HELLA 500s on ARB bumper -- where to ground?

[dbsoundman]

I just started the process of installing my new HELLA 500 driving lights on my '00 4Runner with ARB bumper tonight, but I didn't finish it because I lacked a few supplies, and I have a question for those of you who have done this before on a similar bumper: where do you ground the lights? I understand I can ground them anywhere that's metal basically, but what is the best place/method? I would prefer to ground them individually on the bumper itself, simply because that would be easier and give me fewer wires to worry about if I should have trouble in the future. However, all the bolts on that bumper are quite large (too large for a spade or ring terminal), so I would need to drill a hole or use self-tapping screws to ground the wires. However, I'm not even sure self-tapping screws would work; I'm not sure if the bumper is too thick for that kind of treatment or not.

Anyone have thoughts on that topic?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[shootmymime]

like for circle terminals to ground a wire around a bolt i usually just cut the circle at the tip in two places to make like a slightly circle "U" then open it up for like a "U". that way it fits larger bolts. (cheep and work with what i have) im sure self tappers will work just fine.

but yeah grounding the wires on the bumper by the lights themselves is indeed the easiest way to go.

 

[98OzarksRunner]

I ran a ground wire through the grill to the radiator support. Easier to get a good connection. I also didn't want to scratch off the powder-coating from the bumper to get a good connection (a place for rust to start, though I know it will take a LOT of rust to get through that thick bumper).

 

[TCMach]

i ran mine grounded to the light bolt for almost three years no problem. its also how im running my rock light grounds so its a good system

 

[dbsoundman]

i ran mine grounded to the light bolt for almost three years no problem. its also how im running my rock light grounds so its a good system

Do you mean the bolt that holds the lights themselves? I just wasn't sure if I only find an electrical fitting that would fit a bolt that large.

 

[dbsoundman]

I ran a ground wire through the grill to the radiator support. Easier to get a good connection. I also didn't want to scratch off the powder-coating from the bumper to get a good connection (a place for rust to start, though I know it will take a LOT of rust to get through that thick bumper).

Are you talking about the radiator support that crosses horizontally, somewhat below the bumper? I saw there was another ground wire on that piece so it seemed like a good spot except it's pretty exposed, and since the wiring for the lights is not very heavy duty I didn't want them to get cut off.

 

[TCMach]

Do you mean the bolt that holds the lights themselves? I just wasn't sure if I only find an electrical fitting that would fit a bolt that large.

Yea the bolt you stick through the bumper and physically holds the light on. Well it's better if you do but I ran mine with a couple inches stripped and then wrapped around the bolt for a while. Worked fine. Ghetto is the best way. :thumb3:

 

[TxBxSx]

The powder coat on our bumpers is usually too thick to hope for any chance of being able to use it as a ground.

For small grounds like the motor ground on a winch I usually use a preexisting threaded location on the core support (sheet metal area surrounding radiator. With lights though, I usually tend to run the ground back with the power wire in the same loom and hit either the negative post on the batt or hit the large common ground that is near the fuse box under the hood.

 

[snivilous]

I always ground directly to the battery.

 

[TCMach]

The powder coat on our bumpers is usually too thick to hope for any chance of being able to use it as a ground.

^this. On all my lights and my cb actually (it's not a standard mount) I had to take some paint/gunk off so that my wires would touch metal and not powder coat/paint/dirt etc

 

[98OzarksRunner]

Are you talking about the radiator support that crosses horizontally, somewhat below the bumper? I saw there was another ground wire on that piece so it seemed like a good spot except it's pretty exposed, and since the wiring for the lights is not very heavy duty I didn't want them to get cut off.

The radiator support is the vertical piece that the radiator mounts to (the 'front end' of the truck behind the grill). I just used one the of the bolts for the hood latch I think. Since they tap right into the metal, no real need to scratch any paint off to get a good connection.

 

[dbsoundman]

Oh, got it! I'll look into that.

