seems as tho the brake light wont light with ebrake on. i tested the socket and it lights. i run a ground jumper to the light it works. but when i put it in the housing it wont light. i looked at the socket and cant seem to see how it is grounding.the directional lights have a metal clips that spring the socket in place where the brake light doesnt have them. anyone know how this light grounds when installed?

Don't quite understand what you're saying bout the spring thing but the bulbs get their ground from the socket.
There is a spring under the bulb landing pad where the lead contacts on the bulb engage in the socket.
Sometimes that spring gets rusted and stuck in the compressed position and will not make good contact with the bulb.
If so just take your flavor of rust penetrator and spay down in there and work up and down (with something wooden so's not to screw up the contacts) until the spring works loose.

He's takling about the metal tabs that hold the socket in place and act as grounds for it.

ok... i pushed the wire thru the the socket and the srping looks near new. now..i run a jumper groung to the blub with the ebrake depressed and the light comes on. if i pull the ebrake and run the jumper it stays on. sooo im assuming the switch at the ebrake breaks the circuit. but i cant get the light to come on without the jumper. with your explanation... the light should come on with the socket out of the cluster housing. but it wont. ilooked at the sswitch and all looks good. i looked at the manual and looks to show the black wire at the socket going to the push on connector at the brake line under the mc. im assuming the black wire at the push on connector at the ebrake is tied in somehow. soooo i figure the ground is not making a connection somewhere. any ideas where it could have a break? thanx for all the help.i got a ton of electrical issues im dealling with on this car.

Isn't the switch at the E brake the ground?

yes but it looks to be working good and i cant find another break in the line anywhere.

im a happy now!!! for the heck of it i removed the switch at the ebrake. inspected it and it looked perfect but i had another ebrake pedalin the shop with a switch. i pulled it and installed it and she works perfectly. dont make sense because those switches are simple but that was the problem. now i can get some sleep.