Amp grounding - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Moriartii · 03-22-2010, 04:18 PM

When installing an amp in the trunk, how and where are people grounding the amp?

Cheers
K

AmericanV8 · 03-22-2010, 04:21 PM

I used the metal assembly that holds the battery in place. I'm almost certain that is what the vehicle is grounded to as well. If you remove the air compressor and look down at the battery you'll find it on the bottom right. I hope this helps. Sorry don't have picks to post up.......

Michael_Js · 03-22-2010, 05:27 PM

Yup, same place...power from the opposite side, off the battery, with an inline fuse.

Moriartii · 03-22-2010, 05:41 PM

My particular amp says to keep the ground wire as short as possible, not longer than 10" inches. Is this a big deal or?

Cheers
K

Michael_Js · 03-22-2010, 05:44 PM

Use a large enough gauge and it should be fine. The one that came with my MBQuart was huge!

Where are you putting the amp in the trunk?

Moriartii · 03-22-2010, 05:47 PM

The amp is either going on the back of enclosure facing the passthrough area or on the front facing into the trunk. Depends on how Steve designs it.
I will be using 4 GA wire for power and ground.
Cheers
K

Michael_Js · 03-22-2010, 05:59 PM

Then you're set! That's huge! no issues there...Good luck!

Eric Baker · 03-22-2010, 06:08 PM

When I install an amp in a trunk with the battery back there, I always ground directly to the battery. Reason for this is the ground wire from the battery to the car is only usually big enough for everything that's already in the car, not the demands of the extra amp(s).

The proper way to do it in ANY car is to add an extra ground strap from the battery to the body of the vehicle the size of the amp wire you're using if you can't go to the battery directly.

strauchpete · 03-22-2010, 07:21 PM

I would do power and ground directly to the battery since it is right there and then do an upgrade ground from the battery to the cars body.

Moriartii · 04-09-2010, 04:22 PM

Bringing this back up.

-I have the enclosure, its a ******** dual made to house one 12" sub (goes in the pass through area of the trunk).

-I am using the Stinger HPM #4 Amp install kit (btw very nice stuff!!)
-My amp specifically says to keep my ground 10" or shorter.
-I am mounting my amp to the back of my enclosure between the enclosure and the back seat.
-Given my requirement of the 10" ground where can I ground to? Not too keen on drilling into the car. If I could drill through a panel without going through the car body it would be fine. I dont believe I have enough length to reach the battery, either the terminal or the bracket.

Thoughts or pics?
Thank you
K

mrray13 · 04-09-2010, 06:03 PM

You could always upgrade to 2/0 and go to the factory ground, or battery. While keeping the ground as short as possible is ideal, it's not something set in stone. That said, you don't want a 2' ground either.

Find a good brace, sand all the paint off and through bolt it, if you can't reach the battery/factory ground. Should be one on either side of where you are looking to put the enclosure. If not, I'll look in my trunk and see if I can come up with something.

Moriartii · 04-12-2010, 08:36 AM

Thanks Mrray! I appreciate it!
You dont think those braces would be too small?
K

Moriartii · 04-12-2010, 03:30 PM

In this picture, courtesy of third1 as it is their trunk, could I ground to the brace rail that you can see poking out in the lower left corner? The orange power cord is there and the carpet panel is covering part of it.

Cheers
K

Moriartii · 04-13-2010, 08:59 PM

Bump for some love since I had my album pics set to private.

Fixed that so now maybe you all can see what I am referring to.
K

03-22-2010, 04:18 PM	#1
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	Amp grounding When installing an amp in the trunk, how and where are people grounding the amp? Cheers K

03-22-2010, 05:27 PM	#3
Michael_Js SoCal C5 Family Member Drives: 2010 Camaro SS/RS - Black w/IOM; 6M Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 5,299 View My Garage	Yup, same place...power from the opposite side, off the battery, with an inline fuse. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2010 Black 2SS/RS; 6M; IOM, GFX, sunroof; ADM Race CAI; Zoomers CB; Viper Alarm; Pdaft F&R sways, Adj Endlinks, Rtrailing arms, Camber kit, strut brace, Front Trailing Arm Bushing; SLP Skip-Shift Elim; Tinted lights/windows; Hurst Short-throw; LoJack; Door & Dash ABL Mods; ********; JBA Shorty headers; AACStyle LEDs; Stillen DS rotors, Hawk Ceramic pads; Havoc Blk Chrome wheels: 20x9s; Lingenfelter Blk Al Pedals; RevXtreme Catch Can; Goodridge SS lines; Ported TB; RK Sport hood; Hotchkis chassis brace; KW V3 coilovers;

