having wiring problems...help

[19mike69]

i am having wiring problems on my 69 in the taillight area.I have put another bed on it and it is either a 67 or 68,i dont remember.I dont know if that would have anything to do with it,when we swapped out the beds i unplugged the wiring plug under the bed and left the 67-68 wiring going to the tail lights.So....here is the problem.I can get the parking lights to work and the turn signals....but no brake lights.Our stupid weenie dog had chewed on some of the wiring underneith and i fixed that,but cannot get brake lights no matter what i do.I do know the bulb is a little loose in one of the sockets.And if you turn on the parking lights and then the key and the turn signal,you can go back and jiggle the bulb and it will work then not.Now,is that problem in the actual housing or in that little plug that goes into the back of the light housing?So i guess i have more than one problem.CAnt get brake lights and the bulb is somewhat loose in the socket.Anybody have any ideas?

[Maximum Overdrive]

Its probably the connections if you can wiggle it and it works then it doesnt. To be sure though I would unplug the rear tailight harness, have someone push on the brakes while you use a test light to see if you are getting power to that point. (where the two harness's meet) Just kinda double insurance to rule out the brake switch or bad wiring up to that point. It very well could be your bulb socket itself. After all they do wear with time and lose proper contact as these trucks are pretty old.

[neonlarry]

You are aware 67 did not have side marker lights and some 68s did not had the reflectors only.So wiring MAY? be slightly different.

[19mike69]

well,mine only had the reflectors too,but i see what you are saying.I went out and f'ed with it some more and NOW when you turn on the parking lights the drivers side is bright as hell,and the passengers side is dim....and when you turn on the signal,the drivers side just barely blinks,amidst the bright light.And i do know there is not a ground strap from the bed to the frame,so im going to run to the store right now and get one and see what that does.It almost sounds like a ground problem,but when i put this bed on i bolted it directly to the frame so you would think it would be getting some sort of ground through the bolts wouldnt you?

[TROYLV]

if your turn signals are working then your brake light problem lies in the cab wirring. the brake and turn signal wire are the same to the back lights. the weenie dog is a nother problem, i have three of them and one of them loves computer cables. HaHa. im sure you will find the brake light problem in the up front cab part. it does sound like you have a bulb/socket contact problem also.

[19mike69]

well,i dont know what i did but i fixed it.I went and got a ground strap,brake switch and some new fuses.Put on the ground strap and nothing changed.Got to looking at the brake switch and it was WAAAAAAYYY out of kilter.I figured out where the switch operated and put it back in....now i have brake lights.But,still had the brighter running light on drivers side.Decided to swap left and right and see what happened.Now they were reversed,bright on right,dim on left.Decided to swap the bulbs just top see what happened.....and everything works great,even my license plate light.Dont know what i did,but i sure am glad i did it

[Longhorn Man]

Your brake light switch was DOA...not a common problem.
I'd replace that "too bright bulb" I am guessing that you have it in backwards...or it was assembled on backwards day, and the wrong filliment is light up on the parkign lamp circuit.
As for the loose socket, you can CAREFULLY crimp the housing a little (very little) and get good contact.