headlight pigtail advice

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Jan 30, 2011 | 07:37 AM

hellfirejim

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Joined: Oct 2010

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From: 50 miles west of Chicago

headlight pigtail advice

The headlight pigtails need replacing on my replacment buckets so I ordered in a set. Now the question. The originals had three wires coming out the pigtail and the new set only has 2 wires hi and low beam. The ground is on a separate wire but does not go out the bucket.

I am thinking that the only place to ground it is under the bucket gastket where it bolts to the body. Right ? wrong? better idea?

jim

Jan 30, 2011 | 07:58 AM

9teen56f100

Laughing Gas

Joined: Apr 2005

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From: Dupont, Indiana

As long as the body (grill) is grounded good that should be fine. When I first put my truck together I had some trouble with not having good grounds, with all the fresh paint. I had to add a couple extra grounding straps to the body.
brian...

Jan 30, 2011 | 10:43 AM

tip49

Cargo Master

Joined: Sep 2004

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From: Alberta Canada

Run separate ground

I'd run a separate ground back to a ground bar; don't like to scrape paint off body work. I fabbed up a copper buss bar, drilled and tapped and mounted it inside driver side of cab. Its bolted through firewall and attached to battery ground.

Jan 30, 2011 | 03:55 PM

ibuzzard

See A Man About A Horse

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 4,899

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From: Mariposa, Ca.

Tip, I feel running an extra wire to a ground-bus is more work,money, and not necessary.The conventional method of going direct to a frame ground lasts many years and is easy to troubleshoot, is standard practice, is cost effective, and can be made to look good. You'd need to label each individual ground-wire at the bus for troubleshooting purposes, as opposed to bonding it right at the headlight buckets. For an even better bond, nut and bolt, or drill and tap and use a machine screw.Use dielectric grease at the bonding points,as I have to do in the temperate rain-forest in which I live.Just my never-so-humble,but ever-so-thrifty suggestion.

Steve