The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 1961 Horn Question

Happy holidays, so I've read through all the post everyone has experienced with their horns. I ordered the horn kit that includes the horn contact pin, the spring metal disk, the retainer cup, and plastic 3 screw isolator. I installed the contact pin, laid the spring metal disk (convex side up), installed the retainer cup and lightly screwed the isolator down. The cup seems to move freely and isn't bound up anywhere. I understand the horn circuit is completed by applying a ground via the green wire. This is the puzzling part. The spring metal disk that lays on top of the horn contact pin is grounded all the time against the steering wheel hub, permanently completing the circuit. The horn will be on all the time. Just to make sure, I connected my volt meter from the retainer cup to the underside of the contact pin and verified the short. What am I missing here?

Don't know where or what kit you have. This is important info. Don't know if you have a stock steering wheel and horn button assembly or Ididit or what.
If I had the part number/picture of your kit we could communicate.

Sorry, more details are always better. I bought the kit from www.americanclassic.com, part number HRN-50. Not sure where I bought the horn contact pin, but it is new and it fits within the hole in the steering wheel hub. I'm using a stock steering wheel. Right now with the contact pin installed and the spring disk laid over it the spring disk is making contact with the pin, and the spring disk is making contact with the steering wheel hub completing the connection to ground. If I understand the horn circuit the horn should blow all the time since the contact pin is grounded though the spring disk - right? I don't have the plastic disk that is supposed to go between the spring disk and the retainer cup, but I know I need it because my horn button gasket doesn't fit in tight. But the plastic disk won't isolate the spring disk from touching the metal steering wheel hub??? Hope this makes more sense.

You probably don't have any other pieces missing. Plunger first (if it is the proper length) then spring disc, then cup, then three boss plastic isolator. You must be sure that the bosses go thru cup and thru, and not on top of, the disc. Don't over tighten 3 screws. You are correct, the cup makes ground to complete the circuit to the relay thru the chassis. There is no hot wire to horn button.

Bartamos, thanks for the info. The only thing I can think of is that the plunger must be too long because it makes contact with the spring disk all of the time. I suspect that when things are working properly the spring disk only makes contact with the plunger when the horn button is pressed and flattens the spring disk against the plunger. Is this correct?

My contact sticks out about 3/16 and I believe makes contact all the time. Does your contact have a nylon bushing? or incorporated into turn signal? I think early 60's are different than late 60's??? My 1960 has the former.

It has the nylon bushing just like yours. Mine sticks up that much and makes contact all the time. This means that the plunger pin, the spring disk, and the cup are in constant contact with each other and with the metal steering wheel hub which is grounded to the steering column shaft. The horn is going to blow all the time right? The way it sits right now pushing the horn button won't make the cup touch the spring disk anymore than it is right now since all three are in contact with one another. I don't understand where the isolation is for these three parts if all of them are touching each other and the steering hub. Maybe I can email you some pictures if you are interested in taking a look. I would post them here, but haven't figured out how to do it yet.

Go ahead and install, it will work. There is no danger. You can take wire off horn trumpet if it constantly honks. Get that contact loose ahead of time. You can't short it out because you are trying to "short it out".

Ok I will, I have another upper steering shaft I'm waiting to receive, the one I have the steering wheel threads are stripped. Thank you your time and happy holidays to you and your family!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Here's what I found on mine. I have a '64 Malibu steering wheel with horn ring on mine. The inside part of the steering wheel where the metal spring disc goes has some insulating coating lining the outside edge of inside of the center to keep the disc from completing the circuit at the outer edge. (Trying to make this make sense.) The pin and the concave shape of the disc keep the disc pushed up from the center ring of the steering wheel enough to keep it from constantly honking. The nylon bushing helps the horn ring push down on the disc to complete the circuit. My disc contacts the pin all the time and only completes the circuit when the disc is flattened against the hub on the wheel. If your steering column is anything like mine, you have a bad bearing causing the horn to honk when you don't want it to.

I had to add the horn button cap in order to make my horn button fit inside the wheel. I also had to grind out the inside of the horn ring to make it fit. The button isn't tight against the rubber ring mounted on it, but it turned out decent...for me.

GMCinDisquise, Ah now that makes sense. I was wondering what the insulator was. Evidently mine is missing that. Thanks for the explanation - it helps a lot!!

I see you posted on ChevyTalk in December and got no answer. There are only three pieces other than the actual logo button/rubber. The Belleville washer, the three leg insulator and the cup. Warning: The turn signal parts were redesigned several times from 60-66. The horn parts remained the same. The basic idea, as said, is that the center of the disc washer touches the area around the steering wheel shaft when cup is depressed. The contact (in the insulator bushing) is touching the disc all the time. I don't know what keeps the edges of the disc from shorting out. Inside of steering wheel ledge is insulated? or spring "floats"? or what? There is no answer to that in all the internet for 60-61 chevy truck. Only the explanation over and over on the spring being depressed to touch at center of hub which makes the circuit between hub and contact. The bosses on the three leg hold it in position.

I can't remember where I saw it, but someone or something pointed out the insulated coating that keeps the disc from contacting the outside. I'll try to take a picture of mine soon and post them. It's easy to see on mine since my wheel is painted a light color and the insulation is black.

This is correct, there is a ring of insulated material where the disc OD rests. Either an insert or part of the plastic steering wheel.

So tonight when I went to leave work I started up my truck and all of a sudden the horn starts blowing and won't stop. Had to unhook the relay to make it stop. Pesky wire somewhere causing issues.

This thread is haunted.