adding ground wire to tail lights

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adding ground wire to tail lights

Postby robertaw » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:04 pm

The tail light and clearance lights on my 1966 trailer don't currently have a ground wire. While I have the whole trailer tore apart anyway, I want to add a ground wire to each of them if it's possible. I figure this will be cheaper than buying all new lights that have ground wires.

If I can do this, where on the light would I attach the wire?
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Postby High Desert » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:12 pm

On a plastic light base one of the mounting screws on the lights should have either a metal tab or a wire attached or under it. Thats where you want to add your ground wire. If its a metal case, then just add the wire under a mounting screw, the sacket grounds to the case.

Good idea, many trailer light problems are due to bad grounds.
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Postby robertaw » Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:40 am

:thumbsup: Thanks Shaun!
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Postby Ageless » Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:56 am

Most trailers ground to the aluminum skin. Then on the connector on the tongue the ground is connected to the frame and skin. Check the wiring there first before going to the trouble of adding wires.
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Postby Miriam C. » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:34 pm

Sorry I am late to the party. Do you have pictures of the back of the lights? My lights didn't have a ground and they are seated in wood. No metal for a contact ground. This is my solution.

Tag light. I have ring connectors on the posts.
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Left tail light detail.
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The wiring goes to a ground screw on the trailer frame. Works well.
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Postby robertaw » Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:10 pm

Miriam C. wrote: Do you have pictures of the back of the lights?



Thanks for the pics of yours. I will take some pictures of mine to post tomorrow.

The exterior of my trailer is aluminum but I want to add ground wires to avoid future problems. Everything is gutted and it will be very easy to do right now so long as I know what to attach them to. :thumbsup:
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Postby Miriam C. » Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:27 pm

robertaw wrote:
Miriam C. wrote: Do you have pictures of the back of the lights?



Thanks for the pics of yours. I will take some pictures of mine to post tomorrow.

The exterior of my trailer is aluminum but I want to add ground wires to avoid future problems. Everything is gutted and it will be very easy to do right now so long as I know what to attach them to. :thumbsup:


You can put grounding blocks on your frame. If you look under they might actually be there. You do need to clean them up every now and again. I just unscrew and clean the way I would a battery. :thumbsup:
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Postby Ageless » Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:53 pm

When you mount to the frame; grind down to bare metal; coat that and all connectors with dielectric grease.
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