johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

I'm planning on drilling a hole, use a grommet, and splice, solder, and liquid electrical tape the pigtail to the plate light wiring. I like your idea, likely would still need to drill a hole. No big deal with the beercan trucks, no rust.
Used to be on the OBS F250, and the Superdude 250's, the DRW light bar would connect right up, holes for mounting and the pigtail pass through were already there. Made it nice, I'd just use pushpins to hold the bar.
Please let us know what you come up with, measurements, photo, etc.

asdaven

I'm hoping to not have to do that and run it through the tailgate harness hole. I still gotta find a pigtail with the opposite connector of the license plate connector pigtail...on the socket side but just the connector.

Ford still recommends sealing any bare metal up with their corrosion inhibitor, so id do it at your own risk. Aluminum still oxidizes apparently but differently than steel....maybe would be good with a tight fitting rubber grommet. Use a step bit for a clean hole. Trouble is with the Ford Aluminum....mounting anything screw or bolt-wise with steel hardware is not reccomended. I've fiddled with aluminum screws and they are so soft that they're very easy to snap off tightening down things. Everybody says " just use some steel self-tapping screws"....no thanks. I'm not going to risk galvanic corrosion on my brand new truck. Yeah the aluminum dosent rust which is great, but can react with some steel hardware in weird ways and quicker than rust.

That's why I'm looking into using 3M double stick tape. Not the regular stuff but the more permanent automotive stuff they use for emblems and such. Gotta goto a auto parts store for it, not home depot. The aftermarket tailgate light bars all use tape and are usually fine, so hopefully it can be done with this.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

10/4 on the step bit and corrosion. I failed to mention both, plan using something to "rust" proof the Al.
And a huge 10/4 on mounting, I've got a roll of the 3M tape sitting right here.
It appears GM uses a square hole, and a snap attachment to afix their lightbar, along with 2 screws, and the tabs need to be trimmed off, along with basically a stress relief around their pigtail.
I'm all set to go with what I have, but think I'll wait and see what you come up with on the OEM unit.
If those wires on the Ford can be fed up thru the flange, I'll go that way. The only reason I was going to drill for the GM unit, I thought it would fit more flatter on the flange.

asdaven

Another thought.....probably whatever you purchase is going to have two wires.....I wonder if it can be run as an auxiliary to the tag lights (two wires hooked up to both tag light wires) or does there need to be a separate ground split off to run to the chassis ground?

Anotherwards, whether to incorporate the tailgate light fully into the tag light circuit (wire up positive/negative) or just tap into the positive tag light wire and run the other wire to chassis ground?

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Initially, I was thinking of tapping into the hot and ground both on one of the tag lights. I changed my mind, and now plan on just splicing into the hot wire on the tag light, then running the ground to a convenient screw/bolt on the body somewhere, that way only one splice. That's the way I did it on my '12, now that I think of it. Either way would work, I just think 1 splice, other than 2 would be easier. And might even look cleaner if someone would look under there to see what's what.

The tag lights are just the closest source, but space is limited to work. Might just extend the hot wire up to one of the tail lights. Thinking, again, that's what I'm gonna do. Easier on the olde body than laying underneath with a soldering gun, tools, etc.

asdaven

Well if I do the harness idea, I guess either way would work. The idea is to make a two way harness to splice into INSTEAD of splicing into the truck wiring and then plug and play from there. There is a ground nearby I know from looking at a schematic. I'm just wondering if there is any ill effect electrical wise by just incorporating the lights into the license plate lamps circuit instead of going to a ground.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

How about something like this?
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b...nnector-wiring
Supposedly it plugs into an existing male/female connector. Years ago, people would use them for trailer wiring when the vehicle didn't come equipped. If I was to do that, I'd just cut the wires to length, and hardwire into the light bar pigtail. Then just cut off the wires that wouldn't be used, and insulate with liquid tape?

I don't think there would be any problem where you grabbed a ground.
I understand what you're wanting to do, just don't how you'd do it.

If it wasn't so cold and snowy, I'd look underneath and see what's there.

Sizzle

Did anyone ever verify if the super duty light will fit? Or figure out dimensions of the OEM super duty light? Here are the parts for anyone that is interested:

Lamp:
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts...er-hc3z13a613c

Wiring harness:
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts...-8u2z14s411aac

asdaven

So, I went to the dealership today and they didint have the part in stock but the parts guy gave me a ruler and told me to walk down to the end of the lot and see if there's any super dutys that are duallys at the end. I found one with the lights but couldn't get a good measurement on it since it's recessed into the tailgate area......BUT from eyeballing it, I think it's too big. The SuperDutys have wayyyyy more space there than the 150s.

I think the magic number is 1" for the F-150.....maybe 1 1/4" tall would fit. And the piece on the F-350 looks a fair bit over 1" tall. The parts guy said he ll order one anyhow cause now he's curious. So when that comes in....probably later this week...I can give a final determination whether it'll work......But my gut feeling is its too big.....So I might have to goto GM. If I go with the Chevy one, I'm going to try that newer part number....its cheaper and probably a even nicer piece. Anybody looked at Dodge ones?

As far as making a harness.....just planning on using a connector to plug into the chassis connector that normally hooks into the license plate bulb socket, then running two wires soldiered to a socket connector pig tail that goes to the license plate light, then soldering in the two wires to the tailgate lights off those two wires....that way there is zero modification to the truck wiring...just a intermediate harness plugged in between the connector and license plate lamps socket......my only missing piece is the chassis connector to harness connector......im wondering if I could buy an extra bulb socket and somehow adapt it to have wires coming out the bulb side them cover in a large piece of heat shrink to make it weatherproof. Basically make it into a connector.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Does that harness plug directly into the truck harness, or into the lightbar?

Sorta lost me a little on that.
Yes, the chassis connector is the missing link. I wonder if that harness that Sizzle showed, is what is needed.