Let’s discuss taillights

[KoopaKid]

@carolinajeepman i am definitely interested in a set once you have this situation figured out. Mine look really faded and I'm rebuilding my 88 and would hate to stick on old looking tail lights. If these turn out as clean as your prototype, count me in!

[eaglescout526]

8 minutes ago, KoopaKid said:

@carolinajeepman i am definitely interested in a set once you have this situation figured out. Mine look really faded and I'm rebuilding my 88 and would hate to stick on old looking tail lights. If these turn out as clean as your prototype, count me in!

Supposedly key parts is supposed to be making just the lenses but with no ETA. Shoot Carolina a PM about them and see what he says. Last I talked to him, he was busy with life and what not. 

[carolinajeepman]

7 minutes ago, KoopaKid said:

@carolinajeepman i am definitely interested in a set once you have this situation figured out. Mine look really faded and I'm rebuilding my 88 and would hate to stick on old looking tail lights. If these turn out as clean as your prototype, count me in!

Sounds good! They will be exact replicas and should look like NOS lights. I am in the middle of a move/house search right now so had to take a break, but will be back at it by the spring with a nice new workshop (not settling this time) which will make this so much easier to work. The house I just sold had such a small garage which made it rough as you can imagine. 

[Greentoy]

On 1/26/2021 at 4:13 PM, KoopaKid said:

@Greentoy I've been trying to get a 3D printed set of brackets to fit JK tail lights into the MJ. You solution looks clean but regrettably requires the sacrifice of a set of comanche lights, ouch. Not a bad thing to try if they're already in rough shape.

 

 

 

 

KoopaKid,

Yeah, mine were both broken and covered in tape when I got the truck, so I didn't have anything to lose.

[89 MJ]

I see KeyParts have their MJ taillight lenses in the testing phase now. Depending on the price, I'll probably pick up a set to put on my worst set of taillights. If I do that, I will create a thread on it.

[KoopaKid]

11 minutes ago, 89 MJ said:

I see KeyParts have their MJ taillight lenses in the testing phase now. Depending on the price, I'll probably pick up a set to put on my worst set of taillights. If I do that, I will create a thread on it.

Where would one follow to see what KeyParts is up to?

[89 MJ]

1 minute ago, KoopaKid said:

Where would one follow to see what KeyParts is up to?

I have been seeing updates on their FaceBook page.

[KoopaKid]

1 minute ago, 89 MJ said:

I have been seeing updates on their FaceBook page.

Thanks, I don't really use facebook, but I'll check them out.

[ghetdjc320]

8 hours ago, 89 MJ said:

I see KeyParts have their MJ taillight lenses in the testing phase now. Depending on the price, I'll probably pick up a set to put on my worst set of taillights. If I do that, I will create a thread on it.

Can you send a link to their posts?

[89 MJ]

22 minutes ago, ghetdjc320 said:

Can you send a link to their posts?

For some reason it won’t let me copy the link. Here is a screenshot. No pricing or date to release yet. 

[ghetdjc320]

47 minutes ago, 89 MJ said:

For some reason it won’t let me copy the link. Here is a screenshot. No pricing or date to release yet. 

Looking good. Only thing that looks off to me is the reverse light. I notice some red peaking though in that area. @Dzimm I see an opportunity for the housings to be reproduced! 

[Dzimm]

1 hour ago, ghetdjc320 said:

Looking good. Only thing that looks off to me is the reverse light. I notice some red peaking though in that area. @Dzimm I see an opportunity for the housings to be reproduced! 

Funny you mention that.. working on modeling the back half anyway.  

[MYE Jeep]

Any updates on any of these reproductions? 
 

Also Merry Christmas everyone!

[howeitsdone]

24 minutes ago, MYE Jeep said:

Any updates on any of these reproductions? 

Key Parts posted they’ll have the shipment in January. But has since deleted the post it seems. 

[MYE Jeep]

On 12/24/2021 at 11:12 PM, PocketsEmptied said:

Key Parts posted they’ll have the shipment in January. But has since deleted the post it seems. 

