Replacing front turn sigs

Trebissky

Active Member
Joined
May 16, 2005
Location
Durham, NC
I'm planning to replace the stock front bumper on my Jimmy with one from a TJ that I bought from lomodyj. Thing is, it doesn't have any place for turn signals. Hmmm. So I can't use the ones from the GMC bumper... or can I?

I was thinking about using a pair of small round or rectangular amber lights bolted onto the top of the jeep bumper, but my questions are A) do they need to have flashing bulbs or just regular ones and B) how can I rig them into the wiring for the GM lights? Any help or advice welcome.
 
You can go either way..

The only bulbs are 2 element or 3 element.. 1156 & 1157.

Easiest thing would be to grab a trailer turn signal... most of them ground through the mount, and have 2 wires for running and for turn.

Just wire it in like the blinker you removed.

Or, make a bracket to hold your stock blinker.
 
So whichever bulb is in the GM sig's is what I'd also use for any other kind? Because it just now dawned on me that these are also the parking lights, on steady sometimes. The stock ones have a little connector the bulb fits into, looks like 3 wires coming out of that connector. Will lights for a trailer have something similar?

Making a bracket for the stock ones isn't an option unless one of you guys can make two for less than $20. I thought about maybe drilling small holes in the top edge of the bumper for the screws that hold them in the GMC, but they'd be both upside-down and exposed to the weather. Besides, I'm not sure there'll be enough room, they're kind of long. They're supposed to be hidden behind/inside the bumper anyway, prolly wouldn't look that great.
 
I'd suggest buying trailer LED lights if they make them in amber.
Check fleet pride or a trailer sales place like that. You can buy some
that will be recessed.
 
I checked at Advance Auto after work, they have one that's got an amber lens on one side and red on the other, 4-function including stop. Not real sure I need lights in front coming on every time I hit the brakes... But if all else fails.

Would Northern have any with just amber and no stoplight, maybe?
 
I'm pretty sure I've seen just amber ones at carquest. Then all you have to do is cut holes in the bumper...
 
Can you move your stock turn signals to behind your grille? That's what I did when I took the bumper off my Samurai. Just moved them behind the grille and zip-tied in place. In my case, I didn't even have to extend the wires.
 
No, not enough clearance behind it. But I think I have a solution. I saw some small rectangular surface-mount lights with just park & turn function at Advance Auto. They should fit nicely right below the headlights. And they're only about 6 bucks each.
 
So I got the other turn signals on, then went to wire them up. The originals have three wires, 2 going into the back of the bulb and a third off to one side a bit. Third wire is black, other two are blue & brown. Now, the lights I bought have only TWO wires, one red & one black. I got JUST the flasher/turns sigs to work, but the parking lights don't work and are also preventing the REAR park lights from coming on.

How do I wire three into two so everything works again?
 
Sounds like the ones you bought are running lights only. oops. go buy some 3 wires, or something with a metal case that grounds through the case would have 2 wires, but do both the running lights and the turn signals.

I bet you mis-wired it, possibly blowing a fuse or 2.
 
Yeah, I think these ARE supposed to ground thru the base. So maybe I'm just supposed to put the red with the blue, and the brown with the black, or something? I really need some advice here, can't have half these lights not working. They DO have the same type of bulb inside as the stock signals. And the stock ones have a plastic case, so would need that ground wire. Hmm.

:confused:
 
That's what it was, I had the black ground wire from the originals connected to one of the hot wires in the new ones. And yeah, blew one of the fuses. Duh.

Sorted now and working fine. Thanks, Rich.
 
Back
Top