side markers

[llegos]

my truck has the lenses and all for the side markers, but no actual lights/sockets/wiring. Did some of these trucks not actually come with lighting? is there such thing as a conversion kit to wire all this back up?

Thanks
-steve

[Longhorn Man]

68 and 69 had the side markers as an option.

[86swb]

This was an option in '69? I thought it was '67-'68? But as hard as it is to believe, I did make one other mistake in my life. No, wait a minit, I am mistaken. This would be the first (if I am wrong)

[Yukon Jack]

My 69 did not have lights for the side markers. I put in a new engine side harness and it is setup to use side marker lights.

[Fred T]

Federal law madated side markers in 1968. Some exemptions were allowed, allowing the auto makers to phase them in. On GM trucks, reflectors were used in 68 and most of the 69 models. After the change in 69, the GM trucks had lighted side markers.

[Hook'em]

I have the same set-up without lights. How difficult is it to wire in lights? Would you just wire in running lights or coordinate them with the turn signals?

[Putter]

Mine had reflectors only. I got the marker lenses with holes for lights from the parts board. Then hit the junk yard to find the 4 lights....almost any Chevy marker light is the right one....all the way up into the late '90s.
On the front, just connect the two marker wires to the two front running light wires.
On the rear, ground one leg of the marker light and connect the other wire to the tail light, running light, park light.....what ever you want to call it (not turn/brake).
The front ones will blink with the turn signals, the rear will not.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Fred T

Federal law madated side markers in 1968. Some exemptions were allowed, allowing the auto makers to phase them in. On GM trucks, reflectors were used in 68 and most of the 69 models. After the change in 69, the GM trucks had lighted side markers.

Man, I still learn something new here everyday!

[86swb]

OK, I will have to admit, I did learn something too. I just new a friend who had a '69 and he had lighted marker lights.

[76bonanza]

Here in Missouri they are not required to be lighted just reflective.

[86swb]

Originally Posted by 76bonanza

Here in Missouri they are not required to be lighted just reflective.

On all trucks??

[76bonanza]

on any thing, side markers only need to be refelective. many new cars only have reflectors in them I am looking at a 2001 sable only has refelctors on front side many cars are like this look around at some cars in your area I am sure you will find the same.

[byrd]

I bought pigtails and sockets from boose engineering and just spliced them in. I think I paid like $3/per pigtail and socket, saved the yard time. Randy

[70GMCer]

So, what bulbs, (number) would be used for the side lights when wired into the turn signals? Would have to be a double element type, right?

[llegos]

mine have the reflectors and all, so i just wanted to know whats involved in making it lighted....

[byrd]

I think the bulb is a single element 194 and it, I haven't ran the truck since doing this, so they should come on with the runnings lights and blick along with the turn signal,I hope that's what it will do, so it will easier for people to know I want to turn, or switch lanes.

[modifiedGMC]

My 69 GMC had front reflectors but I changed them to the ones with the chrome trim and wired the lights into the front running/park lights.Unless use use a double element bulb with wire to turn and one to running/park lights and a ground then the lights will not blink with turn signals unless you only wire them to turns but then they won't be marker lights.You can make them do what you want.

[llegos]

what would be optimal would have them be functional as turns as running lights. it would be awesome if i could time them to go perfectly out of sinc with the regular turn signals

[86swb]

Originally Posted by modifiedGMC

Unless use use a double element bulb with wire to turn and one to running/park lights and a ground then the lights will not blink with turn signals unless you only wire them to turns but then they won't be marker lights.

What double element bulbs and wire did you use to do this?

[GMC Jim]

Double element lamps are not necessary to have the marker lights blink. When wired per factory, front marker lights blink alternating with the front turn signals. When turn signals are not in use; the front side marker lites emit a steady light. Factory lamps are # 194 - 2 candlepower. Using the # 168; lite ouput will be increased by 1/3 ; output is 3 C.P. The #168 can also be used in the instrument clueter panel for a brighter display.

[Longhorn Man]

In order to make the front markers blink, you need to wire both wires from the light, and connect them into both wires on the parking/turn signal.
How this works, the parking light is on, the blinker is off. The side marker grounds through the turn signal wire which is turned off. When you turn on the blinker, the ground is taken away from the side marker every time power is sent to turn on the turn signal.
Not ALL of the trucks were wired as so, There seems to be no rhyme nor reason top it either. I did a poll here about 2 years ago, and it was about 50/50 some blink, some don't.
Of the 2 19780 Longhornsa I have had... one CST, one clain C, One blinked, the other does not...both stock harnesses.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

In order to make the front markers blink, you need to wire both wires from the light, and connect them into both wires on the parking/turn signal.
How this works, the parking light is on, the blinker is off. The side marker grounds through the turn signal wire which is turned off. When you turn on the blinker, the ground is taken away from the side marker every time power is sent to turn on the turn signal.
Not ALL of the trucks were wired as so, There seems to be no rhyme nor reason top it either. I did a poll here about 2 years ago, and it was about 50/50 some blink, some don't.
Of the 2 19780 Longhornsa I have had... one CST, one clain C, One blinked, the other does not...both stock harnesses.

Was that true for both front and rear? Seems they could both be wired that way. I just got some pigtails for the Burban a few weeks ago.

[86swb]

Would this work OK on my '70 Burb you think? I am thinking about doing this myself.

[Longhorn Man]

This would work on your burb ...yes.

Frizzle, you COULD wire up the rear ones like that, however, everytime you hit the brakes, the rear markers would go out.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

This would work on your burb ...yes.

Frizzle, you COULD wire up the rear ones like that, however, everytime you hit the brakes, the rear markers would go out.

Thanks, so I'm assuming this was never done factory. I guess one would have to run wires from the flashers to the rear side markers wired like the front with the rear brake/signal wires left alone to prevent that.