Disclaimer
The community here at 355nation.net urges you to please use caution and seek professional assistance when performing modifications to your vehicle. Before attempting any modification it is advised that you refer to your Colorado or Canyon service manual or contact a certified mechanic as not all GMT355 trucks are the same. The staff and the associated members are in no way responsible for any damages, injuries or other harm inflicted to your vehicle or yourself which may result in attempting these modifications. The posts and content presented on this site reflect in no way the views of 355nation.net or it’s ownership.
A 355nation How To presented by
Indychus
Project Name
Tail light bulb upgrade for under $10
Project Description
Upgrading the stock bulbs to brighter bulbs.
Skill Level
Easy
Project Vehicle
Make: GMT
Model: 355
Year: ALL
Engine: ALL
Tools Needed
Philips head screwdriver
Project Time
~5 min
Project Cost
~$10
This is the best kind of mod. No real modding involved, and costs less than 10 bucks. This is a very common mod on most vehicles, but I have not seen anyone here talk about it.
Here's the theory:
Our trucks come with 3057 bulbs in the tail lights. They have an MSCP (mean spherical candle power) of 2MSCP/32MSCP. The first number is just the tail light, the second is when the brake lamp is lit. There are several other bulbs on the market which are a direct fit into out sockets with better MSCP ratings.
Choosing a bulb:
Stock (3057)
2/32MSCP 2.1watt/.48A
This is the dimmest bulb available for our wedge type socket. GM uses these bulbs because they are marginally cheaper and have longer lifespans.
3157
3/32MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3157 bulb is not much of an upgrade. It is a slightly brighter tail lamp filament with the same brake lamp filament as the stock 3057.
3357
3/38MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3357 bulb combines the brighter 3157 tail lamp filament with a 38 MSCP brake lamp filament. Compared to the stock bulbs, it has a slightly brighter tail lamp, with a noticeably brighter brake lamp. Sylvania offers a 3357/3457 bulb, which is the same as 3357's. It does not have the brighter 3457 filament.
3457
3/41MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3457 is the brightest incandescent bulb available for out stock wedge sockets. It combines the tail lamp filament from the 3157/3357 bulb with a brighter still 40/41MSCP brake lamp filament. Sylvania offers a 3357/3457 bulb, which is the same as 3357's. It does not have the brighter 3457 filament.
I chose to use the GE 3457 bulb. It does have a slightly reduced life due to higher operating temp, but you gain 33% more light from the tail filament, and 22% more from the brake filament. The extra heat and watts/amp are well within safe ranges for our stock electrical systems.
The swap:
Lower tailgate, remove the two screws holding the tail lamp lens into place. Carefully remove the lens. Remove sockets from back of housing. The top two bulbs are the tail / brake / turn lamps. Use a clean rag to grasp the bulb, and pull firmly until it snaps out of the socket. Being careful not to touch the glass portion of the bulb, apply dielectric grease to the base of the new bulb. Using the rag again, press the new bulbs firmly into the socket. Try not to get any fingerprints or grease on the bulbs. Reassemble.
Results:
Do not expect results similar to swapping in LEDs. There is a definite difference in the brightness of the 3457's compared to stock 3057's, but it is subtle. Still, it's well worth the $10 and 5 minutes of my time.
The community here at 355nation.net urges you to please use caution and seek professional assistance when performing modifications to your vehicle. Before attempting any modification it is advised that you refer to your Colorado or Canyon service manual or contact a certified mechanic as not all GMT355 trucks are the same. The staff and the associated members are in no way responsible for any damages, injuries or other harm inflicted to your vehicle or yourself which may result in attempting these modifications. The posts and content presented on this site reflect in no way the views of 355nation.net or it’s ownership.
A 355nation How To presented by
Indychus
Project Name
Tail light bulb upgrade for under $10
Project Description
Upgrading the stock bulbs to brighter bulbs.
Skill Level
Easy
Project Vehicle
Make: GMT
Model: 355
Year: ALL
Engine: ALL
Tools Needed
Philips head screwdriver
Project Time
~5 min
Project Cost
~$10
This is the best kind of mod. No real modding involved, and costs less than 10 bucks. This is a very common mod on most vehicles, but I have not seen anyone here talk about it.
Here's the theory:
Our trucks come with 3057 bulbs in the tail lights. They have an MSCP (mean spherical candle power) of 2MSCP/32MSCP. The first number is just the tail light, the second is when the brake lamp is lit. There are several other bulbs on the market which are a direct fit into out sockets with better MSCP ratings.
Choosing a bulb:
Stock (3057)
2/32MSCP 2.1watt/.48A
This is the dimmest bulb available for our wedge type socket. GM uses these bulbs because they are marginally cheaper and have longer lifespans.
3157
3/32MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3157 bulb is not much of an upgrade. It is a slightly brighter tail lamp filament with the same brake lamp filament as the stock 3057.
3357
3/38MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3357 bulb combines the brighter 3157 tail lamp filament with a 38 MSCP brake lamp filament. Compared to the stock bulbs, it has a slightly brighter tail lamp, with a noticeably brighter brake lamp. Sylvania offers a 3357/3457 bulb, which is the same as 3357's. It does not have the brighter 3457 filament.
3457
3/41MSCP 2.1watt/.59A
The 3457 is the brightest incandescent bulb available for out stock wedge sockets. It combines the tail lamp filament from the 3157/3357 bulb with a brighter still 40/41MSCP brake lamp filament. Sylvania offers a 3357/3457 bulb, which is the same as 3357's. It does not have the brighter 3457 filament.
I chose to use the GE 3457 bulb. It does have a slightly reduced life due to higher operating temp, but you gain 33% more light from the tail filament, and 22% more from the brake filament. The extra heat and watts/amp are well within safe ranges for our stock electrical systems.
The swap:
Lower tailgate, remove the two screws holding the tail lamp lens into place. Carefully remove the lens. Remove sockets from back of housing. The top two bulbs are the tail / brake / turn lamps. Use a clean rag to grasp the bulb, and pull firmly until it snaps out of the socket. Being careful not to touch the glass portion of the bulb, apply dielectric grease to the base of the new bulb. Using the rag again, press the new bulbs firmly into the socket. Try not to get any fingerprints or grease on the bulbs. Reassemble.
Results:
Do not expect results similar to swapping in LEDs. There is a definite difference in the brightness of the 3457's compared to stock 3057's, but it is subtle. Still, it's well worth the $10 and 5 minutes of my time.