Wiring Help Needed - '59 3100

[ngw91]

We bought our truck a year ago and are finally in the finishing stages (hopefully) of wiring. I know that the front dual lights work (high and low beam) + I know the bottom parking lights work as well. the truck did not have turn signals or tail lights wiring when we got it, so here are where my questions start:

For the taillights:
I have an orange wire with bullet connector going to the stop light switch, should I then have the white wire from the second terminal on the stop light switch going back to the tail lights? I want to wire in the license plate bracket light on the same black wire to my taillights. When looking at adding a turn signal kit, I need to have separate wires going to left and right rear lights (allowing each light to blink independently for turning). Do I need to wire the licence plate bracket light on its own wire?

For the front parking lights:
Right now both lights are powered by a purple wire form the main harness. This wire first connects to the drivers side front park light and then goes onto the passenger side. I need to wire these lights individually similarly to the taillights? Allowing them to blink independently of one other?

Wiring in the turn signals:
Should I just use t-tap wire connectors and splice into the wires leading from the pull nob lighting switch mounted to the dash?

Thanks a bunch, very new to this forum and it already looks helpful!

P.S: I have looked at the accessory installation manuals, truck owners manual, and wiring diagrams. I could not find these documents specific to 58-59 years but i assume the wiring is the same from 55-59?


-Nick

[mr48chev]

59 should have come wired for turn signals from the factory. Front and rear.

The simple way to wire the tail lights is to go to the parts house and get a roll of 4 strand trailer light wire that is long enough to go from the dash to the right tail light. That gives you a nice harness setup to run all the way back without scabbed together wires and keeps the factory color coding.

No matter what wire you use spend the money one way or the other and get the correct color coded wires for where you are using the wire. I have had to trouble shoot a street rod on the side of the road where every wire on the car was red. That is a serous pain in the butt when you are figuring out what goes where laying under the truck because the lights don't work. The wrong color code is almost as bad. It doesn't matter if you don't like the colors or don't want to spend the extra money it reduces headaches later.

I can't find a 59 specific wiring diagram that is color coded that someone doesn't want money to look at or you don't have to buy but I seriously suggest that you don't attempt wiring the truck until you have a proper wiring diagram in you hand to follow. Your questions show that you are not well versed in wiring or how it works and that is a must have for you.

As far as lights go
Head lights are usually wired with one wire going to the left side then extending on to the right side.

Park lights are wired with one wire going to the left side and the wire extending on to the right side. Park lights do not flash, the turn signal in them is what flashes Also unless you use a later switch the park lights only work in the park position and do not work with the headlights on.

Tail lights are wire with the wire going to the left side and then running on to the right side.

front turn signals are wired individually with a wire running from the turn signal switch to the proper light

If the brake and rear turn lights use the same bulb the wire from the brake switch runs to the turn signal switch and the proper wires run to the respective stop/turn lights at the back.

[dsraven]

like mr48 said.

I guess you would need to see if you have the old fashioned 3 wire turn signal switch or the newer switch with 7 wires in it. the old 3 wire units were for trucks with separate brake and signal lights and they used single element bulbs. each circuit had it's own bulb. you need more lights back there for this style so it can get cluttered up quick

