License plate lighting prob (1 Viewer)

[Sacto60]

87 FJ60 license plate lighting isn't working. Took apart the assy, and the brass sockets seem ok on both sides, but the brackets they attach to are toasty. The green wire running through the tail gate seems okay too. One bulb looks shot, but the other seems fine. A 2007 thread mentioned that w/o the rivets there's no ground for the bulb/circuit. New assy's are expensive if you can find them, so I'd like to see if there's any tricks to get it working. The 2007 post talked about drilling new holes and re-riveting- but I don't have any way to rivet. Would a small screw serve as a ground- as long as it makes good contact to the (non rusted) backing chrome/plate?

 

[3_puppies]

any firm way of attaching would be fine, you can quickly check function by running a ground wire from socket to the body somewhere.

 

[Sacto60]

would ground wire for an auto be like a bare, copper filament- or is it sheathed, and purchased at an auto part store?

 

[John McVicker]

would ground wire for an auto be like a bare, copper filament- or is it sheathed, and purchased at an auto part store?

Yes, regular sheathed wire is what you want. For that application, 14g, 16g or even 18g will be fine. Auto parts store or even cheaper at Walmart.

John

 

[Sacto60]

Eureka!!! Followed the tips above and holy hell it works. Now I just needed to find a place on the frame to make a solid, permanent connection/ground. I tried to get tricky and hijack an old ground wire from a trailer wiring harness that was just hanging out back there, and it worked for a second before blowing a fuse. I'll just stick w/ new ground wire and find some way to connect to the truck.

 

[Output Shaft]

The whole body is grounded. Any self tapping screw or any existing bolt nearby will work.

 

[Sacto60]

The whole body is grounded. Any self tapping screw or any existing bolt nearby will work.

Does that mean I can find a spot inside the lower tailgate, without having to have my wire exiting the tailgate to attach to the frame? Could I tap a screw into the chrome license plate assy? I guess I'm unsure if the painted body paneling/siding is the same as the "body".

 

[3_puppies]

Does that mean I can find a spot inside the lower tailgate, without having to have my wire exiting the tailgate to attach to the frame? Could I tap a screw into the chrome license plate assy? I guess I'm unsure if the painted body paneling/siding is the same as the "body".

problem there is it uses the hinges to ground the tailgate to the body. It would be better to run the wire out of the tailgate to the body directly.

 

[Sacto60]

problem there is it uses the hinges to ground the tailgate to the body. It would be better to run the wire out of the tailgate to the body directly.

OK, thanks for the help- there are little rubber plugs near the accordion wire leading from the tailgate (houses the green wire), I can push through one of those and use a black wire sheath to protect it more (since it'll be "outside"). Would simply wrapping the exposed copper around a bolt be sufficient, or should I use a round connector thing?

 

[Output Shaft]

Poorly crimped ring terminals are worse than just wrapping a wire around a bolt and tightening it. But that's not a very ship shape way to terminate a wire.

 

[Hack]

Why not just clean up (get rid of rust/corrosion) the area that the bulb bracket mounts to (and the bracket), get yourself a pop-rivet gun (and a stainless steel rivet) and fasten it back to the original location????

A stainless steel sheet metal screw would also work, but I favor the rivet in this instance.

 

[dbleon]

Crimp AND solder a suitable ring terminal to a 16ga wire. Heat shrink the connection from the terminal to the tailgate grommet. Do a passthrough the tailgate grommet lightlighy bundling the wires. Cover wires in split loom or similar and tape where exposed between tailgate/body. Run new ground to any suitable body bolt/screw location keeping run as short as possible. (Not nessesary) ->> I like bare metal on all grounds so i carefully sand small patch below bolt/screw location.
Attach ring terminal to new ground location and hit with small dab of elect corrosion inhibitor.

That should do it!

 

[Sacto60]

Why not just clean up (get rid of rust/corrosion) the area that the bulb bracket mounts to (and the bracket), get yourself a pop-rivet gun (and a stainless steel rivet) and fasten it back to the original location????

A stainless steel sheet metal screw would also work, but I favor the rivet in this instance.

The brackets are really toasted, it's basically a thin flake of rust through and through. The main assembly is chrome with parts of encroaching corrosion. So I would guess that a new SS rivet through that rusted bracket wouldn't do it...but I could see. Do you need to drill primer holes when you use a rivet gun?

 

[Hack]

Do you need to drill primer holes when you use a rivet gun?

Yes, if the existing mounting hole isn't large enough. I would think a 3/16" rivet would be fine.

The OEM bracket has a zinc plating with a di-cromate (yellow) finish. You can clean all of that up with a wire wheel. Apply some zinc based primer to it and top coat with the color of your choice. Leave the area where the rivet goes through bare steel.

Or source a new replacement.