Idit wiring to painless harness

[74 Bronco Billy]

I've been working hard on the painless harness this month when I get time. I've rec'd some great advice here. I'm stymied again.

The Idit column has 8 wires coming off it as referenced in the black and white diagram. The Painless harness has 8 wires on its plug, and an extra not used except for 73-77 hazard switch. ( Mine's a 74, but that should be disregarded since painless is talking about original columns.)
So 8-9 wires from painless, I wrote down the colors on the Idit diagram from the Painless schematic, but I'm seeing a difference in what the Idit calls "Brake light feed". Should this be the #918 Red/Blk? And then the Emergency flasher feed would be the #951 Red/Wht? (Not Red/Blk as I noted). And then the #963 yellow is just a ground?
Scratching my head a bit.
Thx to all
Forrest
Ps, sorry for rotated pics, on my cell, not sure how to fix.

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[74 Bronco Billy]

https://tomsbroncoparts.s3.amazonaw...+Instructions+-+Turn+Signal+Switch+Wiring.pdf


I used a google site search for classic Broncos, used idiot wiring harness and painless harness and came up empty besides the table on Tom’s website with colors and descriptions for the painless harness. Still scratching my head on this one.

Forrest

 

[74 Bronco Billy]

I just visited the idit website, they show their Ford Bronco specific steering column with a Bronco specific plug. It looks like I got a GM style strip plug, so why would a vendor sell me that? Or did the Ford specific plug come out recently? I have directions from Painless on how to plug painless into stock column, my problem is converting the new idit column to the painless harness.
Has anyone else received a idit column from a vendor with a GM strip plug? What did you do?

Thanks,

Forrest

 

[DirtDonk]

Unless it's a "Direct-Fit" steering column, it uses a GM turn signal switch, with GM wire colors and GM flat connector.
Only Ford turn signal switches in factory, or Direct-Fit columns use the Ford harness connectors.
And we sell both types. I know you buy a lot of stuff from us (thank you, as always!) but is this from us too? If so it would say Direct-Fit on the receipt and part number would correspond. If it does, then you may have received the wrong column. Because that's obviously GM wiring as you pointed out.
That would be extremely unlikely, but I never consider it impossible for something to either be mis-boxed at the factory or mis-labeled by us. Again, very unlikely, but not impossible.
Let us know.

Sorry, but I have no idea why there is a Yellow ground wire in the steering column wiring from Painless. I've not looked at every Bronco, but I've never seen a Yellow ground from Ford (or any other manufacturer for that matter) and never seen a ground wire coming out of the column wiring that was not a relay ground for the horn that terminated up at the steering wheel. Nothing attached to a ground on the chassis.
Unless it's an added ground circuit that Painless is using to fix a common issue with the horn relays not finding a good ground path out of the column.
Maybe check with Eric0o1 for clarification.

Is it normal to use both the curved '76/'77 Ford column connector and that square-ish / Molex-ish white connector? Does it come that way or did you connect it all to the wires? What is it adapting exactly? Do you have the other half of the curved connector somewhere, or does the Painless harness have the mate to that square-ish connector?
And now I'm curious too, but don't have time right now to re-read the new Painless instruction book. Will when I can wrap my head around it again.

Good luck. Even when the planets are aligned, the steering column wiring is the choke point of most harness installations.

Paul

 

[eric0o1]

The yellow wire is usually a power wire in an OE application. The horn button supplies battery power to the horn relay. I prefer to use ground to activate the relay, hence the yellow wire being a ground wire on the Painless harness. A GM column grounds the horn button through the mounting of the column which is why the yellow wire is not needed with a GM style column.

 

[74 Bronco Billy]

The yellow wire is usually a power wire in an OE application. The horn button supplies battery power to the horn relay. I prefer to use ground to activate the relay, hence the yellow wire being a ground wire on the Painless harness. A GM column grounds the horn button through the mounting of the column which is why the yellow wire is not needed with a GM style column.

Eric, thx so much for replying, I will use your diagram and repin my connector. I think you just fixed it for me, really, thx so much

Unless it's a "Direct-Fit" steering column, it uses a GM turn signal switch, with GM wire colors and GM flat connector.
Only Ford turn signal switches in factory, or Direct-Fit columns use the Ford harness connectors.
And we sell both types. I know you buy a lot of stuff from us (thank you, as always!) but is this from us too? If so it would say Direct-Fit on the receipt and part number would correspond. If it does, then you may have received the wrong column. Because that's obviously GM wiring as you pointed out.
That would be extremely unlikely, but I never consider it impossible for something to either be mis-boxed at the factory or mis-labeled by us. Again, very unlikely, but not impossible.
Let us know.