03-22-2010, 05:44 PM	#5
Michael_Js SoCal C5 Family Member Drives: 2010 Camaro SS/RS - Black w/IOM; 6M Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 5,299 View My Garage	Use a large enough gauge and it should be fine. The one that came with my MBQuart was huge! Where are you putting the amp in the trunk? __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2010 Black 2SS/RS; 6M; IOM, GFX, sunroof; ADM Race CAI; Zoomers CB; Viper Alarm; Pdaft F&R sways, Adj Endlinks, Rtrailing arms, Camber kit, strut brace, Front Trailing Arm Bushing; SLP Skip-Shift Elim; Tinted lights/windows; Hurst Short-throw; LoJack; Door & Dash ABL Mods; ********; JBA Shorty headers; AACStyle LEDs; Stillen DS rotors, Hawk Ceramic pads; Havoc Blk Chrome wheels: 20x9s; Lingenfelter Blk Al Pedals; RevXtreme Catch Can; Goodridge SS lines; Ported TB; RK Sport hood; Hotchkis chassis brace; KW V3 coilovers;

03-22-2010, 05:59 PM	#7
Michael_Js SoCal C5 Family Member Drives: 2010 Camaro SS/RS - Black w/IOM; 6M Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 5,299 View My Garage	Then you're set! That's huge! no issues there...Good luck! __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2010 Black 2SS/RS; 6M; IOM, GFX, sunroof; ADM Race CAI; Zoomers CB; Viper Alarm; Pdaft F&R sways, Adj Endlinks, Rtrailing arms, Camber kit, strut brace, Front Trailing Arm Bushing; SLP Skip-Shift Elim; Tinted lights/windows; Hurst Short-throw; LoJack; Door & Dash ABL Mods; ********; JBA Shorty headers; AACStyle LEDs; Stillen DS rotors, Hawk Ceramic pads; Havoc Blk Chrome wheels: 20x9s; Lingenfelter Blk Al Pedals; RevXtreme Catch Can; Goodridge SS lines; Ported TB; RK Sport hood; Hotchkis chassis brace; KW V3 coilovers;

04-09-2010, 06:03 PM	#11
mrray13 Drives: 2010 1LT RS Rally Yellow Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 2,973	You could always upgrade to 2/0 and go to the factory ground, or battery. While keeping the ground as short as possible is ideal, it's not something set in stone. That said, you don't want a 2' ground either. Find a good brace, sand all the paint off and through bolt it, if you can't reach the battery/factory ground. Should be one on either side of where you are looking to put the enclosure. If not, I'll look in my trunk and see if I can come up with something. __________________ *PacMan*

03-22-2010, 04:21 PM	#2
AmericanV8 Drives: 2010 Camaro SS, Chrysler 300 SRT8 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: California Posts: 160	I used the metal assembly that holds the battery in place. I'm almost certain that is what the vehicle is grounded to as well. If you remove the air compressor and look down at the battery you'll find it on the bottom right. I hope this helps. Sorry don't have picks to post up.......

03-22-2010, 05:41 PM	#4
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	My particular amp says to keep the ground wire as short as possible, not longer than 10" inches. Is this a big deal or? Cheers K

03-22-2010, 05:47 PM	#6
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	The amp is either going on the back of enclosure facing the passthrough area or on the front facing into the trunk. Depends on how Steve designs it. I will be using 4 GA wire for power and ground. Cheers K

03-22-2010, 06:08 PM	#8
Eric Baker Drives: Black/Black 2SS/RS 6M Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Boston MA Posts: 987 View My Garage	When I install an amp in a trunk with the battery back there, I always ground directly to the battery. Reason for this is the ground wire from the battery to the car is only usually big enough for everything that's already in the car, not the demands of the extra amp(s). The proper way to do it in ANY car is to add an extra ground strap from the battery to the body of the vehicle the size of the amp wire you're using if you can't go to the battery directly.

03-22-2010, 07:21 PM	#9
strauchpete Account Suspended Drives: 2010 Camaro 1LT Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sedalia, Missouri Posts: 338 View My Garage	I would do power and ground directly to the battery since it is right there and then do an upgrade ground from the battery to the cars body.

04-09-2010, 04:22 PM	#10
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	Bringing this back up. -I have the enclosure, its a ******** dual made to house one 12" sub (goes in the pass through area of the trunk). -I am using the Stinger HPM #4 Amp install kit (btw very nice stuff!!) -My amp specifically says to keep my ground 10" or shorter. -I am mounting my amp to the back of my enclosure between the enclosure and the back seat. -Given my requirement of the 10" ground where can I ground to? Not too keen on drilling into the car. If I could drill through a panel without going through the car body it would be fine. I dont believe I have enough length to reach the battery, either the terminal or the bracket. Thoughts or pics? Thank you K

04-12-2010, 08:36 AM	#12
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	Thanks Mrray! I appreciate it! You dont think those braces would be too small? K

04-12-2010, 03:30 PM	#13
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	In this picture, courtesy of third1 as it is their trunk, could I ground to the brace rail that you can see poking out in the lower left corner? The orange power cord is there and the carpet panel is covering part of it. Cheers K

04-13-2010, 08:59 PM	#14
Moriartii Drives: 11 IOM 2SS/RS M6 w/Hurst Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 1,269	Bump for some love since I had my album pics set to private. Fixed that so now maybe you all can see what I am referring to. K

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