I see that they have deleted all of their posts in regards to making them now.. I'm assuming that means its not going to happen anymore.

[Airborne Janitor]

They're available now.

[acfortier]

Not sure why they list it from 86 to 96?

[MYE Jeep]

Ordered a set, let’s see how it goes!

[JMO413]

can't wait to see

[MYE Jeep]

New tail light lenses are in!!

and boy do they look incredible!

 

Currently baking my tail light housings to test how they fit with the new lenses

[MYE Jeep]

Small update… I’ve baked dozens of headlights with great success. Don’t bake these tail lights.. the housing will melt long before the glue is soft enough to pry them apart.

 

Here’s the baked one:

 

The next method I used was taking a dremel to the red part of the housing and essentially cutting the middle of the housing off, then using a series of picks and chisels “shatter” the edges off. Came out pretty well except I cracked the back housing a little bit prying too hard on one last section, I can repair the crack but still makes me sad.

 

Here’s the housing I used the cut and chisel method:

 

I don’t recommend baking, just take your time and cut the red section out and chisel the little edges off afterwards, the glue will never soften, at least on my AZ baked tail lights, the glue has essentially become its own hard plastic.

 

also be extremely careful once you crack the housing open, if there’s dirt or debris on the silver part of the inside, and you try to wash it off, the silver paint will come off even with just your finger softly sliding across it, it’s almost like silver chalk.

 

will update more later!

[ghetdjc320]

Yeah, I suppose the key parts lenses are better than nothing but they did not build a complete product. It’s not like the lenses just screw in place. I also tried the heat method then tried soaking them in solution for about a week. Nothing broke that adhesive but soaking did make it better. Until new back housings can be had, soaking them with some mild dish soap and water is at least somewhat helpful. Make sure to fill the inside of the housings as well with the solution. Problem also is that most of the original stock housings are also damaged with broken tabs and cracks. 30+ yo plastic

[Parei_doll_ia]

Someone needs to get the housing 3d scanned without the lens so they can be printed, or have molds made. If only I had $800 laying around for the 3d scanner Creality just came out with

[DesertRat1991]

3 hours ago, MYE Jeep said:

I don’t recommend baking, just take your time and cut the red section out and chisel the little edges off afterwards, the glue will never soften, at least on my AZ baked tail lights, the glue has essentially become its own hard plastic.

 

will update more later!

 

Just a thought, there may not be any glue at all.

 

The plastics may be ultrasonically welded together.  That would make sense for something that needs to be leak proof and was never intended to be serviced or disassembled.

 

RIP to all the decent housings that are going to get wrecked attempting this swap.  I've been looking for a set of junkers to experiment with but they aren't all that cheap either.

[AZJeff]

4 hours ago, MYE Jeep said:

Small update… I’ve baked dozens of headlights with great success. Don’t bake these tail lights.. the housing will melt long before the glue is soft enough to pry them apart.

 

Here’s the baked one:

 

The next method I used was taking a dremel to the red part of the housing and essentially cutting the middle of the housing off, then using a series of picks and chisels “shatter” the edges off. Came out pretty well except I cracked the back housing a little bit prying too hard on one last section, I can repair the crack but still makes me sad.

 

Here’s the housing I used the cut and chisel method:

 

I don’t recommend baking, just take your time and cut the red section out and chisel the little edges off afterwards, the glue will never soften, at least on my AZ baked tail lights, the glue has essentially become its own hard plastic.

 

also be extremely careful once you crack the housing open, if there’s dirt or debris on the silver part of the inside, and you try to wash it off, the silver paint will come off even with just your finger softly sliding across it, it’s almost like silver chalk.

 

will update more later!

I got a set of the new lenses from Key Parts.

 

I also have got a "spare" set of taillights with really crappy lenses that I was going to experiment on.  Can you elaborate more on exactly where you made your cuts?   I have some small saw blades for my Dremel, and was thinking they might be the ticket for getting the old lenses off the reflector housings.

 

Some close up pictures of where you made the cuts would be really helpful.

 

Thanks.