Brake light tail lights

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roboman7s

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Guys been doing some thinking, I kinda like the way the newer cars have the led lights that show out through the tail light lenses so I thought about doing this. You can buy those Led Strip lights for like $20 for 15ft of them and they are 12 vdc. I haven't physically looked at my demon yet to see what is what back there, so I figured see what you guys think. Few questions are though.

Separating the lense from the housing. What's the easiest way to do this?
So you have RH & Lh Brake and Turn signal
Then Tail lights, not real sure how those all work. Is it a separate bulb or they use a resistance to dim the bulbs?
Anybody have a print for the Lights?

Interested to see some input, and wonder if anybody has done this?
 
I'm generally against some of thes modification. OEM lighting on vehicles is required to meet DOT

Now let's "make" a scenario.

Let's say you "build" some rear lighting system. And something happens. Someone a-holes you and pushes you into someone else, someone gets hurt or imagines they do (whiplash) The SECOND some shyster lawyer finds out your rear lighting is not DOT this leaves you open to liability.

It matters not how well they do or did work. That fact that the thing was "did it yourself" gives the legal pickpockets a target.

Think about it.
 
67Dart273 said:
I'm generally against some of thes modification. OEM lighting on vehicles is required to meet DOT

Now let's "make" a scenario.

Let's say you "build" some rear lighting system. And something happens. Someone a-holes you and pushes you into someone else, someone gets hurt or imagines they do (whiplash) The SECOND some shyster lawyer finds out your rear lighting is not DOT this leaves you open to liability.

It matters not how well they do or did work. That fact that the thing was "did it yourself" gives the legal pickpockets a target.

Think about it.
Click to expand...

And yet we do it anyway. :D
 
Ok not to start a huge debate or anything. Here is what i was thinking though, in theory it should work, might have to add a diode or something though so it doesn't back feed the tail light circuit, but not sure that it would really even matter.

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taillight_zpsgllmprkb.png
 
I don't know what you are doing, there. These old girls use dual filament stop/ tail bulbs. One smaller filament is the tail, and the larger is the stop and turn. The turn signal switch routes brake light power to both filaments when centered, and to only one side when the TS switch is to the opposite side

You can download service manuals as well as aftermarket electrical diagrams over at MyMopar

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31
 
This is life-safety equipment we're talking about -- not fashion toys. All vehicle exterior lighting functions, even the ones that aren't mandatory (like daytime running lights and side turn signal repeaters in the USA, or central brake lights on cars made before 1986, etc) are highly specified as to their design, construction, numerous aspects of performance, durability, etc. It's far, far more detailed than just "Well, it's a red light facing rearward that comes on when I step on the brake, so it's a brake light". We do not get to just declare any ol' light into whatever function we want -- that's unsafe, even if we don't have to pass an inspection.

Safe/effective homemade LED lamps are possible but not simple to construct. See threads here and here for two examples of homemade LED light projects with the right amount of thought, effort, understanding, and technique behind them to be probably safe.

Or just do it the fast, easy, effective, and inexpensive way. Clean the front park/turn and rear brake/tail/turn lamp lenses in hot soapy water. If the reflectors are at all dull or peeling, stuff wads of masking tape in the bulb holes (or remove the sockets if they're the removable type), clean the reflectors with alcohol, then spray them with readily available "chrome" spray paint, which is practically ideal for the task.

Then, put these in the brake/tail lights and these in the back-up lights.

You will need to swap in this turn signal flasher (2-prong like original, direct swap).

These recommendations are very specific -- they are the only legitimate LED retrofit bulbs that'll work properly and safely. There's a mountain of garbage on the market, too, so use only these specific LED bulbs. There's no legitimate LED bulb for the front park/turn lights yet. Soon, but not yet.
 
slantsixdan said:
This is life-safety equipment we're talking about -- not fashion toys. All vehicle exterior lighting functions, even the ones that aren't mandatory (like daytime running lights and side turn signal repeaters in the USA, or central brake lights on cars made before 1986, etc) are highly specified as to their design, construction, numerous aspects of performance, durability, etc. It's far, far more detailed than just "Well, it's a red light facing rearward that comes on when I step on the brake, so it's a brake light". We do not get to just declare any ol' light into whatever function we want -- that's unsafe, even if we don't have to pass an inspection.

Safe/effective homemade LED lamps are possible but not simple to construct. See threads here and here for two examples of homemade LED light projects with the right amount of thought, effort, understanding, and technique behind them to be probably safe.

Or just do it the fast, easy, effective, and inexpensive way. Clean the front park/turn and rear brake/tail/turn lamp lenses in hot soapy water. If the reflectors are at all dull or peeling, stuff wads of masking tape in the bulb holes (or remove the sockets if they're the removable type), clean the reflectors with alcohol, then spray them with readily available "chrome" spray paint, which is practically ideal for the task.

Then, put these in the brake/tail lights and these in the back-up lights.

You will need to swap in this turn signal flasher (2-prong like original, direct swap).

These recommendations are very specific -- they are the only legitimate LED retrofit bulbs that'll work properly and safely. There's a mountain of garbage on the market, too, so use only these specific LED bulbs. There's no legitimate LED bulb for the front park/turn lights yet. Soon, but not yet.
Click to expand...

I`m far , far from an auto. elec., but I bought 2 small, 1 1/4" x 4" low power led lights, (half orange and half red) off ebay. they fit the exhaust cut outs in the rear of my 68 fish about perfectly. wired them to the brake lights only, they are very bright when the brakes are pushed, very low currant draw, fill the empty space in the rear roll pan, and look kinda neat. don`t have room for 3 1/2" exhaust to get back there, as I will not run them under the springs as some have suggested.
 
Thanks Slant Six Dan for the awesome info, that's what I was needing!!! Yes LED, stands for Light Emitting Diode, the diode I was talking about would be upstream of them. The Resistor in the drawing would knock the 12 volts down some so the lights would be dim for Tail Lights then when you press on the brake it would bypass the resistor and give it full power for Brake Lights or turn signals. Be just like a two stage bulb, that we have now. I do heed your comments on the DOT, this is for a drag Car so that won't be an issue. So it's far from a "ricer" I guess some of us need to go back to Facebook.
 
Well there you go, thanks so much. I didn't figure anybody made anything for these things but this is the ticket. Thanks Brown
 
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