Trailer Socket Changeover Switch (1 Viewer)

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Thank god I found this thread. The Haynes diagram was giving me absolute fits because I couldn't figure out what this cross over switch was... Looks like it was never installed and Coolerman's photo helped me connect the green/yellow and green/orange wires back together.
 
i also suspect it was rare. we have the oem socket on annie and there's not even holes drilled in the bracket for the switch. if it was more common than not, the holes would most like be there.

and yes, fixing the bracket and getting the socket horizontal again is on my to do list ;)
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Ttt with switch pictures... So happens a to be on ebay (not affiliated )

Part number: 82940-65010



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@melvinjo I posted up in the other thread about posting up some pics... But... This would be a great thread for them as well... When you can get to it :)

Thanks :)
 
melvinjo said:
1967 FJ45 I have the OEM switch and tralier socket: Never knew what the switch did till now
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Yes, please post pics. Especially as to where the two ring terminals attach. Where is your truck from? Do other countries have different tow rules for trailer lights? Here we leave the tow vehicles turn signal lights active and the trailer has turns also. With the changeover switch, you appear to transfer the turns to the trailer disabling them on the tow vehicle. The trailer socket supports park and brake lights but is also wired for backup lights, something not commonly done here in the states.
 
Coolerman said:
Yes, please post pics. Especially as to where the two ring terminals attach. Where is your truck from? Do other countries have different tow rules for trailer lights? Here we leave the tow vehicles turn signal lights active and the trailer has turns also. With the changeover switch, you appear to transfer the turns to the trailer disabling them on the tow vehicle. The trailer socket supports park and brake lights but is also wired for backup lights, something not commonly done here in the states.
Click to expand...
Coolerman, are you still looking for pictures of this setup? I have one on my 78 general market 40.
 
I would be interested in where this switch mounts. The wiring diagrams show it towards the back which is the worse place to have a switch expose to the elements. Not sure what this switch did after the 73 model but on earlier models it just switched the turn signal/brake light from the back of the cruiser to the trailer. Guessing this was to not overload the flasher. My 70 FJ40 flasher doesn't work with a small trailer hooked up. Currently it rare I use a trailer but my plan is to switch to LED bulbs in the trailer as easy fix. Hoping the very small load of the LEDs the flasher will work. I redid the rear wiring harness to undo the original owner's trailer wiring. Currently using the plugs that Toyota plan on having that switch used by just going to the trailer plug direct and not taking the tail lights out of the loop.
 
Might be easier to just use an LED flasher. It will handle the current of all the bulbs, AND is NOT, current dependent ie it will flash even if only one bulb is on the circuit unlike the OEM which is current dependent.
 
The whole idea was keeping it as stock as possible. Guess I could make a adapter from the stock flasher plug to a LED flasher making it easy to switch back later. Just hoping LED lamps in the trailer will do want I want leaving pretty stock. Used the bullet connectors I got from you to clean the PO.s mess. Two minutes and I can unplug the wires and unbolt the bracket I mounted to use a stock hole. Where the PO drilled a big hole in the sill is my biggest nightmare.
 
Ok, attached are a bunch of pictures of the mounting and the wiring harness. My switch doesn't look like that switch with the bullet connectors, it looks like it's a newer/better setup. Although my wiring is pretty dirty and has bare wire (it's under the rear bumper and the PO took off the harness tape), it looks like a pretty nice design. To answer the earlier question, the switch mounts to the side of the bracket with two small bolts/nuts and the bracket mounts to the bumper with two bolts/nuts as well. The wiring harness has a two pronged connector feeding to the switch and another one feeding to the bulbs.
(If you didn't have this trailer socket, you just connect those together.) The switch has three pairs of wires soldered to it. Two pair go to those two pronged connectors and one pair has ring connectors for the trailer socket. The switch HAD a rubber boot on the back, but after 38 years it fell apart in my hands. The stop, tail, and reverse lights go through another connector. If you disconect that, everything still works except the trailer socket.

I'm trying to make this functional. I'm still up in the air between trying to stay original and source a new clean socket and plug from the Far east and a waterproof switch and then juryrigging the plug to hold a 4 wire adapter and 3 wire to 2 wire converter....or just disconnect the plug and install a simple/clean small trailer socket.

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Ed thanks for the pics! Keep it! I know it's not the rarest Cruiser accessory but it's not common either. It appears there are a couple of versions of that switch/socket arrangement from Toyota. Do you have the mating trailer plug or know where to get one?

I have all the parts you would need to repair that mess! Or... you could send me the complete rear harness and I could build a new one using the old as a template. I'm reasonable on pricing!
 
That plug is a standard military used around WWII. Toyota it for many years and still may. The Pintle hook is still available in Japan. I picked up a couple of 6' pigtails with those plugs on each end. Guess the military trailer had a socket as well. Not a big fan of the back of the switch exposed but guess I shouldn't be surprised the socket weren't much better. Back when I only had one FJ40 I installed a 2x4 raintight box on the inside passenger's fender and used a triple pole double throw switch that I had a pigtail for the tow vehicle when I flat towed it. Today I would probably made a harness I unplug the rear harness and used the installed of tapping into the factory harness. Need to clean that up and can't blame a PO.
 
I hear that this was a standard military socket but I've been unable to find one. If I could find a plug, I could keep it and it would be useful.
I have found them available in the far east-new-but they don't ship to the US. I would pay the $ to replace it with a new one.

Coolerman, where does the rear harness disconnect from the main? I would definitely consider having you rebuild it. I'm usually off the road all winter, so I could live without it for a while. (send me a pm)
 
I picked up my two NOS 6' pigtails off eBay. Believe they were $25 a piece. I'm sure there has to be more out there. The military surplus store I bought a couple of the NOS sockets was a mom and pop business that is gone now. Maybe this stuff finally getting rare.:meh:
 
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