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Flareside bed grounding?

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Rembrant

Flareside bed grounding?

Hi Folks,

I didn't realize this until I started looking at the wiring for my new tail lights, but the Flareside (and C/C trucks) do not have a dedicated ground wire for the tail lights like the Styleside trucks do. Unless I'm missing something, the tail lights are grounded to the mounting bracket which is grounded to the bed, correct?

My issue with this is that the bed is only touching the frame (metal to metal) at four points. Left and right frame rails on the front sill, and left and right frame rails on the rear sill. Problem is, I've painted the frame with rust paint and had the front sill powder coated and the rear sill painted.

I don't remember there being a ground wire between the bed and the frame. Does anybody know if there was one? Or is it supposed to be grounded through the mounting points?

I guess worst case scenario I just grind some paint off underneath and run a ground strap between the frame and the bed.

My tail lights were working fine before, but I don't remember there being any ground wires, and my bed and frame were so rusty I can't imagine they were grounded well...

Any comments from the pro's?

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Gary Lewis

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

In the early part of the Bullnose era there was no ground wire. But by '85 there was a ground wire. So I don't know if the '84 had one - although I can check the EVTM.

So I'd run a ground wire.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Rembrant

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Gary Lewis wrote

In the early part of the Bullnose era there was no ground wire. But by '85 there was a ground wire. So I don't know if the '84 had one - although I can check the EVTM.

So I'd run a ground wire.

Ok, I guess I'll run a wire....well, I guess I'll run two ground wires, one for each side. Since I had every single piece completely painted before assembly, if I ground the left bed side, there will be 4 layers of paint to get through to ground the other side panel. Anyway...no big deal. I'm good...just wanted to check.

I did look in the 1984 EVTM, and it showed a ground wire...even if it's only a short wire, for the styleside bed tail lights. The C/C trucks and Flareside showed the lights being grounded directly to the bed via the brackets.

Thanks for the reply Gary.

Gary Lewis

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

Ok, so '84 used the frame and the change was for '85. I say that because they were wired this way in '81:

And this way in '85:

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dyn Blin

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

In reply to this post by Rembrant

My '82 had a dedicated ground on each side going from one of the studs on the pod against the bracket hole, and down through the grommet to the frame.

When I stripped & repainted my brackets and set up the LED pods, I laid a washer over one of the holes for the pod that matched the outside edge of the nut and did the same for a couple of the holes on the bracket securing the bed. When it was done I used new steel washers to facilitate the ground.

I'm not at home to check my '82 EVTM, but I would imagine it matches the '84.

Sonoma County,CA
1982 F150 Flareside XLS
NP435 4x4
351W Motorcraft 2150

Gary Lewis

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

The 1980 - 84 trucks should have a ground from the light down to the frame.

The 1985 & 6 trucks should have a ground wire running from the back all the way to the firewall ground in the cab and just in front of the radio. And spliced into that ground wire will be all of the things along the way, including tail lights/stop lights/turn signals/backup lights, trailer lights, and the tank senders/pumps and the switching valve.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Rembrant

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Hey Gary,

There is a ground wire running all the way to the back of my truck, but it is only for the licence plate illumination lamp. It is interesting that they felt the need to ground that light (by wire), but not the two bulbs in either taillight (by wire).

I've decided I'm going to try and run a wire from the frame to the bedside where it can't be seen. That should work just fine. If for any reason it does not, I'll run one from the frame to one of the studs on the taillight housing. I don't want to do that...it would be a last resort, but it is an option. I just want it to look like it did...and that means grounding through the brackets and to the bed sides.

Gary Lewis

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

That's wired weird.

Seriously though, that is strange. Oh well, you have a plan.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Steve83

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Banned User

In reply to this post by Rembrant

Rembrant wrote

There is a ground wire running all the way to the back of my truck, but it is only for the licence plate illumination lamp. ...but not the two bulbs in either taillight (by wire).
I've decided I'm going to try and run a wire from the frame...

It would be MUCH better to wire the taillights to the return wire for the license lights.

Rembrant wrote

I just want it to look like it did.

