[GraniteAlfa]

Hi There!

Junior novice mechanics cadet Dana here.
I recently purchased a Hellebore deep dish wheel and while trying to install it I've become a little confused about how the horn hooks up and wondered about how it all works. If anyone can give me some advice or better yet post some photos I would be very grateful.

The first photo shows what I had to work with after removing the factory wheel, the other photos are of the new wheel just set in place but without the nut on.

Thanks, I hope someone can help, tomorrows going to be a great day for a drive.

 

[WopJob]

the wheel fit in there without an adaptor? if this is like my old 86 spider, the blue wire is the Hot, the circuit is conpleted when the ring on the horn button (where the wire goes) touches the metal ring in the wheel.

as it is now, if you touch the wheel ring with the wire the horn should blow.

 

[GraniteAlfa]

Duh!
Adaptor?

 

[WopJob]

Some steering wheels need Hub adaptor to fit in the hub, usually an extra expense of 50-60$. yours fits nicely and does not look like it needs one. what does the rear of the button look like? should't the wire be connected to the button?

 

[he3r0]

there should be a wire going from the center of the steering shaft that you connecting to that blue wire... at least that what it is in my 85 with the same steering wheel.
and there is a picture...

 

[GraniteAlfa]

Posted by he3r0:
there should be a wire going from the center of the steering shaft that you connecting to that blue wire... at least that what it is in my 85 with the same steering wheel.
and there is a picture...

Thanks for the photo he3r0.
I don't seem to have a wire there. In the stock wheel, there is a ring of copper on the bottom which makes contact with a plunger connection on the column end, you can see the plunger sticking out in the last photo of my first post.

Perhaps I will have to run a wire myself?

 

[he3r0]

Thanks for the photo he3r0.
I don't seem to have a wire there. In the stock wheel, there is a ring of copper on the bottom which makes contact with a plunger connection on the column end, you can see the plunger sticking out in the last photo of my first post.

Perhaps I will have to run a wire myself?

I was afraid of that
wire may be hmmm... problematic since you would have to have enough slack for left and right turn
, you can always get a brass ring (or well any metal) attach it to your new steering wheel with some plastic so your steering wheel would not be "hot" , and space it so it would touch that plunger than from the other side attach blue wire... (or reuse that copper reing from your old steering wheel...)
or wire horn to some hidden button somewhere on dashboard (but than instead or hellebore, nardi wheel would be more suitable)... well in any case I would have a nice "hacking" session with it.
Good Luck.

 

[GraniteAlfa]

Where does that wire come from before it runs up the shaft? And also... where does it enter the shaft? If I knew those answers I might be able to wire it pretty easily. Or not.

Oh well, just part of the adventure I guess.

 

[he3r0]

well... i have `85 without power steering, wire enters through the steering box, goes up to steering wheel, other side of the wire connects with some black wire that im guessing goes to fusebox
and 2 pics again...
it is hard to tell from pics, but wire enters from the front of steering box...

 

[dabigboy]

Hey he3r0, on the wire coming out of the bottom of the steering box and going into the dash.....is there a connector in the line somewhere? Whoever "repaired" the wiring on my '83 did some funky stuff with the horn. I have the black wire coming out of the dash, connected to another black wire that goes nowhere. Presumably it needs to go up into the column and connect to the wire on the steering wheel, but I want to make sure this is the wire that's supposed to have the connector in it.....it's possible whoever did all this got black wires crossed up in the process of repairing rodent damage (I have another black wire under the dash that's not connected to anything).

 

[GraniteAlfa]

Thanks for the responses!

Unfortunately I will need to put the old wheel back on for now. My inspection is up at the end of October and I need a working horn to pass.

Until I (or someone on this BB) can figure out a clever and clean way to do this I will not hack this car.
I don't want to become the much hated and cursed Stupid PO.

This has been very frustrating, Everything went smoothly right up until this.
So close and yet so far.

Thanks and please keep thinking about a fix for this.

 

[he3r0]

Thanks for the responses!

Unfortunately I will need to put the old wheel back on for now. My inspection is up at the end of October and I need a working horn to pass.

Until I (or someone on this BB) can figure out a clever and clean way to do this I will not hack this car.
I don't want to become the much hated and cursed Stupid PO.

This has been very frustrating, Everything went smoothly right up until this.
So close and yet so far.