Sorry, but I have no idea why there is a Yellow ground wire in the steering column wiring from Painless. I've not looked at every Bronco, but I've never seen a Yellow ground from Ford (or any other manufacturer for that matter) and never seen a ground wire coming out of the column wiring that was not a relay ground for the horn that terminated up at the steering wheel. Nothing attached to a ground on the chassis.
Unless it's an added ground circuit that Painless is using to fix a common issue with the horn relays not finding a good ground path out of the column.
Maybe check with Eric0o1 for clarification.

Is it normal to use both the curved '76/'77 Ford column connector and that square-ish / Molex-ish white connector? Does it come that way or did you connect it all to the wires? What is it adapting exactly? Do you have the other half of the curved connector somewhere, or does the Painless harness have the mate to that square-ish connector?
And now I'm curious too, but don't have time right now to re-read the new Painless instruction book. Will when I can wrap my head around it again.

Good luck. Even when the planets are aligned, the steering column wiring is the choke point of most harness installations.

Paul

Thx as always Paul. Yes, bought from you guys, but would never put a negative quote as to why I was given a GM one, thought I bought a direct fit, it was a year plus ago I think, I’d have to have the guys look, but that was not what I wanted nor needed, nor planned a big blame game, not my style. I just wanted to repin a connector and move on. Looks like Eric nailed it I hope.

But why would you sell a GM style column when you Guys are THE or one of THE biggest Early Bronco vendors in the US? I don’t get that unless you’re supplying some Jeep parts out the back door with GM columns? What? I had no idea %) JK, but I am wondering why you stock them.

Hopefully I get my #$$ in gear and get it wired up this month and started. So close but so far.

 

[DirtDonk]

Everybody sells GM-based columns, because that's the defacto "universal/generic" way things are done in the aftermarket. They're still sized for a Bronco, but use GM-style components.
We finally got tired of that as the only choice so had them put together their Direct-Fit for us a few years ago. Now you have a choice, but many people still choose the standard columns, so we keep selling them.

For some it's because they are a few dollars cheaper. Some because they already have an older aftermarket column and just want a new updated one so they can retrofit all their goodies like steering wheels and such. For some it's the Double-D shaft interface rather than a splined shaft. For some it's the wiring because the Direct-Fit versions are not rated as being "direct fit" for '73 and earlier model Broncos (though they can work just fine in those too).
I'd bet that for most it's the slightly lower cost though.

Paul

 

[jmhend]

Everybody sells GM-based columns, because that's the defacto "universal/generic" way things are done in the aftermarket. They're still sized for a Bronco, but use GM-style components.
We finally got tired of that as the only choice so had them put together their Direct-Fit for us a few years ago. Now you have a choice, but many people still choose the standard columns, so we keep selling them.

For some it's because they are a few dollars cheaper. Some because they already have an older aftermarket column and just want a new updated one so they can retrofit all their goodies like steering wheels and such. For some it's the Double-D shaft interface rather than a splined shaft. For some it's the wiring because the Direct-Fit versions are not rated as being "direct fit" for '73 and earlier model Broncos (though they can work just fine in those too).
I'd bet that for most it's the slightly lower cost though.

Paul

Paul,

I love your direct fit. I will be only using these going forward. It is so much easier (cost + reward) then the GM make it fit version..

Jason

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[sprdv1]

I'd bet that for most it's the slightly lower cost though.

in this day and age, most likely

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks Jason. Glad you're happy with it. And as I think I mentioned, they also fit the '66 through '73 Broncos even though they're not listed as such. It's just that you need to get slightly more creative with the (already "fun"%) ) column wiring to either work with, or work around the new location for the hazard switch.
Other than that the only difference in wiring is the single wire horn circuit rather than the early 2-wire circuit. But it's a better method, and everyone with an early column should be retrofitting a horn relay to theirs anyway.

