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alternate break light switch?

C

CharlieMopps

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Madison, wi
Ok, I did my WJ brake booster upgrade. WOW does it brake better. Granted we're in the middle of a blizzard here, but I can lock up the tires at 35mpr. Works great! (bleeding the breaks on a 20yr/old jeep was not fun though)

Now the problem... that damned brake light switch. It seems to work intermittently. I put a shim in to try and get it to work... and thought it was... but now it's suddenly not working again.

To be honest, I don't trust the whole design. I don't like the switch, it's position or whatever magic it is that's supposed to keep it parallel while the booster piston pivots.

Question: Has anyone ever totally replaced this switch with something entirely different? Something more reliable? I have the ability to fab up brackets and what-not if need be.


 
Last edited:
what year?

on my 89 with the wj booster swap, i ground a flat spot on the end of the rod that connects to the pedal.

i ground it a little too much and so i put a shim between the rod end and the switch and it seems to work fine. i just had to experiment with the thickness of the shim.

if you have a welder, you can add materal at the end of the rod and regrind it to the length you need.
 
Yes, I've been playing around with shims. But can't seem to get it right. In truth, i just don't trust the design. It's shabby and I think prone to failure. I was hoping that there was a little more strait forward solution. Like a specific switch I could mount that comes in direct contact with the pedal. You push pedal, pedal hits switch, switch turns on lights... none of this halfassry the stock switch seems to be.
 
The stock switch is an unflawed design. If you're having problems, the hole on the pedal rod is probably too small. Remove the plastic bushing and see what happens.


I have other cars that have an inline pressure switch, master -> pressure switch -> brake line typep setup. I trust that less, but you can buy the parts at summit racing.
 
cal said:
The stock switch is an unflawed design. If you're having problems, the hole on the pedal rod is probably too small. Remove the plastic bushing and see what happens.


I have other cars that have an inline pressure switch, master -> pressure switch -> brake line typep setup. I trust that less, but you can buy the parts at summit racing.
Click to expand...

But what forces the switch to turn? Friction with the pedal?
 
CharlieMopps said:
But what forces the switch to turn? Friction with the pedal?
Click to expand...


The hole on the pedal rod is bigger than the bolt that goes through it (just slightly). When you push down on the pedal, it pushes the switch into the back of the pedal rod, and then pushes the rod.

If you don't oversize the hole the correct amount (which, isnt very much), it will push the rod without sufficiantly pushing the button on the switch.
 
OOOHHHH... I thought switch was supposed to turn with the break peddel... and the turn was what made it trigger... Now it makes more sense... I'll have to experiment more tonight.
 
nooo, if it can turn, you've done screwed the pooch. :)

Put your old booster next to the new one, and look at the end of the rods. The holes need to be the same size, and the 'flat' section at the very end of the rod needs to be the same thickness.
 
Maybe we aren't on the same channel.

The above pic is the WJ pedal rod 'stock', with what it needs to look like when you are done below. If you don't mod it right (dont get a flat end), the switch can rotate on the end of the rod and not do its job.

08.jpg


Image shamelessly stolen from 4x4wire, from an article written by our own MJR.
 
but I did make my hole just big enough that the insert fits snugly. The bolt does not move when itis in there... if there's supposed to be slop, I do not have any.
 
Yeah, that teflon insert should fit like a dick in a shirt sleeve.

Almost everyone makes mistake. Most people just remove the sleeve and bolt it all back together. My XJ is that way, and I can think of at least 10 others. That little sleeves been in my ashtray since 2006.
 
Oh, there are better out there, but there are worse too.

My 1962 Ford F100 ran out of brake fluid on a road trip once when the brake light switch started leaking.


In this case though, at least the fix to your problem is simple. Pull the sleeve and drink a beer.
 
Oh, and in case any else runs into this thread in the future... If you have a Stick Shift, EVERYTHING IS BACKWARDS! The switch goes on the other side, all the parts are swapped around, the washers go in the opposite direction. No-one seems to mention this anywhere, but it sure is important when you're lying under your dash wondering why yours doesn't look like the pictures.
 
I had the same problem with the light when I did the upgrade. I took too much material off the flat part and didn't want to get the welder out. There was just enough room to get a zip tie between the end of the rod and the switch. Now a fly could land on the pedal and the brake lights will come on.

Yes, I did attach the zip tie so it will not fall out. It has been like that since April of this year with no problems.
 
Yea, I had to bend up a piece of metal and stick her in there. I didn't really feel like taking the blasted thing out again and I didn't want to weld inside the truck, over top my brand new herculined floor.
 
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