Brake Light switch or Bracket???

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Mgarrett88

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Hello All!!!
Just became a member on here not too long ago. Last year a picked up a nice condition 1972 Plymouth Scamp. Mostly all original and my wife and I are thrilled to have it.
The other day my wife was following me home and she noticed that my brake lights were not working or would only come on momentarily. When I got home I started to look into things.
I have been doing a lot of research on here and reading but to a point where I dont know what to do next.
The brakes themselves work great. Pedal has a bit of play but not much at all and pedal stays firm. I would like the brakes to stay this way and not have a long soft pedal travel.
The hazards and turn signals also work.
The brake lights themselves also do work, however you need to push the pedal down much further than needed during normal stopping conditions. For the brake lights to engage i would be locking up the tires all the time.
So thats when I started doing some digging on here. If the lights come on I would think the switch is fine. I purchased a new switch to have and it almost looks like it has a shorter travel than the old one so I may replace it anyway. I also stumbled across some information from this site that I thought would work for me. Move the bracket back. However when looking at my bracket I do not see how it would move back.
The Bracket has a "hook" on it that goes into a groove that appears would have room to travel back, however there is only one hole in the bracket that the bolt goes through. There is no additional holes to line up and move the bracket back.
Do I need to drill additional holes? Should I soften the brakes even though I do not think that is warranted?

Also any recommendations on how to remove the retaining clip on the brake light switch?

Bracket.jpg


scamp.jpg
 
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My Dart had the same issue. The only way to adjust it is to tweak the bracket a little. I moved mine ever so slightly without even needing pliers. Just make sure you don’t go too far allowing them to come on when the pedal is up.
 
Removing the clip from the switch, I have always used plyers and squeezed the clip around its circumference while pushing the switch thru the hole. The switches normally dont go bad very often.

If the brakes are nice and firm, I wouldent mess with them. Since this car is pushing close to 50 years old, its anybody's guess on the switch bracket. It's a possibility the bracket is maybe incorrect for your A body. Maybe was taken off a different mopar by a prev owner. It's a possibility the bracket is correct, and bent, or that the switch is hanging up before making contact.

From the pic, it looks correct to me, but what do I know LoL.
 
Removing the clip from the switch, I have always used plyers and squeezed the clip around its circumference while pushing the switch thru the hole. The switches normally dont go bad very often.

If the brakes are nice and firm, I wouldent mess with them. Since this car is pushing close to 50 years old, its anybody's guess on the switch bracket. It's a possibility the bracket is maybe incorrect for your A body. Maybe was taken off a different mopar by a prev owner. It's a possibility the bracket is correct, and bent, or that the switch is hanging up before making contact.

From the pic, it looks correct to me, but what do I know LoL.
Figure I would start with the switch and see if that makes a difference. If not I was going from there.
Thanks for the reply
 
My Dart had the same issue. The only way to adjust it is to tweak the bracket a little. I moved mine ever so slightly without even needing pliers. Just make sure you don’t go too far allowing them to come on when the pedal is up.
Did you just start to pull it back? i think it would just bend down by looking at it. did yours move or did you end up going to the side?
 
Did you just start to pull it back? i think it would just bend down by looking at it. did yours move or did you end up going to the side?
I just pulled the bracket/switch assembly away from the pedal. This allows the switch to activate sooner than it currently is.
 
Nice car - congratulations and welcome to FABO.

Tweaking the bracket is the usual way to deal with this sort of issue.
 
No problem. Your Valiant is Dead Sexy. I'm diggin the color and the cragar S/S wheels on it.

Thanks. Its in good shape for being mostly original. The interior is like brand new, there is no rust and over the years she has been undercoated several times so really good shape. Paint could use a touch up but actually the character it has I actually like. Vinyl top is in good shape too. Only mods have been true dual exhaust and the tires and wheels.

The brake light switch that you have to push out, and clamp the clip i think that will be a bit of a chore as i need to depress the pedal as well correct?
Or will the clip say opened up enough after crimping with the pliers?
 
The adjustment is pretty simple once you figure it out. It is just in an awful place to get to. I think you might be able to see in there a little better if you pull off the bottom steering column cover, but I don’t remember for sure.
 
The adjustment is pretty simple once you figure it out. It is just in an awful place to get to. I think you might be able to see in there a little better if you pull off the bottom steering column cover, but I don’t remember for sure.
Is there an adjustment i am missing besides bending it as suggested?
i do not see any other area where i can pull the bracket back to make the adjustment. I plan on backing the bolt off and pulling the bracket back tomorrow night. I may also try and replace the switch. Am i i missing anything else?
 
I’m sorry, I didn’t look at your picture close enough. My mistake. I put a cruise control on mine so I have a later model switch & bracket that is threaded and slotted, so I have a lot of adjustments. When you get older than dirt like me, you tend to disremember things.
Are you sure that the bracket will not slide back in the slot if you loosen it?
 
