You're answer does not help the problem, of installing LED lights.
The answer, is simple, and not complex in any way.
To install LED lights in ANY vehicle, you use a load resistor, that usually comes with, or is sold by the same place that sells the LED lights.

That applies to 1973-1979 trucks, it applies to 2013 trucks, and everything in between.

 

I don't think I can make this any more clear. The OP asked what wire color corresponds to a "timing resistor" on these trucks. I responded to that question with a very direct answer: there is no such thing on these trucks. I then went on to say that an electronic flasher takes load current completely out of the picture, which I see as a much easier alternative to a shunt resistor. How are these answers not helpful?

You do realize that not all vehicles through 2013 use thermal flashers, correct? Plenty of modern vehicles use electronic flashers. Are you sure you're not confusing series resistors, which DO need to be used with any LED used in a 12-volt application, with shunt (load) resistors that are only necessary to "fool" a thermal flasher?

Current-limiting series resistors DO need to be used with ANY vehicle running LED lights, but for a completely different reason. The only reason one would use a current-dumping shunt or load resistor is to fool a thermal flasher. Electronic flashers have no minimum load requirement; an LED light setup with an electronic flasher requires no load resistor. However, each LED still requires a current-limiting series resistor regardless of the flashing mechanism.

Said another way, there are two options:

1) Use the original thermal flasher, and deal with load resistors, -OR-
2) Use a modern electronic flasher that doesn't care about load current, and be done with it.

I voted for option (2) and made that clear in a previous post. I don't understand how expressing that opinion is not helpful for someone interested in an LED conversion.

 

Sorry if I insinuated that you didn't add any useful information, that was not my intent.

However, lots of vehicles have issues with LED conversions, not just vehicles with thermal flashers.
All LED lamps I've ever seen for auto use are built with current limiting resistors, that is not what I was getting at.

The load resistors are popular cause they work.
Some cars even throw warnings up cause it thinks the bulbs are dead.

 

Well this thread got ugly very fast.

And to correct my mistake in the OP, I meant to ask about an electronic flasher, not resistors.

I only referred to the word "resistance" in the OP because the installation of the LED lights will change the completed circuit, thus requiring the installation of something foreign into the truck to correct the blink rate of the turn signals.

The "current resistor" was supposed to be "OEM Flasher Unit". Hopefully these old trucks have a flasher unit, cause I'm not even sure that they do.

Clarification was needed, so I'll take the blame on that one. As a suggestion though, communication courses or something might be needed to help those of you who are arguing to manage your tone and writing style better on this forum.... angry writing doesn't do anything for you.

Mind if I ask where you got that copied text from? I'd like to grab the link and check out what else was written in the rest of the thread just for reference.

I'm hoping the rest of the thread has pictures.

Whooops! Guess I should have paid attention to the price a bit more. For some reason I was paying attention to the "50x" part of the description and mistook it for the price.

 

No worries at all!

That's a great point. It would not be the case for truck in question (or most late-model Fords for that matter), but I have heard of that happening in other applications.

 

79 Thunder Up Build! - FSB Forums

 

These trucks do have a flasher; if they did not, the turn signals wouldn't flash. The original flasher is a thermal flasher. LEDs do not draw enough current by themselves to actuate the flasher. You can solve this problem by pulling extra current with a shunt resistor, or replacing the thermal flasher with an electronic flasher. This has been the point of my responses.

I'm guessing this is directed at parkland and myself. Spirited debate is a part of any internet forum. At no point were any of my statements based out of anger, and at no point did I sense anger from parkland. And while it took us a couple iterations to get in sync, I don't think we need "communication courses" to fix that. Some of the threads that get started here look like text messages, written by someone with little command of the English language that make no sense at all. You might suggest those folks take classes; compared to most of the banter that gets thrown around here, I felt like the discussion between parkland and myself was relatively legible.

 

Hey, it's like were all sitting in the garage BS'ing about this stuff.
Arguments are normal, everyone is never going to agree 100% of the time,
and sometimes computer chatting doesn't always transmit what you are trying to say, the same as if you're face to face.

If we were in my garage, I'd pour you guys a drink, but since it's the internet, heres a pretend one, lol.

 

Thanks! Always a big help.

Cool thanks. Glad to know the swap is simple, just like my motorcycle.

No one is ever too old to learn. I'm sure we can all agree that the last thing this forum needs is poor communicators.

Even though your message wasn't meant to be angry, I certainly read into the tone of the message which made it seem angry. Communication courses help communicators to create tone-sensitive messages in any discourse.

I'm not saying we need to be perfect communicators on this forum, but what I am saying is that it wouldn't hurt FTEer's to learn a little more about the theory behind communication. Communication courses are essentially life-long learning courses.

Thanks for the assistance though. I do appreciate your insight and time put in to helping me with my curiosity about these old trucks wiring.

Lol, a virtual beer is as good as a real beer if it comes from FTEer's. Cheers.

 

Right on .