Mark :
You'll get almost as many opinions on that topic as on what fluif to use in
dashpots !
There are only two ways the battery could be hooked up, and at one time car
makers were pretty evenly split between the two. Early electrical devices
(like those found on the TR2-4) didn't much care, so it didn't make much
difference and things went along for a long time with some cars/trucks/etc.
being +ground and others being -ground. Mack trucks for example were
positive ground until sometime around 1970.
There were numerous rationales given at the time why companies like Triumph
and Mack didn't switch, but IMO they were just excuses.
But eventually, especially with the increasing popularity of electronic
devices that were polarity sensitive, it made more sense to use the same
polarity as everyone else. Again IMO, the main impetus for Triumphs
switching was a cost-cutting measure by Leyland (although perhaps it was
indirect, in the form of pressure on Lucas to lower costs). I'm sure the
dealers also found it a PITA to have to find a positive ground radio to
install.
Randall
>
> Can somebody tell me what the rational was behind the change from Positive
> to Negative grounding.
>
> Electricity flows from negative to positive So I assume that was the idea
> behind the original positive ground system. It actually seems
> more sensible
> that way. But why the shift? Perception? Postive is higher? Or was there a
> better reason to do with corrosion etc...?
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