High Beam Headlight Switch

[Gary]

Back in the day, there was a wonderful location for the high beam switch called the floor. Your left foot controlled the clutch and your highbeams. I find the floor button better and more convenient personally. What do y’all think?

Topic

[James O’Hara]

I think it took me a good 15 mins to find it doing a pm on an old big rig. I think with how people are now adays it is not a good idea. They don’t take care of anything and a switch in that position is just asking for trouble from snow, mud, dirt, dust, pet hair, grass, etc, etc, etc. Hence why it moved from the floor in the first place.

[Kenneth]

[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=123683]Back in the day, there was a wonderful location for the high beam switch called the floor. Your left foot controlled the clutch and your highbeams. I find the floor button better and more convenient personally. What do y’all think?[/quote]

I’m with you, those floor switch dimmers just worked too good.
I think it had a more natural feel, than using the turn signal, to dim the lights.

[Gary]

[quote=”MDK22″ post=123706]I think it took me a good 15 mins to find it doing a pm on an old big rig. I think with how people are now adays it is not a good idea. They don’t take care of anything and a switch in that position is just asking for trouble from snow, mud, dirt, dust, pet hair, grass, etc, etc, etc. Hence why it moved from the floor in the first place.[/quote] If the switch is properly wired and sealed, there is no issue from anything mentioned. I think the main reason it was moved was cost. It is cheaper to manufacturer a single multi switch stalk for the column than have a headlight switch and a dimmer on the dash, directionals on the column, and the switch for highbeams on the floor. Think about it, more wiring, more individual switches etc etc. Im sure it was cost related when GM introduced the “multipurpose stalk switch” on the columns. If you remember far back enough(yes I know I’m too young to but I’ve worked on these) the starter switch used to be on the floor too. Then it got incorporated into the ignition switch That was convenience related and I can see why they did that.

[Gary]

[quote=”Kenneth07ex” post=123715][quote=”Chevyman21″ post=123683]Back in the day, there was a wonderful location for the high beam switch called the floor. Your left foot controlled the clutch and your highbeams. I find the floor button better and more convenient personally. What do y’all think?[/quote]

I’m with you, those floor switch dimmers just worked too good.
I think it had a more natural feel, than using the turn signal, to dim the lights.[/quote] Exactly. It has a more natural feel to it. At least for GM, the hazards were also placed in a common sense place…you can hit them with your knee in an accident even if you were incapacitated!

[Lorrin Barth]

Back in 1978 I bought a Trans Am and liked it. So, in 1979 I bought another. So, two identical cars except for the dimmer switch position. I much preferred the floor position. The ’79 still had a hole in the carpet for a floor mounted switch.

[Gary]

[quote=”barneyb” post=123776]Back in 1978 I bought a Trans Am and liked it. So, in 1979 I bought another. So, two identical cars except for the dimmer switch position. I much preferred the floor position. The ’79 still had a hole in the carpet for a floor mounted switch.[/quote] Sounds like it was an easy swap to a floor mounted switch in the 1979 if you wanted to. It just has a more natural feel to it as stated above.

[Author]

Replies