M37B1 passenger taillight & blackout light.

[UZIS9MM]

Gentlemen,

Can somebody please supply detailed pictures of the M37B1 passenger side brake light and blackout light mounting configuration. I want to upgrade my stock M37 brake light/blackout marker to a safer dual stop light version like that of the M37B1 without losing the blackout marker. I have a separate blackout marker handy, I just want to see how it's mounted underneath the truck.

All of the driving around I did Memorial Day weekend convinced me to finally upgrade my taillights, especially the brake lights. There's just too many people driving around not paying attention to what's in front or around them. I can't tell you how many times I was almost rear-ended or hit this last weekend!

I just added a rear view mirror in the cab and that already saved my ass. I was making a right turn and giving the appropriate arm signal (no turn signals on my truck) and a lady of foreign persuasion tried to squeeze her minivan into my turn lane between me and the curb and started honking when she couldn't fit any farther, I had to pull forward to avoid her scraping the truck. I saw the whole thing in my newly installed mirror, set the parking brake and got out to see what her problem was. Of course there was a language barrier and I don't speak freaky deaky Somali. In the broken English she did speak she showed great disdain toward me and my truck and what it represents and after exchanging a few harsh words or what I gathered were a few harsh words from her I hopped back into the truck and finally completed the turn. Apparently she was never taught what arm signals mean and I doubt they are used in her country of origin.

So now I feel that I must upgrade a few things to make me more noticeable. I'll also be adding a passenger side mirror.

I can post pictures of the cab rear view mirror, providing anyone is interested.

Thanks in advance for any assistance with this project.

[06boblee]

You are in an M37 for Petes sake. How much more visible can you be!!!

[PoW]

I had an idiot hit me in mine in a parking lot. Got his car nose stuck under the spare on the door.

He said he didn't see me...

PoW

[ashyers]

"I had an idiot hit me in mine in a parking lot. Got his car nose stuck under the spare on the door."

Photos?! Assuming the M37 was uninjured I think I would have enjoyed that!

I had someone park me in with the nose of their sporty Euro zoom zoom machine 2" from the pintle on a hill. Not sure what they were thinking...

We're going to end up with computer driven cars due to the current situation of "driver-less" cars! Ugggggg

[k8icu]

Personally if you want people to see your tail lights get the more modern composite lights. Those came out about 1969 or 70 in the military and are still in use today though many are now LED. You get the large red lens in stead of the cat's eye lens then the black out marker and stop lights in the bottom. They are much more visible than the original lights. Plus they bolt right up to the original lights brackets and the army did at one time make a kit to convert all vehicles including any M37 that were still in service to change over to them. Here is a link to a post about them. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1171 Trust me from 30 years experience in this hobby they are worth it. Don't fool around just get some good lights.

[milstencil]

I replaced the composite lights that replaced the original lights with the newer LED lights.





Makes a big difference at night. Pictures show tail lights, not brake lights.
Also have the military LED turn signals on the front
Look around, you don't have to pay big bucks for these.
Rick

[m37paul]

I used Gamma Goat taillight lenses from MWM. Much brighter. Also BO mounting bracket, also from MWM. Even though I have a side mirror, no cargo cover, I still find myself looking over right shoulder. Would like info on rear view mirror. Pictures wouldn't load, exceeded 256 KiB. Paul

[UZIS9MM]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I like the gamma goat replacement lenses the best but I want to keep the stock look as much as possible. I have a spare stock brake light cover and the little fender mounted M151 blackout light so all I was planning to do was run an extra wire from the stock brake light to the blackout light, turning it into a new brake light once the cover is installed. Then I would run the old blackout light wire to the newly mounted M151 blackout light but I don't know how it is mounted underneath, hence the request for pictures of the M37B1 set up.

Besides adding the new brake light I'm going to use an old M416 trailer wiring harness I acquired that plugs into the M37 trailer connector and rig up a tailgate/pioneer rack mounted vintage 24v "STOP" light. I can make it easily removable and put it into the storage box once I get to wherever I'm going. It should work, I'll let you know when I get farther along.

M37paul, I'll take some pictures of the rear view mirror assembly tomorrow and get them posted. It was really simple to make, especially once I realized there's an existing 3/8-24 threaded hole at the top of the center windshield post. I bought a vintage 40's/50's rear view mirror with tinted glass off EBAY, then painted, assembled, and mounted the whole thing. Makes a world of difference.

[PoW]

A rather simple, non-modified way to really increase visibility is to make up a light bar with bigassed lights & 24V lamps, using a short cable to the trailer connector.

I used a piece of lightweight square tubing, with slip-over-the-tailgate brackets.

Easy peasy.

PoW

[outpostm37]

Hope this helps. My '63 m37.

[UZIS9MM]

outpostm37,

Thanks, that is the front of what I'm looking for. Now if you could get a couple of shots from underneath showing the mounting hardware/bracket that would tell me how much I need to fabricate.

PoW,

I've been exploring that idea as well, I have an old "STOP" light I can use.

[just me]

The brackets are available NOS from John or Jens. (Or both) They aren't expensive. I replaced my bent ones as it was less money than my labor.