55.2-59 What’s missing with my truck horn? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

ApacheProject · 03-04-2021, 10:53 PM

Ok, I’m confused here. I attempted to install my stock 58 steering wheel today and can’t seem to figure out the horn. It seems that I’m missing something. It has the turn signal cup, canceling ring installed correctly, contact button installed from the top of the steering wheel, and inner contact plate inside of steering wheel. How does the horn button press down on the plate and raise back up? The plate doesn’t seem to move either, it’s under the steering wheel nut. I searched the forum and many had the same questions but nobody ever posted the solution. Pics would be nice too. Thanks

dsraven · 03-05-2021, 12:10 PM

here is a diagram from lmc, some parts from online sources for a comparison to what you have on hand and also the complete truck assembly manual link. maybe that will shed some light?
some pics of your actual scenario would really help us figure out whats possibly missing, binding, stuck, broken or etc.

https://www.lmctruck.com/1948-59-che...umn-components

https://www.classicindustries.com/sh...-buttons-caps/

upper steering column bearing and horn contact ring with wiring pigtail that goes down the column tube. from memory I believe it is the bearing and wire that goes into the bare column tube, then the small tapered ring, then the spring then the wheel then the contact ring etc, like the assy manual shows.

https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...ts/t70855.html

here is the assembly manual. section 9 sheet 2 shows the assembly instruction for the steering wheel and horn contact area. a good idea to download the assembly manual for future reference.

https://www.trifive.com/d1/55-59Assy.pdf

dsraven · 03-05-2021, 01:31 PM

if you look at the exploded view from the lmc truck link, the steering column upper bearing with the horn contact ring and wire, #11, fits into the column tube and power is supplied to the wire from the horn relay. the bearing is insulated from grounding on the column tube or anything else because the system gets a ground on that wire to make the horn relay turn on and blow the horn. the wire from the relay is looking for a ground on that wire to make the relay work. actually a test of the circuit is easily done by simply grounding that column wire, below the column to check for a good circuit to that point, to see if the horn blows (or the relay clicks) or above the column at the horn contact to see if the circuit is good up to the contact (remove the horn button and ground the contact under the button to see if the horn blows or the relay clicks). that eliminates any column connection issues. if the horn blows when that wire is grounded below the column but not when the contact at the top is grounded then the problem is in the column somewhere. sometimes the wire has come off the contact ring that is part of the upper steering column bearing or has a poor connection there or the wire has broken inside the column but this usually results in the horn blowing when the truck goes over a bump or whatever and also the horn button doesn't work. from the bearing/contact ring the horn circuit power goes to the spring loaded bushing, #14, which is installed in the steering wheel and rubs the column contact ring as the steering wheel is turned so there is always a connection between the column ring and the contact in the wheel. that is the purpose of the spring action inside this bushing part-to ensure there is always a connection even if the steering wheel bearing has some in and out play in it that would separate these parts if not for the spring loaded action. a poor contact between these 2 items, the upper column bearing contact and the spring loaded bushing, is a common issue with why a horn won't work on original trucks. grease from the bearing etc contaminates the contact surfaces so power can't get through or else dirt and use/corrosion has worn the parts so they don't connect enough to transmit power any more. from there the spring loaded bushing, #14, transmits power to the horn contact, #15 or 16, the part under the actual shiny thing you push to make the horn work #18-21. when pushed the contact is connected to ground in the steering wheel and this action completes the circuit to ground and makes the horn relay turn on to honk the horn. possibly the actual contact part, #15 or 16, is corroded inside so a connection to ground can't be made. this part is like 2 wafers of steel insulated from each other. one wafer is connected to the power from below and the other wafer is connected to ground on the wheel. all is good and the circuit is interrupted until you hit the horn button which pushes the 2 wafers together and completes the circuit to ground.
tests:
-check for power at the horn fuse
-check for power at the wire that connects to the bottom of the column. a ground here should make the horn blow or at least make the horn relay click
-check the horn relay for proper operation. check for power, then jump the wire that goes to the column over to a ground (at the relay mounting screw) and see if the relay clicks and the wire that goes to the actual horn receives power (use a test light if the horn doesn't blow. sometimes there is a problem downstream of the relay). if not you possibly have a bad relay. to test for a bad relay you could jump from battery power to the relay output (horn wire) to see if the horn blows. this doesn't mean it will blow if there is a problem downstream of the relay. the relay should have numbers cast into the plastic where the terminals are. from memory terminal 1 goes to the horn, terminal 3 comes from a fused source power at all times, and terminal 5 goes to the column to supply a ground when the horn is called for. this ground is what makes the relay turn on. the relay is simply an electromagnet that makes a set of points touch to complete a circuit. like a set of ignition points complete a circuit. apply all the problems with ignition points to the relay points. they get dirty and corroded like ign points do so sometimes they don't connect well. also, when the horn is blown, a back feed of power comes to the points when the horn is released. this is because of the numerous coils of wire inside the horn and the rules about induced voltage in coils of wire when a magnetic field is collapsed. long story short, the horn relay points may be shot and not completing the circuit even though the relay is clicking
-check for a good ground to the horn. this can be a problem area because there is typically a poor ground to the rad support through various sheet metal contacts. sometimes a booster cable connected to the rad support and battery neg will fix that enough so the horn works, in a troubleshooting scenario. if this is the case sometimes a fresh ground wire from the truck frame to the rad support will fix issues like dim headlights, signals that act weird or horns that work intermittently
-if the horn still doesn't blow try supplying power to the horn connection. sometimes the horn is the culprit. ensure the horn is grounded. unless the horn has been changed up at some point there should be a single connection for power and the body of the horn is the ground. I have also seen horns that have a poor mounting strap connection to the horn body so even though the horn has power and ground it still won't blow unless the body of the horn is wiggled against the mounting strap connection
you can get a better look at the contact ring in this pic. notice 2 parts are insulated from each other. the under side contacts the spring loaded bushing and is insulated from ground. the top piece contacts the column shaft so it has a ground
https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...ts/cx1064.html
and the spring loaded bushing. if the spring is shot or the brass parts are worn out then the pressure on the connections at each end can be lost
https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...rts/14826.html

