Preferred location for battery ground

[Sean2202]

Greetings, I was hoping that someone could help me out here. I have had a few square body trucks over the years and all of them seem to have a different location for the battery ground wire. I have looked in the Haynes manual and it does not show a specific location for it. Here is my question.
76K20 truck 350 engine no extra electronics

1. What is the best place or OEM place to mount a battery ground wire?
2. What size wire is best?
3. What is the best battery connectors are you all using if I make my own? I would like top mount only.
4. Should there be additional frame to block grounds and what size wire is best? Where should they be?
5. Who makes a good replacement battery tray?

Thanks for any help

 

[chengny]

1. What is the best place or OEM place to mount a battery ground wire? Traditionally, the battery ground cable is connected to the engine by using one of the tapped holes on the top of the alternator bracket.
2. What size wire is best? 32 mm (2 AWG) is the standard size for both battery cables.
3. What is the best battery connectors are you all using if I make my own? I would like top mount only. Dude, don't try to make your own battery cables. It's just not worth it. They are very reasonably priced and with proper care they will last a long time.
4. Should there be additional frame to block grounds and what size wire is best? Where should they be? No frame to block grounding but there is body to block ground strap. On the cab end, it is generally bolted to the firewall near the heater hose and blower harness penetrations. The other end is bolted to the rear of the RH cylinder head. See below.
5. Who makes a good replacement battery tray? People say that sheetmetal parts supplied by Goodmark Industries are usually pretty good.

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[Blue Ox]

If you shop around you can find real battery terminal connectors to crimp onto the cables. They're 10X better than a ring terminal and battery adapter or the clamp on type. The only problem is you need a big $$$ crimper to install them properly. But there are shops that will make them up for you.

http://www.quickcable.com/products.php?pageId=71

 

[Memaloose]

You can always solder them in and shrink tube the connector as well.

 

[Catbox]

This is an old thread, but somebody may like what I have to show.

I have built my battery cables out of welding wire.
For my VW Bug they are 4 gauge and have 400 wires.
For comparison, the stock cables have 41 strands of wire.
It makes a world of difference.

For the larger engines I use 2 or 0 gauge as they have way more strands in the wire.
Since the electricity passes over the outside of the wire and not through it, that makes a difference.

Here are some images of what I have done in the past.
This was a set of cables that I made for my '54 Bel Air lowrider...

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[Catbox]

I have never had an issue with any of the cables I have made.
Everything I have installed them on starts up by just thinking about it now.

I use the same process for making ground wires to make sure everything has a clear path.

There were a bunch of other photos I took in this write up, I just posted the quick overview here....

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[eskimomann209]

That’s exactly what I do @Catbox. mine have never corroded or failed me either.
I even run dual setups with my crimped and soldered ends. Little bit o heat shrink and it looks professional. I even used colored heat shrink to make it look a little nicer on the positive sides.

I’d be lying if I say I OHMd mine.

 

[Camar068]

I've always grounded my vehicles to the frame on the passenger side with a heavy gauge wire. Learning more from different posts, talk, etc.....I still run it there. Then from there to the block with something similar to the link below. Then on the drivers side, I go back from the block to the frame with the same thing. I'll run a couple smaller versions to the firewall also. I like the open "straps" so you can see the condition of them.

I also like to see a metal to metal connection at each.....grind down a bit to remove rust/paint/grime. Just my thought. I've got enough strap left to run the length of the truck, but it's at the bottom of the list as everything is working fine as of now.

Hope this helps

https://www.amazon.com/JumpingLight-Braided-Electronic-Stranded-Electrics/dp/B07SDSWK33

 

[Ricko1966]

For the most part I buy premade cables I daisy chain my negative. Battery post to alternator bracket with a second premade eyelet, eyelet from same ground point to body. When I have to make my own. I make my ends out of scrap copper tubing pound the end flat ,drill appropriate size hole ,cut to length insert wire ,crimp with a dull punch and hammer. I don't live in a town or a city Linn County Kansas anything you want or need is only 30 minutes to an hour 1 direction.

 

[AuroraGirl]

If you shop around you can find real battery terminal connectors to crimp onto the cables. They're 10X better than a ring terminal and battery adapter or the clamp on type. The only problem is you need a big $$$ crimper to install them properly. But there are shops that will make them up for you.

http://www.quickcable.com/products.php?pageId=71

I have my stock battery cables which idk what metal, i would assume copper wire on a.. uh.. steel? ring terminal???? Im not sure what metal. i have the ring terminal bolted to a brass post with a brass wingnut and its attached to a brass post. No corrosion, so it must not have zinc? Idk how galvanic corrosion works

 

[Blue Ox]

Probably all copper/brass which is fine. Galvanic occurs between dissimilar metals to a varying degree. You can look up the "nobility" of a metal which is a scale that basically tells you which metal will chew up the other. Metals that are close on the scale (like copper and brass) will react very little with each other. But, for example, if you have a bronze propeller on a stainless steel shaft, sitting in an electrolyte like,.. let's say,... salt water, the bronze propeller will get eaten by the galvanic reaction. Effectively by combining these elements you create a very low powered battery. In that case you'd add a less noble metal (usually zinc) to the equation as a sacrificial anode to protect the more expensive pieces. That's an extreme example, but for a vehicle that lives in the land of road salt these things may become a factor.

For your application it's not super critical, but you'll still want to avoid combinations like aluminum and steel. If your terminal setup is remote from the battery you can get away with a more because you're away from that other electrolyte, battery acid. If you're going to do combinations like copper terminals on a steel stud, a little dielectric grease, or ordinary grease in a pinch, will help keep the connection healthy. So if it's working for you, then it's all good. It depends on your situation and what level you want to take things to. Most of the DC electrical work I do is marine, so things have to be done to the max if you want them to last.

Everything you never wanted to know about something that has minimal bearing on your truck.

 

[AuroraGirl]

My 99

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[Ricko1966]

I want her to install my battery.Mine looks like I installed it with my eyes closed,in a drunken rage after an atf, saturated trans swap and installed with what ever stick, rock and plastic spoon were near me at the tome Who knows? Coulda happened that way.