[Guest]

somebody please gimme a quick rundown on how to deline my headlights, I got a few days off of work and my headlights are screaming ugly. I dont feel like shipping them out to one of those guys that do it plus there is some dram going on between them so Ill do it my self.

just tell me what number sand paper to use and how to do it, I ve baked them in the oven before so i know how that works.
TIA

 

[michaelvanle]

I guess you have it figured out as how to take the lenses off. So I won't go into that.

Basic the concept of delining is easy. You just have to do it right.
500 > 800 > 1000 > 2000 grits

Sand it down very finely and smoothly. Don't sand one spot more than the other, and try not to make deep scratches.

Then top it off with Novus.

 

[WhiteBlazze]

yea...id advise against de-lining your own headlights, especially if this is your first time. Have you even looked at the inside of the headlight cover??

The main issue is that you sand too much and end up breaking or cracking the plastic. You may want to just wet sand the outside of the lense with 1000 > 1500 > 2000 grit paper and then polish the outside of the headlights with the NOVUS system. That will make a 1000% difference and may detur you from trying to de-line them.


But hey...if you do de-line, post pics of your progess and end result!!

 

[in2twins]

Has anyone explored why Toyota went to the trouble of putting the lines there in the first place? Optically there must be an advantage, otherwise why would they add cost? Just curious. Also, has anyone compared similar bulbs, their patterns, and the distance the light travels side by side between lined, and delined? Last, it is nearly impossible to maintain a uniform thickness in the areas being sanded due to the variations in the lens, this cannot possibly have a positive effect on light transmitance. I would highly suggest polishing, and not delining.

 

[Guest]

The lines only direct light from the high beams, not the fog or low beams.

 

[WhiteBlazze]

exactly what Branigan said is true. Although you find the lines in the 93-96 style lights, they do not really do much for directing the low/fog lights. You can see it better with the 97-98 style lights. The fog/low area is almost smooth all the way around, but then lined for the hi-beam area.

Some pics I have seen on here with people with de-lined headlights looks absolutley amazing. But night pics with the lights on shows that the high beam gets more of a glowing effect with the lines removed than when the lines are there.

 

[in2twins]

Got it, just figured Toyota had a reason.

 

[Guest]

Careful, supragang, as delining can cause permanent damage to the lens if not done correctly.

I strongly suggest that you polish them first and see if you like how they look. A good polish will come out looking close to the euro spec headlights. You can polish in the same fashion the michaelvanle told you to deline, however I don't like using wetsanding myself.

 

[Guest]

I decide not to deline them, I just polished them, imma get 97-98 soon anyways, I aqlready have a passenger side 97 headlight. anyone wana buy my 93-96, cheap or trade for a driver side 97