Battery ground
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Battery ground
Posted: April 25 2008 10:35 AM
 
Ken Springhorn (aka REBORN55) [ View ] [ Email ] [ Car Ads ] [ Blogs ]
De soto, Illinois
(618) 534-6902
 Ken
 
While under the ragtop trying to work on rear suspension, I noticed only the positive battery cable came out of the trunk and headed up to the starter. PO has the ground battery cable bolted to the trunk floor. Now I don't build streetrods but I have never run the Battery ground cable in my ambulances to the floor of the cab or box. Am I missing something or do some of you guys do this. In any event I am going to run a new cable to the frame tomorrow.
 
 
Comments
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/25/2008 10:43 AM
i ground to frame.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by amy14760yahoocom  -  04/25/2008 12:41 PM
ken like shine said ground to frame . clean to bare metal . use star washers under new bolt and flat washers . also check the ground strap while you are it up front and make sure it goes from frame to eng block use star washers there also . it is also a good idea to run a small ground strap to the body seeing you will be removeing the one too the trunk floor good luck bob
amy14760yahoocom [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] allegany, New York Charter Member since July 2005
 
Posted by srodder39  -  04/25/2008 12:57 PM
Most all the wiring harness manuf recommend ground from the battery to startcer and then to frame. I always wondered and still do why you can't ground to the frame and then motor. I have done it both ways with sucess. Just be sure you are on clean bare metal.
srodder39 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] santa fe, Texas
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/25/2008 02:16 PM
early gm grounded to the firewall. my bride's new chrysler 300 is grounded to the unibody. i've never done any different. always to the frame from batt , ground straps to the engine and to the body.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by Willys33  -  04/25/2008 02:30 PM
Electrical theory...electrons only travel outter layer of the valance shell. Some metals have an electron in the outter valance that will be easier to move to the next position...therefor a better conductor. Now, in practice, I take a piece of #16 wire and run it from the battery positive to the starter and another from the neg. to the starter bolt. I take these two wires to the local battery shop and they make up positive and negative "0" cables with the correct fittings. Of course you will have to run a ground strap to the frame and I usually run a seperate (glass car) ground to a multiple terminal for things under the dash. Use star washers.
Get off the trailer and drive [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Alamogordo, New Mexico
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/25/2008 03:24 PM
i dont get it. why do they ground to the unibody on new cars with butt load of electronics and computers ???
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by Red's Place Custom & Restoration  -  04/25/2008 03:54 PM
when I build a car and get ready to wire it the first thing I do is run the main grounds, yes grounds not just one, if the battery is in the front I ground the battery to the engine, then I make a ground from the engine to the frame, then I run another ground from the firewall to the engine usually a valve cover bolt this means the entire car is grounded that is the way the factory did it for years and I have seen alot of wiring burn up because the ground from the firewall was missing. Seen alot of engines have starter problems because the motor wasn't grounded to the frame but the battery was. Remember most street rods and cars the engine is sitting in rubber mounts so the only true ground you get is through the bolts and really that ain't much. As for a car with the battery in the trunk I ground the battery to the frame , then the engine to the frame, and then the engine to the friewall. Hope this helps RED
Red's Place Custom & Restoration [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Posted by Red's Place Custom & Restoration  -  04/25/2008 03:57 PM
shine they only run grounds to the unibody on newer cars because they don't have seperate frames it is all the same piece of metal just welded together. Also all components are grounded individually that is why it is never a good idea to weld on a newer car with a computer you can fry that sucker and even set off the air bags because most of them work on resistence.
Red's Place Custom & Restoration [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Posted by screw  -  04/25/2008 07:22 PM
Wow Red , GOOD tip about the air bags! Didn't know THAT one!
screw [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Gray Rapids N.B., Canada
 
Posted by Willys33  -  04/25/2008 08:18 PM
Try to ground your air bag and see what happens. Best to just take away the credit card.
Get off the trailer and drive [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Alamogordo, New Mexico
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/25/2008 10:08 PM
My pet peeve....Main ground cable should be a #2 AWG minimum from post to 3/8'" bell housing bolt closest to starter. Then a #10 engine to frame. Another #10 from engine to ground block over column, under dash. From block to body #10. I set another ground block in trunk bulkhead for tail light, tank , power trunk, CD player, amp, relays, etc.s. Feed it with #10 from dash ground block. With the great power loads of today and all the electronics, ya can't have too many grounds. Welding lead is perfect.

Jim said it.
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/25/2008 10:21 PM
Oh, yeah.....headed to the 35th Nats East. As usual there will be 7 -9 rods in the Michigan Rod Repair with a starter problem.... Main ground cable leaves trunk and runs 3 feet straight to frame every time. Grounding to frame worked great in a drag car back in the day.....the only load was starter, ignition, electric fuel pump. No power windows, doors, trunk, battery kill, amps, wipers, fan, electric choke, receiver CD player, neon, air conditioning, heat, ............
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/26/2008 09:53 AM
there is nothing wrong with grounding to the frame if done right. i have never done it any other way and have no problems. this is our 2008 chrysler 300. grounded to the body. and not with huge cables either. this car has more electronics than any streetrod.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by TYCHOOCHOO  -  04/26/2008 03:16 PM
In my 34 the battery is under the car about even with the passenger seat. If I want to run remote battery posts to the rear of the car on the frame (for easier access) do I have to run 2 cables or just the positive?
TYCHOOCHOO [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MT. SINAI, New York
 