normally,
-marker lights are not turn signals. these are different circuits.
-rear signal lights and brake lights use the same circuits, left and right are searate from each other
-front signal lights are separate from rear signal lights
-marker light housings with turn signals integrated into the same light housing will likely use the same bulb and bulb socket but will have a dual filament bub and dual contact wiring pigtail in the socket. one filament is is used for marker lights, the dimmer filament. the other filament is used for turn signals, the brighter filament. that way the signals are brighter and can be seen when the marker lights are turned on. usually this is an 1157 bulb if you want to see what I mean by dual filament. google it.
-front and rear signals are separate circuits because the rear signals are integrated with the brake lights.
-the brake light wiring comes from a fused power source, usually an always hot power source, so the brake lights will operate even if the key is off.
from the fuse, power will go to the brake light switch, exit the brake light switch and go to the signal light switch. at the signal switch it is divided into 2 circuits,left rear and right rear, and works in tandem with the signal light wiring for the rear lights. the switch does the work for you here. this way the same element in the bulb is used but when the signals are called for the brake light power is cut off to the related light so it will flash through the signal light circuit and that bright filament in the bulb will be seen over the regular tail light filament. the brake portion of the circuit isn't powered up through the signal light switch during signal usage.
these 2 circuits, rear signal and brake, will utilize the same bulb filament in a single brake/signal light bulb. usually these tail lights and signal/brake light combination tail lights will use an 1157 bulb in the same fashion as the front marker signal lights.
some of the tail light units sold and used over the years will also have another, single wire, bulb socket for use as a back up light. some will have a small window in the bottom of the light housing that will illuminate the lic. plate below the light housing. the other side of the truck will not usually have the window. if ordering lights for the rear keep that in mind if using a lic. plate below the tail light. it keeps you from buying another small light assy for use as a lic. plate light. before you buy lights ensure you are getting the bulb and wiring combination you need for your style of wiring. if not using a back up light you should be able to wire the rear with a single, dual filament, bulb per side. it will give you a tail light and a stop/turn light from a single bulb.

maybe this thread can shed some light.different year but same theory. wiring diagrams tend to show items in a spot that makes it easy to draw and have some space left on the page. because of this some items that are in the same area or even the same light bulb socket will be shown like they are located separate from each other. bear that in mind. with that said, some guys have run separate lights for the markers and signals, possibly because they simply didn't understand how the system works

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=509085

like mr48 says, try to wire stuff with the proper colors. lights are sort of universal that way. brown will be marker/tail, green will be right turn and brake, yellow will be left turn and brake. make sure the light housing is also grounded well to complete the circuit. star washers will help you here. I try to use some type of non hardening form a gasket on the screws where they fit to the body, simply to stop corrosion. if mounting the lights to the truck box make sure the box steel is grounded to the truck frame with a strap. same on the rad support or fenders where the other lights may be grounded.

hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more.

[OrrieG]

Here is a factory wiring diagram and turn signal internal diagram. Most aftermarket switches I have seen follow the same wiring color scheme.

[ngw91]

Thank you all that have helped! I decided to use the standard 4-wire trailer wiring and wired up the rear as follows;

Brown: Runs from light switch in the cab back to tail lights. This is connected to the dimmer of the two filaments in the taillights.
Green: runs from right tail light into the turn signal wiring.
Yellow: runs from left tail light into the turn signal wiring.
White: Runs from brake light switch to rear lights. Pigtails in with green or yellow depending on side at the tail lamp.

I used a t-tap connection to wire in the licence plate light (tapped into the brown wire). I will also be individually grounding each tail light to the frame.

Looking to start on the front wires today!

[_Ogre]

Stop what your doing and read the posts above. 3 wires go to the back lights. One wire from headlight switch to the taillights and two from the turn signal switch to the rear stop/turn lights. The turn signal switch gets power from the brake switch.
Old trucks have 6 wires in the turn signal switch. Power in, brake power in and 4 wires out to each corner of the truck.

[ngw91]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

Stop what your doing and read the posts above. 3 wires go to the back lights. One wire from headlight switch to the taillights and two from the turn signal switch to the rear stop/turn lights. The turn signal switch gets power from the brake switch.
Old trucks have 6 wires in the turn signal switch. Power in, brake power in and 4 wires out to each corner of the truck.

Thank you everyone for the much needed clarification. Although it is not 100% complete, I now understand all of the silly mistakes I was originally making.

Rear lights: I have the rear lights working perfectly (running lights, blinking when activated, and braking when the stop switch is activated)! I tapped into the brown wire to try and give power to my center mounted license plate light, but I am having no luck in getting the light to come on (bulb and wiring connection appear to be fine). The license plate bracket is securely connected to the cross member + I ran an additional eyelet ground to the chassis. I know the brown wire is hot when the running light switch is activated because there is power in the rear bulbs.


Front Lights:
I have a majority of the front lights working. I have working turn signals in the park lights when activated (left, right, and hazard) but only have a lit bulb to the LF park light when light switch is in park mode. I am confused on to why the power would not continue on to the passenger side. The purple wire goes from light switch in the cab to LF park light, then continuing on to RF park light.

Thanks again for all of the help!