Brake light switch upgrade

[xcntrk]

I've been struggling with the stock brake light switch for a long while and finally found an opportunity to upgrade. The OE "spring-loaded lever style" of brake switch worked great for the original EB with antiquated brake systems and lots of pedal travel. However when you start upgrading your brakes, such as modern 4-wheel power disc setup, the pedal movement required to stop or slow often is minimal and the OE switch doesn't have enough range or sensitivity to function correctly. This would often leave me with the brake lights not coming on correctly, or adjusting the switch so they would, then having them stay on without any pedal pressure. I've messed with this for months and used different OE switches, etc.

What I did to fix was move to a more modern style push button switch. I then fabricated a 1-piece bracket to hold the new switch a little lower on the pedal in order to detect more sensitive movements. Finally I bolted it to my existing pedal box to finish off the installation. So far with some initial testing the new switch works flawlessly and has plenty of adjustability built right in. Here are some pics...

 

[70_Steve]

Great idea. Good to see it implemented. I have that same pushbutton switch still in the box in the garage, waiting for me to finish the other 20 projects I've got scheduled.

 

[jim3326]

I did something similar years ago when I did a re-wire and ripped all the old out. I used a lever switch with a roller on the end. Yours looks a lot cleaner than mine, lucky it's under the dash:-X

Jim W.

 

[MarkH@Wildhorse]

I have the same switch on one of rigs, a full size Jeep was a great donor.
Another option is to use the '66 brake light switches, a lot of systems already have a port with a plug in it that you can use to put this in.
http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/brake_light_switch_66yr

 

[72_EB]

Nice work! How about a part #on that bad boy? Was recently rifling through the switches in the book at Napa and the closest plunger style that I found that I could make to work was out of a Peugeot and I was going to be damned before I tried one of those. Chevy brakes are one thing, but Peugeot is another.

 

[MarkH@Wildhorse]

#S237 is one from the Fullsize Jeep
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...=Search_02071_1184408_2917&pt=02071&ppt=C0039

 

[xcntrk]

You can get the switch anywhere. I used Rock Auto for a 78 FS Bronco. I also noticed Summitracing has them too. I think I paid $5 bucks for it.

 

[casadejohnson]

I used the same switch, I got mine from an 80's F150 and took the mounting bracket for it as well. A little minor modification and it bolts in nice.

 

[Steve83]

IDK how different your pedal & pushrod are, but on Frank's '75, I used the common Ford BOO from the same '88 F150 that everything else came from. It worked with the original non-power MC, and now with the booster mechanism's pushrod.

Bottom center of the diagram:

 

[roostracing]

this thread is GOLD when having original brake style switch issues like me!!!

 

[xcntrk]

1.5 year later update

Haven't had a single problem with this plunger setup. Brake lights work like they should. Come on at the slightest touch, light/switch doesn't hang or fail to trigger illumination, it just works. Takes a bit more up-front work to fab a bracket, but well worth it!

Now if I could just come up with a solution for a 2-wire third brake light that doesn't flash with one of the signals... Hmm... I think I need some electronics to overcome this one.

 

[Doyle]

Now if I could just come up with a solution for a 2-wire third brake light that doesn't flash with one of the signals... Hmm... I think I need some electronics to overcome this one.

It would require running a wire from under dash to rear of Bronco, but you could pick up the switched side of the brake switch before it goes through the signal light switch. More wire, but no electronics.

 

[roostracing]

1.5 year later update

Haven't had a single problem with this plunger setup. Brake lights work like they should. Come on at the slightest touch, light/switch doesn't hang or fail to trigger illumination, it just works. Takes a bit more up-front work to fab a bracket, but well worth it!

Now if I could just come up with a solution for a 2-wire third brake light that doesn't flash with one of the signals... Hmm... I think I need some electronics to overcome this one.

This is good to hear as i am tired of trying to fix the stock brake switch the last few weeks. I am fabbing a bracket up today and hopefully i'll be good to go!

 

[roostracing]

Found an easy way to fabricate for an auto...think they maybe different if manual. Works like a charm and bolted it up with an existing bolt.

 

[KyleQ]

Huh- I've never had issues with my 4 wheel disk one ton setup with a 3/4 ton manual master... Brake lights come on the second I apply pressure to the pedal.

 

[Steve83]

Now if I could just come up with a solution for a 2-wire third brake light that doesn't flash with one of the signals... Hmm... I think I need some electronics to overcome this one.

...pick up the switched side of the brake switch before it goes through the signal light switch. More wire, but no electronics.

That's all it takes, and it's how later vehicles with CHMSL were wired (like '92-96 Broncos).

 

[xcntrk]

That's all it takes, and it's how later vehicles with CHMSL were wired (like '92-96 Broncos).

You guys are missing the point that I don't want to run a dedicated 3rd brake light wire all the way to the rear. It's not that I'm lazy, but A) it's a little hokie to rewire/bypass the original tail/brake light setup with a dedicated line and B) all my wiring is fully taped, loomed, and secured from front to back. Adding another wire is really time consuming....

 

[Doyle]

You guys are missing the point that I don't want to run a dedicated 3rd brake light wire all the way to the rear. It's not that I'm lazy, but A) it's a little hokie to rewire/bypass the original tail/brake light setup with a dedicated line and B) all my wiring is fully taped, loomed, and secured from front to back. Adding another wire is really time consuming....

Didn't see that requirement in earlier posts. Run a wire from each brake light through a diode to your third light. Still takes 6' of wire sorry.

 

[xcntrk]

Didn't see that requirement in earlier posts. Run a wire from each brake light through a diode to your third light. Still takes 6' of wire sorry.

Yeah that's what I'm talking about. Something along these lines. In fact, I suppose this would work just fine. So the diode isolates each R/L tail/brake from supplying power across the circuits correct?

 

[Steve83]

So instead of running 1 wire to do exactly what you want, you're much happier with the idea of running 2, plus some other hokey components that will reduce the voltage (brightness), and be potential points of failure?

Good luck with that...