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I am having a bear of a time with the headlight rings for my 53 Chevy 3100. I ordered the rings Brothers website says will fit my truck; I also ordered the required clip kit and also a hard pliable seal. I can't get the clips to fit and hold my rings. I put on clip on the top that matches the hole the best, but it is flimsy, and when I put the ring up to the headlight it falls off am I suppose to use all the clips in the set or just the one that matches the slot in the top of the bucket the best? Also I can't figure out the seal part.

I then went to Chevs of the 40's website and saw they had a ring that has a tab on the top to match my headlight bucket, so I bought them. They were listed for an older model than mine but with these trucks you just never know so I took a shot but they are to small in diameter.

Do these look like headlight buckets from a 53 3100, or have they been changed from another style car or truck?

Can anyone that has gone through this before see what I am doing wrong?

the clips only fit tight if you have the rubber seal in, that's your only problem as the rings and buckets look correct .... put the seal in the 'groove' of the ring and use one 'hooked' clip with 3 plain ones on each ring - the seperate odd shaped legs of the clips go against the seal to secure it

Bill

Hi John,

Here are a few pics of an original headlight trim ring. headlight

Great Peter, now I get it. You know us men we are visual people.
The reproduction doesn’t look like it is as tight at your pics show but let me try it now that I know how it is suppose to be put together. Thanks to you also Bill for pointing me into the right direction.

Well I got the seal on the chrome bezel with the clips attached like Eileen; (Peter) shows in his pictures. It was a lot of work because the seals are shipped in a straight strip and the inner metal core has to be bent pretty much in a perfect circle but it wants to keep its shape. So I walks out to the truck fat dumb and happy after about an hour work for just one bezel, and lo and behold it don't fit. The top clip goes on and there is an inch gap so much so I can see the adjustment screw through the hole. I would have to adjust the headlights for incoming aircraft identification duty for them to work, so now I am back to square one. I adjusted the headlight up like 10 turns on the screw and it still isn't enough. I can see on the inside of the garage door they way the light is shining it is way too high. I took the top clip off and tried to press the bezel with the seal on the inner headlight holder bezel and it will fit with some force and pressure. I guess that's why the seal, to seal out the rain (no snow here in my part of California). But to put the top clip back on to fit into the slot doesn't look like it will work for me. So any other suggestions? Do I need more pictures to help figure this out? I can take more tomorrow morning if it isn't something apparent I am doing wrong. The most fun I am having with this truck is not driving it but putting it back together…. God I love working on this truck.

I got my stuff from clasic parts of America ,but I had a real hard time getting the ring to fit to ,one thing ,on the rubber that goes on the ring theres a lip or slot that the inner part of the ring fits into so that the thin part of rubber is on the ring and seals between the ring and the headlight I had to take mine and spin it in my fingers so that the thin rubber was outside the ring and the round bead part of the rubber was on the inside than the clips will hold the bead part better ,You should be able to see the rubber between the headlight and the ring when You're done .


That gap between the headlight and the ring should be filled by the rubber
Pete

yes, more pics, don't understand why it would fit [tight, as designed] without that clip and not be just as snug with it .... maybe someone here with a done truck could take some pics for you

I can tell you it was "fun" to do four of'em [yes, they're 47-54 buckets!]

Bill

New Headlight Bezel Pics Click Here

Here are my new Bezel pics. Do you see what I am doing wrong?

Hi John,

Maybe something to do with the little plastic insert the headlight beam angle adjusting bolts fit into. Here are a few more pics. headlight

can't tell, but it looks like you may have seal positioned wrong - end-on it's sort of a teardrop shape, the rounded part of it should sit in the rolled edge of the trim piece, the 'flap' part sticks into the light opening to make the seal this pic looks like the round part is against the light

it's a pretty tight fit, and if you do have it wrong way round it would probably be toooo tight - also when you put the hook in the slot at top you will have to press it down to get it to seat
all the way in, make sure it's pointed more down than back ... on my bus ones, they almost 'snap' in when pushed down and on

Bill

Let me work on it again and see if I can figure it out, thanks for all your help.

OK, let me try turning the seal around and see what that does. Thanks