Whats the difference?
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 154
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Whats the difference?
Just got a question about positive grounds. What is the difference between having a negative ground and a positive ground. My 54 has a neg. ground(12v),but a buddy of mine has a 54 packard with pos ground (6v). I asked him what the diff was and he wasn't sure.
Thanks,
Matt
Thanks,
Matt
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,776
Likes: 553
From: Kalispell, MT
Simple answer? On positive ground systems the positive battery cable is connected to the frame/block etc and the negative cable runs to the starter/ignition/coil etc.
Negative system is the opposite. (-) cable to frame/block and (+) cable to starter/ignition/coil
Both work fine.
Negative system is the opposite. (-) cable to frame/block and (+) cable to starter/ignition/coil
Both work fine.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,119
Likes: 2
From: Southern New Hampshire
Positive ground is actually the better way since it follows true electron flow. Ever notice that you dont get that battery post crud with + gnd?
However with the advent of higher output electrical systems and 12V some genius committee decided to standardize on negative gnd. A few years later this became a good idea as solid state devices are primarily PNP designs which work off negative grounds, otherwise the radio would require being isolated from the chassis, etc.
However with the advent of higher output electrical systems and 12V some genius committee decided to standardize on negative gnd. A few years later this became a good idea as solid state devices are primarily PNP designs which work off negative grounds, otherwise the radio would require being isolated from the chassis, etc.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,730
Likes: 13
From: Waynesville, OH
Brian, if you have a 12V negative ground then it's the stock setup. Trucks before 1956 used the 6V positive ground system.
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,958
Likes: 1
Thanks George. As far as I can tell....almost everything on this truck is how it came out of the factory (or like factory). It is definately 12 V negative ground. I just had the charger on it this week.
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