Brake ground

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gtxdude

gtxdude

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Is there a separate ground to the rear brakes somewhere? My brake lights work 98% of the time but then I'll have someone drive by and say there out or one side is out. Trying to eliminate possible causes. Thanks
 
Out or more so one side out is generally a signal light switch issue...
 
I was thinking that, looking to check other stuff first. I replaced switch a few years ago but things just don't last :(
 
The sockets ground through the metal of the tail light housing to the body

You can use alligator clips to add a ground and see if the issue doesn't come back
 
Yep I was trying to figure out a similar issue on our 67 cuda and found the light sockets gotta have good clean ground path.
 
take out housing and put it back in with a spikey washer under a nut
take out holders clean polish, give the contacts and bulb collar a clean, check that the cardboard/fibreboard disk and solder buttons are good and the spring underneath is not shorting to the wire or the back of the contacts put em back in

if you have any wire bolted to a screw in the trunk floor undo it clean it spikey washer it and put it back with a smear of grease over it

might work... :)

Dave
 
Anyone who has had early/ mid 60's Chevvies with part of the lights mounted in the trunk lid knows THOSE problems, lol

You can solder grounding pigtails to the socket shells
 
gtxdude said:
Is there a separate ground to the rear brakes somewhere? My brake lights work 98% of the time but then I'll have someone drive by and say there out or one side is out. Trying to eliminate possible causes. Thanks
Click to expand...

Also note that the contact between the actual bulb socket and housing are two different pieces and corrosion between the two metals can cause a loss of ground to the bulb.
If you look close you can see the parting line between the two.
I have solved this problem by drilling and putting a small screw where the two metals come together.
 
Do yourself a favor. Have someone watch the tail lights, put your foot on the brake and ever so slightly wiggle the ts switch back and forth. My '64 loses it's left brake light if you don't keep the switch centered.
 
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