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Rear tail light socket replacement

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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 09:21 AM
  #1  
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Default Rear tail light socket replacement

Anyone have experience with this? Mine of course is a 1990 and has the kind of tail light sockets that twist out of the housing and pop out. The brake lights have two-post bulbs and the rest look like one post bulbs.

What happened is: on the right side, someone cut the wires and took out the original tail light socket and tried putting the running light socket with a bigger bulb in there, so needless to say I don't have a working brake light on that side currently.

What I want to do: get a proper replacement for the tail light socket and re-wire it using the cut wires so it's working properly, and also replace the turn signal socket on the left side due to the ground wide ripping off that one when I was replacing some bulbs. If I get that done I have most of my lights working. Is there anything I need to know? Do I need to disconnect my battery so I don't kill myself rewiring these? I'm having trouble finding the stock parts, is pick-n-pull my best bet?
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 09:25 AM
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Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
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auto zone carry the sdockets down here or jy and just dont have the lights on when fixing
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by freegdr
auto zone carry the sdockets down here or jy and just dont have the lights on when fixing
So as long as no one taps my brake pedal while I'm back there I'm good eh? I was hoping that was the case but didn't want to find out the hard way! Thanks.
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 09:37 AM
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From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
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its 12 volts theres no chance its gonna shock you
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by CA90XJ
So as long as no one taps my brake pedal while I'm back there I'm good eh? I was hoping that was the case but didn't want to find out the hard way! Thanks.
I found replacement sockets for the brake lights at Oriely Auto Parts. And as far as getting shocked....LMAO!...it will not hurt you.
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 10:31 AM
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ck1
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From: Murrieta, California
Year: 1991
Model: Cherokee
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Originally Posted by CA90XJ
Anyone have experience with this? Mine of course is a 1990 and has the kind of tail light sockets that twist out of the housing and pop out. The brake lights have two-post bulbs and the rest look like one post bulbs.

What happened is: on the right side, someone cut the wires and took out the original tail light socket and tried putting the running light socket with a bigger bulb in there, so needless to say I don't have a working brake light on that side currently.

What I want to do: get a proper replacement for the tail light socket and re-wire it using the cut wires so it's working properly, and also replace the turn signal socket on the left side due to the ground wide ripping off that one when I was replacing some bulbs. If I get that done I have most of my lights working. Is there anything I need to know? Do I need to disconnect my battery so I don't kill myself rewiring these? I'm having trouble finding the stock parts, is pick-n-pull my best bet?
Hey ryan...I have an extra two post light socket and we will tackle that when we do your cooling system..we will have to do some creative wiring due to the moron that owned your jeep before
Cameron

Last edited by ck1; Feb 19, 2012 at 10:34 AM.
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 12:30 PM
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Originally Posted by ck1
Hey ryan...I have an extra two post light socket and we will tackle that when we do your cooling system..we will have to do some creative wiring due to the moron that owned your jeep before
Cameron
Heh I thought you were out wheeling! Fair enough then, glad you said that because after coming up short at Auto Zone, NAPA and Rock Auto I was about to post a reply asking where I can BUY those things! I need two, one tail light and one turn signal. I was going to ask Jeep next.

Yeah my PO was a bit of a dumb *** eh? BTW check my pics soon, going to post pictures of the rig AFTER I pulled off my rubber door strips. LOTS of old dirt under there.

BTW I have a 3 row radiator coming to me, plus I got those two old hoses we looked at, new clamps for those, as well as a fan flade, a fan shroud and a brand new water pump coming in from NAPA soon. Gonna be ready soon!
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 12:35 PM
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Year: 1991
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wheeling tomorrow, honey doos today ..all auto parts should have them...you are looking for an oem and that aint gonna happen..I have a couple generics we can wire in..you will need to buy a single though.
Cameron

p.s. pick up a fan clutch also..
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by ck1
wheeling tomorrow, honey doos today ..all auto parts should have them...you are looking for an oem and that aint gonna happen..I have a couple generics we can wire in..you will need to buy a single though.
Cameron

p.s. pick up a fan clutch also..
A single? Also I thought my fan clutch was OK?
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 03:50 PM
  #10  
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Year: 1999
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Just hope you never need to replace the TOP light (Brake/Running) sockets. They are hard to find. All of the books at the local parts places only list (Chrysler) socket. The socket is the wrong type. The "ears" dont line up correctly with the light housing.

I ended up running to a junkyard and pulling 2 complete rear light harnesses just so I could have extras.
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 06:11 PM
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Heh mine is too old, doesn't have a "top" light!

I may end up pulling a set out of a junkyard one day myself, who knows. For spares, of course.
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Old Feb 19, 2012 | 11:13 PM
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I
actually got tww from the JY and pigtailed them to the lights in the top socket and put them in the middle hole in the housing. same cutout shape under red lens so now double the light
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