Now we just need to figure out why Forrest got a standard rather than a Direct-Fit.
We do have updated GM versions that are yet again more fitted appropriately to an EB, and maybe that's what he ordered thinking it was a Direct-Fit model. Some are even the 2.25" diameter Bronco size rather than the traditional 2" aftermarket universal size. But they're still not the true "direct fit" that uses Ford components. They're just less hassle to mount up than the traditional models.
I think they come in "kit" form with pretty much everything you need to mount them, without having to order multiple parts. Might be what skewed the ordering process this time.

Paul

 

[74 Bronco Billy]

Everybody sells GM-based columns, because that's the defacto "universal/generic" way things are done in the aftermarket. They're still sized for a Bronco, but use GM-style components.
We finally got tired of that as the only choice so had them put together their Direct-Fit for us a few years ago. Now you have a choice, but many people still choose the standard columns, so we keep selling them.

For some it's because they are a few dollars cheaper. Some because they already have an older aftermarket column and just want a new updated one so they can retrofit all their goodies like steering wheels and such. For some it's the Double-D shaft interface rather than a splined shaft. For some it's the wiring because the Direct-Fit versions are not rated as being "direct fit" for '73 and earlier model Broncos (though they can work just fine in those too).
I'd bet that for most it's the slightly lower cost though.

Paul

Paul, please know I was not taking a pot shot at the vendors, I was being sarcastic. And I appreciate all the help you guys always have given me. I sure hope I came across jokingly. Anyway, I got it all together, thanks to the diagrams from Eric. It is slowly coming along. Whoever did that painless harness install in 8 hrs was a genius.

 

[nvrstuk]

I used the GM wiring Ididit column from WH because I have a GM harness- acutally a Hot Rod generic harness wired to GM specs. Course 20 yrs ago when I rewired I adapted it to the Ford column. Now I finally installed a new column and had to rewire it to the GM harness.

GM used the smae wiring for several decades.

Ford in their ultimate wisdom changed wiring diagrams, colors, 4 way configurations every couple yearsJUST to mess with us and make adapting any aftermarket parts harder! Thanks Ford engineering.

Ask any Chevy resto mod guy. Chev's are tons easier to work on, swap in, and adapt parts from different years in.

 

[DirtDonk]

And let's not even talk about bell housings, water pumps and front accessories!%)

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Or paint colors and their codes and designations... (insert double-triple rolling eyes emoji here)

Paul

 

[eric0o1]

Lets talk electrical, Ford and Chrysler create all their connector and terminal tooling which makes it very difficult to identify and source and very rarely sell it to the aftermarket (if the tool is even still available). GM built/builds everything off of a "public shelf" using Packard/Delphi for just about everything. When Delphi is done with a connector tool, and it's still usable, they sell it off to someone who can use it instead of destroying it.

 

[74 Bronco Billy]

And let's not even talk about bell housings, water pumps and front accessories!%)

Paul

Or paint colors and their codes and designations... (insert double-triple rolling eyes emoji here)

Paul

Lets talk electrical, Ford and Chrysler create all their connector and terminal tooling which makes it very difficult to identify and source and very rarely sell it to the aftermarket (if the tool is even still available). GM built/builds everything off of a "public shelf" using Packard/Delphi for just about everything. When Delphi is done with a connector tool, and it's still usable, they sell it off to someone who can use it instead of destroying it.

I had know idea that the big 3 were so difficult to work with. Thanks for painting a clearer picture from the vendors stand point. I would think there would be a need or want for the different connectors in the 2ndary market for enthusiasts that want to fix their own harness or one that a PO did. I am finding I like the painless harness for all the reasons they state in their brochures, specifically the thoroughness of directions, the labeling, the diagrams, etc. Granted, my problems have been unique to my project since at every chance I have upgraded to the next level, be it the Gen 3 intermittent wiper to the idit column to Sniper TBI with hyper spark. The best part of the whole process is knowing I have amazing people to back me up when I get stuck, like Paul, Eric or Jdgephar, everyone is helpful, one of the reasons I find that Classic Broncos will endeavor. Have an awesome day.

Forrest

 

[nvrstuk]

Go to any BIG aftermarket parts supplier/catalog. Look at the multiple pages (dozens) of Chebby build/restomod parts compared to Ford.

Ease of building, modifying, restoring is one of tbe huge reasons doing a GM build is so popular. Talk to any basic run of the mill old skool hot rodder (not talking imports) and they all say the same thing. GM makes it easier in every category.