Chaviator

My head lights were working fine until about a year ago. One day they stopped working, only the parking lights were on, but not head lights. I opened the hood and hit the head light area and then they came on. I figured something was lose. Later at some point the same thing happened and I tried the same trick and nothing happened. I checked the connections, cleaned them installed new head lights and nothing. I thought of bad grounding and connected a ground wired to passenger side light, to one of the wires that did not have current when switch was on, I assumed it was the ground one. Well, that I connected it to the body of the truck and the lights came on. I have been using them like that, but they do not change intensity, high/low beam. I play with the switch and one side goes high and the other low then release the switch and the one in high goes low and one in low goes high. In other words: turning the lights on one is low beam (R) the other is high beam (L). Any one has had this type of issue? Any suggestions to fix this problem will be great... Thank you for your help, I just wish to get this done because I miss and need the fact of having the head lights properly working specially when driving in very dark roads... I use my auxiliary lights, but it's not the same. Thank you much!