4th Brake Light/Turn signals/Backup/Running wiring

[Msfitoy]

HI Pablo,

These last two pictures show guaranteed wire shorting due to abrasion...You need to protect the red wire or the black wire when running through metal like you show... You have a headache in the making. Use a bit of hard plastic wire wrap convoluted abrasion tubing. You can also use rubber vacuum tubing segments secured in place with adhesive. Also, split wire grommets will work...just do not have a sheathed wire rubbing on metal.

Good luck!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Did he even solder before applying the liquid tape?!

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[P. A. Schilke]

Did he even solder before applying the liquid tape?!

Hi Sid,

Believe it or not, but we do not solder wiring OEM. Reason is the solder wicks up the strands and were it stops becomes a potential bending spot and the wire strands fail inside the wire sheath. Using the butt splices with the shrink tubing and adhesive is a more robust way to run wiring.

Back story....When I first headed up off road racing for Ford Truck, I got results of the DNFs of the Ford Trucks. (DNF is Did Not Finish, ie broke down). I found 75% of the DNFs were electrical. So I took my engineering team to the next race and we poured over vehicles, much to the dismay of the owners of the teams/drivers. We cataloged the concerns and again poor wiring practices bubbled to the top...so enter Rey Chem stage left to a Technical Forum I held at the next Race where we detailed sound wiring practices and I paid for a Rey Chem "kit" for each team the attended the presentation. So within a few races, the DNFs of Ford Trucks from electrical problems went to decimal dust as it is called. We all but eliminated electrical failures from the race trucks.

So after 25 years of managing Ford Trucks Off Road racing, we had a win rate for those years of 3 times more than all the other manufacturers combined. Our racing put teeth into what Ford Tough really means.

At the time, with the pressure to win I questioned why I subjected myself to this added pressure beyond m Day Job. Now looking back....it was a enjoyable time and Ford Kicked Butt in the desert!

Best,
Phil

 

[Msfitoy]

Hi Sid,

Believe it or not, but we do not solder wiring OEM. Reason is the solder wicks up the strands and were it stops becomes a potential bending spot and the wire strands fail inside the wire sheath. Using the butt splices with the shrink tubing and adhesive is a more robust way to run wiring.

Back story....When I first headed up off road racing for Ford Truck, I got results of the DNFs of the Ford Trucks. (DNF is Did Not Finish, ie broke down). I found 75% of the DNFs were electrical. So I took my engineering team to the next race and we poured over vehicles, much to the dismay of the owners of the teams/drivers. We cataloged the concerns and again poor wiring practices bubbled to the top...so enter Rey Chem stage left to a Technical Forum I held at the next Race where we detailed sound wiring practices and I paid for a Rey Chem "kit" for each team the attended the presentation. So within a few races, the DNFs of Ford Trucks from electrical problems went to decimal dust as it is called. We all but eliminated electrical failures from the race trucks.

So after 25 years of managing Ford Trucks Off Road racing, we had a win rate for those years of 3 times more than all the other manufacturers combined. Our racing put teeth into what Ford Tough really means.

At the time, with the pressure to win I questioned why I subjected myself to this added pressure beyond m Day Job. Now looking back....it was a enjoyable time and Ford Kicked Butt in the desert!

Best,
Phil

That's very interesting Phil...How would a DIY'er execute a proper butt splice + adhesive? Shrink wrap is something I do with all my connections...

 

[P. A. Schilke]

That's very interesting Phil...How would a DIY'er execute a proper butt splice + adhesive? Shrink wrap is something I do with all my connections...

Hi Sid,

You can get the butt splices with adheasive at Terminal Supply for example....

http://terminalsupplyco.com/Store/Product.aspx?pc=STC-B

They have A and C depending on gauge as well...Eyelets and spade connectors as well.

Amazing is this place is just over the fence from where our Condo in Michigan is located.

Best,
Phil

 

[Msfitoy]

Hi Sid,

You can get the butt splices with adheasive at Terminal Supply for example....

http://terminalsupplyco.com/Store/Product.aspx?pc=STC-B

They have A and C depending on gauge as well...Eyelets and spade connectors as well.

Amazing is this place is just over the fence from where our Condo in Michigan is located.

Best,
Phil

Thanks Phil?

 

[OFC Ranger]

Hi Sid,

You can get the butt splices with adheasive at Terminal Supply for example....

http://terminalsupplyco.com/Store/Product.aspx?pc=STC-B

They have A and C depending on gauge as well...Eyelets and spade connectors as well.

Amazing is this place is just over the fence from where our Condo in Michigan is located.

Best,
Phil

Winner winner chicken dinner.

After I discovered they (well I get my stuff on Amazon in bulk) made every connector you can imagine as a one piece crimp and shrink I will never use anything else again.

@Msfitoy how in the world have you been under a rock with this stuff being so common? LOL

 

[Msfitoy]

Winner winner chicken dinner.

After I discovered they (well I get my stuff on Amazon in bulk) made every connector you can imagine as a one piece crimp and shrink I will never use anything else again.

@Msfitoy how in the world have you been under a rock with this stuff being so common? LOL

I looked at it but was skeptical with the low temp solder flow and tensile break test not as good...so I stuck with traditional solder iron/tin solder/shrink tube method...more tedious and not cutting edge but time proven...?

I'll have to give it another look now that Dr Phil has endorsed it... ?

 

[OFC Ranger]

I looked at it but was skeptical with the solder flow under break test research...so I stuck with traditional solder iron/tin solder/shrink tube method...more tedious and not cutting edge but time proven...?

I dont even get the solder versions, I get the metal crimp center ones.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B518GCJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BZ8BLJN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CJ8B4F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[OldHippy]

For the running board lights, I decided to tap into the cargo light on the 3rd brake light. Here is how I did that one.

The running board lights I bought came with schematic from Ford to wire it into the interior light wire. It only comes on when you hit the fob or open the door. That wire is also in the left rear door sill. Just an FYI.

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