I have a truck which between towing and mechanical work
done on a water pump managed to result in a broken horn
(!!!). The horn worked before. The truck was towed
backwards with a piece of webbing wrapped around
the steering wheel and my "western" mirror.
The old stock steering wheel also broke at the base
(I replaced it with a new one since driving around
with a jagged edge in the old wheel made me
nervous.)

When I popped the center horn button,
I observed something I thought was wrong:
in the hole in which I believe a horn contact brush
assembly usually goes, there was what appeared to be
a spring from a retractable ball point pen.

When I took off the steering wheel, I found
the horn contact brush assembly rolling around
loose behind it. Also, I observed another (blue plastic)
hole where I was told that there is usually
another contact of some kind. I can see a wire
at the bottom of the hole.

Here is my question: does another (second)
horn contact brush assembly belong in the blue
plastic hole underneath the steering wheel?
If not, what belongs there, what is the part number,
and where can I get one? Does a spring from
a ball point pen work?

(Yes, I eventually intend to bring the towing company to
small claims court. No, I probably won't sue
the garage shop, since at least they tried to
fix the problem.)

Thanks...

Steve
66 bronco
68 bronco wagon
68 f250 4x4 flatbed

 

yes and yes. It's a copper bullet with a pigtail and in the center is a spring. You need two of them. A wrecking yard trip is all you need. It might be a good idea to get a spare. Many times you'll find the plungers on the floor after others have removed the steering wheel or column. Good hunting. Carl..o&o>..

 

The second contact brush is for cruise control. If you have cruise control then you need it. I was missing the horn brush for my truck and bought one from dennis-carpenter.com. It was about $10. I couldn't find any in the junk yards around here. They tend to sell the steering column in one piece. Don't know if a ballpoint spring will work. But you'd still have to have something for the contact point. Maybe a copper ball bearing would work. You don't want steel. It will wear into your steering wheel horn ring.

 

Hmm, OK, thanks, I've never heard of stock option cruise control
on a '68 (but I could always be surprised).

I am wondering what other Ford cars have the same or
similar steering wheel and would therefore have the same
horn contact brush assembly. The junkyards near me
(SF Bay area) tend to be picked fairly clean of critical classic
Fxxx pickup parts... (I intend to go out soon to one anyway,
that's why I'm interested in the answer to the steering wheel
question.)

 

eclectix, were you located in the bay area? I'm in Alameda. You Pick Your Parts, Pick-n-Pull, are in Oakland, Hayward and Milpitas. There may be a yard in Newark also. You would think Ford used the same horn parts in vans for many years like the trucks. Tilt wheel, never seen one in a stock 67-72 PU.
Carl........o&o>.......

 

I'm in Fremont so Newark is usually my first and last
stop, unless it's not there, in which case I sometimes
go to Hayward. I've never been to Milpitas (is
it good for 67-72, I wonder?) or further north
than Hayward. I also suspect that the vans were
the same as the Fxxx, so I'll try to take a look around,
maybe as early as right now ;-).

I recently put in a new LMC steering wheel
and new dashboard top. My interior and exterior
will not win any awards but it's getting nicer to drive
every month, creature-comfort wise (if it
weren't for the #$@$-^* towers and garage shop
mechanics who break as much as they fix, argh).

I often seem to have better luck with the free yards
next to the Pick & Pulls than the Pick & Pulls
themselves.

(I started stockpiling cheap body parts and paint, etc., for
winter body work, and maybe someday... a Dana 60
front... with front disk brakes... Pertronix... 390...
overdrive...)

Many thanks,

-s

 

The Pick N Pull in Oakland at 85th on San Leandro st had three old trucks, 70-72 but all the steering columns were missing. They must be a hot item. In Hayward on West Winton, alot of mud in the winter. Good hunting, Carl.
.....o&o>....

