I got some Model A tail lights yesterday from Vaphead -- nice quality piece BTW. Also picked up some 1157 bulbs (dual filament so they'll function as signals as well). I'm ***uming I need to pick up some 1156's as well to replace the other 6V bulbs? As far as wiring them up, I have a couple questions. They are a two wire set up. My car has 3 wires. Will I need new 2 wire sockets for the 1157s since the lights originally had single wire sockets (for the single filament bulb)? Or can I just twist the two wires together that go to the 1157s? Sorry if these are newb questions . . . I tend to muddle my way through this stuff!
Apples and oranges here...the 1157 is dual, and was used in applications like '33-up Ford in which one bulb lit for both tail light and signal, small filament for tail marker, big for the signal functions. The A light is set up to do the job with two single filament bulbs, one with higher candlepower. You could do both, I guess, if you replace the contact with the double kind so two filaments do tail and one signal... Also, be aware that some sockets have the two side pins level with each other, some are staggered. 1157 is staggered, I believe, and this is done so correct filament contacts line up for the two functions.
You need to get dual contact sockets to use 1157 bulbs. Any auto parts place has them for a couple bucks. One wire will go to turn on the car, other will go to brake. As far as the 1156 for your taillight/license light, the original socket should work. That takes care of your 3 wires. That is kinda how I wired my triumph m/c with a model a light (even though I don't have a turnsignal) Make sure you have a good ground. ***o
Ok, so I really didn't need the dual filament 1157 bulbs? The bulbs that came with the lights were of the single filament 6V variety -- with the top bulb being larger than the bottom. Basically what I am wanting is for the lights to function as park, stop and turn signals. Which bulbs should I be using? And how do I go from the 3 wires that the car has to the 2 wires that the new Model A tail lights have?
What kind of car, what switches, what are the three wires coming from?? Usual older USA practice is for one filament to function both as brake and turn light, with turn signal interrupting brake signal as necessary; usual European/recent practice is three separate filaments, but this really needs separate lenses as well so brake light doesn't obscure turnsignal.
You need to figure out what the three wires are doing. A model A only had two wires to the back. One was running lights and lic. pl. light. The other was brakes. You need three wires to the back with a modern system. Running,left brake and righr brake. The model A only lit the top of the light ***y. The bottom only came on for brakes. The lower socket probably will not accept a dual filiment bulb due to the staggard pins. You will have to replace the socket. Then you can run the dimmer side of the dual bulb for a running light. The bright side only for brakes and turn sig. This is what I did on my 32 with stock lights.
Ok, so I got them wired up last night. I first replaced the 6V bulbs with 12V bulbs -- an 1156 (single filament) and an 1157 (dual filament). I also had to replace the bottom wire lead so that it was a dual lead for the 1157 bulb. I had 3 wires for each tail light - park light, brake light and turn signal. I wired the park light and turn signal to the leads for the 1157 - which i put into the bottom socket of the taillight housing. And wired the the brake light wire to the single lead for the 1156 - which I put into the top socket of the taillight housing. I wanted the brake light up top in the light so it was the biggest light and was most visable. I managed to blow a few fuses in my trial and error, but that was mostly due to a faulty dual wire lead. Looks great and works too!
Thanks for the post. I'm dealing with this exact issue on my truck. When I bought it it had some after market cross tail lights and three wires going to them. I got some rebuild original tail lights and they only have 2 wires.
Ok I have some 39 CHEVY aftermarket taillights They use 1157 bulbs and are set up correctly. They have a black wire and a white wire My question is how to connect them correctly I have a labeled harness LR turn yellow RR turn dark green Brake white Light green park I will also be running visa bolts on the plate which are Red hot Blk ground Please explain the connections.
I think the color you are 'quoting' for brake (white) maybe "before" the turn signal switch. IF you are using a conventional turn signal switch, the brake light switch wire feeds the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch sends the brake light current to both brake lights when there is no turn selected......in which case the yellow and green wires both get brake light current, although it is flowing through the turn signal switch. When a turn is selected, the turn signal switch seperates the brake light signal for that side ( lets say left side) and the yellow wire gets the flasher current. Meanwhile, the signal light switch sends the brake light current through the right side green wire, so the right side is still functioning as the brake light. The brake light white wire DOES NOT go directly to the rear lamps. As for your '39 repro lamps, if they are double filament bulbs, most likely the bulbs ground through the housing.....so, you need to determine which of the two wires, black or white, is the brighter filament...and that will be you brake/turn signal wire.......the remaining wire is taillight function. Hope this helps, Ray
The brake light wire is for the third brake light. I was not clear about that. About the ground.... If I take a test wire from the posative batt term to the tail light wires it should light right? Unless the body ground is blocked by paint?...
Yes.......even if it does light up that way, a good ground wire from the lamp housing to a good body ground is worth the time and effort to install, as opposed to letting the ground 'seek' it's way back to the battery. Poor grounds lead to a lot of weird stuff. I forgot all about the third brake light..........sorry! Ray
On your 1157 plugs, one of the wires goes to turn signals + brakes, the other to running lights. I have no idea what harness you're using- but here's basically how I intend to wire my tail-lights. However, without knowing how / what wiring you have in place now, it's not possible to guide you any further.
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