Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?
imperial2100
Posted 2018-07-27 5:42 PM (#567302)
Subject: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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Title pretty much says it all. Was trying to swap out the tail lights in a 57 Imperial with some LED bulbs to try and increase the brightness. (and so far they don't seem to be any brighter) Anyway, one of them has several of the metal tabs broken and one more just broke off, so now it's loose in the socket and will not hold itself in, so I need a new one... but I'd really like to get an original one that matches the stock socket. I know no one will see it, but I'll know it's there, and something as simple as a light socket seems like it would be easy to find original.

Anyone have a spare (or two as the other is on it's last leg as well) that they could part with, or have a good contact that has a few parts cars they could pull from?

Picture provided in case it helps.



(re_800_20180727_180245.jpg)



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mstrug
Posted 2018-07-27 5:44 PM (#567303 - in reply to #567302)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?



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Call big M in California, Williams.
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imperial2100
Posted 2018-07-27 5:53 PM (#567305 - in reply to #567303)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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mstrug - 2018-07-27 6:44 PM

Call big M in California, Williams.

Thanks, tried calling, no answer, just shot them an email with the picture and description of what I need, maybe they can help... thanks!!
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imperial2100
Posted 2018-07-27 5:55 PM (#567306 - in reply to #567302)
Subject: RE: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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Another thing to point out, in all the modern replacements I have found, they are all short where the bulb will not extend entirely into the red plastic light lens. Like this one:
https://www.autozone.com/collision-body-parts-and-hardware/tail-ligh...
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-07-27 6:31 PM (#567309 - in reply to #567302)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?



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Yes, the new replacements aren't going to work really well. You can try fixing yours by welding it, but the best bet is to get an original replacement from Big M.
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finsruskw
Posted 2018-07-27 8:36 PM (#567315 - in reply to #567302)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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That looks to be an Imperial only part according to the parts book.
How long overall is it and how far from the socket end to the coupler
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finsruskw
Posted 2018-07-27 8:55 PM (#567316 - in reply to #567302)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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Here's one from a 57 Chrysler.
Yours appears to be a bit longer.

You or someone has been jamming the sockets into the housing just any old way and not aligning the single space (shown) between the socket "teeth" with the alignment tab inside the housing. That's what's been braking the teeth off, hitting the tab with the teeth while pushing the socket into place.
Look inside the housing and you will see the tab that has to line up with the single space between the teeth.








Edited by finsruskw 2018-07-27 9:00 PM




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imperial2100
Posted 2018-07-27 9:34 PM (#567318 - in reply to #567316)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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finsruskw - 2018-07-27 9:55 PM

Here's one from a 57 Chrysler.
Yours appears to be a bit longer.

You or someone has been jamming the sockets into the housing just any old way and not aligning the single space (shown) between the socket "teeth" with the alignment tab inside the housing. That's what's been braking the teeth off, hitting the tab with the teeth while pushing the socket into place.
Look inside the housing and you will see the tab that has to line up with the single space between the teeth.

I think if I could find a Chrysler version like yours, that would work well enough. It's at least period correct.
I think that Chrysler one also is the same length on the bulb side where it counts. This was the first time I even pulled the lights out, so it hasn't been me breaking them off

Are you planning to use the one you have pictured or is it one you can part with?
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finsruskw
Posted 2018-07-28 9:00 AM (#567329 - in reply to #567318)
Subject: Re: Tail Light Socket Broke - where can I find an original?


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