Horn button parts

"When my Bronco is finished' is only a hypothetical statement."

Love it!

The two copper discs do the same thing as 2 separate rings but as I said earlier they go nowhere. There is no evidence of any missing parts or any way to connect them to the surface where the horn button is.

It'll be interesting to see your pictures when you get your wheel off, and thank you very much for doing this!!!

Okay, I've done some more looking for you, I have an old steering wheel im not sure the exact year model but its basically the same as the reproduction wheel I'm using now. I looked in my column and the two spring loaded contacts line up and ride on this metal ring on the back of the wheel. I think like you said yours is just a different design, The copper ring you have looks like it bolts in a similar fashion as the metal ring on my wheel. My metal ring bolts to the wheel using the two screws that also hold on those two contacts from my other picture on the front side of the wheel. Thats how they make contact with the horn and the contacts and the metal ring and the spring loaded contacts. The metal ring is screwed to the contacts on the front. When the horn ring contacts the contacts on the front of the wheel the horn blows. On your picture the piece from the copper ring must either have been connected to another piece that is missing or its what would touch the horn contacts in the horn ring. I think you could easily convert what you have to the later model design, but Im not sure if you would have to get a new steering wheel or if you could reuse yours and add the later model parts.

First and most importantly, Thank you a lot for your trouble bteutsch!

BUT... I can see where one of the spring contacts (+) can ride on that metal disc #11 and connects with the two #6's, but what about the other spring contact (-), what does it ride on to make contact with the 'bump' on top the steering wheel?

Both contacts ride on the same metal ring.(they actually line up and ride side by side in a single line even though they appear to be offset). I don't think one is positive and one negative. I think they are both positive.. Also I'm not sure what that bump on the face of the steering wheel is for. When I get home, I'll take the wheel I have on my bronco off and see if its different. I think they are both positive and the horn contacts just complete a normally open type switch scenario.. The horn itself grounds through the body. Only a positive wire runs to the horn through the harness. This is through memory so I'll go double check for you when I get home but I think all the horn assembly does is just complete the circuit on the positive side. Ałso that metal ring on the back of the wheel bolts directly to those two contacts that sit on that piece of plastic on the front of the wheel (part #6) so it makes a connection on whichever side of the horn ring you press. Just eyeballing your wheel, I'm not sure the holes line up with the metal ring on my wheel would line up with the holes for the copper ring on yours.

bteutsch said:

Both contacts ride on the same metal ring.(they actually line up and ride side by side in a single line even though they appear to be offset). I don't think one is positive and one negative. I think they are both positive..

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This doesn't make sense as on mine if I connect the two spring loaded contacts with a screwdriver the horn sounds.
Why don't you try that when you get yours apart.
Thanks again for the effort!

I'll do that for you, like I said yours appears to be a different design. I'll do some testing and get back to you.

Look at this picture closely and you can see how the two contacts ride on the back of that metal ring..

I'm going to look closer as my own logic seems a little flawed

Okay got it sorted out, the two spring loaded contacts, they ride on two separate metal rings that are isolated from each other on the back side of the steering wheel. Like you said one is hot( the one that rides on the inner ring) and one is ground (the one that rides on the outer ring) the outer ring has a tab that passes through the steering wheel and sticks up similar to yours. The horn ring has a flat spot that that tab rides on then it has two contacts that make the connection when you press the horn button with those two contacts that you don't have.. Part #6. So the horn ring completes the connection. The extra wheel I have does not have that outer ring so that gave me some of the confusion..

I ordered the 2 #6 parts today so when they arrive I'll make this sucker work. I don't think that #11 will fit my wheel as I think mine is like yours with the two rings and that #11 looks like one ring. Anyway I'll post some picts in a couple days of what I do in case anyone else runs into this.

I just posted a couple pictures of the truck as it's done now except for the horn and the ammeter doesn't work. I have another to try so hopeffy that will do it. It's one of those 'loop' type.

Here are the pictures of my bronco:
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2339289#post2339289

bteutsch said:

...The extra wheel I have does not have that outer ring so that gave me some of the confusion..

Click to expand...

It's a later wheel. The '74 (maybe mid-'74?) and later trucks used a horn relay, so only had one contact on the turn signal switch and ground through the column.
One contact, one ring.

Paul

Now that I think about it, it might be a '74-only wheel. Could be '74/'75, but "officially" the '75 and later wheels were that later type with the larger inner spokes.

I think the aftermarket replacements for the early wheels all have the two rings, but Ford might very well have made them year-specific with only one ring when the switch changed.

Just guessing really, but it seems plausible at this point.

Paul

From a couple other early 66's I've seen I'd have to thing my wheel is bone stock. The 2 disc set up is pretty rinky dink and I think they changed it shortly after. I'm going to replace those copper rings with steel as the copper is very thin and I can't imagine it will last long. Then I'll solder wires that will go to the contacts on top. I'll put up a couple picts when I doo it, likely late this week after the parts arrive from LMC.

The parts arrived yesterday so today I made the horn work. The parts #6 from LMC were simply plastic insulators, (Picture 1)

no contacts were with them so I had to fabricate them. First I took an old penny (1979) as they are solid copper where the newer ones aren't, and cut out two squares about 3/16" and then rounded off the corners and polished one side clean for better adhesion (Picture 2)

Then I soldered the 'pennys' onto the worn out ends of the spring loaded contacts which are part of the turn signal switch. This would be a heck of a lot easier to do and much less expensive if your contacts are worn rather than replacing the turn signal switch. (Picture 3)

Then I used the dremel to grind off two small areas of the plastic backer behind the copper discs and soldered about a 3" length of wire to it with a small loop wire connector on the other end and soldered a 6-32 nut onto the loop (Picture 4)


Then I made a contact for the top side on the new parts #6 out of more small loop connectors and filled the wire opening with solder, bent them over onto the contact area and filed them even with the top of the plastic insulators.
Then I inserted a 6-32X3/4 machine screw through the new contact loops and inserted them in place on top of the steering wheel hub, and screwed them into the nuts on the wires connectors
It turned out the new parts #6 were too wide for my wheel so I had to cut them back about 3/16" with the dremel. Then everything went together and works like new.(Picture 5)

Here's a couple pictures of the Bronco with the restored wheel covers and of the engine.

Lot of precision work there 63! Phew, nice job.
Of course that goes for the whole rig too. Already noted that, but worth saying again.

But why the resistance to the new switch, instead of the extra work of fabbing then attaching the contacts? I would think that the original one is simply on borrowed time already. Or is it that the replacements aren't an exact match for yours, or the hassle of feeding the wires seemed like an evil alternative?
Just curious.

Then again, I suppose that when you're able to do something like this without too much drama, spending another 40 bucks or so isn't as cost-effective as it would be for most.

Great little fix.

Paul

Glad you got it sorted out!!!

The contacts on the turn signal switch were pretty minor and an easy fix and the rest of the seitch is in good condition and should go many more years.
The copper contact discs and connections to the upper contacts are not available. I sent pictures to all the parts houses and no one had anything like it. They all have the newer replacements so I had to "make it work".
There's usually something on every restoration I have to fabricate and this was pretty easy once I could see how it was supposed to work.
Thanks to all who gave input, I really appreciate it.

BTW I'll be selling this bronco at Barrett Jackson in January so watch for it.
I'll also be selling my just finished pro touring 55 tbird
Here are some pictures of it on Demon Carburetors Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151394344816875.1073741825.286832226874&type=1

Well at least yours will be a completed build it sounds like. Where everything works.
Seen too many sell at auction that looked like they forgot to put all the parts back in the box. So to speak.

Paul