tail light trouble

[65truckowner]

I have checked the search and have not found my problem. I am trying to get my 65 on the road but cannot get the tail light or brake lights to work. Here is what I have done. If you remove the taillight assembly and take it to battery and ground it to the ground post and touch the wire to the hot the light works fine both brake and taillight. I have cleaned up the metal where the tail light touches the body but when I wire up the tail light wire and take my test light and touch the side of the bulb it lights up my test light which sounds like it is not grounding. So I took a wire and wrapped it around the metal part of the bulb and grounded it to the screw that holds the taillight to the body still the same. Am I not getting a good ground or what. I want to drive this thing Thursday of Friday. Also I cant get my right turn signal to work. I checked it at the column where it plugs in with the test light and it is real dim for some reason.

[LostMy65]

I ran a separate grounding wire from the taillight assembly to the frame.
I'm thinking the bed itself isn't grounding well enough - perhaps because of the rubber bed mounts.

[wjjeeper]

I just went through the same with my rear right.
Run separate grounds to each tail light bucket from the frame. If that doesn't work unplug your wiring at the rear driver's corner and test there to determine if the issue is between the column and the rear of the truck.

[65truckowner]

Ok so run a wire from the mounting screw to the frame right? I have power all the way back to the lights just cant get the lights to work. I have painted my frame and everything under the truck. That is probably why they are not grounding.

[apachedaddy]

Yes, ground wire from light bucket to frame. This is a very common problem with our trucks.

[kieth]

We soldered a ground wire to the housing of every light on the back of the truck (and the front) ran each ground wire to a grounding block on the frame. (also grounded the body to these blocks.)

here is a picture of a grounding block. after this no more ground problems.
http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-G...cH2c2&lb=1&s=A

here is a link where to purchase these :

http://www.electricalconnection.com/...tion/02207.htm

We did these front and rear, all lights are bright and there is only one place to check for a bad ground. Kieth

[65truckowner]

Thanks guys I ran a ground wire from the screw that hold the tail light housing to the bed to the frame. Problem solved. The brake lights and tail lights work great now.