Why? Even Ford didn't like that, which is why they improved it in '85. It'll look better with working taillights than with a wiring layout that ONLY YOU will know isn't exactly factory for that year.

If it's that important to have 1 wire, find a coaxial wire to replace the normal taillight wire, so you can connect the negative (return) to the coax's outer shield. It'll look like a single-conductor wire, but it'll work better with the 2 conductors.

Rembrant

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Steve83 wrote

Why? Even Ford didn't like that, which is why they improved it in '85. It'll look better with working taillights than with a wiring layout that ONLY YOU will know isn't exactly factory for that year.

Haha...Steve, the answer to your question of why, is personal preference. Sometimes we prefer things a certain way, and that's OK.

Steve83

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Banned User

It was a rhetorical question - I wanted YOU to think about why you're trying to stay with an inferior circuit.

Rembrant

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Steve83 wrote

It was a rhetorical question - I wanted YOU to think about why you're trying to stay with an inferior circuit.

LOL, you clearly care about it much more than I do. You would have to define the level of inferiority for me to put more consideration into than I am. The stock grounding system worked fine for 35 years. If I wire it as per the stocking grounding on a 1985 Flareside, am I or anybody else going to see a noticeable improvement in illumination in my tail lights? How would one measure this other than me explaining to somebody that Steve83 says my tail light circuit is inferior??...lol.

Ray Cecil

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

In reply to this post by Rembrant

My license plate lamp on blue82 is the grounding for the tail lights. I have a ground wire running all the way back there too Cory. Then a short pigtail going to the bed. Tail lights are grounded to the bed.

My plan was to redo this rediculous routing and use some nice heavy duty ground straps from bed to frame.

1988 F250 Supercab Longbed 7.3 IDI, C6, 1356, GEARVENDORS, 4.10 Sterling with autolocker

1986 F150 302, C6, 9" 2.75, Wood Flatbed

Steve83

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Banned User

In reply to this post by Rembrant

If you don't care how your truck is built, why start a thread specifically asking for help on it? Since you don't care about how it's grounded, I don't care to explain the differences.

Ray Cecil

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Hey guys......I like bacon.

1988 F250 Supercab Longbed 7.3 IDI, C6, 1356, GEARVENDORS, 4.10 Sterling with autolocker

1986 F150 302, C6, 9" 2.75, Wood Flatbed

reamer

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

If I recall, the Plug-ins for the lamps are 3 pronged 1 for power for park, 1 for directional 1 for ground?

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

In '86 the grounds ran into the harness, but not in '84.

Gary showed the schematics....

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Rembrant

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

In reply to this post by reamer

reamer wrote

If I recall, the Plug-ins for the lamps are 3 pronged 1 for power for park, 1 for directional 1 for ground?

Ron, I didn't realize until I went to wire in my new tail lights that of the 3 wires going to the tail light, none of them are grounds. One is for park, one is for directional/brake, and one is for the reverse lamp. The 3 mounting studs on the tail light housings are the grounds.

It looks like in some cases, they ran an external ground wire out to the tail light with a ring terminal that was attached to one of the mounting studs. My truck did not have this wire, and neither did Ray's as noted above, but Din's 1982 did have the wire. Ray says his truck has a ground wire to the bed.

Do you have an external wire going to one of the mounting studs on your tail lights on your '86?

Since I've rebuilt and painted/power coated my bed, it went from being a poor ground to being a terrible ground, so I was just curious how other trucks were wired up.

In any case, it's not a big deal. I'll run a ground wire either to the bed Like Ray's or to the tail light like Din's.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

Administrator

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by Ray Cecil

I like turtles! 👻

****Wait.... I read what you had to say in the lounge. 😳

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Ray Cecil

Re: Flareside bed grounding?

ArdWrknTrk wrote

And, I like turtles!

Wait.... I read what you had to say in the lounge. 😳

I always wondered what happened to Zombie Turtle Boy. Now we know. Jim is turtle boy.

1988 F250 Supercab Longbed 7.3 IDI, C6, 1356, GEARVENDORS, 4.10 Sterling with autolocker

1986 F150 302, C6, 9" 2.75, Wood Flatbed

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