Posted by mcduff  -  04/26/2008 08:06 PM
Hey Tommy, I made up a plate for posts in case I have to jump it because my battery is in the same place as yours and I could never get to it with the car on the ground. I ran separate hot and ground to the posts. It has worked great and I had to jump it once.
mcduff [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Painesville, Ohio
 
Posted by REBORN55  -  04/26/2008 11:18 PM
Thanks for help and suggestions. got it squared away today.
Ken [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] De soto, Illinois
 
Posted by 41 Kustom  -  04/27/2008 12:45 AM
Can anyone give the size of the cable you need per foot of run? I'm mounting mine in the trunk and running to the starter. Going to ground to the frame and ground engine and all to the frame also. I'm not sure of the cable size I need. There is a drop in power the longer you run, but I can't find anyone that knows. Thanks for the info.
41 Kustom [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Essex, Vermont
 
Posted by Willys33  -  04/27/2008 01:02 AM
As I said earlier I use "0" cable. Getting it made up thru a battery shop I get red and black cable with sealed ends and proper fittings crimped onto the ends. They use good cable with many small strands rater than cheap stuff that you can use for a fishing rod.
Get off the trailer and drive [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Alamogordo, New Mexico
 
Posted by TYCHOOCHOO  -  04/27/2008 08:32 AM
MCDUFF, I like your idea. My idea was to use the tail end of the frame on the passenger side rear and put the posts there in the frame. That's why I was asking if I had to run two cables or will the Neg be grounded by going through the frame? I will then run one 6 foot Pos cable. Tommy
TYCHOOCHOO [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MT. SINAI, New York
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/27/2008 08:43 AM
tommy, figure out where you want it and then check the frame for ground. sometimes you have to put a grounded bolt in since most of the frame was painted when put together . remember if you dont have jumper lugs you can go to the alt or starter to charge. just dont crank on it until it is topped off.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by TYCHOOCHOO  -  04/27/2008 09:11 AM
I understand what your saying Shine. The problem I have with using the alt or starter is I have an electric release hood. That is something I would never put in if I were building the car. In fact I would like to change it someday. Same thing with the trunk, If I keep jumper cables in there I can't get to them or some tools if the car is dead. The drivers door has a release.
TYCHOOCHOO [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MT. SINAI, New York
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/27/2008 09:15 AM
trunk is probably a bear claw. put a pull cable on it like the door. i've crawled under more than one with inside release cables.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/28/2008 08:58 AM
Back in the day on our D gasser, I put the 126 pound CAT grader battery in the trunk to keep me out of C gas (Bob Bernardon's Jolly Dolly) and to put more weight on the tires. Ground welding cable went to frame, then up from frame to engine = I saved money. Starter and S-W pump worked fine. I had only paid Clinton Ford $100 to drive home the '55 Chevy hardtop.

What I can't understand today is most rods are $40K and up......so why not spent another $16 bucks to wire it right ??

Hey, Ron, how about some feed back?

Jim
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/28/2008 09:17 AM
so why does this new chrysler not have a big cable running to the engine ? i've wired a few myself jim and never went to the engine from the trunk.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/28/2008 09:22 AM
Ken.........got it fixed, so what did ya do?
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/28/2008 09:28 AM
Crazy........so from the negative battery post to the engine you have a #22 AWG ??? What size wire is connected to the negative battery post ??
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by REBORN55  -  04/28/2008 09:43 AM
Jim-------had some 1 gauge wire laying around so I ran from battery to frame. Went up closer to engine and ran from frame to bolt on bell housing and then ground strap to firewall. Starts and runs--everything seems OK, but still waiting for the right shock plate to come so it is still up in the air--Normal resting place for it....Thanks
Ken [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] De soto, Illinois
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/29/2008 08:08 AM
i use 1 batt cable to the frame usually 18 in long. #0 welding cable to starter. 1 in ss ground straps to engine from frame ,several 1/4 in copper ground straps to the body. starter problems are 9 times out of 10 are with the starter itself. over hyped after market junk made god only knows where. i buy mine at the chevy house .
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  04/29/2008 09:46 AM
Shine aka Crazyhorse Rod Shop........That new car has the battery in the front, maybe 3 feet max of ground cable to starter. Minimal voltage drop. Most rods have the battery in trunk bulkhead locacation, about 13 feet of cable to the starter is a long way for 12 volts to travel. Most rods as always, are much higher compression then a factory daily driver, so rods are harder to crank over, pulling more amps from the trunk on 12 volts. Got a trunk mounted rod in the shop? Engine off, take a voltage tester to the alternator terminal......12 volts? Now crank the engine...12 volts?
Voltage travels around the outside of each strand in a conductor, so more strands as in welding cable is the best. Shine's choice of cable could not be any better.
Gold, silver, copper, brass, aluminum, or a steel frame? What is the best conductor by the book? Conducting voltage that pushs amps, is determined by resistance of the material it must pass through....steel has a lower resistance than cardboard, but.....
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/29/2008 09:26 AM
batt in 2008 chrysler 300 is in the trunk as shown in the pic. ground goes to the body.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
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