Electrical: 57 Commander tail lamps

[tim333]

I started with no left tail lamp. Wiring insulation at both lamps crumbling. I replaced the wiring to both tail lamps as well as the crossover wiring. I now have the left tail lamp brighter than the right and the situation changes with the brakes applied to brighter on the right side.

[StudeRich]

A Bad Ground on one side will cause that.

A mismatched pair of Bulbs, try New 1157's on both.

Are you quite sure that the Turn Signal/Brake Light wire is wired to the Bulb Socket Terminal that goes to the Brighter Bulb Filament?

The little Tab on the Insulator at the back of the socket is what "Clocks" the terminals to the Bulb correctly.

The more I think about this situation the more it sounds like the Left Tail Light is wired backwards, Bright wire on Dim Filament, Dim on Bright.

Sorry if you know all this and did that, but I rarely know the expertise of newer posters here.

[tim333]

I was thinking maybe the left side is backwards, it was hard to distinguish true wire colors, the insulation was worn off and wires all meshed together. I'll switch the wires on the left side tomorrow.

[tim333]

I'm going to pull the lamp lamp and rotate the socket 180 degrees to change the contact position for the bulb rather than switch the wires.

[tim333]

Rich, I rotated the left tail lamp socket 180 degrees. I now have all lts working....head, tail, brake and turn signals. My back-up lite sockets are missing and didnt see any wires nearby. There was a white wire in the crossover that ended mid bumper and not connected to anything. I didn't see a back- up lite in the schematic.

[StudeRich]

Your '57 is a Sedan right? There should be a wire coming off of the harness to go into the Trunk lid for the License Light.

The back Up lights were an option probably not ordered on this Car so it should have the wire in the Harness, but it would be missing the Bulb Sockets and B/U up Light Switch on the Column under the hood at the Trans. Shift Arm, with an Auto. Trans. and a Neutral safety switch the B/U Terminal MIGHT be there.

The B/U Lights are a separate wiring diagram under Accessories.
So I do not know for sure if your White Wire is B/U, but most likely it is, it depends if you found the Lic. Lt. wire coming through the trunk floor or in the Trunk already, eliminating it.

You got me on how you fixed that Left Tail and Turn though. I have never been able to rotate a Bulb Socket vs the contacts because of the aforementioned clocking cog on the insulator and the staggered locating PINS on the Bulbs.
But I guess if it worked for you and continues to, that is all that matters. Maybe you have some kind of aftermarket Bulb Socket that I am not familiar with.

[tim333]

It is a sedan. The white wire also goes into the trunk. Have voltage at the license lamp but it doesn't light. Bulb LOOKS good but doesn't work, I'll have to get another one. The tail lamp socket can go in anyway 360, it gas a slot like to match with a tab but no tab in the metal. Lts working tho.

[rkapteyn]

1957 parts

I have a Studebaker parts warehouse in Joliet , just down the road from you.
Robert Kapteyn
815 722 7262