The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay “41 Horn Wiring and Parts

OK…… So I have been to the Tech Tips section and what I found there seems to indicate a ‘46 is different than my ’41. I have the steering wheel off and the column cover cleaned and almost off (It will not come off with the steering box in place as it hits the cab roof before clearing the shaft).

I can not figure out how the horn is supposed to be wired. The steering shaft is solid so no wires through there. The upper bearing (between the shaft and its cover) is a ball bearing inside of a sleeve. I have it out and there is no way any wires would pass through it. There are two holes in the shaft cover near the bottom but no holes anywhere neat the top. So. I can not see how wires would come up the inside of the assembly.

I’m missing whatever it is that goes at the top of the shaft cover and maybe connects to the back side of the steering wheel. Maybe there is some connection there. I’m also missing all of the parts inside the steering wheel hub that make up the horn button / switch.

A related question is…Do I need a horn relay?? The wiring diagram found on line does not show one and I do not find one on the truck. Guess that brings up another question. Where would it be located?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I am looking at a book I have that shows the top of the steering column minus the steering wheel. It shows (starting from the top)a nut then a spring and seat .It also shows the shaft with the outer jacket.I wish I could scan the picture but I can't. Hope this helps

They weren't stock, and for the short blasts that you'd use the horn for, you really don't need a relay, but you will need to use at least [does math] 14 gauge wire. you'd probably be better off with 12, actually, but it would work okay with 14.

6v Horn Relays (or any 6v relay, for that matter) are difficult to find and those that you DO find cost an arm and a leg.

If you were to put one on, you would probably mount it to the firewall. Wire the button with 14 gauge and wire to the horn and to the main power point with 12 gauge.

There should be instructions that come with the relay for the particulars.

Hey Kip,... The steering mast bearing your looking at with the wheel off had a wire soldered to it at the bottom. Horn was hot looking for a ground and when you touched the button to the steering mast it honks. no relay on a stock 6volt. The wire went from the bottom of the steering mast bearing through the steering shaft housing and came out just before the gearbox. look for a hole near the bottom of the shart housing.
Hope this helps.
Tony

oops,... thats supposed to be the bottom of the "shaft" housing.

Brendan:

Thanks for the info regarding the relay (or lack of a relay) Guess way back then people did not “drive with there horns”. Maybe most were a little more courteous.

Tweak / Tony:

I’m beginning to catch on. I can see a photo of the bearing with a wire attached in my catalog. I do have a convenient hole in the shaft cover near the bottom. I can see from the wiring diagram, that as you say the horn is hot all the time. BUT what I do not understand is…..If the wire from the horn coming back to and up inside the steering shaft cover is soldered to the bearing it sure looks like the bearing is GROUNDED. The bearing is #1 all metal; #2 a light press into the steering shaft cover, which is metal; #3 the steering shaft cover is clamped to both the dash and the steering gear box, both of which are fairly well grounded; #4 the bearing is also riding on the steering shaft which like the shaft cover is well grounded. …….So, in my mind, any wire attached to that upper bearing coming from the “hot” horn would be grounded all the time. I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m just missing something.

The only way I can see this working is if

#1 the bearing is insulated from both the shaft and the shaft cover
#2 the shaft cover is insulated from the shaft, the dash, the floor and the steering gear and the bearing is insulated from the shaft.

Kip,... Your correct in all your assumptions, except the bearing was originally surrounded by a phenolic material to insulate it from the shaft housing. The bearing is made with this material surrounding it, except at the very bottom were the wire was soldered on. But still insulated from everything.

Thanks for your patience. Now all is starting to make sense. I will be ordering a new bearing and that missing info should resolve the issue. The existing bearing has no indication of anything ever being attached to it by soldering or otherwise. Its brass outer race also fit firmly into the steel steering shaft cover. So I guess it must have been replaced with a non-original part at some time in the truck’s sorted history…..Surprise.