I tried to use my old buckets and gave up. I ordered new ones from NPD.  I did have a hard time plugging in the plug into the socket.  A little electrical grease and I was able to get them both on.

My buckets are fine they are the originals has the Ford markings its the sockets that are terrible.

MS wrote:

There used to be an article on my website how to swap in a generic OReilly socket. Not hard to do. Just be sure it grounds well.

I guess that article got deleted too.

As already posted, replacement sockets are available, I suggest using JB Weld to hold in place and make sure the socket has good electical contact to the housing, and ground. 

...if I remember correctly...  For my front park light buckets, I drilled the old sockets out.  If they are made in, this might be what you'll need to do.

BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA wrote:

BobE wrote:

As already posted, replacement sockets are available, I suggest using JB Weld to hold in place and make sure the socket has good electical contact to the housing, and ground. 

How did you get the old socket off ...mine seem to be made on there .

 

The repair I did was not on a Mustang.  I don’t remember exactly, but the OEM socket was falling out, I found a replacement socket that the attaching point had a larger diameter than the original.  As others posted, I was able to use a die grinder to increase the hole to the correct size.  I couldn’t make ‘tabs’ on the replacement socket tight enough w/o damaging either the housing or the new socket … JB Weld to the rescue! 
 

Get the 1157 sockets from autozone.   You got to grind out the hole until the new socket fits tight and push it in and splay the tabs a bit.   That is what I did on a previous car.  If I were doing it today....

I think I'd find a washer that the bulb fits into, then grind out the old socket.  Then I would spot weld the washer over the hole after I made that area flat.   Then the socket would always be removable from the inside to change the bulb. 

If I had an old bucket I'd try that idea out to see how it works.

Edit:  or..   These look kind of cheap but something similar to these I could spot weld onto the buckets.   Then it would be an original type repair.   I found these in a couple of minutes, someone might make some good ones with tabs.

https://www.amazon.com/Socket-BAY15D-Adapter-Connectors-Signal/dp/B0CGR8515N

Last edited by Greg B (3/25/2025 2:21 PM)

lowercasesteve wrote:

NPD has them for $33.00 ea.  Why not just buy them rather than spending days researching?  You could have had them by now and installed.

 
And miss all the repeat answers? Come on Steve, where's your sense of adventure?

Instead of buying all those sockets just eliminate the buckets and hardwire the LED's. Thats what I did.
That cleans up the trunk and gets a bit more space.

BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA wrote:

I am using the LED tail ilghts so the buckets dont even matter but the LED plugs in with the 1157 male end so I need the sockets actually I the socket could be laying in the trunk as long as I had a ground wire off of it.

 
Just sos you knows, the Autozone 1157 sockets have a ground prong for a wire on the outer body.  You'd have to get the proper electrical terminal but you could hook the grounds together and run to any solid spot in the trunk.

6sally6 wrote:

BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA wrote:

rpm wrote:

 
And miss all the repeat answers? Come on Steve, where's your sense of adventure?

Actually...
I..


I  I may paint the inside of the buckets black .
 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bad idea !^^^^^^^^
Paint them white to REFLECT the LED light
6sally6
 

These thing are BRIGHT
mine dont use the bucket to reflect watch the video it explains it better than pictures.....


https://www.cjponyparts.com/led-taillight-kit-1965-1966/p/TLK14/

https://youtu.be/MHnta5TCtrQ


 

Last edited by BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA (3/27/2025 12:40 AM)

Rudi wrote:

Instead of buying all those sockets just eliminate the buckets and hardwire the LED's. Thats what I did.
That cleans up the trunk and gets a bit more space.

Looks nice.