 

I've also never seen or know of anyone who had the cruise control. I learned about it when I shopped around for the turn signal switch for my 72. That was one of the questions the parts house asked. They even had the double one in stock and had to order mine. The gal there told me that in all the years she's been there she's never sold one for cruise control. Another person at a junk yard told me the same thing. And this was a junkyard that has been around a long time. It must be a rare option. I take it you don't have cruise control?

 

qman, if you are asking me, I do not have cruise control in my '68
f250-- nor have I ever heard anyone else have one, although
I have never researched it and I am no truck expert.

Anyway, good news-- today I found a horn contact brush
assembly off of a 1964 Ford Fairlane at a local junkyard.
I hope it is the same as the one for my truck. I will
find out later this evening or tomorrow when I try to put
it in. It only cost me $1.00.

I also saw what appeared to be an uncracked or very slightly
cracked 3-spoke steering wheel, and a steel 1967 grille
which looked in relatively good shape (almost totally
unbent). Hooray for junkyards!

 

Awesome. But if you don't have cruise then I don't think you need the second contact brush. I'm no expert either though.

 

qman,

The "inner" horn contact brush assembly is placed in a hole
in a blue plastic mount to which the horn wire is attached.

If that horn wire, or something which conducts electricity
and is in contact with it, touches ground, the horn will sound.

The "bullet" end of the mounted "inner" horn contact
brush assembly slides against a metal ring on the underside
of the steering wheel. On the top of the steering wheel
is a plastic hole on the bottom left hand side. That is where the
"outer" horn contact brush assembly goes. At the bottom
of the hole is the top surface of the steering wheel's
underside metal ring.

On the top of the steering wheel is a metal plate which is
attached to the center metal hole through which the
steering wheel is mounted on the steering wheel shaft
with a 15"/16" nut. The metal plate is grounded by
contacted with the nut and shaft.

Normally, when the driver hits the steering wheel horn,
a metal plate makes contact between the "outer"
horn contact brush assembly and the top steering wheel
metal plate.

I have never seen a cruise control on a '68 in my junkyard
forays. I suspect if it did exist, replacement parts for it
would be so rare that I would have to fabricate them
to replace them. I would much rather stick to the more common
parts and options, myself, since one of the main objectives
of my purchase of the truck was ease of maintenance
and ready availability of parts.

Anyway, I compared my new contact brush assembly
with my old brush assembly and they were functionally
identical (!). I put the new one into the "inner"
contact brush assembly hole and it fit (!).

At this point, since it was after dark, I decided to celebrate
by running to Hollywood Video and renting "Mr. Majestyk."
;-)

This morning, I tried to put it together with the new LMC
steering wheel, but when I pressed the new steering wheel
into position, the horn unexpectedly began to sound.

I took off the new steering wheel and checked the electical
connectivity between the bottom metal ring and the top
metal plate, and there was no resistance-- apparently
a short circuit. If my description above on how the horn
circuit works is correct, then I had a defective steering wheel
from LMC. :-(

I called LMC and described the problem to them. After getting
bounced to customer support and listening to the problem
at each stage, they told me that they would send me
a replacement steering wheel (at no charge).

On Mr. Majestyk (sorry, OT), I liked the movie, but
then I am a classic 1967-1972 Fxxx fanatic, so
that's probably not news that anyone could use.
The truck in the movie itself appears to be a 1968 2x4
f100 longbed, with a lemon yellow "Earl Scheib"
paint job and a custom push bar welded above
the front bumper. I thought some of the truck jump
scenes seemed unrealistic with a stock f100.
But overall it was an enjoyable movie (though I could
not get my spouse to view it, no matter how hard
I tried ;-).

 

I guess 68s differ from 72s. On my 72 the ground is the steering shaft so there's no need for the second contact brush. There's a wire connected through the plastic to the horn ring and the other end is v-shaped and you just press it into one of the steering wheel puller holes. That is the connection to ground. Maybe cruise control is only an option on these fine newer trucks like the 72. Glad you figured out and glad I didn't confuse matters. I just figured they were all the same. I just checked dennis-carpenter.com and they're different part numbers from 67-69. There's no option in there for cruise. This gal at the parts shop must be nuts.