Adding Brake lights

[Jesse19rap]

I have a 1963 Dodge M37 with a Cummins Diesel. Previous owner had added a trailer light kit which works great for running lights and turn signals. I want to tie the brakes in. There are two pigtails coming out of the contacts on the pressure sensor which seems to be working when I put a meter on them, and press the brake. Can I just run an additional wire to the tailights to power the other filament? This is my first attempt at auto electrical and I don't want to screw anything up. Any help/insight would be helpful

[j mccormick]

If you hook up the brake lights to the same wire as the turn signals, when you brake the turn signals won't work on the back, however there is a module used for trailer wiring that can be used to take care of that problem. I have separate brake and turn lights on my M37, but I have a flat 4 wire trailer connector with the module in it and then the trailer turn lights work when braking. You can wire in the module before the truck brake/turn lights and get the same effect. Of course you will have to alter the wiring on the truck.

[PoW]

If you still have and use the original light and turn signal switchs, the stoplight switch wires go directly to a pin in the 12-pin Bendix plug and a pin on the MS-plug on the turn signal switch.

If you have a cobbled up 12-Volt system, get a 7-wire turn signal switch at the auto parts store and follow the diagram that comes with it.

PoW

[MSeriesRebuild]

I have a 1963 Dodge M37 with a Cummins Diesel. Previous owner had added a trailer light kit which works great for running lights and turn signals. I want to tie the brakes in. There are two pigtails coming out of the contacts on the pressure sensor which seems to be working when I put a meter on them, and press the brake. Can I just run an additional wire to the tailights to power the other filament? This is my first attempt at auto electrical and I don't want to screw anything up. Any help/insight would be helpful

What type of turn signal system does your truck have?

Typically the 63 year models were already equipped with the mil spec solid-state turn signal system. That is wired identical to the current production controllers such as the signal-stat 900 series. I can help you either way, but need to know which system you have in place in order to offer correct wiring info.

Another possible issue is this; the military controllers were notorious for the contacts becoming corroded. When this happens, it most often affects the brake light/turn light function as several contacts within the controller must operate in sink to get the correct brake light/turn light action on the rear. This is usually as easy as cleaning the contacts and coating with the proper chemical compound to allow electrical continuity while it prevents the formation of corrosion.

[Jesse19rap]

Thanks a lot guys. I was able to tie the stop switch in through the 7 wire turn signal system I had installed.

[PoW]

Touche'!

DDG aka PoW