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Adding Reverse Lights

papakb

Well-known member
2,288
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Location
San Jose, Ca
When I mounted the new neutral start switch into my shifter to use for the backup lights I took the switch to the local hardware store and matched it up with the switch threads and the shifter threads. The part was an off the shelf brass reducer with standard pipe threads. I did cut it down a bit so everything fit properly but there was no major rework required.

Something else that I found on my truck was the shifter boot already had a nipple on it that the wires would fit through and all I had to do to seal it up was to put a wire tie around it.

Nomad1, Military vehicles tend to use standardized Packard connectors across the board so what we have on the HMMWV is going to match what you have on the deuce unless yours is a very early truck that still uses the metal bell style Douglas connectors.
 
Last edited:

JoeJrTheBarber

New member
268
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0
Location
Chicago, IL
I got a Humvee ambulance reverse light switch and had to have a small bracket made to hold it to my new to me 4-speed shifter.
Reverse.jpgReverse4.jpgRearLight.jpgReverse1.jpgReverse2.jpgReverse3.jpgShifter.jpg
So now like every other car in the world I put the shifter in reverse and my two square LED reverse lights and center mounted / under truck light bar come on.
Works like a champ..
 

AOR

Member
135
23
18
Location
Burtonsville, MD.
I got a Humvee ambulance reverse light switch and had to have a small bracket made to hold it to my new to me 4-speed shifter.
View attachment 757750View attachment 757751View attachment 757752View attachment 757753View attachment 757754View attachment 757755View attachment 757756
So now like every other car in the world I put the shifter in reverse and my two square LED reverse lights and center mounted / under truck light bar come on.
Works like a champ..
Hope it does not start any parking lot fist fights I would suggest putting a switch inline to disable them - good luck
 

JoeJrTheBarber

New member
268
19
0
Location
Chicago, IL
You going straight pipe exhaust?

VA va VARoom, CAMO
We ditched the muffler and high temp exhaust wrapped the entire exhaust and added a 4" tip.
Exhaust1.jpg
I still have yet to drive the truck with all the new changes and if I happen to not like it straight piped I will add a muffler back to it.
We shall see..
 

papakb

Well-known member
2,288
1,185
113
Location
San Jose, Ca
Your LED lights don't draw that much power so what I did was to tap into the circuit that lights the shifter lamps. That way if I don't want the backup lights to come on I just leave the dash lights off. The other advantage is that wire is already in the shifter.
 

Milcommoguy

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
1,652
2,096
113
Location
Rosamond, CA
Not to sure that's the place to tap. The bright, dim, off setting in the "battle lighting switch" uses a small wattage resistor in the switch designed to handle the "DIM" for the dash lamps and shifter LED. Not so sure ?? of what lights SS users are working with and even LED (couple of cheap 20 watt'ers) could pose a problem in the dim position. My concern is toasting the resistor in the dim position.

See TM -20-3 electric prints, page F0-1

What ya think papakb? CAMO
 

Ajax MD

Well-known member
1,571
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Location
Mayo, MD
View attachment 715084I had an old post were you just buy a switch and install it on the shifter, you do not have to remove it, just go underneath and cut a small hole in the boot
This is what I have for back up lights, a bit more time, but you get what you put in.
View attachment 715079View attachment 715080View attachment 715081View attachment 715082View attachment 715083
Lou, what circuit did you tap for these reverse lights? I don't want to tap into the instrument panel lights because I want to use them without the reverse lights turning on.
 

Nomad1

Member
177
4
18
Location
Conway NH
My recommendation for almost anybodyted the new neutral start switch into my shifter to use for the backup lights I took the switch to the local hardware store and matched it up with the switch threads and the shifter threads. The part was an off the shelf brass reducer with standard pipe threads. I did cut it down a bit so everything fit properly but there was no major rework required.

Something else that I found on my truck was the shifter boot already had a nipple on it that the wires would fit through and all I had to do to seal it up was to put a wire tie around it.

Nomad1, Military vehicles tend to use standardized Packard connectors across the board so what we have on the HMMWV is going to match what you have on the deuce unless yours is a very early truck that still uses the metal bell style Douglas connectors.

[/QUOTE]
ody
When I mounted the new neutral start switch into my shifter to use for the backup lights I took the switch to the local hardware store and matched it up with the switch threads and the shifter threads. The part was an off the shelf brass reducer with standard pipe threads. I did cut it down a bit so everything fit properly but there was no major rework required.

Something else that I found on my truck was the shifter boot already had a nipple on it that the wires would fit through and all I had to do to seal it up was to put a wire tie around it.

Nomad1, Military vehicles tend to use standardized Packard connectors across the board so what we have on the HMMWV is going to match what you have on the deuce unless yours is a very early truck that still uses the metal bell style Douglas connectors.
My recommendation is almost anybody working on these old green gems is to buy a pack of 50 to 100 of the packard connectors or go in with some fellow green machine addicts and buy them and spilt them up:)
 

Coug

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,834
4,049
113
Location
Olympia/WA
For my reverse lights I ran a wire up to the horn in the front. Used a Y splitter so I wasn't cutting any wires, and hooked in on the input side of the horn. horn works when the button on the steering wheel grounds the system, the wires at the horn are live whenever the switch is in the stop light or service drive position, and off for the other 3 positions of the top switch.

Easy to tell which is the hot side of the horn. Disconnect one of the two wires for the horn, measure voltage with switch in stop or service. If the wire on the horn side has power, it's the wrong one.
 

LouWon

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
406
85
28
Location
Michigan
Lou, what circuit did you tap for these reverse lights? I don't want to tap into the instrument panel lights because I want to use them without the reverse lights turning on.
I just took a feed that is on when the key is in the on position, it's been a while so I'm not certain which circuit, the lights that I use do not draw a lot since they are LED's
 
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