[HOW-TO] "4-HI" brake light mod (EASY method!) (STOCK TAILS)

[Tricky's_Limitedhoe]

Good write up and in detail wish it was done before I did mine and went out and got a soldering gun to look pretty on work bench since it was only used once. I had tried to jump wires first but didn't know it needed grounding.


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[Parentnoia]

Just finished doing this mod on my Suburban. Had my uncle come home right as I was test fitting it after doing both and he told me I had a light out because the top one wasnt working on the passenger side but it was working on the driver's side. He then proceeded to tell me multiple times that I needed a new circuit board and that whatever wiring I was doing (while I was checking what I did wrong) was only going to be a temporary fix.

 

[jdyates]

Just finished doing this mod on my Suburban. Had my uncle come home right as I was test fitting it after doing both and he told me I had a light out because the top one wasnt working on the passenger side but it was working on the driver's side. He then proceeded to tell me multiple times that I needed a new circuit board and that whatever wiring I was doing (while I was checking what I did wrong) was only going to be a temporary fix.

Well, glad to hear you got it working at least on the driver's side, did you figure out the passenger side?

 

[jdyates]

Good write up and in detail wish it was done before I did mine and went out and got a soldering gun to look pretty on work bench since it was only used once. I had tried to jump wires first but didn't know it needed grounding.


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Yeah i knew there had to be a simpler way. I didn't have a soldering gun when i found the other right up, so i decided to try a little idea i had to jump the ground and run power to the high filament in the top bulb then whalah. It worked. Figured this would be better than having to break solder points and re-solder every time you blow a bulb.

 

[Parentnoia]

Well, glad to hear you got it working at least on the driver's side, did you figure out the passenger side?

Oh, yeah. All it was was that one end of the wire connecting the + sides wasnt making contact.

 

[jdyates]

Oh, yeah. All it was was that one end of the wire connecting the + sides wasnt making contact.

Gotcha. I had the same problem in the initial testing stages. Just have to position it good and hope it makes contact. If not, just pop it out, and try again. That's what's so good about the no-solder part of this. I'm surprised no one made something similar before. My dad was making fun of me because i made it seem like it "came to me in a dream" lol.

 

[Cablguy184]

interesting modification ... May have to try this out !!!

Thanks

 

[Vortec Lover]

In a nutshell: all you need is a small wires that hit the hot and ground on both bulbs on each side?

 

[88GMCtruck]

Gotcha. I had the same problem in the initial testing stages. Just have to position it good and hope it makes contact. If not, just pop it out, and try again. That's what's so good about the no-solder part of this. I'm surprised no one made something similar before. My dad was making fun of me because i made it seem like it "came to me in a dream" lol.

I did this and a writeup for this in 2004 on Chevytruckworld and Fullsizechevy. I modded my circuit boards to light bolt filaments and added an upper and lower 194 marker bulb to mimic the 2003+ Silverado tails.

I did mine to a set of 88-89 tails with the 1157 bayonet based bulbs. It's not as easy as the 90+ trucks with the 3157 wedge base bulbs. I had to remove a strip of materal down the side to fit the wire between the bulb and socket. After all said and done, I had a good deal of problems with them because of the additional heat. The 88-89 circuit boards are garbage because of the bayonet based bulbs. I switch to 90+ style circuit boards and did the same thing as Joesph did above, and after about a year had problems again. In 2007 I was fed up and cut the OEM plug off and used individual sockets like the GMT800 trucks use, and held them in with a piece of plumber's tape. Haven't had a problem since.

My original threads no longer have pictures; at some point they went the wayside with a failing hardrive and the forum they were hosted on no longer has them.


Having done this mod myself, and had it for a LONG time, I would not suggest it on the OEM style circuit boards; I personally had too many problems with the boards messing up.



If anyone is interested in seeing the GMT800 sockets on my truck I could get a picture of them.

 

[JAngeli]

I did this and a writeup for this in 2004 on Chevytruckworld and Fullsizechevy. I modded my circuit boards to light bolt filaments and added an upper and lower 194 marker bulb to mimic the 2003+ Silverado tails.

I did mine to a set of 88-89 tails with the 1157 bayonet based bulbs. It's not as easy as the 90+ trucks with the 3157 wedge base bulbs. I had to remove a strip of materal down the side to fit the wire between the bulb and socket. After all said and done, I had a good deal of problems with them because of the additional heat. The 88-89 circuit boards are garbage because of the bayonet based bulbs. I switch to 90+ style circuit boards and did the same thing as Joesph did above, and after about a year had problems again. In 2007 I was fed up and cut the OEM plug off and used individual sockets like the GMT800 trucks use, and held them in with a piece of plumber's tape. Haven't had a problem since.

My original threads no longer have pictures; at some point they went the wayside with a failing hardrive and the forum they were hosted on no longer has them.


Having done this mod myself, and had it for a LONG time, I would not suggest it on the OEM style circuit boards; I personally had too many problems with the boards messing up.



If anyone is interested in seeing the GMT800 sockets on my truck I could get a picture of them.

I`m interested, thanks.