anyway, hope that helped you or possibly a lurker with horn problems

ApacheProject · 03-06-2021, 01:01 AM

Thanks for explaining all of this. I got busy cleaning the shop today and didn’t get a chance to work on the truck. I’ll get back on it next week and hopefully get it going.

_Ogre · 03-09-2021, 10:05 PM

I realize that you are new to this site but if you post up pics most of us can pinpoint the exact problem in seconds. Most of us have a camera in our pocket any more. A picture is worth a thousand words, is not just a silly saying

ApacheProject · 03-09-2021, 11:11 PM

Pics aren’t the problem, posting to this site is. At least to me it is. Update, I stop fooling with the horn to get the wiring buttoned up. I have all the lights working now except one hi beam ( new but maybe no good? ) and the dash lights. I need a new bulb in one socket, do these have to be inserted into the dash to work ( grounded )? The horn will be next and the only thing not connected is the one wire from the steering column. I assume it’s from the bearing and should be grounded? It has a male connector on the end, barrel type I guess it’s called.
Thanks to all who helped explain this to me.

dsraven · 03-09-2021, 11:54 PM

grab a test light or make a test light. your life will become better. they are easy to operate, ground the wire on the light and touch the pointy end to a power source-the test light will light up.
hi beam-to test the headlight socket first try the test light with the clip grounded to a good ground and test the socket for power-headlights on. try hi and lo beam. make a drawing of which wire does what. that should help you figure out which wire is supposed to be ground. then connect the test light wire ground clip to that ground terminal and then touch the pointy end to the hot wire in the plug. headlights on of course. if the test light doesn't light up then you have a bad ground in the system. if you have no ground the power will go through the element to the socket, around the socket to the other element and back feed through the system until it finds a ground somewhere in a connected circuit. sometimes it is a marker light or a dash light bulb that sullies a ground. usually the light will be less bright. for a headlight a lot of the time it is a bad ground on the rad support where the headlight ground wire screws on. try a jumper wire from the frame to the ground wire to see if the hi beam headlight works. if so fix the ground problem
dash light bulbs-yes they need to be inserted into the dash to work otherwise there is no ground. the bulb socket only has a single wire on it, right? it needs to plug in for a ground, assuming the dash has a good ground.
horn-the one wire with the barrel connector is likely the one that would go to the horn contact on the steering wheel. if that wire is grounded the horn should blow. it is the contact under the wheel that grounds the wire to make a circuit and blow the horn.

here is a link to a thread that has a wiring diagram in it
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=550576

dsraven · 03-10-2021, 12:12 AM

to attach a pic click "post reply". when the window opens to post scroll down to the attach files box and find "manage attachments" and click on that. a small window will open that will say "choose file". click on that and pic the file from your computer. pick the file and click "open". it should close that window and bring up the other, previous, window where you had to choose a file. if you look there is a file there ready to upload. click the upload button and soon you should see the file below the manage attachments box. you can click on that to open it and check it out prior to submitting the post, it will open in another tab so remember not to 'X' the top right corner of the internet screen to close the picture or you will close the whole internet and have to start over.
try it, you might like it. haha.

dsraven · 03-10-2021, 12:13 AM

to attach a pic you have to click the "post reply" button, not the quick reply box.

