i am looking for some input. i would love to hear about install headaches and triumphs. i always liked the old trucks that had the floor switches and i want one.
happy easter to all
dane

 

Could be a lot more trouble than you realize. Those foot switches used to carry the high beam current and they would eventually wear out and could cause the high and low beams to quit working. I suppose you can simply wire the switch to provide power to your high beam relay and that would be more reliable....
The other issue is the general road grime that the connector side would be exposed to. Plus, we drag all kinds of stuff into the cab with us so you'll have to make sure you keep the switch clean.

I am sure it's possible though.

 

Maybe a junk yard around town you might score one or get one online somewhere and wire it up to some offroad lights and wala. Thinking outside the box but it does sound old school cool...

 

Those switches are still available.

I used to mount them in vehicles that didn't have them to enable on the "driving lights" to turn on with the high beams.

They look like similar to this:


They are a common single-pole, double throw switch.

There's lots of them on eBay.

Pop

 

Those switches are readily available for earlier Fords from the 50s on.....any auto parts store will have them....just ask for one for a '79 F250 and you'll have the switch, these are the same as the ones used in my old Mustangs, there are even rubber caps made for them (for convertible cars originally) I guess you could wire one in provided you could find out which wires to cut and splice into from the column mounted one, and then they just install with a couple of sheet metal screws to the floor......

 

My '87 F250 has one of those. Let's see, that's only 24 years old!

 

I am pretty sure the chain auto parts stores sell them in the electrical section, or in the "Help" parts area.

If not JEG's has them HERE

OR HERE Too

OR Amazon's site HERE

 

I got the replacement for my 77 F-250 from napa. They had it in stock and it was around $12.

Getting the switch is not a problem, getting it to work will be the harder part.

 

I had one on my old 89 F150 and loved it. Dont worry at all about getting them dirty or wet. I would wash out my old truck with a hose and never had a problem.

 

I use one to start my tractor. Gets wet all the time. You can pick the up at Napa, Cheap.

 

I believe they stopped putting the floor switches in the f-series trucks in 92 when they did the facelift.