I recently removed the rusty coat hangers that were running from the frame to the tail lights. After removing them, the tail lights wouldn't work and I realized it was someone's primitive attempt at grounding the bed to the frame. I have it rigged for now so the tail lights work, but want to know where the bed is supposed to be grounded. When I crawled underneath, I could see why it wasn't grounded because the bed sits on rubber bumpers. I assume there must have been a ground strap somewhere when it was new but I didn't see any evidence of one. Anyone have a pic of the proper ground strap setup?

Mark

 

If your bed is the styleside...either version(57-60 bed type used on 4WD) or the common 64-6 type...these beds should not be sitting on anything rubber at all...
There is a foam or some such filler stuffed in the hat section of the boxes side to side frame rails...but these end just flush with the hat section...the bed should be firmly steel to steel at all mount points. If there is some kind of rubber stuffed between the bed frame and the frame of the truck, take it out as it was added by a PO.
I have seen on some styleside taillight buckets where there was a ground wire riveted to the bucket and the other end run under the big phillips sheet metal screw which secures it to the bed itself. I have seen this setup rarely ...most dont have any kind of ground wire per se at the tail light bucket itself as the wiring harness is grounded further upstream as I recall...there is 2 harnesses from the firewall back for the rear lights...the main one that plugs in below where the column pokes through the cab ends at the end of the LH frame rail...its a pain to remove btw...the actual taillight harness thats run side to side on the backside of the filler panel below the tailgate plugs at the frame rail and then goes to the tail lights and license plate light.
If the trucks tail harness has been hacked at some point for trailer wiring I would check that over or yank it out if you arent gonna use it and solder and splice the harness back together. If you do end up having to go that route, before you solder it back together get some shrink tubing and slide over the open ends before soldering...once thats done and everything works right slide them over and shrink them with a lighter...makes it weathertight.


Let me know what you come up with....


If its a flareside bed my best guess is it would also be sitting directly on the frame...



- cs65

 

Mark, I would add to make sure there is no paint blocking grounding where the light bucket fits in the bed. The truck is a ground plane from bumper to bumper. Folk will place the buckets in without scrapping away the paint at contact points when one gets new paint, or dirt & rust can build up over the years.

Newer trucks with the computers have many more ground straps than our oldies. There are good choices for replacement in the Help section at your favorite parts house. Don't be afraid to add them from a light to the chassis.


John

 

Well, I got it solved. At the contact points in the rear where the bed touches the frame there are what appear to be bolt holes but no bolts in them. I put a bolt in one of the holes and tightened it down real good and no more problems with the ground.

 

Good deal, another issue solved.



John