. What is the correct orientation for the bulb slot in the reflectors(left or right) and what is the correct sequence for the switch(off-low-high or off-high-low).

[Bob C]

I looked at an original reflector and the slot is on the drivers side for LHD car.

Bob

[AL in NY]

Well, it looks like I'll have to change the wiring so they will work correctly. The older after-market reflectors where wrong. THANKS

[Joe K]

Back in the 80s, Tam showed me that the ferrules where the bulb assembly goes in those repop reflectors could be TURNED.

I was using non-original bulb sockets at that time so it didn't matter to me then.

Joe K

[Special Coupe Frank]

Why not just turn your bulb 180 degrees in the socket ? The bayonet pins are not indexed like they are for a stop & tail-light socket....

[Bob C]

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Originally Posted by Special Coupe Frank

Why not just turn your bulb 180 degrees in the socket ? The bayonet pins are not indexed like they are for a stop & tail-light socket....

According to Marco's site the lower filament has to be the high beam.
http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/focus-2a.htm

Bob

[jrelliott]

You may only have to rotate the bulb 180 degrees as Special Coupe Fred says. The filament that is in the center of the bulb is the high beam as it is at the focal point of the reflectors. The offset filament is the low beam and should be on top. If you have a welding mask can see which filament is burning when looking through the mask at the headlights when they are on. If the incorrect bulb is burning and flipping the bulb 180 degrees does not correct the problem, then switch the wires.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Turning the bulb won't work correctly because you will shift the low beam filament from above center to below center, and this will raise the beam of light.

[AL in NY]

I changed the wiring to correct the problem. I thought that is what was needed, I was just checking to see which reflectors had the correct slot orientation. Turns out my older after-market reflectors were wrong. "Bob C" gave me the information I needed to correct the problem.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Al,

Glad it's all right now. Notice any improvements at night, with those new reflectors ?

Bob & Tom - didn't think about the filament positioning / bulb focus


SC Frank