The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs mystery switch

Just got my sub doors back from the blaster. All look good except for the left rear barn door which has some bondo in it along with some cracks. In disassembling the hardware out of the door I ran across what appears to be a switch of some kind on the doors left side between the upper and lower hinges.
Took the thing out of the door and it has 2 brass button thingies sticking out of it. They were stuck solid. Used some WD-40 and got them freed up. They are spring loaded and each brass button has a wire connected to it. The wires are about a foot long and were loose inside the door. It looks like they may have attached to the tail light. Anybody know what this apparatus might be? Weeds

Weeds,

I do not know the years, but earlier A-D Panel body rear doors had the contact-connection you describe for the rear light. In later years, the wires ran through a spiral spring-like tube between the body and the door.

Tim

Tim is correct, these were used in the pre-1951/52 Suburban, panel and possibly the CE. It is a two piece switch, located on the left door. I will check to see if they were with the Clamshell tailgate too, (I think they were) Most of the ones that I have seen were either missing, broken or by-passed. That's probably why they were not available on the later trucks. Save the parts that you have, someone will want them if you don't.

Weeds if you want to replace but don't need original you can find them in the trade rags in any combination you need. Most of the wiring harness guys show them as accessories.

Anybody know what this switch actually does? It has two spring loaded brass buttons with a wire on each button that seems to be independent of each other that would be actuated with the door closed. Does it turn the tail light off when you open the door? It looks to me like some sort of grounding apparatus because it appears to me that there is no power to it. Aren't these mysteries fun? Weeds

Weeds, it's for the rear tail light, located on the door. They later ran a wire harness instead, probably because of poor connection and misalignment.

I'm surprised that it runs the rear tail lights.

However, it seems very reasonable that the system could have, or could be converted, to operate the dome light. I hate that my '62 doesn't have door switch dome lights. I was trying to figure out a way to put one in place to operate with the rear doors, and I think you just gave me the solution! Rather than run the switch in the body door jamb, I can mount it in the rear door itself, routed through the same tube that the license plate light is routed through.

-Brad

One contact is for the tail light, and the other is for the brake light. I have the same thing on my 46 burb.

Ive been Reading through some old posts.My 1951 suburban has the same contact switch for the tail and brake light.

Brad, it's not tail lights (plural) just the one light on the left door. My 53 has the spiral looking conduit and not the 'mystery switch'.

My Wife's Tahoe has a similar connection on the back lift up door.