Well, just call me Chicken Little. The sky didn't fall after all, and I gave poor Ron a bad rap. I went to 2 different auto-parts stores this afternoon, and the friggin bulb sockets all seem to be made the same as mine. (last time I looked close at a tail-light socket was about 1972, and Honest, they really did have that little fibre washer under the contactors.)---Anyhoo---I cut two thin peices of clear acetate (clear plastic), and put them down into the offending socket between the contactors and the sides of the housing where they were shorting out, then screwed the 1157 bulb in to hold everything in place. Hopefully, that will be the end of it.---Brian