WD gauge pod?

Yes it must be grounded. See last comment above for a WD45 with starting problems.

If you ground the switch and gauges in the box by using a wire that goes to a KNOWN good ground, you can paint the box and not have to worry about it.
I do that to ALL mine as it is the best way to ensure a good ground.  You really can't trust a bolt going through this piece of metal to a spot on the tractor, from which a wire MIGHT be going to the ground on the battery cable.........see what I mean.  If you use a wire directly from a light switch or the gauges or the starter switch, etc.  Then you never have to worry other than ONE place......where it grounds to the battery.  Doesn't matter whether it's a positive or a negative ground.
Extra cost of extra wire........oh my, could probably get up to around $5.00.  I'd say pretty dang cheap to do it right.

Allis dave wrote: I'm not sure what I'm missing, but mine Is all painted nice with no ground. My only ground wire on the whole traction is form the battery to the frame. The only gauge in my pod in the ammeter and it really only has an "in" and "out" between the battery and electrical devices. No ground I have a toggle (kill) switch in there too, but it only connects or disconnects power from the coil. No ground needed there either.   What are we trying to ground here?

CTuckerNWIL wrote: As far as I know, the only thing that NEEDS grounded from the box, is the 3 position light switch. If it is not grounded, you won't have the high charge rate when you pull it out.

You need the ground for the generator and the kill switch that grounds the magneto...
  and when converting to alternator, the old 3 position switch can be reconfigured to off/on/+aux lighting at the all the way out position. Such as off, on front lights, then front and back lights, or second set of lights.