 

[the great him]

The powder coat on our bumpers is usually too thick to hope for any chance of being able to use it as a ground.

yes

For small grounds like the motor ground on a winch I usually use a preexisting threaded location on the core support (sheet metal area surrounding radiator. With lights though, I usually tend to run the ground back with the power wire in the same loom and hit either the negative post on the batt or hit the large common ground that is near the fuse box under the hood.

say what!? um a winch motor is not a small ground, especially compaired to lights, that is unless you are powering the sun...

to the OP, i just run all of my wires back to a ground stud that i will make. -i typically make several of them throughout the chassis and engine bay. this way i have a somewhat common ground for most of my accessories that i instal. lights on the bumper typically get grounded together, horns get grounded together ect ect ect. that way it helps narrow down trouble shooting when something happens, i know where the grounds are, and i can cross-reference other items to see if they still work to rule out a ground...

 

[dbsoundman]

At this point, I'm considering grounding the lights to their own mounting bolts on the bumper for simplicity, plus less wire to get damaged. I've got some 3/8" ID ring terminals that will fit the bolts, so I'll make a "sandwich" on the bottom of the bumper's light mount: star washer (to bite through the powder coat a bit), ring terminal, split washer, nut. Still considering other options though, I have until tonight to figure it out.

 

[TxBxSx]

say what!? um a winch motor is not a small ground, especially compaired to lights, that is unless you are powering the sun...

haha, I thought someone might take it that way. Not the heavy guage wires, those always go straight to the terminals, but there is usually a small like 18g wire coming directly off the winch motor as a "motor ground" which I am referring to.

 

[TheeMikeB]

yes



say what!? um a winch motor is not a small ground, especially compaired to lights, that is unless you are powering the sun...

to the OP, i just run all of my wires back to a ground stud that i will make. -i typically make several of them throughout the chassis and engine bay. this way i have a somewhat common ground for most of my accessories that i instal. lights on the bumper typically get grounded together, horns get grounded together ect ect ect. that way it helps narrow down trouble shooting when something happens, i know where the grounds are, and i can cross-reference other items to see if they still work to rule out a ground...

Yep I do similar thing. The nice thing about the toyota is I swear there are a ton of open 10mm bolt holes all along the inside if the engine bay along the inside fender. I have a bunch of small bolts that I keep handy and use those holes. I just grind a bit of the paint away and bam... instant grounding bar.

 

[the great him]

haha, I thought someone might take it that way. Not the heavy guage wires, those always go straight to the terminals, but there is usually a small like 18g wire coming directly off the winch motor as a "motor ground" which I am referring to.

oh that little guy..., yeah i wouldnt worry about that little guy...

 

[dbsoundman]

I came up with a strategy that worked tonight. Pics coming later, but here's the description:

Lights are grounded to the left and right horn mounts. I extended the wire on one of the lights because it was a little short, but the other one was just fine as is. I used a 3/8" ID ring terminal and an internal tooth star washer behind the horn flange, then bolted the whole assembly back on. The wire is treaded through the grill along with the positive wires, and zip tied as much as possible to prevent movement or rubbing against hot engine parts.

The positive power for the lights comes right off the positive tap from the battery inside the fuse box. The factory-supplied cable with inline fuse was used, but I did shorten it a bit. Excess wire was bundled up in gaps in the fuse box. The relay was mounted close to the firewall. Two wires go through the firewall to the switch; one coming from an add-a-circuit tapped on the tail light fuse (that way the lamps only come on when the parking or headlights are on), and the other comes back from the switch to activate the relay. Works great!

The only problem I have is the switch (the one that came from Hella) doesn't light up. I'm thinking I didn't get a very solid grounding point for it under the dash, but I'll work on that later.

Pics coming soon!

 

[BrianSD_42]

Just run the ground back to the battery negative terminal or your aux fuse box. I find keeping all the wires going back to the same fuse box limits possibility for ground issues.

Before ...




After ...




Link pg. 20 --->
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...hoto-journal-build-maintenance-thread-20.html

 

[dbsoundman]

Just run the ground back to the battery negative terminal or your aux fuse box. I find keeping all the wires going back to the same fuse box limits possibility for ground issues.

Before ...




After ...




Link pg. 20 --->
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...hoto-journal-build-maintenance-thread-20.html

I still need to get some pictures of what I ended up doing, but I am interested in adding an aux fuse box like the one you have at some point. Where did you find yours? I went to AutoZone to get some parts and looked but they don't have any good boxes like that.