Longer ground wire vs shorter?

Brotherali
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I am going to be installing in my trunk of my 96 accord and was thinking about where to ground. I am thinking about using the strut tower but would have to use a longer ground wire. I know the strut tower is a good ground point. Also each amp will likely be on either side of the seats, would I be better off using an even longer cable for the farther away amp or grounding on each side to the nearby shock tower (having each amp grounded to different strut towers)?

 
I personally like to have amps grounded to the same location. Just make sure connection is clean and cable is of sufficient size. If your accord is like my civic there are some pretty big bolts under the trunk carpet. Thats what I used for my ground.

 
Do not go to the strut tower.

Take the ground to the floor of you car and use some self tapping screws.

Any time you use a factory bolt consider it a bad ground.

 
I personally like to have amps grounded to the same location. Just make sure connection is clean and cable is of sufficient size. If your accord is like my civic there are some pretty big bolts under the trunk carpet. Thats what I used for my ground.
Think your getting a solid ground this way?

Do not go to the strut tower.Take the ground to the floor of you car and use some self tapping screws.

Any time you use a factory bolt consider it a bad ground.
I am not willing to drill holes in my car especially when using factory bolt locations seem to work for a large number of people. Plus last I heard the strut tower is a very solid ground since its connected to the frame.

check under your back seat, there were a few nice grounding points there.on my civic.
Thanks for the tip. Does it seem to be working well? I know there is a bolt holding the lower part of the back seat.

 
Thats true as long as there is no difference in resistance between the two ground options. If you have to go longer to find a better spot its always the better choice.

 
Checking a ground with your ohm meter while the system is off is not an adequate test. The ground should be tested for voltage drop with the system running hard. On a related note, a continuity, or "beep" test, is even less useful as it usually only indicates 30 ohms or less resistance.

Your high current ground should go directly to the body with all coatings scraped off down to bare metal, the ring terminal should be secured with a bolt, a lock washer and a nut(never self-tapping screws!!), and if you drill a hole the underside of the connection should be sealed to keep oxygen and moisture out. I use 3M rubberized undercoat spray. I avoid factory bolts and instead drill a hole in the floor where I can easily access the underside.

Even on a unibody car you want to look for the most continuous piece of thick metal leading toward the battery. Don't ground to a part joined to the chassis by spot welds or adhesive. Even car manufacturers make this mistake, so don't assume a factory ground is ideal for handling 100+ amps of current draw. Vertical panels often are welded to the pan, and that's one consideration for not grounding your amplifier on a strut bolt.

 
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Brotherali

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