Replacing my ancient ground wiree...from neg terminal to block. The stock wire is stripped and attached to frame also. Im trying to avoid doing the exact same thing if possible, simply because the mounting bracket that attached it to the frame isn't reusable. Can I accomplish the same thing without attaching at the frame there?...I'd rather put an additional ground to frame than reattach the way it was. If I can do this...how to I ground to frame as well, I have the smaller gauge wire coming off the neg terminal as well..which is a frame ground too? Also...there is a thin flexible rod that terminates at the point the big wire was attached to frame and was held down by the mounting bracket...it goes back to the tank I think...tank ground? does that need to be grounded to the block as well? seems like it would since it terminated at the point where the ground wire attaches to frame and continues to block. Thanks!

 

I do not have anything on a 1987 but I think a 1988 is the same.
So here is the NEG battery grounds for a 1988.
It does not show the frame being grounded.



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the large ground wire from the battery to the block, small wire to the radiator support.

then somewhere put a wire from either the block or battery to the frame, and another wire from block, battery, or frame to cab.

big wire is always battery to block. all other wires need only be 10 gauge or larger to work.

 

ok. i've got the grounding figured out. I'm running another 4 gauge from block to frame instead of attaching battery to block wire to frame as well..like ford did. What is that rod that terminates there, and appears to go back to tank? I didn't realize it was even there until I r3emoved the bracket that was holding the gound to frame, I'm guessing it was held to frame by the same bracket since it ends right there.

 

without a picture i don't have the faintest idea what "rod" you are referring to.

but i don't remember ever seeing anything like that on my 88 and newer trucks.

 

rod is definitely tank ground. no other ground coming off tank and it was definitely held to the frame before and is bent at an angle just perfectly to do so. Turns out it was my starter the whole time. Should have tried jumping it first i guess...grounds badly needed to be replaced anyway. Both starter and grounds were a huge PITA...especially the ground to block. Old rusted on and getting the new ones on there was not exactly fun. I didn't realize I'd have to drop my exhaust to get to the starter till I tried to squeeze it through the headers. I should have connected power wire to starter before I bolted the starter on too. That terminal is hard to get to with headers hanging there.. She's happy now though!...new solenoid, ground wires, batt to solenoid wire, starter. Switch to starter wire looked good so I left that alone, except for sanding the contact. I'm taking it down a notch and doing rad hoses next..enough crawling around and reaching through **** for a while.