Cruise Control Buttons
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Raleigh, NC
Cruise Control Buttons
I have a cruise control steering wheel, probably off a mid-80s F150. Does anyone know how they manage to get all the cruise functions (on, off, resume, accel, coast) with just one or two wires? There are only three wires (one is grounded) connected to the pad with all the switches. Could there be different resistors in the various switches to let the control box know which switch is being pushed? Can't image how else it would work.
Old School Hot Rodder
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Exmore, VA
You are exactly correct, first you need a horn relay and the short cruise control adapter harness. This plugs into the steering column and dash harness. The switches connect to either 12V (from the horn relay coil) or ground through various resistors. The horn button now grounds the relay coil rather then connecting 12V to the horn(s).
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Elder User
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From: Raleigh, NC
OK, thanks. I was planning to connect the cruise control switches to a standalone transmission controller to do up shifts and down shifts. Guess I'll have to come up with plan B. 
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Elder User
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From: Raleigh, NC
Just don't want to give up on using the cruise control buttions to control up shifts and down shifts. Is anyone familiar with the inside of the late 70s cruise control module? Anyone have a schematic? Wonderiing if its possible to tap into the module circuits to switch two relays from the steering wheel buttons.
Old School Hot Rodder
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Exmore, VA
I don't have a schematic, but if you look at what ctubutis posted, the cruise on-off switch goes to either 12V or ground (12V for on, ground for off. The other switches set, coast, resume use various resistors to ground. If a simple +/- signal will work the transmission controller than you can use the on-off button. The later horn pads (92-96/7) have the on-off as a rocker style switch on the left side, HD trucks did not have air bags at least as far up as 96 and probably 97, I'm not sure if the later wheel would fit your column though.
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Elder User
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From: Raleigh, NC
The transmission controller I intend to get has two leads for "paddle shift" function. Ground one lead for up shift and ground the other for down shift.
The Ford cruise buttons, incl on/off, all work thru one wire thru a brush to the steering column. I need two distinct paths to ground for up/down shifts, another path to enable/disable up shift/down shift buttons, another for torque converter lock up, and another for horn. There are enough switches on the steering wheel, just not enough paths off the steering wheel.
If there's no way to tap into the module, I could use the horn wire as the second path for shifting, put an enable/disable and TQ lockup switches somewhere else, and have a horn button on the column. But would MUCH rather have all the switches on the steering wheel.
Maybe I'll buy a module and take it apart to see what's up inside.
The Ford cruise buttons, incl on/off, all work thru one wire thru a brush to the steering column. I need two distinct paths to ground for up/down shifts, another path to enable/disable up shift/down shift buttons, another for torque converter lock up, and another for horn. There are enough switches on the steering wheel, just not enough paths off the steering wheel.
If there's no way to tap into the module, I could use the horn wire as the second path for shifting, put an enable/disable and TQ lockup switches somewhere else, and have a horn button on the column. But would MUCH rather have all the switches on the steering wheel.
Maybe I'll buy a module and take it apart to see what's up inside.
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Old School Hot Rodder
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Exmore, VA
You could use a relay to ground when you want the side that goes hot grounded, the only problem might be the horn blowing when you activate it. If you can do something with a later column setup, they use a clockspring to connect everything. It has two extra wires for the air bag. That would give you three other than horn.
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Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Raleigh, NC
You could use a relay to ground when you want the side that goes hot grounded, the only problem might be the horn blowing when you activate it. If you can do something with a later column setup, they use a clockspring to connect everything. It has two extra wires for the air bag. That would give you three other than horn.
I'm not familiar with the clock springs. Will have to look into that.
Got a little good news when disassembling the wheel/column. The later horn circuit uses TWO brushes for the horn circuit -- passes 12V thru the horn buttons and horns are wired to ground. If I change that to put 12V to the horns and ground the horn buttons, that gives me THREE circuits that can be grounded with horn buttons: shift up, shift down and horn.
"Paddle shift" enable/disable and TC lockup would still have to be somewhere else.
Old School Hot Rodder
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,472
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From: Exmore, VA
I hate to tell you this, Ford used two brushes because on a NON-Cruise equipped model the horn had one 12V lead and one lead to the horn(s), the horn switch completed the circuit. The relay is only used with cruise.
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Elder User
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From: Raleigh, NC
Wouldn't be using Ford wiring -- just need the brushes (or clock springs if that works out) to make circuits thru the steering wheel switches. With four brushes, one brush would go to ground and the other three would bring the horn, shift up, and shift down circuits to the three switches and then to ground thru the fourth brush.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: Grants Pass, OR
You might try and Google [slip ring connector]
There are some that have capability for 10+ circuits. May or may not work because it would have to be mounted off center of the wheel but maybe worth a look?
One example:
http://www.aeroflex.com/ams/motion/d...001398-008.pdf
Also I have another drawing of the horn bar from my '86 with cruise control link in my sig below.
Note that all wheels old and new use slip rings of some sort.
The CC horn bar has 2 slip rings or clock springs as some people call them. Ford call them brushes.... maybe because they look and function very similar to brushes in an electric motor.
The ground does not have a slip ring because it grounds out through the hub.
There are some that have capability for 10+ circuits. May or may not work because it would have to be mounted off center of the wheel but maybe worth a look?
One example:
http://www.aeroflex.com/ams/motion/d...001398-008.pdf
Also I have another drawing of the horn bar from my '86 with cruise control link in my sig below.
Note that all wheels old and new use slip rings of some sort.
The CC horn bar has 2 slip rings or clock springs as some people call them. Ford call them brushes.... maybe because they look and function very similar to brushes in an electric motor.
The ground does not have a slip ring because it grounds out through the hub.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 553
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From: Raleigh, NC
You might try and Google [slip ring connector]
There are some that have capability for 10+ circuits. May or may not work because it would have to be mounted off center of the wheel but maybe worth a look?
One example:
http://www.aeroflex.com/ams/motion/d...001398-008.pdf
Also I have another drawing of the horn bar from my '86 with cruise control link in my sig below.
Note that all wheels old and new use slip rings of some sort.
The CC horn bar has 2 slip rings or clock springs as some people call them. Ford call them brushes.... maybe because they look and function very similar to brushes in an electric motor.
The ground does not have a slip ring because it grounds out through the hub.
There are some that have capability for 10+ circuits. May or may not work because it would have to be mounted off center of the wheel but maybe worth a look?
One example:
http://www.aeroflex.com/ams/motion/d...001398-008.pdf
Also I have another drawing of the horn bar from my '86 with cruise control link in my sig below.
Note that all wheels old and new use slip rings of some sort.
The CC horn bar has 2 slip rings or clock springs as some people call them. Ford call them brushes.... maybe because they look and function very similar to brushes in an electric motor.
The ground does not have a slip ring because it grounds out through the hub.
Right, no slip ring for the ground. Thanks for your help.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Los Molinos, CA
What about machining some paddles out of metal, and mounting them like they do on sports cars. Behind the steering wheel, and just use two push buttons, one for each paddle. Just use some sort of pivot like the accelerator pedal uses. Just a pin that goes through the paddle and attaches to some u shaped bracket you'd have to make that would mount on the back of the steering wheel.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 553
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From: Raleigh, NC
What about machining some paddles out of metal, and mounting them like they do on sports cars. Behind the steering wheel, and just use two push buttons, one for each paddle. Just use some sort of pivot like the accelerator pedal uses. Just a pin that goes through the paddle and attaches to some u shaped bracket you'd have to make that would mount on the back of the steering wheel.