1955-57 Headlight install What parts am I misssing?

[Maximus]

I was under the impression that there was just a trim ring that hooked to the spring, and had two eyes to be held down by the two screws...
but the more i look online at $80 headlight assemblies the photos make it seem like there is another ring that goes between the bucket and the retaining trim???? am i just getting caught up in an optical illusion??

this is what I have...


these are the full assemblies I am looking at


this is the only part I THOUGHT i needed....

[DransportGarage]

ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION:

The stamped sheet metal bucket screws into the fender, sandwiching a gasket. These 3 parts (fender, gasket and bucket) are installed in your first picture.

The stainless steel trim ring installs onto the bucket as you described, holding the bulb in. This assembly (although it is the reproduction assembly, see below) is shown in your second picture, before it is installed in the fender.

Your stainless trim ring is shown in the 3rd picture. If this is an original trim ring it has had its little 90-degree brackets broken off. This is a common problem. If you look closely you'll see little spot weld marks on the trim ring where these brackets have broken off.

The assembly is then covered with an exterior bezel that is either chrome or painted. (The bezel also has a rubber gasket that is sometimes missing.)

In summary, here are the parts as they would appear on an original truck:
Fender
Bucket gasket
Bucket & 4 screws
Adjuster screws (2?) & spring
Stainless ring
Bezel gasket
Bezel (chrome or painted) & 3 screws


REPRODUCTION CONFIGURATION (?) - your second picture:
It looks like they no longer weld the little brackets onto the stainless ring. Instead, it looks like there's a gold anodized ring that appears to exist in the 2nd picture, like you said, between the stainless ring and the bucket.

Bob

[Maximus]

this is why i am confused... I was expecting to find a ratining/trim ring with a hole for the spring and two eyes for the screws... but this photo (third) of the trim ring is strait out of ClassicParts website... maybe ill have to shoot them an email to make sure it has the two tabs...

Im not crazy!

[mr48chev]

You are missing the retainer plate that the bulb sets in. It is held by the two adjuster screws and the spring.

The piece looks to be gold anodized in the photo and the chrome ring fastens to it with three machine screws.

It will look like the piece on the left in this add. I haven't looked in the printed catalogs I have from LMC or Brothers but LMC probably has it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/57-Chevy-Ori...item35b89941a6

[DransportGarage]

So now I have a question: Did the original setup have this gold anodized retaining ring or did it have the tabs spot welded to the stainless ring?

[Maximus]

Well, I think I see whats going on now...
There are two different setups.

the second setup is how I thought mine was, but I could be wrong...
ClassicParts.com, who I buy all my parts through, sell the rings separate but not the bucket...
Anyways, thought I would post the image of the setups in case someone else runs into the same confusion...

[_Ogre]

maximus
i think your missing part #3. should be easy to find, gm used 2 headlite buckets from 50s to the 80s, 7'' for single and 5'' for dual headlites. should be able to find any single headlite bucket in a junk yard. gm also used the headlite adjusters for many yrs, the new repops fit all, they are cheap and your old ones will probably break when you use them.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

maximus
i think your missing part #3. should be easy to find, gm used 2 headlite buckets from 50s to the 80s, 7'' for single and 5'' for dual headlites. should be able to find any single headlite bucket in a junk yard. gm also used the headlite adjusters for many yrs, the new repops fit all, they are cheap and your old ones will probably break when you use them.

yea... for $20 a piece from LMC I may look at the local pick-n-pull first...


thx for the hint.

An annoying side note... Classic parts has the whole bucket install kit for you darn 4-eyed folks of 58-59...

[_Ogre]

annoying side note? why sell 2, when you can sell 4... it's a matter of economics

[JumboAMONGus]

there was a gy selling both sides complete head light buckets for 40 bucks on ebay a while ago and i know they didnt sell .try ebay for the complete ones used but in good shape

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by JumboAMONGus

there was a gy selling both sides complete head light buckets for 40 bucks on ebay a while ago and i know they didnt sell .try ebay for the complete ones used but in good shape

Thanks for the tip. I only need the detachable buckets and they sell new for $20 ea so at $40 I can buy what I need new, but thanks for the tip ill see if I can find what I need cheaper...

[Rude Dude]

Max here are the pics of the buckets

[Maximus]

okay everyone... MYSTERY SOLVED!!!

so, I thought since I had an issue with this task I would drop my knowledge to prevent future confusion...

so the part I was missing was #3 from the LMC catalog excerp above...

After thinking about it, I figured I would just go to the local pick-n-pull junkyard and buy the parts off another truck with a 8" bulb...

FYI: THIS WILL NOT WORK... read on...

I found a mid-70's sierra and pulled off the headlight buckets, and headed home. When I got home I found out they wouldnt fit without modifications... frustrated, but not that irritated (i had a coupon and the buckets together cost me $4) I walked over to where I thought my old glass headlight bulbs were...

when i picked them up, guess what? the darn buckets were STILL ON THE HEADLIGHTS!

so, now that my problem is resolved, I thought I would let everyone else see why the later buckets won't work.

The 55-57 headlight buckets that bolt to the fender have a very small diameter hole where the bulb sits, so the buckets taper down so they fit in the small hole

The late-model buckets just mount strait to the radiator support (i think) and thus dont have to neck-down into any hole, so they didn't taper the later ones. It seems to me they could have just saved themselves money and NOT re-tooled the headlight buckets, because physcially they would bolt up to the 55-57 trucks had they not been too fat at the back...

here are images of what im talking about.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who tried to help me through my confusion!!!!!!

The left buckets are 55-57, the right are 70's+