Grounding?
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From: South Bend, IN
Grounding?
Where were the original body and frame grounding points on these trucks? Obviously the main battery ground goes to the engine block, but where did the frame and body get their ground returns? Did they connect directly to the engine block, or were there multiple connections to the battery negative cable? Brian
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From: North Texas
I ran a ground from the battery to the engine block, then to the frame, then to the body. Several electrical issues disappeared. The battery to engine block needs to handle however many amps your starter pulls. Use the same guage wire as your starter wire. The engine to frame and frame to body need only handle what your alternator can put out, usually 60-70 amps.
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Some of the OEM battery cables I have run into had a tab on the battery ground cable that was bolted to the body or frame. Replacement cables don't have that tab. I don't remember what years Ford used that tab system tho.
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From: Spokane WA
Originally Posted by n9lhm
Where were the original body and frame grounding points on these trucks? Obviously the main battery ground goes to the engine block, but where did the frame and body get their ground returns? Did they connect directly to the engine block, or were there multiple connections to the battery negative cable? Brian
there should be a flat ground cable going from the engine to the firewall.
there should be another cable near the drivers cabmount going to the frame
and usually one going from the frame to the angle brace on the front of the bed. The primary pickup bed ground it the solid steel bolts that mount it to the frame, but there is usually also clip-on strap.
The frame gets its ground (or most likely after a few dacades DOESN'T) through the metal sleaves inside the cab and core support bushings.
when I wire a truck I use a Chrysler negative cable with a 10ga tap.
the tap goes to pass fender, there are a couple places that are good, the solenoid mount is the easiest. I run a 14ga wire from the ground tap on the alternator and tee it into the extra tap on the neg cable (if your long alternator mounting bolt is dry and rusty even when everything else is greasy, its a good sign that the alternator isn't getting a good ground). I also use a flat cable from the engine to the firewall. Running a ground strap across a motormount or transmission mount will ensure a good frame ground.
Last edited by oldhalftons; Dec 17, 2005 at 11:21 AM.
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