The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Stock AD column to rack grounding issues - Horn wiring

Has anyone used the stock AD column to a modern rack and pinion and solved the high open on ground source for the horn. I thought I could fix it by grounding the tube, with the new paint on everything. Only slightly cures it with now the continuity relying on the lower bearing which isn’t good enough. It comes and goes depending on wheel movement.

It’s built using the C4 rubber isolator at the rack, so that’s as far as continuity goes from the wheel…and the rack itself is already rubber isolated.

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking but can you ground the column at the dash board mount?

Doesn't matter if you have rack and pinion or not. Does not matter if you have a horn relay or not. You just need a wire down thru what is left of the original column. Drill a hole under the column tube, either inside or outside the cab. You will drill thru one wall of the tube. Fish the horn wire coming from the "upper column bearing" down tube and out the hole.......and to it's destination...horn or horn relay.

Click

I don't think the column being grounded is part of the horn circuit. I think the upper mast bearing/horn contact ring is isolated electrically. So if grounding the column made some difference, it may actually indicate a problem.

There does need to be a ground. The upper mast bearing is electrically isolated (and hot), and the horn button connects it to the column which does need a ground. Easy enough to put a short ground wire from the column, either under the dash or in the engine compartment to a ground point. [on edit] You have to make sure you get a good contact point (no paint) on each end.

Yes, my mistake. As one idea, You can take paint off top of column under dash so as not to be seen and use a hose clamp to trap a wire onto column and run other end to a chassis ground. like the dash or other. Like Kevin said.

Or use the column clamp as mick said. That would mean taking paint off in a few places. Column and clamp and dash.

I really don't know what I was thinking. Was focused on thinking he didn't have a wire. Then things went western. Probably better take up making things out of popsicle sticks.

I’m using that aftermarket bearing race at the engine side of the column after shortening. I did ground the tube, but the high opens in the bearing was the issue. No solid continuity from the tube thru the bearing to the rod. I finally ran a strap from the isolator at the rack to the steering rod. Problem solved. I’ll put a couple of small stainless straps to hold it down, but may not need to.