Cab Grounds
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Joined: Oct 2023
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From: Anacortes
Cab Grounds
Couldn't find on the forums, does anyone have pictures of how and where the cab is ground to the frame? My neighbor was telling me there are these weird clip things toward the back bottom area of the cab that serve as cab ground to frame. I need to locate these so I can inspect them and possibly replace or upgrade. Didn't have time to crawl under there today to look and from what he described I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2022
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Oh crap, sorry, misread that. I’m going to use a 1/0 cable (probably overkill) that goes from the ground location on the cab in the picture above to an existing hole in the frame on the driver’s side. Should be hidden pretty well.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,217
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From: Pa.
There should be a ground running from the drivers side front cab corner to the frame, from the passenger side front of motor to frame below the battery tray,
from the back of the hood to the firewall and from the firewall to the passenger back of motor.
from the back of the hood to the firewall and from the firewall to the passenger back of motor.
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From: Anacortes
Didn't see anything at the battery tray other than the cable from the battery to the block, my truck doesn't appear to have ever had the hood to cab ground
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: San Jose, CA
If you don’t have the fancy alligator jaw clip thingies on yours, you could easily create your own with just a ring terminal on the two ends of a wire and self tapping screws.
It doesn’t have to be very specific, or fancy, other than connecting the two parts to each other.
You can even buy premade, braided straps, but they may not be the exact length that you want.
The factory ones, at least in the later 70s, were braided straps with end clips shaped sort of like jaws) that sort of had internal teeth or serrations more like teeth that simply slid over the edge of the body mounts and edges of the frame. Just held in place by the teeth.
I’m sure that was very quick to install at the factory and got the job done.
probably pictures around here somewhere, or just on the web in general. Don’t have any of mine I don’t think.
It doesn’t have to be very specific, or fancy, other than connecting the two parts to each other.
You can even buy premade, braided straps, but they may not be the exact length that you want.
The factory ones, at least in the later 70s, were braided straps with end clips shaped sort of like jaws) that sort of had internal teeth or serrations more like teeth that simply slid over the edge of the body mounts and edges of the frame. Just held in place by the teeth.
I’m sure that was very quick to install at the factory and got the job done.
probably pictures around here somewhere, or just on the web in general. Don’t have any of mine I don’t think.
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2023
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From: Anacortes
If you don’t have the fancy alligator jaw clip thingies on yours, you could easily create your own with just a ring terminal on the two ends of a wire and self tapping screws.
It doesn’t have to be very specific, or fancy, other than connecting the two parts to each other.
You can even buy premade, braided straps, but they may not be the exact length that you want.
The factory ones, at least in the later 70s, were braided straps with end clips shaped sort of like jaws) that sort of had internal teeth or serrations more like teeth that simply slid over the edge of the body mounts and edges of the frame. Just held in place by the teeth.
I’m sure that was very quick to install at the factory and got the job done.
probably pictures around here somewhere, or just on the web in general. Don’t have any of mine I don’t think.
It doesn’t have to be very specific, or fancy, other than connecting the two parts to each other.
You can even buy premade, braided straps, but they may not be the exact length that you want.
The factory ones, at least in the later 70s, were braided straps with end clips shaped sort of like jaws) that sort of had internal teeth or serrations more like teeth that simply slid over the edge of the body mounts and edges of the frame. Just held in place by the teeth.
I’m sure that was very quick to install at the factory and got the job done.
probably pictures around here somewhere, or just on the web in general. Don’t have any of mine I don’t think.
Have a few extra ground straps waiting to find their new homes on the truck and I can make some cables if needed.
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Lead Driver
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From: Pa.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2023
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From: Anacortes
Added hood to cab ground, alt to engine block, was gona through bolt from block to frame but I need about a 1/2"x 6 1/2" bolt and hardware and the stores were not open today.
Crawled under cab with my neighbor couldn't find the alligator clip things from cab to frame. He said the probably got removed or rotted off.
Gonna ground other side of engine block too when I get more ground straps for my aux battery.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,217
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From: Pa.
Your making good progress 
If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.
If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.
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From: Anacortes
Your making good progress If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.
If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.Also scheming about adding rear of bed to frame, bumper to frame, front of bed to frame.
PO had a wire with a ring terminal JB welded to mudflap bracket as a ground....
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Angier, NC
I posted this in your head light switch sparking post.
Battery to motor> motor to frame.
Motor to cab firewall
Frame to bed.
If you have battery to motor and motor to frame and motor to cab firewall then that should cover the cab ground just like the factory had on my 81 F100
As for your ALT to motor ground I would think the ALT being bolted to a bracket that is bolted to the motor and motor to battery would be ground enough?
Now I have seen where some strange charging issues have turned up and a ground wire from ALT to REG tying them together has helped as the fender may not pick up the motor to cab ground.
Dave ----
Battery to motor> motor to frame.
Motor to cab firewall
Frame to bed.
If you have battery to motor and motor to frame and motor to cab firewall then that should cover the cab ground just like the factory had on my 81 F100
As for your ALT to motor ground I would think the ALT being bolted to a bracket that is bolted to the motor and motor to battery would be ground enough?
Now I have seen where some strange charging issues have turned up and a ground wire from ALT to REG tying them together has helped as the fender may not pick up the motor to cab ground.
Dave ----
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2023
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From: Anacortes
Your making good progress If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.
If you imagine where the fuse panel is located there at your feet to left when sitting behind the steering wheel. draw a straight line in your mind where that connects to the frame. That is where the factory put the ground between the cab and the frame to support all the electrical circuits that come together there.
Well I went treasure hunting again and this was all I found, looks like two cut cables on the underside of the bed.
I'm not saying those grounds your talking about aren't there but I just didn't see any evidence.
Would it be a crime against humanity to add a ground bolt to this thin section of the cab in the left part of the photo? I see some potential candidates for bed to frame back here but not much on the cab.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 9,606
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From: San Jose, CA
Nope. Perfectly fine, as long as it’s actually a part of the body that is still in good contact with the rest.