Posted July 10, 201510 yr Should I still bother with a frame ground if all my amps have direct positive and negative from the battery?My sub amp current has direct runs to the battery of 1/0, which are both less than ten feet. Edited July 10, 201510 yr by SpeakerBoy
July 10, 201510 yr If wire is available it wouldn't hurt, can never have too many grounds unless they are bad grounds.
July 10, 201510 yr Nope, but it doesn't make much sense running a cable from the battery neg to the amp either.
July 10, 201510 yr Nope, but it doesn't make much sense running a cable from the battery neg to the amp either.I thought it was better to have neg and pos runs from front to back
July 10, 201510 yr Author Nope, but it doesn't make much sense running a cable from the battery neg to the amp either.I thought it was better to have neg and pos runs from front to backSame. I have plenty of room for runs anyway.
July 10, 201510 yr Author If wire is available it wouldn't hurt, can never have too many grounds unless they are bad grounds.I'm a foot and a half short lol.
July 10, 201510 yr Nope, but it doesn't make much sense running a cable from the battery neg to the amp either.I thought it was better to have neg and pos runs from front to backSame. I have plenty of room for runs anyway. It's just a waste of wire as long as all your grounds from battery and alternator to frame are good.
July 10, 201510 yr Nope, but it doesn't make much sense running a cable from the battery neg to the amp either.I thought it was better to have neg and pos runs from front to backin unibodied cars it helps,but I would still want my amp ground as short as possible
July 10, 201510 yr I have as many grounds as possibly usually. Has never hurt..... Correct!! Just a return path for current,In my opinion the more the better.
July 10, 201510 yr I have as many grounds as possibly usually. Has never hurt.....Correct!! Just a return path for current,In my opinion the more the better.All about law of diminishing returns.
July 10, 201510 yr Author I can drill a hole for a frame ground and get more wire, but before I do, can someone help me understand how it'll be better than a direct line? I'm not understanding. I know grounds should be short, but if my ground is shorter than my power, what's the issue? I have less than ten feet of zero gauge feeding an orion XTR 5002 (soon to be a PPI900.4) bridged at two ohms, mounted under the passenger dash.When I buy my royal excelene 4/0 I was also planning direct lines to the rear bank, then from the rear bank to the amps.I'm using 4/0 for every amp, with reducers to fit the terminals. Edited July 10, 201510 yr by SpeakerBoy
July 11, 201510 yr I can drill a hole for a frame ground and get more wire, but before I do, can someone help me understand how it'll be better than a direct line? I'm not understanding. I know grounds should be short, but if my ground is shorter than my power, what's the issue? I have less than ten feet of zero gauge feeding an orion XTR 5002 (soon to be a PPI900.4) bridged at two ohms, mounted under the passenger dash.When I buy my royal excelene 4/0 I was also planning direct lines to the rear bank, then from the rear bank to the amps.I'm using 4/0 for every amp, with reducers to fit the terminals.Chassis ground..Or should really be considered a common... The big three will lower the resistance of the chassis..Return path flows better with low resistance as any electrical current..Other words keeps the resistance from changing "when you use you acessories"..This I have stressed on several forums
July 11, 201510 yr Author I can drill a hole for a frame ground and get more wire, but before I do, can someone help me understand how it'll be better than a direct line? I'm not understanding. I know grounds should be short, but if my ground is shorter than my power, what's the issue? I have less than ten feet of zero gauge feeding an orion XTR 5002 (soon to be a PPI900.4) bridged at two ohms, mounted under the passenger dash.When I buy my royal excelene 4/0 I was also planning direct lines to the rear bank, then from the rear bank to the amps.I'm using 4/0 for every amp, with reducers to fit the terminals.Chassis ground..Or should really be considered a common... The big three will lower the resistance of the chassis..Return path flows better with low resistance as any electrical current..Other words keeps the resistance from changing "when you use you acessories"..This I have stressed on several forumsAre you saying it helps to keep the entire vehicle as a common ground?
July 11, 201510 yr If your grounded in the front then grounded in the back for your amp wouldnt that be the same as having neg runs going from front to back? I always ground in the rear and have neg runs but seems like it wouldnt be much different since the metal on the car would be just like having neg runs from front to back
July 11, 201510 yr I can drill a hole for a frame ground and get more wire, but before I do, can someone help me understand how it'll be better than a direct line? I'm not understanding. I know grounds should be short, but if my ground is shorter than my power, what's the issue? I have less than ten feet of zero gauge feeding an orion XTR 5002 (soon to be a PPI900.4) bridged at two ohms, mounted under the passenger dash.When I buy my royal excelene 4/0 I was also planning direct lines to the rear bank, then from the rear bank to the amps.I'm using 4/0 for every amp, with reducers to fit the terminals.Chassis ground..Or should really be considered a common... The big three will lower the resistance of the chassis..Return path flows better with low resistance as any electrical current..Other words keeps the resistance from changing "when you use you acessories"..This I have stressed on several forumsAre you saying it helps to keep the entire vehicle as a common ground? Actually that DC ground or "direct current" is not a ground it acts as a common...Direct current does not have a true "earth ground" That chassis that you do "the big three" on lowers the resistance of the ground "or in reality common" And that current that will return will be right back in the chassis....I might suggest you read up on direct current.
July 11, 201510 yr If your grounded in the front then grounded in the back for your amp wouldnt that be the same as having neg runs going from front to back? I always ground in the rear and have neg runs but seems like it wouldnt be much different since the metal on the car would be just like having neg runs from front to backyes...somewhatI need a ground ran from front to rear in my grand prix it doesn't like the ground in the rear no matter how I've done it.only thing I can think of is the unibody design where there is just a bunch of panels pinch/spot welded together to make up the car no solid frame anywhere. To me that's like taking a 100' extension cord and splice it every foot with wire nuts and saying that's a great cord.I may be over thinking it a bit also! Edited July 11, 201510 yr by garychurch84
July 11, 201510 yr Hell i have my ground ran to my tail light bolt. It's not even a real bolt either. Been that way for about a year now. No problems so far lol.
July 11, 201510 yr Author I have rock solid voltage at full tilt with just my runs of wire, which is adding to my confusion lol
July 11, 201510 yr I have rock solid voltage at full tilt with just my runs of wire, which is adding to my confusion lolI wouldn't worry much then
July 11, 201510 yr I have rock solid voltage at full tilt with just my runs of wire, which is adding to my confusion lolI wouldn't worry much then That's what matters, leave it that way
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.