52 F3 Taillight brackets
 

I need help!!! My truck is 98% ready for the road, but I can't find any stock taillight brackets anywhere for this truck! Does anybody have a pair laying around for one that they would be willing to part with? Not knowing much about the differences between the F1's to F3's, I bought a pair for the F1 and they are way to small. Bolt holes won't line up, even if they did the brackets are to short and won't allow the license plate bracket or lights to clear the stake pocket. I've rescently finished installing the new headers on the 239 Flathead, rewired the entire truck front to back, slapped some paint on it and new tires and wheels just to get it driveable. These brackets are the only thing holding me up!!

The brackets are the same from about 1930 something to 1956 and as far as I know there is no difference among F-1, F-2, and F-3 brackets. Are you sure your holes in the stake pocket are correct? There are two types of brackets. The ones with a bend in them are for trucks with rear bumpers and the flat ones are for trucks w/o a rear bumper but that would have nothing to do with the license plate clearing the bed. Perhaps you have the wrong license plate brackets? :confused:

There are all kinds of tail light brackets on Ebay but the ones you have should work...:)

My truck originally did have the rear bumper, but the stake pockets have a much larger bubble at the bottom than the F1's have. Takes a longer bracket to get everything to clear the stake pocket. Plus the mounting holes in the stake pocket are about 1/4 to half inch wider for the F2/3's. I'm positive everything's in the proper places in the truck since it 100% stock off the assembly line. Nothing has ever been done to it other than the hydraulic dump bed was installed for the use as a hardware store truck

Would they be too difficult to fabricate? using the ones you have as a pattern, but lengthen to the outside and widen the boltholes? I don't even know what they look like, but will need to do something about that someday.

My F-3 was converted to an F-1 so I have an F-1 box. I don't have a really good close up of how the brackets attach but maybe this is of some help...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=131958&.jpg

The holes for the bracket are the same holes that hold the tail gate hinge on...:)

Here are two different brackets, but doesn't say what the differences are for. open this link. It's Chucks Trucks catalog. go to page 44 of 98.
You might call them?
Online Catalog

That looks like the bent bracket (with a rear bumper) and the straight one (w/o a rear bumper)...:)

Oh, I was looking at the length difference thinking maybe the longer one would be for the F3. Also wonder about what was said, "The bolt holes are off" Is there a difference between the F1 tailgate hinge pin and an F2/3?
Or is this a case of "not quite right" aftermarket parts.

I think you're on to something with "not quite right". If I remember correctly, I had to enlarge the holes in my polished SS brackets and use washers under the bolts to cover it up to make them fit...:confused:

I don't think there is any difference in the F-1 to F-3 tail gate hinges. In fact, they used the same hinges up to about 1968. :)

1955: FoMoCo introduced shield taillamps. The brackets (including the license plate bracket) are not the same as used with 1932/54 round taillamps.

When used on pickups, since the shield taillamps are wider, the brackets are longer.

Well then, maybe you could use 53-55 brackets to clear the bed but the spacing between the mounting holes is going to be the same...:)

Are the taillight brackets supposed to bolt to the bed with the tailgate hinge? My bed has mounting holes on the front side of the stake pocket for the taillights. So they mount seperately from the tailgate hinges. And they are stock holes since they have the nut mounted inside the pocket which would be virtually impossible to do aftermarket without cutting open the stake pocket. Why is it seeming my truck is so different from everybody elses? :-huh My 52 F1 is set up the same way as well with the brackets being seperate from the hinges

This is the setup I have on my 52 M-3
Not stock as I have the dealer installed aftermarket dump box, but it may give you an idea for brackets.

I once had a 49 F1 that did not have the tailgate brackets. I had some tailgate brackets from a 52 F2/F3 and tried to fit them onto the F1. They were too wide between the holes, about 1/4". So, I'd say that the tailgate brackets are indeed different between the F1 and F2/F3 trucks.

The tail light bracket(s) is mounted at the rear of the stake pocket through the mounting holes for the tailgate bracket.

That's the problem I'm having here. Bolt holes are 1/4 inch to wide for the brackets, but again you say yours bolt to the back side with the tailgate hinge, but mine bolt to the front side opposite of the hinge. Did Ford make different beds for these things or something? The front side mount taillights are stock on my truck, but from what I'm understanding from everybodys posts and pics, theirs are on the back side with the hinges. My buddy always tells me "If the truck isn't strange compared to the normal, it wouldn't be your truck". I guess this truck's continuing my streak of odd duck trucks :-X19 I also have a 79 Ford F-150 with a leaf spring front end (stock) :-huh