The Ram 5500 brake light requires 3057 or 1157 bulb sizes depending on the specific configuration of the lighting assembly. Data for the lighting components covers the range from 2011 to 2018.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Ram 5500 brake light system draws from three ANSI-standard bulb types across its model years: the 3057, 1157, and 921, all rated at 12 volts and recognized in both the United States and Canada.
The 921 is the most consistently specified bulb across the Ram 5500 brake light data, appearing in the Center High Mount Stop Light position for every model year from 2011-2018.
The 921 is a single-filament wedge bulb of the T15 type, rated at 16 watts, making it suited for a single-function stop light role rather than a combined stop and tail application.
The 3057 and 1157 are both dual-filament bulbs, meaning each contains two separate filaments that serve distinct functions, typically a brighter filament for braking and a dimmer one for running or tail light use.
The 3057 uses a T25 wedge base and operates at 27 watts on its high-intensity filament and 7 watts on its low-intensity filament, giving it a notably wider wattage gap between the two filaments compared to the 1157.
The 1157 uses a BAY15d bayonet base, which is a twist-and-lock mount with two offset pins, and operates at 21 watts and 5 watts across its two filaments.
Because the 3057 uses a wedge base and the 1157 uses a BAY15d bayonet base, the two bulbs are not physically interchangeable despite both being dual-filament types.
The Ram 5500 (2018) specifies the 3057 for the brake light position only when the vehicle is equipped without Projector Headlamps, indicating that the headlamp configuration on this model affects brake bulb fitment.
The 1157 is specified for the brake light position on the Ram 5500 for the 2011-2012 model years, while the 3057 takes that role in 2018, and the two bulbs are not interchangeable due to their differing base types.
The 921 wedge base is a physically distinct format from both the T25 wedge of the 3057 and the BAY15d bayonet of the 1157, meaning none of the three bulb types specified across the Ram 5500 brake system are cross-compatible with one another.