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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Horn rod removal

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Horn rod removal -- page: 1 2     MittieLee1935 01-14-2021 @ 1:56 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 42 Joined: Dec 2019 I have read all the comments about not bending the horn rod when changing out the steering wheel. May I pose a new question. I am going to change out my steering wheel on my 35 Ford fordor. My lights both dash and headlights are controlled by the switch on the dash originally only used to turn on the dash lights. The horn is used as stock. Since I don’t have to worry about lights coming on if I should bend the horn rod , could I try to carefully remove the horn without going to all the trouble of dropping the steering wheel? I also wonder what would be the harm if I should bend the rod. Couldn’t I simply connect the end of the hirn wire to the center wire of the spider switch thereby using the rod as simply a conduit? ford38v8 01-14-2021 @ 2:29 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 This rod (conduit) rides within the steering column with little clearance. If it were bent even slightly, it would rub, the beginning of your problems. Any job worth doing is worth doing right, so as you drop the '35 steering gear, consider replacing it with a '37, which will provide considerably more driving pleasure than a new steering wheel ever could. Alan 37RAGTOPMAN 01-14-2021 @ 3:48 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1958 Joined: Oct 2009 HI MitteLee35 if you bend the rod, every time you turn the steering wheel, you may be turning the lights on and off, you would have to remove the floor boards, and loosen the box on the frame and lower the column you just might be able to slide the horn rod out, have help standing by make sure you have plenty of rags or paper towels, this is usually very messy the steering box upgrade is that ford38v8 told you about would be a good idea, I think you can use 37 to 41 steering boxes, my 2 cents 37Ragtopman ,Maine 51woodie 01-15-2021 @ 3:15 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 510 Joined: Jan 2017 I'm not familiar with the specifics of the horn rod/steering column, as far as clearances go, between the horn rod and the tube it runs in, but I have read many posts regarding the horn rod getting bent and the related problems it causes. Would it be possible to cover the rod with heat shrink tubing, that would act as an insulator? Harbor Freight sells 1/4' X 8' rolls that have a 2:1 shrink ratio. https://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-x-8-ft-black-heat-shrink-tubing-66764.html ford38v8 01-15-2021 @ 8:32 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 51woodie, the horn/light rod need not itself be insulated, as it is merely a conduit for the insulated negative horn wire. The shrink tube you suggest would decrease the clearance between tube and shaft. Alan trjford8 01-16-2021 @ 8:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4214 Joined: Oct 2009 MiteeLee1935, the horn rod wire is isolated from the tube by a flat brass contact and phenolic washer at the bottom of the tube. It is designed to spin on the center contact of the light switch. If you tie that wire directly to the wire in the original light switch and your horn button moves with the steering wheel it will break one or both wires for the horn. If you leave the wire in the rod original , even if you bend the rod, your horn should still work. The two original contacts are designed to interface with each other. When you say your lights are currently run from the original dash light switch that would cause me some great concern. That switch is not designed to carry that sort of load. If someone has put a regular headlamp switch in the stock dash light hole then you are fine. This message was edited by trjford8 on 1-16-21 @ 8:52 AM MittieLee1935 01-19-2021 @ 6:39 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 42 Joined: Dec 2019 Yes the light switch is not original. Good news is I changed out the steering wheel and I was able to remove the horn rod without bending. Did not have to move floorboard around column. The banjo hub is exact depth as original 3 spoked wheel. I installed the banjo and tightened the center nut tight. But for some reason the banjo does not fit as tight as the original did. I can move the wheel back and corth. I believe the center opening is a little bigger in diameter than the original wheel. Has anyone else had this problem? Would adding a shim or some kind of spacer help. The hub of the banjo is touching the flare top of the column sleeve. I thought I might get the wheel to go down more if I removed 1/4” if the top of the flared sleeve but then that would make the horn rod go down further that it was with the original wheel and might screw up the spider switch. nelsb01 01-19-2021 @ 9:39 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 982 Joined: Oct 2009 Tightening the center nut does hold your steering wheel from coming off -- but no one has mentioned the key way. I believe that is what it is called. Your steering shaft should have a machined recess on one side -- that is were there should be a key that helps hold the steering wheel in place. MittieLee1935 01-20-2021 @ 4:01 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 42 Joined: Dec 2019 Yes, when I removed the original wheel the key was still attached to the shaft. I thought it was part of the shaft so I just installed the new banjo. Perhaps it came off but I don’t think so. I can turn the steering wheel and the wheels move. I’m thinking of a sleeve to take up any space between shaft and center of hub. My original wheel was also loose (probably why I could just pull it off without a puller), but nothing like what I have now. MittieLee1935 01-20-2021 @ 5:14 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 42 Joined: Dec 2019 I might add with the steering wheel on, the key does not come up but halfway. Could this be why the wheel is so loose?

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