Steering wheel horn contacts

[Big Slim]

I have the grant steering wheel adapter and the contacts are wearing down the contacts insanely quick. How do we keep these from wearing? Just a flat copper rubbing on copper plate. Seems like it needs rollers on top of contacts.

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[DirtDonk]

Seems to be a problem that’s getting more and more common. While I wouldn’t say it’s widespread yet, maybe a lot of Broncos aren’t being driven as often as they used to be either.
I got in the habit years ago of adding dielectric grease to my horn contacts. I wasn’t wearing out the traces on the back of the steering wheel, but was wearing out the copper tips on the springs.

My feeling about the 2-contact style like you have, is that the heavy current going through, was causing most of the wear and tear in my case.
So I added a relay to my horn circuit.
If you don’t already have one in yours, I would definitely add one.

Are you running the original wiring harness still?
If so, it’s a very simple task to add a horn relay.

 

[Oldtimer]

Mopar turnsignal switches had little rollers, but I never found a Ford switch that had them.

This is what I did to refurbish my Lecarra Hub Adapter.

Horn button stopped working and now it shocks me!

Quick question - because the copper is so thin on the adapter, should I just glue the new copper sheet down instead of soldering?

classicbroncos.com

NOTE: Having driven for a several thousand miles,
The brass contacts wear to a very sharp edge that wants dig into copper rings.
I may have some stainless steel rings made to replace the copper?

 

[73azbronco]

seems there should be a sacrificial copper cap thats rounder to prevent that

 

[Broncobowsher]

I don't see any lube on there. You should have a little capsule of lube that came with the adapter to lube the contacts. Without that they will self destruct in no time. With it they last pretty long usually.

 

[Steve83]

Ford originally used common white Lithium grease there, but we all know what happens to that... If you apply conductive grease (which I don't recommend), use it SPARINGLY. If the grease ever makes a bridge between the contacts or traces, the horn will blow non-stop.

...adding dielectric grease to my horn contacts.

Dielectric means insulating, and these are there to conduct electricity between the wheel & column. And good dielectric grease contains sand, so it should never be used where abrasion can happen. You'd get better results with Electrical Grease (which is NOT conductive, but also not abrasive).

seems there should be a sacrificial copper cap thats rounder to prevent that

If it were round, it would wear faster and conduct less because it would have a smaller point of contact to bear the same spring force and conduct the same current. The wider & flatter it is, the less pressure it puts on the 2 surfaces, and the better they conduct electricity. If you want something sacrificial, try solder. But make it flat (both surfaces) before you assemble the wheel back onto the column.

 

[Big Slim]

I have upgraded horn with relay. This is a new turn signal harness so surprised it wore out so quick. I have seen the mopar ones with rollers and wonder why these are not. Stupid design. Aftermarket has failed this one.
Needs something like ball point or roller pogo pin at the end. or really needs to be more of a flat slip ring design. which i think all newer cars use.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I have upgraded horn with relay. This is a new turn signal harness so surprised it wore out so quick. I have seen the mopar ones with rollers and wonder why these are not. Stupid design. Aftermarket has failed this one.
Needs something like ball point or roller pogo pin at the end. or really needs to be more of a flat slip ring design. which i think all newer cars use.

If you use the lube that comes with the kit, it really does work.
As for rounded or roller, electrically they suck and you have point contact instead of surface contact. You will erode tiny pin holes in the copper and it will fail worse/sooner.
Stock contacts and copper slip ring will last the life of the vehicle, or at least the turn signal switch,
If you wanted to be really trick about it, change the copper contacts to carbon. Like a set of brushes in an alternator.

As for what new cars use, spiral wire. No brushes. Very high failure rate. The ribbon cable spiral wrapped fatigues and breaks. But you need the spiral cable for the airbag to work. When the wire breaks it, it goes from good to failed, not an intermittent contact. That makes firing the airbag and diagnosing the circuit much more solid.

 

[DirtDonk]

Didn’t know that about dielectric grease and sand Steve. Thanks for the info
I keep forgetting about electric grease and I always seem to have dielectric on hand for other uses.

 

[73azbronco]

seems to me the old school oem ford horns contacts were a bit rounded.. And never wore out. How much spring pressure is there, maybe cut a loop or two off?

 

[Shimmy]

my IDIDIT column comes with dielectric grease and per the instructions you're to put it on the copper disc too.

 

[Oldtimer]

As I recall, the contact rings in stock Ford steering wheel are stamped steel.
The brass contacts in turn signal switch rub on them for decades without rubbing thru the steel.
The nylon cancelling arms break off long before brass wears down.

 

[DirtDonk]

Yep, either stainless, or more likely some type of plating.
I’ve had stock wheels sitting in the open air for decades and the steel traces look brand new still.

 

[Steve83]

...rollers and wonder why these are not. Stupid design. Aftermarket has failed this one.

The aftermarket is just copying the Ford design, which is pretty good considering how long it lasts. But the aftermarket quality control doesn't match Ford's.

...a flat slip ring design. which i think all newer cars use.

No, they all use clock springs for their driver airbags.

Very high failure rate. The ribbon cable spiral wrapped fatigues and breaks.

The early ones (late 90s) failed after 10~15 years, but the design was revised, and has a VERY low failure rate.

But you need the spiral cable for the airbag to work.

Not really - it would work with sliding contacts. But the airbag DIAGNOSTIC circuits won't because the resistance of the contact changes too much. Also, there aren't enough rings for all the functions that modern wheels have. Clock springs can have a dozen distinct circuits - no way to put 12 slip rings in a steering wheel.

How much spring pressure is there, maybe cut a loop or two off?

Unless you KNOW the engineering behind it, and can MEASURE the spring force to determine if it's wrong, and can cut the exact right amount off - just leave it alone. Too little force & it won't self-clean, which will create problems faster than too much force.

my IDIDIT column comes with dielectric grease and per the instructions you're to put it on the copper disc too.

Ford knows a lot more about it than IDIDT; Ford hires better engineers; Ford pays them more; Ford pays for more R&D...

... the contact rings in stock Ford steering wheel are stamped steel.

No. Check with a magnet. They're Copper/Brass. They might have a silverish Tin/Silver/solder plating, but they're not steel.