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Aft battery ground lug

JDA_BTR

Well Known Member
I've got the fuse together but didn’t prep a ground lug hole for an aft battery in the left longeron which is nicely primed. I can remove primer but I’m wondering about trying to drill a big hole so close to the skin.

I saw a pic of a bar riveted to the longeron with the bolt hole in the bar. This seems structurally better.

Any thoughts on how many AD4 rivets would carry the start current adequately? Was thinking four or 5 on a short 1/8 bar having a ground bolt tab would get the job done without stripping primer with easier drilling to maintain edge distance on the longeron. Squeezing the rivets would make a good electrical connection in the holes. I wouldn’t prime the short bar.

Suggestions?
 
I think Norman means to clean the paint off that part of the longeron where the un-primed bar is riveted on. That is what I would do and not rely on just the rivets to carry all those amps.
 
I agree. I’m still curious about the rivets and the current. And what the connecting bar might look like. I thought I saw a picture somewhere but can’t find it at the moment.
 
I patterned the ground lug from others I had seen surfing the web. It’s made from 1/8 inch aluminum and is 3 3/4 inch long and 5/8 inch wide with 7/8 inch wide bolt attachment lug. I used five AD4 rivets spaced approximately 3/4 inch to attach to the longeron. For corrosion protection, I dipped it in alodine. Hope this helps.
5C1D4582-078F-45CD-BEE7-533C5FD50939.jpg
 
A bit different

Thanks. But I also don’t want to drill a big hole in the longeron.

I chose to mount my battery ground [-] cable to the main longeron. My decision is based on the fact that this is the only longeron that goes all the way to the firewall. That means that it will reach my "forest of tabs" ground block [mounted on firewall] going through the minimum number or riveted connections. It also does not require drilling any extra holes into the longeron. I just use longer rivets there. See

Battery-ground-point-1.jpg
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Battery-ground-point-2.jpg
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