Not too long ago I said my obsession with leaf springs has been corrected or at least reduced but I have to ask, Why hasn't anybody suggested leaf springs with all the other stuff that wasn't factory installed in the TJ?
Has Anyone Installed a High Beam Foot Switch?
- Thread starter Rickwhoo
- Start date
I don't hate floor dimmer switches but parking brake pedals suck. Would much rather sacrifice console for hand brake. Hand brake is too nice/easy to give up. I hate hunching over to release pedal brakes too.
Head Lice
TJ Addict
I don't want a floor dimmer switch personally, but how is having a switch on the floor vs on the steering column the same as going back to a flathead 4 cyl? You still have the same functionality, just a different way of operating the lights....a flat 4 cyl is a downgrade, so are vacuum wiper and the other stuff....Only similarity is the time period they came from.
At least a few vehicles released the parking brake by just pressing the pedal with your foot a second time. I wish I remember what vehicles but at least one of them was owned by a family member.
I might not remember which vehicle it was but it was either a 1992 LeSabre or a 1995 Dodge Ram. Modern at the time but not so much today.
It would be really easy to wire up, just intercept the high beam wire in the headlight circuit and install the switch. Then leave the multi-function switch in the high beam position.
In fact, if you did it that way, you’ll always have the option of using the floor switch or the factory switch
In fact, if you did it that way, you’ll always have the option of using the floor switch or the factory switch
C.J. Roberts
TJ Addict
It would take all three wires to work. From this schematic:
The wt/rd from pin 18 or 19 for power,
The wt/lg from pin 16 for low beam,
The lg/wt from pin17 for high beam.
The power from pin 18 or 19 could be tapped into leaving it intact to continue to turn lights on and off, while the other two could be cut before feeding into the M FS, and connected to the switch.
The wt/rd from pin 18 or 19 for power,
The wt/lg from pin 16 for low beam,
The lg/wt from pin17 for high beam.
The power from pin 18 or 19 could be tapped into leaving it intact to continue to turn lights on and off, while the other two could be cut before feeding into the M FS, and connected to the switch.
Having moved back to the country myself, I find myself using high beams a lot more. That said, I still find the stalk-switch easier to use while driving. My left leg is often using the clutch, especially up and down the rolling hills of PA... with my hand on the steering wheel, I barely have to remove my hands to go hi-low.
or you could make it easier on yourself and do an electrically actuated parking brake
Good point. How about a disc to drum front brake conversion to go along with the leaf spring conversion?
I like this "throwback" idea so much that I've decided to install leaf springs and front drum brakes on mine. Reminds me of my old deathtrap CJ. 
We used to replace a lot of those at the gas station I worked in the late '60s to mid '70s. It was a common repair after winter driving. Another one was the foot switches for Wonder Bar radios.
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That's mainly what I remember about them... all my Dodges and dad's Ford from the 70-80's that had the foot dimmer always needed to be replaced at least one during the winter, sometimes even twice. Salt-covered work boots, perpetually wet carpet, and copper wire and contacts don't go together as well as many would hope.
I agree completely. All the retro-jokers above must not drive where you and I do. I've been wanting to install a floor switch for a while now ('05 LJ).
If you tie the low and high beam wires coming out of the multi function switch together, you can feed that to the floor switch. Then feed the two outputs from the floor switch to the low and high beams. The MFS will still be the main headlight on/off switch, but either the low or high position will feed power to the floor switch. Make the break upstream of where the high beam indicator wire takes off (bottom of page 8W-50-2, top of page 8W-50-4).
I forget where the high beam indicator splices off of the high beam circuit but a diode may be needed somewhere to keep the low beam spliced to the high beam from powering the high beam indicator at all times when lights are on.