Okay, for some of you that have converted to 12 volt but still have the original tail light housings, which bulbs (bulb number, 1141, 67, etc.) do you use? There is a need for one of the bulbs to be the running lights and the other is the brake and turn signal. Is the brake/turn signal on top or bottom or does it matter? Thanks, Bill
Hey Gater, there should just be two wires from your lights. One is brake/turn the other is just running. If yours is new, then matching colors should be better than the old stuff (colorwise). The biggest problem I had with mine is establishing a good ground. Sometimes I can turn on my lights and the driver's side tail light is out. A simple flip of the licence plate will bring the light back to life! When I move things to my 54, I promise to pay closer attention to detail. I just realized I didn't answer your question. Both contacts are in the bottom, so you'd probably want to make the inside wires of both the running and the outside wires the brake/turn circut. If that's not right, just flip them. Mind you- my expert wiring advice has been built by my one-and-only install of my own wiring harness. Bad grounds made it all so interesting.
Zig, you couldn't have said it better! If you don't have a good solid ground, 6volt or 12 volt systems are nightmares. Solid contact with the frame is a must seeing as how it's the only real ground that you have.
Bad ground Zig, I had to take my sons dremel with the wire brush attachment to the old fuse box contacts for one thing. Then I couldn't get one of the tail lights to work till I took the new bolts out of the newly painted holes and scratched some paint off. Then, when I re-inserted the bolts the lights were fine. My problem is that Adam at CP said to use the 1141 bulb as the brake/signal and the 67 as the running light. And that the brake/signal was the top socket and the running light was the bottom socket. Okay, I did that. The problem is that the 1141 bulb is so big that the lens won't fit with it in the top socket. I figure I can fix it by moving it to the bottom socket where it does fit, then re-doing the brake.signal and running light connections (no big deal). The only thing is with the running light in the top socket will it still illuminate the license plate? Or does it matter a hill of beans which socket which bulb is in? Thanks again, Bill
Ah grounded fun! First, here's hoping this new year is a great one! I pray that all active duty get to return to peace time mode like the 8 I was blessed with. Gater, I don't know what to say. My lights were ordered new from CP- I believe... Might have been Br--hers also. They only have a single socket with double contacts. Therefore, I only have one bulb, double duty. Yours has two bulbs? Hmmm. The plate should be lit at all times. That side light housing has a clear lense on the bottom to let the light shine while your lights are on. Mine is almost so bright, I could use it for a reverse light. I envy you. Your doing the stuff I did and for some wild reason, I wish I was doing it again. It was like putting a puzzle together but the diagram was priceless. (Although it didn't do away with ALL the guess work!) Good luck! You'l get it! Happy New Year!
AD Taillights The original tailllights were of a two bulb design and yes , reversing the bulb's positions works out just fine , that's what I always do . I use a # 67 lamp for the running light and a # 1156 for the brake light bulb as those are the two most common lamps after # 1157 so you'll always find replacements wherever you go . You can also use a # 1076 dual filament bulb in the one socket if you change the pigtail out for one from any old car with two contacts . If you have the basic black taillight housings , mask them off and spray paint the inside _white_ (notsilver !) to increase the brightness of the entire lens , this works a treat in both 6 and 12 volt applications . It is a simple thing to add a ground wire from one of the tillight bolts to uo under the bed where you'd attach it to the frame..... Grease ALL the connection points of course . I hope this helps , missing my '49 in Las vegas...
