Horn & new steering wheel

Last summer I replaced my old & cracked steering wheel with a "new" replacement. When I reinstalled the horn pad the horn blew all the time. Annoying for me and anyone else within a 1/2 mile radius. It appears that the indent ring in the "new" steering wheel is slightly lower in the wheel than the OEM wheel. The pad sits so far down that no matter how tight or loose I tighten the steering wheel nut, it always makes contact, hence the horn blows ad infinitum. I do remember that the horn pad in the original wheel stuck up higher and hence had more clearance/travel. Due to the annoyance, I disconnected the horn wire...no noise, but no useable horn. Anyone else experience this problem and/or have a fix?

 

Same problem. I took off my factory buss wheel and replaced it with a smaller Grant steering wheel. The inside depth of the stock horn location was reduced, so the spring and the indent ring would touch, completing the ground and blowing my horn.
I ended up just buying a horn button kit at the local auto parts store and attaching it to my column.

 

Wooh...can you feel the lack of interest... I understand & have read about the problems/challenges with the "custom" Grant wheels, however, I am directing my query to a "stock/OEM" OMIX/ADA type replacement wheel.

Again, the problem seems to be that the indentation for the outer locating ring on the horn button/pad seems to be about 1/8 to 3/32 inch to low in the inner wheel. Does anyone/has anyone come up with a fix for this malady? I really need my horn, such as it is, to blast at some ^%$#@!*&^% that will pull out in front of me some time soon. I am a firm believer in Murphy's law and also believe that "Murphy was an optimist"!!!!

These things, while butt loads of fun are not super safe in a crash, even at 20 to 30 MPH , not to mention 40 +

 

Now you've made me nervous. I have a new Omix Ada wheel that I should be in a position to install on my '69 in a couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

I know the feeling. Mine sat in the plastic for a month or so...all things in God's time.

One of the reasons I ask is that maybe "just mine" is defective. Fat chance, I know, but without others experience, I can't say. Gary at Krage seems to be a good guy & very helpful. I really dont want to complain unless there is a problem with the parts that are supplied to him...not operator error on my part. We all know I have yet to make a mistake this year

 

Got mine through Krage too. I went out to the garage and compared the repro wheel to the original that I still have. They look the same, but we'll see.

 

Russ, I gave away my old wheel when I sold my 70 CJ5. If it is not to much trouble, could you measure the distance from the top of the wheel housing down to the indent ring on both the OEM & aftermarket wheel. At least I can compare these measurements with my aftermarket. Thanks.

 

Tim, sorry to take so long to get back to you. I'd tell you why, but the max effective range of an excuse is 0 meters.

The well depth on both my OE steering wheel and my Omix-Ada replacement is 1/2 inch.

Finally got back to the CJ tonight and started to install the new wheel, but culd not get it far enough on the column to get the nut to catch the threads. Did you have any installation problems with yours?

 

No, I had no problems getting the nut to start, however, I did use the nut to move the wheel down on the shaft. You might take a triangular file & lightly clean the splines on the shaft. There may be some corrosion in between the splines making it a tight fit. I did have a MAJOR PROBLEM removing the old wheel. After about a week of trying this & that I finally got it off. I used monster amounts of penetrating oil & PB Blaster to finally loosen it. That may have helped in the installation of the new wheel.

Regarding the measurement, what I am looking for is the distance from the top edge of the well to the indentation ring that the ridge on the horn button fits into. My horn button now sits lower in the aftermarket steering wheel than it did in the OEM wheel. There is literally no travel in the button, which means the horn blows all the time. VERY ANNOYING to me, not to mention my neighbors. My only solution is to unplug the horn or leave out the button, either way no horn.

 

Did you know Murphy was actually Captain "Shallowwater" Murphy? He got his reputation for constantly grounding his tug/barge in places where no one else had ever grounded and there were no charted obstacles.

 

My problem would be solved if I could get the button to sit up 1/8" higher in the wheel. I am thinking of a way to fabricate a guide & then take my Dremel tool & cut/grind a small inset ring higher in the wheel. Haven't figured that one out yet but I'm working on it.

 

same here

 

If I'm readin' you correctly, I have no indentation ring on my new wheel. What I will be looking at I guess, if I get it installed, is a friction fit for the horn button cover. I have assembled it once off the column, and it seemed to work OK.

 

Tim - finished installing the Omix steering and horn kit yesterday. No problems. All works fine so far. Again, my horn button and cover is friction fit. That may be the difference.

 

Explain please...what do you mean by friction fit...did you buy a compatible horn kit with the new wheel. I am using the OEM horn button & associated parts with the Omix-Ada wheel. That could be the difference.

 

I bought a complete new horn kit when I bought the wheel. I needed to replace my wiring, button and rubber cover. All the pieces in the kit matched the original pieces. No difference. My new wheel, however, does not have the groove in the well to hold the retaining ring that is molded into the rubber horn cover. The cover is held in place by friction between the cover and the wheel's horn well. Looks right and when I remove it, I have to pry it out. So, I don't think it will come out unless I want it out.

Instead of cutting another groove in your wheel, have you thought about making a circular shim to place at the bottom of the well and raise the cover a smidge?

 

Great minds think alike. I did have that thought after my last post. That would seem to be much, much easier. I have some flat gasket material. I thought I might cut a ring, or 2, or 3, to get the proper height. I knew if we all put our minds to it we would come up with a solution.

 

Hey Russ O.

Went to the hardware store, bought a large rubber washer, cut it down in & out. Fits like a glove AND WE HAVE HORN. While I had the button off, I double checked the inner surface of my Omix-Ada wheel. In mine there IS an indent for the ring on the button. Since the button now sits up higher, the ring will not go into the indent. I had to remove the steel ring from the inside of the button to make it work, but the button is good & snug, not going anywhere.

Now on to the next project.

 

Congrats If you're like me there are enough other small things to keep you occupied.