Extra ground/ground bar

I'm nearing the need to stop stacking grounds on the same bolt for all the random lights I've become addicted to. I'm thinking just adding a ground bar, right? Does anyone have a pic of where they mounted theirs under the hood? I'm aiming for simple and clean and preferably cheap.

 

Ive been using the truck as a ground bar... just using what ever bolt is closest to the item that needs grounding. No need to run a wire all the way to the ground near the battery when there are 5 more open bolts on the way there.

 

Essentially

 

i really like this idea. you have any pictures of places you've used under the bed for this?

 

I dont have pictures, but there are a few good bolts under there to use. Most of my grounds are in the front of the truck or in the cab.

But, behind the tail lights there are some, along the rear edge of the bed there are some.

 

I have the same set up. Installed it Monday evening. Silly question... where did you get your labels from? Thanks!

 

I have a relay holder but I can't get the metal prongs off the relays so its just all sitting there on one bolt lmao

 

$230 Brady Handheld Color Label Printer with Keyboard, Multi Line Print, 6 to 40, 6 Font Sizes, 203 Dpi - Yellow Black, 9.5 x 4.5 x 2.5, Tape Cartridge Included, 2 Year Warranty, Alphanumeric Thermal

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IELD1O4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_C119ZKAABGCKG936N2ZB?_encoding=UTF8

 

Battery ground, raptor lights ground, lightbar ground, lightbar relay, ditch light ground, ditch lights relay. I get stressed out when I have to undo this bolt. Also, there is just enough room to thread the bolt in with an extended socket



here is a link to that relay holder that Im not currently using lol
https://caliraisedoffroad.com/colle.../2005-2015-toyota-tacoma-bolt-on-relay-holder

 

Move those relay tabs to another bolt, they don't do or need ground. A few threads is not a good connection for the battery.

 

Im trying to find another place to ground them. Where can I do that?

 

You dont ground them with that tab. Those are just mounting tabs to keep the relays from flopping around. The ground is pin 86 on the bottom.

See the first picture in this post, at the top of the picture you can see the relays are just zip tied to the brake booster harness.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/extra-ground-ground-bar.717970/#post-25553480

 

interesting. I will have to splice in longer cables so the positive can reach the battery though

or I can just buy one of those switch things and forget about all the wires

 

You can zip tie them anywhere you want really. Some people just screw them into the top of the OEM fuse box.

I would say zip tie them anyplace that is open, and you can reach with the wires.

 

If you ground to the chassis end of the negative battery cable it’s a good idea to upgrade the cable. Blue Seas makes a number of buss bars you can use with 5-6 spots.

 

I would strongly recommend a BUS bar or some other similar solution. 3rd Gen Tacomas are extremely sensitive to electronic "noise" and when you ground all sorts of equipment all over the chassis you are creating ground loops that may cause issues with the vehicle.

 

I put my relays on a plate mounted to the empty bolt holes on my fender;


I ground everything to the batt. It isn't necessary but I've got a mobile radio so I want to reduce any extra loops and wires..

 

Rago Fab and CaliRaised make a neat relay holder for that same spot. I have the Cali one which holds up to four relays. I'm gonna mount it closer to the battery with a couple of rivnuts.

 

Broad selection of buss bars here:
BusBars - Blue Sea Systems

Cleaner alternative for circuits/relays etc:
Power Distribution Module (shrockworks.com)

Keeps everything nice and neat.

Installed on my FJ ( 5 circuit )

 

Looks like a Cooper-Bussman RTMR. Tacozord started an incredible thread for an assemble/install of one here:https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-build-and-install-a-bussmann-rtmr-fuse-relay-block.399454/
Plus there’s other ideas here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/show-off-your-aux-fuse-panels.308677/