Ground Question for Sparky

[Maliboost]

I did not want to crash Vanilla's post (I'm a recovering Post hi-jacker, LOL), so I thought I would start a new post.

On Grounds, do you suggest to take ALL grounds back to the source with thier own ground wires, OR just the high current ones OR just the important ones (I wouldd define them as: ignition, N2O, Fuel pumps, Data Logger, Alt)?

Also, would you make a ground buss like the main feed or just take them back independently?

thanks a bunch

Bob

[RRRAAAYYY2]

I prefer bus bars, looks good, works good, and makes it easier to keep an eye on the system.

[Six_Shooter]

I prefer bus bars, looks good, works good, and makes it easier to keep an eye on the system.


I have to ask a question about buss bars though, since we all should agree that most of the electrons travel on the outside of the conductor, or surface, how large would that buss bar need to be to have the same current potential as a multistrand 4 AWG wire? ;)

*I'm talking real AWG here, not the new JAWG "Japanese American Wire Gauge", that I keep seeing pop up now, mostly from 'car audio wire manufactures', which is why I refuse to switch to those companies, sure it's cheaper, but there's not enough conductor. I keep getting told by my suppliers that the price of wire is going to sky rocket soon. :-?

[Maliboost]

thanks guys, but method asside, Im trying to determine which ones I NEED to do & which ones I should do. Im going from a nitrous car to a turbo car & Im sure Im gonna have to rewire a good bit of it, so I would like to do it clean.

thanks
Bob

[Rick_R]

I like sparky ground everthing to the battery, what i do is lay out a wiring plan and run a fine strand cable from the battery ground to the front of the car. I then at strategic points strip back the cable and solder on a 10gauge copper strip, that is now a battery ground for that area, I also attach a fine strand ground cable to the chassis from that tab, then I go on to the next and so on. That is my method, it may not be the best way but it is always the way I've done it. to estimate the size of the ground you need ray has a formula on his site at http://svapowerproducts.com/html/sizing_formula.html (http://svapowerproducts.com/html/sizing_formula.html)
that will get you to the proper size. It doesn't hurt to err on the big side so you have some room to grow.

[RRRAAAYYY2]

I have to ask a question about buss bars though, since we all should agree that most of the electrons travel on the outside of the conductor, or surface, how large would that buss bar need to be to have the same current potential as a multistrand 4 AWG wire? ;)

*I'm talking real AWG here, not the new JAWG "Japanese American Wire Gauge", that I keep seeing pop up now, mostly from 'car audio wire manufactures', which is why I refuse to switch to those companies, sure it's cheaper, but there's not enough conductor. I keep getting told by my suppliers that the price of wire is going to sky rocket soon. :-?
When I do buss bars I make them from scratch, i.e. start out with regular copper bar. In order to safely be able to insulate it, I have step insulators that are used in alternators, I use thick bar. Usually 3/16 to 1/4". It also has to be wide because I like useing 3/8 bolts to mount it. An 1/8"thk by 1 1/4" bar can carry more amperage than a 4/0 cable can. This is also what I used on my last bike for my motor and inner battery connections. As I was melting 4/0 cables, :).

You can try using smaller, 4 gauge would equal about a 1/2" by 1/16" bar. Really hard to mount and work with something that small though.

I know science states that most of the amperage flows on the outside of the conductor, but I totally disagree. When we are in high amp loads, we have found through real world testing that fine wire cables will not carry high loads as well as thick wire cables. We compensate by going up one wire size, which seems to solve the problem. If science was correct about all this, a fine wire cable theoretically would be able to carry large amounts, as it has more surface area. But I can't fault them to badly, they after all think they are one percent removed from being a monkey.

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Rick,
You can make a better connection mechanically than by soldering. I would crimp the wire to the strap first, then solder it. Actually in most cases I would weld them together, but I am lazy. Solder has resistance it in, so if you make a mechanical connection first, and then use solder to hold the connection, you get near zero resistance through the connection.

[Rick_R]

10 gauge copper sheet is just over 1/8 ", I usually wrap a 1" wide piece 3/4 around a mandrel, then peel it off and put it around the wire, stake it in place and then solder it on. I learned a few things years a go in my youth when I played with stereo's, I never really cared much for music, just liked the challenge of clean sound.

[OC9009]

Simple question, since I have wired the grounds to posts welded to my frame, should I run a ground wire from the rear post to the front post? Or totally isolate the grounds from the frame? Sorry to not trying to step on any toes......

[Griswald]

Good thread....keep going.

I also run all grounds to a common post welded to my cage. My plan is to install a buss bar and have a serarate cable from the battery to the front of the car where the bar is going to be. Then attach all components to the buss bar. That is what we're talking about, right?

[blownstang]

buss bar.does anyone have any pics of what they have done with there grounds or anything im trying to re wire my car and want to do it once and proper so if any of you have any pivs that would be great just easier to see then work from there,

THANKS IN ADVANCE GUYS.

[RRRAAAYYY2]

I have an opinion, but I think Sparky would be able to give you a better answer than me about the frame post connections. With a car you have to share grounds at some point, there is no way around that. But I am unsure exactly where/when they become an issue.
My thought is it would be really easy to insulate the post from the wires, than just use it as a connection point. But like I said I would wait for Sparky to speak up. He has done far more testing than me. I just deal with the problems the guys who engineered it caused. i.e. I know the way not to do things (unless you are talking alternators/starters, LOL, didn't want to leave that open, it would hurt too much), Sparky knows the right way way to do things.

[Vanilla]

I think with a car that has some of the factory wiring still in it, you need to use both grounds.. I found this out last night....


Vanilla

[fn4ever1]

I was also wondering if someone could post Pics of what they are doing for Grounds as far as what kinds of Buss Bars they are using, or making. Thank's in advance, Jason

[Griswald]

I was also wondering if someone could post Pics of what they are doing for Grounds as far as what kinds of Buss Bars they are using, or making. Thank's in advance, Jason


I will have mine in this weekend and post pics when I'm done.