The horn was working fine on my '46 6400 PW (2-ton) but then just quit. Horn is fine but the wire going up the steering column is open (will not ground at all) no matter what one does with the button. I pulled the button and steering wheel expecting to find some sort of contact but there is nothing -- the button pushes on three fingers which in turn go through the hub of the wheel and push a collar on the underside of the wheel down against the outer steering column. I cleaned up all internal surfaces to shiny metal including the two springs just incase but no change. I also don't meter any voltage on any part of the steering column at the top. There's also no room whatsoever for a wire to make it past the top bearing so I'm confident that it's not just missing or pulled out.
How is this supposed to function? I'm assuming the wire entering the bottom of the steering column is connected to part of the steering column and the horn button serves to short the outer to .... something?
A Quick Look in the tech section will help you a lot, if stock the horn itself has 2 wires, one is full time power to it, the other goes to and up the steering column, that wire to the steering column makes the ground to complete the circuit and sound the horn. Your description of the parts in the steering wheel/horn button sounds correct except you do not describe the mast bearing/horn contact which centers the steering column (mast) in the outer steering tube, note the wire on it? And brass contact surface on top to make the ground? So… meter the wires at the horn, one should be voltage, the other should tone to ground. If you have voltage on one wire jump the other to ground and the horn should blare, if it does then follow the wire ground to the steering column and see if it is intact. Jumper wire from ground to mast bearing contact and the horn should blare, if not Then pry the mast bearing/ horn contact out of the steering column and see what you find. Chuck
Last edited by Hanks custodian; 06/20/20259:49 PM.
In the Tech Back Room, there are two TTs especially related to horns. They are under Electrical.
Horn Wire and Steering Mast Bearing Replacement / Pre-'55 2nd series -- By Fred T
HORN -- Repairing your horn -- Nothing like the bark of the old 6-volt vibrating horn -- by Kip "Kip's 41" Bonds
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill
