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Hello everyone! I'm looking for some help with my steering wheel replacement. I have the stock Supreme steering wheel that I'm replacing with an original four spoke (15 1/2). I purchased the four spoke with everything but the spring and plunger deal. I ordered that from Fusick's. After removing the old wheel, I have installed the new hub, spring, post and black sleeve. My issue is the tab that should hit the spring loaded post is too far from it to make contact. Currently the post is sitting basically flush once mounted. This seemed like a pretty straight forward swap but apparently there's something I'm missing. Could I possibly have the wrong hub or horn contact piece? Thought about bending the tab straight so that it would make contact with the post but not sure even if I did that if it would contact. Any help would be very much appreciated.
I put a sport wheel on my Cutlass and it fit just fine, though mine was a used wheel off another car. If I remember correctly there is a brass contact that is pushed up by a spring inside a plastic sleeve that fits up thru the wheel? Post some pics and maybe we could help better. A shop manual for your car should have a blown up diagram.
Mine was also off another car. Bought it off from Ebay last winter and just getting around to finishing up the install. I'll try and take some pictures tonight when I get home. I wonder if the hub is correct to be honest. It's nice and flush on the diameter with the rest of the shaft so it looks right but I have no clue.
I can't see how you've assembled the spring/plunger assembly, so you may have done it correctly, but I've done this correctly and incorrectly several times over the past 20 years. I've learned that the black plastic piece, the spring and the brass plunger need to be assembled in a very particular way for everything to have spring tension and work properly. Once it's done right it seems so simple, but it's easy to get it wrong. The plunger does not sit inside the spring (a common "oops"), but the spring is compressed against the wide base of the plunger which is then pushed up against the horn contact.
The horn contact ring only goes on the hub one way, and the little "L" tab lines up with the spring and contact eyelet. The plastic post on the cancel cam that those parts go into only goes into the hub one way. I really can't see how this can be wrong. Photos of your installation. would help.
Thanks for all the advice. I'm thinking that I put the plunger part together incorrectly. I'm going to give it a go this evening. I think based on vette442's comments I need to insert the spring first, then slide the plastic piece over the plunger, then push the plastic piece and the plunger in with the head against the spring. It's not that way currently so makes sense to start there tonight.
Just an update that I did turn the plunger around and all is good now. Thanks again everyone for your help! Now I just need to get a different horn because the one I have sounds like a half dead goose!
A good GM honk is made up of a hi note horn, and a low note horn. Your car may only have one, or one may be non-functional if you have two. The horn that is working may be fine and not needing replacement, but you may need to add the other note horn, or fix one if it is not working. Jumping power from battery to horn contact can test each one. Jumping as in touching it together.
Just an update that I did turn the plunger around and all is good now. Thanks again everyone for your help! Now I just need to get a different horn because the one I have sounds like a half dead goose!
I'd keep it if you described it correctly! Sounds like fun!
P.S. I have Road Runner Beep Beep horns in my 69 Just to aggravate one of my best friends who is a Mopar nut. When we go to shows I always blast by him on the way and blow the horns!
I see that this is an old thread but a question I have, Is the bushing under there if I swap from the stock Wheel to a 4 spoke sport? 72 Cutlass supreme Thanks in advance, Jack
I see that this is an old thread but a question I have, Is the bushing under there if I swap from the stock Wheel to a 4 spoke sport? 72 Cutlass supreme Thanks in advance, Jack
Hi Joe, sorry lost this thread... 4 spoke wheel i'm installing, I got the hub (the bushing) and it has a notch on the bottom. Is there only one kind of hub? it doesnt seem to fit down far enough. Will it press into place? I have someone doing it for me.
Hi Joe, sorry lost this thread... 4 spoke wheel i'm installing, I got the hub (the bushing) and it has a notch on the bottom. Is there only one kind of hub? it doesnt seem to fit down far enough. Will it press into place? I have someone doing it for me.
The hub with the notch is for the three spoke wheel as used in 1968. Is it the same diameter as your column or is it the smaller diameter for the 68-older column? It will fit all the way down if it's the correct diameter, however it is pressed on and may need the nut to be tightened to pull it down. The hub with the notch will work for the four spoke wheel, but it will have that gap.
The 1969-up columns are the same as far as steering wheel fitment is concerned. The differences are in overall length and the shape of the shift lever at the bottom.
Ok, Thanks Joe. I'm having ignition worked done too. That's why he doing the steering wheel for me, he dropped the column. The key doesn't turn back to accessory position. He said the "bowl" is damaged in there...??? Maybe had be stolen damaged in the past. I'm not sure whats involved in there yet.
Thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Jack
Ok, Thanks Joe. I'm having ignition worked done too. That's why he doing the steering wheel for me, he dropped the column. The key doesn't turn back to accessory position. He said the "bowl" is damaged in there...??? Maybe had be stolen damaged in the past. I'm not sure whats involved in there yet.
Thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Jack
Hard to provide a useful answer without photos. Typically the damage to the bowl when stolen renders it non-useable at all, so I'd be surprised if that was the problem. If the backdrive linkage isn't connected or isn't adjusted properly, the locking mechanism inside the column won't let the key rotate all the way. Is that linkage there?
Hi Joe, Hes saying because of the damage, a piece broken off inside the bowl is leaving about 1/4 of play on the ignition on the column. Is the bowl a part I can order or something I will have to find used? Also, it turns out, the kit ordered for the wheel, the rod and spring is too short. Apparently sent me the wrong kit. The wheel did go on, but no horn. I'm checking for the part on that one. A pain when its all apart with the wrong part for it to go back together.
Thanks , Jack
Hi Joe, Hes saying because of the damage, a piece broken off inside the bowl is leaving about 1/4 of play on the ignition on the column. Is the bowl a part I can order or something I will have to find used? Also, it turns out, the kit ordered for the wheel, the rod and spring is too short. Apparently sent me the wrong kit. The wheel did go on, but no horn. I'm checking for the part on that one. A pain when its all apart with the wrong part for it to go back together.
Thanks , Jack
Are you sure the bowl is what's broken? More likely it's the rack that the lock cylinder moves to operate the ignition switch via a rod.
Pictures would REALLY help. If you are using a factory style sport wheel and horn, there is only one horn contact kit. People frequently install it incorrectly, which prevents the horn from working.
I still can't tell exactly from that photo, but if you are talking about the part of the casting just below and to the right of the lock pin, where there seems to be some yellow material, that is the part of the casting that the ignition lock cylinder snaps into. That part is called the upper lock housing, and I don't believe it is reproduced, but it should be the same on every 1969-77 GM non-tilt steering column - so long as the headlight dimmer switch is on the floor and not on the column, and so long as it doesn't come from a car that uses the little lever under the key to lock the column (these were on low-end cars like Vegas). This part is the same for both floor and column shift, so there should be a lot of donors out there. There is some disassembly of the column needed to replace it. A virgin one should look like this:
Of course, nothing about that part will effect the horn.
This one is currently for sale on line for $125. Apparently it is made from solid gold...
I still can't tell exactly from that photo, but if you are talking about the part of the casting just below and to the right of the lock pin, where there seems to be some yellow material, that is the part of the casting that the ignition lock cylinder snaps into. That part is called the upper lock housing, and I don't believe it is reproduced, but it should be the same on every 1969-77 GM non-tilt steering column - so long as the headlight dimmer switch is on the floor and not on the column, and so long as it doesn't come from a car that uses the little lever under the key to lock the column (these were on low-end cars like Vegas). This part is the same for both floor and column shift, so there should be a lot of donors out there. There is some disassembly of the column needed to replace it. A virgin one should look like this:
Of course, nothing about that part will effect the horn.
This one is currently for sale on line for $125. Apparently it is made from solid gold...
Hi Joe, Yes, just to the right of the yellowish, plastic piece the white spot is the casting broken off giving the ignition too much play and wont turn back to accessory position. I'll see if I can hunt one down. And he got the wheel on but having trouble with the spring and plunger to make the horn work. I showed him what others have said, then he dropped the spring and we couldn't find it! He will round up a spring today, and I will go back to have the column fixed.
Again, Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Regards, Jack
Hi Joe, I ordered this today. only one I could find without taking a chance on a bad used one. Thanks for your help in sending me this link. Being shipped today. Jack
June 27th, 2018, 02:49 AM
