[GMK14]

I'm pretty much done installing my fuel tank in the bed but I'm wondering the best (easiest) place to ground it to? I have the sprayed bed liner so I can't just ground it to the box.

 

[Skibane]

One solution would be to connect a ground strap between the tank and truck bed or frame, using bolts and lockwashers or locknuts. Scrape off any paint or bedliner around the area where the bolts will pass through the frame/bed, so that they make solid electrical contact.

 

[Wintermute]

Given that the utilitrack is bolted onto the body, I would expect it to be a pretty solid grounding source, but I haven't actually checked.

 

[raine]

There's a small gap at the rear-most part of the bed, just behind the taillamp, under the bedrail. You could use a Dremel and open that gap up just enough to run a ground cable through that gap, down behind the taillamp, then from underneath the truck you can ground the cable on the chassis rail using an existing bolt, or by drilling a new hole (sand the surface to clear metal first, of course)

 

[GMK14]

There's a small gap at the rear-most part of the bed, just behind the taillamp, under the bedrail. You could use a Dremel and open that gap up just enough to run a ground cable through that gap, down behind the taillamp, then from underneath the truck you can ground the cable on the chassis rail using an existing bolt, or by drilling a new hole (sand the surface to clear metal first, of course)

Thanks, I'll have to have a look for that opening, i was thinking I'd have to drill a hole through the bed side to run the wires through. Opening up an existing hole seems like it would be the cleaner way to go.

 

[raine]

Thanks, I'll have to have a look for that opening, i was thinking I'd have to drill a hole through the bed side to run the wires through. Opening up an existing hole seems like it would be the cleaner way to go.

Yeah it's actually more like an open crease... if you remove the left tiallamp, shine a flashlight upward then look through the bed and you'll see that 'gap" I'm talking about. I used that gap on both sides to run wires for my bed LEDs. I'm pretty confident you can get this to work for what you need

 

[GMK14]

Thanks, sounds like that will work well for me to.

 

[Nissan4Life]

THe version of the truck that does not have the utility tracks have tie down points bolted to the bed. The threaded holes are located under plastic tabs. Those might get you a decent ground.

 

[GMK14]

THe version of the truck that does not have the utility tracks have tie down points bolted to the bed. The threaded holes are located under plastic tabs. Those might get you a decent ground.

I was wondering about those but I didn't see any plastic tabs in the corners. Although my truck has the utili-rack.

 

[Nissan4Life]

They are small round black plastic buttons.
in this picture you can see the 2 rear ones in place. The front ones see to be removed but no tie down in place.

On the opposite side front, you can see them right here below the track.

 

[GMK14]

Cool, thanks! I stand corrected!

 

[jreilly2120]

What are you doing with the fuel tank? Transfer flow?

 

[GMK14]

What are you doing with the fuel tank? Transfer flow?

For the most part it'll be an auxiliary fuel tank for the truck, it holds 15 gallons so that's pretty much a full tank. Although it'll also be used for gassing up my boat fuel tank, lawn mowers etc, I'll just be using a hand pump to transfer the fuel for now. This way seemed easier than having to deal with a bunch of Jerry cans all the time and it really doesn't impact the usable bed space. I'm kind of thinking it would be nice to have a second one on the other side of the truck now.

 

[raine]

I bet you can rig up a nice, mounted electric fuel transfer pump in that space behind the aux tank, wire it up through the taillamp area. At least, that's what I just pictured in my head what I'd do. LOL

 

[GMK14]

That's pretty much what I was thinking but that'll be down the line a bit I think. It would be nice not having to hand pump 15 gallons mind you lol

I did find that crease behind the tail light you were talking about, good find that'll work well.

 

[raine]

That's pretty much what I was thinking but that'll be down the line a bit I think. It would be nice not having to hand pump 15 gallons mind you lol

I did find that crease behind the tail light you were talking about, good find that'll work well.

no worries, post pics when you're done for the benefit of the forum peeps ::wink::

 

[Ninety-9 SE-L]

I just got the same thing. I grounded it to one of the bolts on the rail system. I'm not really sure if the ground is that necessary, you can't exactly ground plastic.

 

[Clint]

I just got the same thing. I grounded it to one of the bolts on the rail system. I'm not really sure if the ground is that necessary, you can't exactly ground plastic.

The plastic collects static electricity and it MUST be grounded. A cop in town had a flash fire from the plastic bed liner and spent long time in the local hospitals burn unit.
You don’t want to endure what he did.

Clint

 

[busemans]

and you have to put those red plastic tanks on the ground when filling, according to the labels, because of static electricity.

those legs holding the front ends of those add-on tanks aren't bolted down? they are just supports that sit on top of the bed liner? if they don't have a bottom foot of plastic, I would imagine they will ground themselves after a while if they vibrate a little bit and make hole to the bare metal

 

[Ninety-9 SE-L]

The plastic collects static electricity and it MUST be grounded. A cop in town had a flash fire from the plastic bed liner and spent long time in the local hospitals burn unit.
You don’t want to endure what he did.
Clint

I grounded, per the instructions, but again, it's not really doing much.

Yes, a plastic container can build up a static charge, but the charge is in the surface it doesn't conduct the charge throughout. It's possible some of that charge can be dissipated locally through the ground wire, but other parts of the tank, not near the wire can still hold a charge.

and you have to put those red plastic tanks on the ground when filling, according to the labels, because of static electricity.

those legs holding the front ends of those add-on tanks aren't bolted down? they are just supports that sit on top of the bed liner? if they don't have a bottom foot of plastic, I would imagine they will ground themselves after a while if they vibrate a little bit and make hole to the bare metal

putting a red container on the concrete doesn't necessarily ground it. It does 2 things though:
1. Spray-on bedliners, like most of us have, create a secondary insulator, which can create even more static when filling.
2. If the red container does catch fire, it's just the container, not the container and the truck.

There is a rubber pad that comes with the tank, you set it under the tank which prevents the truck bed from chafing a hole through the bottom of the tank from vibrations.

All of the brackets that come with the kit are bolted to the bed with self-tapping screws. They simply hold onto the tank. The all-thread in my picture is some 3/8" that I cut to help support the back of the tank. There is a rubber piece that comes with the kit, but it didn't suit the shape of my truck.