Thanks and please keep thinking about a fix for this.

so i was thinking about this, and either wire in steering column, what seems to be a big PITA because of steering box, or....
if you can put your hands on big pieces of 3M double sided heavy duty mounting tape... that may be a solution
First I would check size of that copper ring on the back of the old wheel, than i would go hunt for the same size ring in my toy store (pick-a-part) though now i think that it may be even possible to use some more permanent solution, instead of mounting foam, a 3-4mm piece of plastic would do the job, cut the circle (a slightly bit bigger than that copper ring (1mm for outer and inner diameter) attach the copper ring to it, and attach it to your steering wheel after connecting that blue wire to it.
Voila... you have working horn without any internal modifications!
That is my best shot on this one so I am also waiting to see other ideas.

 

[he3r0]

Hey he3r0, on the wire coming out of the bottom of the steering box and going into the dash.....is there a connector in the line somewhere? Whoever "repaired" the wiring on my '83 did some funky stuff with the horn. I have the black wire coming out of the dash, connected to another black wire that goes nowhere. Presumably it needs to go up into the column and connect to the wire on the steering wheel, but I want to make sure this is the wire that's supposed to have the connector in it.....it's possible whoever did all this got black wires crossed up in the process of repairing rodent damage (I have another black wire under the dash that's not connected to anything).

That is the only connector under the hood, i`ll have to look at the schematics to check where this wire goes to. But It will be later today since I have to go to work

Ps. left side of that connector is black, but it is connected to red wire with electrical tape.... gotta love those PO`s

 

[dabigboy]

Yep, that's the connector I have! Thanks dude. FYI, the other end of the wire goes to terminal #85 of the horn relay. Unfortunately the column-end of my wire seems to be cut rather short, so I guess I'll have to run some new wire (fortunately I have virtually miles of the stuff left-over already after starting to clean up the "repairs" done by a PO).

My issue now is figuring out the contact points on the steering wheel.....I tested it with a multimeter last night and I don't really see how it works (tried ohming across the little wire in the wheel and the base of the wheel where it attaches to the shaft).

 

[he3r0]

Yep, that's the connector I have! Thanks dude. FYI, the other end of the wire goes to terminal #85 of the horn relay. Unfortunately the column-end of my wire seems to be cut rather short, so I guess I'll have to run some new wire (fortunately I have virtually miles of the stuff left-over already after starting to clean up the "repairs" done by a PO).

My issue now is figuring out the contact points on the steering wheel.....I tested it with a multimeter last night and I don't really see how it works (tried ohming across the little wire in the wheel and the base of the wheel where it attaches to the shaft).

if you have hellebore wheel check this out:
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showpost.php?p=424608&postcount=8
great pictures.

 

[GraniteAlfa]

Thanks Maciej!

That may be a workable fix... but it sounds like a winter project now, not something I'll have time to deal with this fall.

Already seeing quite a bit of color in the leaves and I'm having to layer up in the mornings on my way to work. If I'm lucky there may be 5 to 6 weeks of driving before putting her up for 5 months.

The determining factor is the snow not the cold... if we get enough snow for the dreaded salt trucks to come out, then it's game over.

Here's a photo as a little reminder of what us guys and gals up north have to deal with. I like to call this one
"Salt? That aint no stinking salt! This is stinking salt!


Anyway, if anybody can solve this I would be one happy camper.

Thanks again

 

[dabigboy]

Great pics, maybe I can tackle disassembly and get the loose paddle fixed while I'm at it (I have the dreaded flopping paddle/button thingy).

Oh, and that last pic reminds me of just one reason I finally escaped the midwest!!!!! Fun driving year-round! And the only salt I see around here is on my french fries. Zounds, I sure don't miss that place.

 

[he3r0]

Great pics, maybe I can tackle disassembly and get the loose paddle fixed while I'm at it (I have the dreaded flopping paddle/button thingy).

Oh, and that last pic reminds me of just one reason I finally escaped the midwest!!!!! Fun driving year-round! And the only salt I see around here is on my french fries. Zounds, I sure don't miss that place.

Ha! than you have the same "malfunction" in youe hellebore that I do.

 

[dabigboy]

Yeah? Who will repair his hellebore first? The race is on!!!!


EDIT: Whooopsies, I may have to re-neg on that one! Just popped the wheel apart....the plastic ring inside has a chunk broken loose in one place, and is cracked (and probably about to fail totally) in another.

 

[he3r0]

Yeah? Who will repair his hellebore first? The race is on!!!!


EDIT: Whooopsies, I may have to re-neg on that one! Just popped the wheel apart....the plastic ring inside has a chunk broken loose in one place, and is cracked (and probably about to fail totally) in another.

I still cant pull mine out ;(