Loosen the bolt from the passenger side of the bracket, and the silver colored part with the brake switch attached will slide back and forth.

Adjust just enough the keep lights off then turn on with small amount of pedal travel.
 
Steve’s link is what my switch looks like.
But @Mgarrett88 switch looks like older style that adjusts by moving the bracket forward and backward. Move bracket toward the front of the car, the lights comes on later, move it toward the rear of the car, and it comes on earlier. Too far rearward and it will come on without pressing the pedal at inopportune times (ask me how I know!)

Rock Auto shows the same type as @Mgarrett88 and some adjustable generic aftermarket types.

Just loosen bolt and slide bracket. Now if the brake pedal assy was changed at some point to a later year that uses an adjustable switch rather than an adjustable bracket that is another thing altogether!
 
Based on your photo, if you loosen the screw, the switch/bracket slides for adjustment. If you bend the bracket you will have nothing but trouble with the thing. Also note that this switch is not an upward "pedal stop". The bracket will be ruined if it gets a lot of pressure put on it.
 
Ok heres pics from my 69 cuda. In the link I posted earlier, that is from our 67 cuda. Dad and I had similar issues until we replaced switch.
When I loosened the small bolt, there is not enough room in the mount hole to move the small bracket back and forth.
What you would need to do is drill the bolt hole out slightly larger, OR use the new adjustable switch for $5-10.
ONLY thing that could be different with my 69 is that its 4 spd . I doubt that makes a difference tho.
Good luck.
Oh, last pic I'm pointing at is the small hole that mount bolt goes thru. That's the one that would need to be drilled larger. SLIGHTLY.

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20190813_094048.jpg
 
Ok heres pics from my 69 cuda. In the link I posted earlier, that is from our 67 cuda. Dad and I had similar issues until we replaced switch.
When I loosened the small bolt, there is not enough room in the mount hole to move the small bracket back and forth.
What you would need to do is drill the bolt hole out slightly larger, OR use the new adjustable switch for $5-10.
ONLY thing that could be different with my 69 is that its 4 spd . I doubt that makes a difference tho.
Good luck.
Oh, last pic I'm pointing at is the small hole that mount bolt goes thru. That's the one that would need to be drilled larger. SLIGHTLY.

View attachment 1715378304

View attachment 1715378305

View attachment 1715378306
The problem is, some of them have an adjustable switch, some of them have an adjustable bracket. Parts get mis-matched over the years, or aftermarket "universal" switches get installed. That's why yours looks different from the OP's... different parts.
 
My 69 setup was "handy" so that's why i posted pics. I highly doubt that mine are mismatched, but no guarantees.
Easiest solution....adjustable switch. In and out like a ***** on payday.
The problem is, some of them have an adjustable switch, some of them have an adjustable bracket. Parts get mis-matched over the years, or aftermarket "universal" switches get installed. That's why yours looks different from the OP's... different parts.
 
Ok heres pics from my 69 cuda. In the link I posted earlier, that is from our 67 cuda. Dad and I had similar issues until we replaced switch.
When I loosened the small bolt, there is not enough room in the mount hole to move the small bracket back and forth.
What you would need to do is drill the bolt hole out slightly larger, OR use the new adjustable switch for $5-10.
ONLY thing that could be different with my 69 is that its 4 spd . I doubt that makes a difference tho.
Good luck.
Oh, last pic I'm pointing at is the small hole that mount bolt goes thru. That's the one that would need to be drilled larger. SLIGHTLY.

View attachment 1715378304

View attachment 1715378305

View attachment 1715378306
Steve, isnt that the pedal pivot point at that big hole, and the small hole is for the pedal pivot locking tab bolt and nut.
 
My new switch i ordered has no threads or adjustment. Only option will be to try and move the bracket back I am going to try to get to it tonight or tomorrow night. I have reservations that the bracket will slide back if i losen that bolt. But thats my first try. If not ill take bracket off replace switch. And if that doesnt do it then ill have to drill hole or think of something else.
 
Ok heres pics from my 69 cuda. In the link I posted earlier, that is from our 67 cuda. Dad and I had similar issues until we replaced switch.
When I loosened the small bolt, there is not enough room in the mount hole to move the small bracket back and forth.
What you would need to do is drill the bolt hole out slightly larger, OR use the new adjustable switch for $5-10.
ONLY thing that could be different with my 69 is that its 4 spd . I doubt that makes a difference tho.
Good luck.
Oh, last pic I'm pointing at is the small hole that mount bolt goes thru. That's the one that would need to be drilled larger. SLIGHTLY.

Do you have a link to an adjustable switch? I only found ones like mine that were not adjustable

View attachment 1715378304

View attachment 1715378305

View attachment 1715378306
 
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