tail lite ground
#1
02-19-2006, 02:52 PM
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tail lite ground
I'm rewiring my '38 1/2 ton. I figured to start simple with replacing the tail lite harness, or 'body' harness as some call it. Any way, there was an external ground soldered to the bucket and going along the harness to the frame by the wheel well. This looked tacky so I took that wire off and repainted the bucket. Well, now the lite doesn't work. Should I do another ground wire from somewhere inside the bucket up to the frame again?? I'm guessing I do, but anyplace special??
Tks~JH~
Tks~JH~
#2
02-19-2006, 03:48 PM
You just need to have a solid connection from the brass part of the bulb, to the battery -. There are many ways to do this.
Sounds like originally it was from the bulb to the socket, to the housing, to the frame, and then the battery - was hooked to the frame somehow up front.
If you do not like the ground wire bolted to the frame, you could run a seperate ground wire and bundle it in with the regular harness wires. You can run it all the way up front, and then bolt it to the frame somewhere hidden along the way, or go ahead and run it all the way to the battery -.
Just remember the ground is just as important as the hot wires. If you have changed some of the wiring up front, and have forgotten or lost a small jumper from the engine block to the frame, then you may still not have a good ground. Most of the time the engine is mounted in rubber mounts, so if the main battery - is bolted to the engine block, a small ground wire is required from the engine block to the sheetmetal and or the frame.
Sounds like originally it was from the bulb to the socket, to the housing, to the frame, and then the battery - was hooked to the frame somehow up front.
If you do not like the ground wire bolted to the frame, you could run a seperate ground wire and bundle it in with the regular harness wires. You can run it all the way up front, and then bolt it to the frame somewhere hidden along the way, or go ahead and run it all the way to the battery -.
Just remember the ground is just as important as the hot wires. If you have changed some of the wiring up front, and have forgotten or lost a small jumper from the engine block to the frame, then you may still not have a good ground. Most of the time the engine is mounted in rubber mounts, so if the main battery - is bolted to the engine block, a small ground wire is required from the engine block to the sheetmetal and or the frame.
#3
02-21-2006, 09:25 AM
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Hey Dave!
Thks for the come-back. All I changed was a single 3' piece of wire that was soldered to the outside of the tail light bucket, thru the bracket wire cover, along the harness 'til above the rear tire. Then it was screwed to the frame with the fuel sender grd.
To get it to work again, I'm thinking I need to fasten another wire to the inside of the bucket, like a bracket mounting screw, and run it with the others up to the wheel well again. Am I close??
Later~JH~
Thks for the come-back. All I changed was a single 3' piece of wire that was soldered to the outside of the tail light bucket, thru the bracket wire cover, along the harness 'til above the rear tire. Then it was screwed to the frame with the fuel sender grd.
To get it to work again, I'm thinking I need to fasten another wire to the inside of the bucket, like a bracket mounting screw, and run it with the others up to the wheel well again. Am I close??
Later~JH~
#4
02-21-2006, 03:03 PM
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