Wiring Headlight Switch

Discussion in '1955-1959' started by 58fleetside, Feb 28, 2009.

  1. 58fleetside

    58fleetside Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2008
    Messages:
    176
    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    I bought the replacement wiring harness from out host, but am having some trouble with the light switch.

    The connectors on my switch are labled as follows:
    GRD, PL, T, H, S&D, PK, BAT

    The instructions with my wiring kit says to connect the wires as follows:

    Wire Terminal
    1 PL
    3 BAT
    7 T
    8 PK
    9 S
    10 HD

    I am doing good till I get to wires 9 and 10. Should 9 actually connect to S&D and 10 to H?

    Thanks for your help.
     
  2. coilover

    coilover Member

    Joined:
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    2,564
    Location:
    Plano US
    I always make up my own wiring looms because the pre-made ones are too generic. I have nothing against them but on customers requesting show appearance many times the wires have to be run through the frame or kick panels or other places to keep the "completely clean" firewall look or run die straight and then bent at an exact 90 degree angle at the point of attachment, and so on. That said, here is what I recall on the light switches on pickups in the 50's. There is the hot or feed wire that sometimes has two other terminals on the same tab for other wires requiring uninterupted voltage--like the cigarette lighter. When the switch is in the park light position there are three hot terminals: the park lights, the tail lights, and the one that passes through the rheostat on the way to the instrument lights. When you pull the knob all the way out the park light terminal goes dead but the head light terminal becomes hot along with the tail and instruments. The wire from the head light terminal runs down to the dimmer switch where high or low beam can be selected and from the high beam terminal on the dimmer switch a wire runs back up to the high beam indicator bulb in the speedometer face. If I counted correctly that's six wires that do everything needed. This isn't a direct answer to your question but using some of the information as to what is activated and where it goes to and a test light maybe you can sort it out. Also, there is a devoted electrical section on this forum and the Stovebolt Forum you might check out. Good luck.
     
  3. chevymantrucks

    chevymantrucks Member

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    Location:
    Lincoln U.S.A
    Hey,
    Yes 9 to (S-D) and 10 to (H).I love there harnesses because they work well but have to lengthen some light wires and temp wire some times.I liked them even more when they were $100 bucks not $200.



    Cliff
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2009
  4. 58fleetside

    58fleetside Member

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    Thanks

    Thanks, Truckman!
    Craig
     
  5. bonvo

    bonvo Member

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    vacaville california
    i am so bumbed i missed out on that my wiring looks like mickey mouse did it.......while smoking crack........and having a seizure :eek:
     
  6. 58fleetside

    58fleetside Member

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    Mine looks like that even with the wiring kit!
     
  7. chevymantrucks

    chevymantrucks Member

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    Lincoln U.S.A
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 15, 2009
  8. chevymantrucks

    chevymantrucks Member

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    Craig,
    Any time man...:D
     

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