Composite to W/T Headlight Wiring

[NightRunner]

Hello everyone! I know I've been relatively quiet on the forums lately as I've been busy with relocating myself to a new home and work has also gotten a bit much as well. However, now that the craziness has died down to a tolerable level I'm looking to get some more work done on the truck.

Previously, when repairing the front end I purchased a "less than quality" core support online. I'm not the biggest fan of it as most bolt holes have welds broken inside of them and I've basically had to rig the entire front end up in a way I'm not exactly comfortable with. So to fix this, I'm hitting a junkyard soon and pulling a core support from a truck with no front end damage. While I'm there however, I'm going to start looking for a clean W/T Grille and get it mounted up with new corner lights and headlights. I've been really off put with the front end of my truck just not matching the rest of it. It always seemed "newer" than the rest of the truck (especially with the 88-94 interior), so I'm looking to get a more retro look with the W/T setup.

My main question is, what's all involved with the wiring between composite and W/T? Since it's a single headlight, I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to combine my low and high beam wiring to go to one headlight instead of two. Same with the lower blinker lights. If anyone has some guidance to this, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DerekTheGreat]

I can't help ya with wiring and such but have you given thought to the quad glass headlight set up found on '88 & '89 trucks? I love the look myself and prefer it since it was an uplevel option on midlevel trim trucks and standard on top trim level (GM: SLX & SLE || Chevy: Scottsdale & Silverado)

 

[df2x4]

I have no useful info, but I'm curious to see what you find out. GM Parts Direct shows part number 15302417 as the single headlamp wiring harness, but unfortunately it's discontinued. I'd imagine that the parking lights and corner markers are very similar as they're the same quantity and orientation as the quad headlight/composite grilles.

I know this may not be what you're looking for since you're going for an old-school vibe, but if you're swapping to a W/T grille that opens up an opportunity to use what are probably the best headlights available for these trucks. The LED 5x7s from TruckLite or GE. The only LED headlights that will actually work properly, because the entire housing was designed around them to reflect light where it's supposed to go and not blind oncoming traffic. They're expensive and probably not everyone's cup of tea, but if I were running a W/T grille I would absolutely have some of these.

Be wary of the cheap copies, I'd stick to TruckLite or GE. @Ruger_556 made a thread on the TruckLites a long time ago, he liked them a lot.

Link to that thread:
https://www.gmt400.com/threads/led-headlights-for-w-t-front.23337/

Link to the TruckLites on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Truck-Lite-27450C-LED-Headlamp-High/dp/B013FX3OEC

Link to the GEs on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/GE-Lighting-69822-Rectangular-Replacement/dp/B00BQX2BSO

And that concludes this edition of "None of the info you asked for, plenty that you didn't!"

 

[NightRunner]

I gave the dual headlight set up a thought awhile back, but due to the rarity of parts on that end as well I gave up on it. I can find a ton of W/T grilles in junkyards everywhere and those sealed beam headlights are cheap. The brackets and bulbs for the dual headlight setup gets a bit ridiculous in price. Lol

 

[outlawten5]

I just went from W/T grill to composite. I still have the old grill and harness

 

[NightRunner]

I just went from W/T grill to composite. I still have the old grill and harness

Shipping that grille would probably be a PITA but the harness, not so much. I'll keep an eye out locally, still trying to get prices from junkyards on parts. When I pull the trigger, I'll PM you if I can't find my own lol

 

[outlawten5]

I think I tossed the headlights and buckets. You're welcome to the harness if you pay shipping

 

[DerekTheGreat]

I gave the dual headlight set up a thought awhile back, but due to the rarity of parts on that end as well I gave up on it. I can find a ton of W/T grilles in junkyards everywhere and those sealed beam headlights are cheap. The brackets and bulbs for the dual headlight setup gets a bit ridiculous in price. Lol

I'm going back to a yard this Sunday to try and pull a 14 bolt SF for my truck. I think there was a quad headlight truck in there. At least one suitable truck turns up per month, how I've been accumulating factory spare high beams as it seems all of them are made in China and chincy now. Anyway, I could pull the stuff for you but being a southerner, I think the rust would turn you off to the parts haha. Grilles are always non existent or gone. Last time I saw one, I informed my buddy who bought our old '88 who came and snatched that faster than a hobo inhaling a free sandwich. (Tow truck driver pulled truck onto ramp in 'L' with ignition on and truck started itself, walked up the ramp and smashed into the back of the tow truck. Owwie.)

 

[Steve A]

Hello everyone! I know I've been relatively quiet on the forums lately as I've been busy with relocating myself to a new home and work has also gotten a bit much as well. However, now that the craziness has died down to a tolerable level I'm looking to get some more work done on the truck.

Previously, when repairing the front end I purchased a "less than quality" core support online. I'm not the biggest fan of it as most bolt holes have welds broken inside of them and I've basically had to rig the entire front end up in a way I'm not exactly comfortable with. So to fix this, I'm hitting a junkyard soon and pulling a core support from a truck with no front end damage. While I'm there however, I'm going to start looking for a clean W/T Grille and get it mounted up with new corner lights and headlights. I've been really off put with the front end of my truck just not matching the rest of it. It always seemed "newer" than the rest of the truck (especially with the 88-94 interior), so I'm looking to get a more retro look with the W/T setup.

My main question is, what's all involved with the wiring between composite and W/T? Since it's a single headlight, I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to combine my low and high beam wiring to go to one headlight instead of two. Same with the lower blinker lights. If anyone has some guidance to this, it would be greatly appreciated!

Composite light connectors should be 2 pin, 1 hot 1 ground. The single headlight system uses a 3 pin connector, 1 hi, 1 lo, 1 ground. Just match hi to hi, lo to lo, combine the grounds to the 3 pin connector ground. This would be an excellent time to add relays to provide full battery power to the headlights as well.

 

[NightRunner]

Exactly what I was thinking, I just wasn't sure if I was correct in this. I'll probably try to find an old wrecked white W/T to pull some extra parts from and lob the headlight connectors off as well.

Thanks for the help everyone!