03-05-2021, 12:10 PM	#2
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,823	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? here is a diagram from lmc, some parts from online sources for a comparison to what you have on hand and also the complete truck assembly manual link. maybe that will shed some light? some pics of your actual scenario would really help us figure out whats possibly missing, binding, stuck, broken or etc. https://www.lmctruck.com/1948-59-che...umn-components https://www.classicindustries.com/sh...-buttons-caps/ upper steering column bearing and horn contact ring with wiring pigtail that goes down the column tube. from memory I believe it is the bearing and wire that goes into the bare column tube, then the small tapered ring, then the spring then the wheel then the contact ring etc, like the assy manual shows. https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...ts/t70855.html here is the assembly manual. section 9 sheet 2 shows the assembly instruction for the steering wheel and horn contact area. a good idea to download the assembly manual for future reference. https://www.trifive.com/d1/55-59Assy.pdf

03-05-2021, 01:31 PM	#3
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,823	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? if you look at the exploded view from the lmc truck link, the steering column upper bearing with the horn contact ring and wire, #11, fits into the column tube and power is supplied to the wire from the horn relay. the bearing is insulated from grounding on the column tube or anything else because the system gets a ground on that wire to make the horn relay turn on and blow the horn. the wire from the relay is looking for a ground on that wire to make the relay work. actually a test of the circuit is easily done by simply grounding that column wire, below the column to check for a good circuit to that point, to see if the horn blows (or the relay clicks) or above the column at the horn contact to see if the circuit is good up to the contact (remove the horn button and ground the contact under the button to see if the horn blows or the relay clicks). that eliminates any column connection issues. if the horn blows when that wire is grounded below the column but not when the contact at the top is grounded then the problem is in the column somewhere. sometimes the wire has come off the contact ring that is part of the upper steering column bearing or has a poor connection there or the wire has broken inside the column but this usually results in the horn blowing when the truck goes over a bump or whatever and also the horn button doesn't work. from the bearing/contact ring the horn circuit power goes to the spring loaded bushing, #14, which is installed in the steering wheel and rubs the column contact ring as the steering wheel is turned so there is always a connection between the column ring and the contact in the wheel. that is the purpose of the spring action inside this bushing part-to ensure there is always a connection even if the steering wheel bearing has some in and out play in it that would separate these parts if not for the spring loaded action. a poor contact between these 2 items, the upper column bearing contact and the spring loaded bushing, is a common issue with why a horn won't work on original trucks. grease from the bearing etc contaminates the contact surfaces so power can't get through or else dirt and use/corrosion has worn the parts so they don't connect enough to transmit power any more. from there the spring loaded bushing, #14, transmits power to the horn contact, #15 or 16, the part under the actual shiny thing you push to make the horn work #18-21. when pushed the contact is connected to ground in the steering wheel and this action completes the circuit to ground and makes the horn relay turn on to honk the horn. possibly the actual contact part, #15 or 16, is corroded inside so a connection to ground can't be made. this part is like 2 wafers of steel insulated from each other. one wafer is connected to the power from below and the other wafer is connected to ground on the wheel. all is good and the circuit is interrupted until you hit the horn button which pushes the 2 wafers together and completes the circuit to ground. tests: -check for power at the horn fuse -check for power at the wire that connects to the bottom of the column. a ground here should make the horn blow or at least make the horn relay click -check the horn relay for proper operation. check for power, then jump the wire that goes to the column over to a ground (at the relay mounting screw) and see if the relay clicks and the wire that goes to the actual horn receives power (use a test light if the horn doesn't blow. sometimes there is a problem downstream of the relay). if not you possibly have a bad relay. to test for a bad relay you could jump from battery power to the relay output (horn wire) to see if the horn blows. this doesn't mean it will blow if there is a problem downstream of the relay. the relay should have numbers cast into the plastic where the terminals are. from memory terminal 1 goes to the horn, terminal 3 comes from a fused source power at all times, and terminal 5 goes to the column to supply a ground when the horn is called for. this ground is what makes the relay turn on. the relay is simply an electromagnet that makes a set of points touch to complete a circuit. like a set of ignition points complete a circuit. apply all the problems with ignition points to the relay points. they get dirty and corroded like ign points do so sometimes they don't connect well. also, when the horn is blown, a back feed of power comes to the points when the horn is released. this is because of the numerous coils of wire inside the horn and the rules about induced voltage in coils of wire when a magnetic field is collapsed. long story short, the horn relay points may be shot and not completing the circuit even though the relay is clicking -check for a good ground to the horn. this can be a problem area because there is typically a poor ground to the rad support through various sheet metal contacts. sometimes a booster cable connected to the rad support and battery neg will fix that enough so the horn works, in a troubleshooting scenario. if this is the case sometimes a fresh ground wire from the truck frame to the rad support will fix issues like dim headlights, signals that act weird or horns that work intermittently -if the horn still doesn't blow try supplying power to the horn connection. sometimes the horn is the culprit. ensure the horn is grounded. unless the horn has been changed up at some point there should be a single connection for power and the body of the horn is the ground. I have also seen horns that have a poor mounting strap connection to the horn body so even though the horn has power and ground it still won't blow unless the body of the horn is wiggled against the mounting strap connection you can get a better look at the contact ring in this pic. notice 2 parts are insulated from each other. the under side contacts the spring loaded bushing and is insulated from ground. the top piece contacts the column shaft so it has a ground https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...ts/cx1064.html and the spring loaded bushing. if the spring is shot or the brass parts are worn out then the pressure on the connections at each end can be lost https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...rts/14826.html anyway, hope that helped you or possibly a lurker with horn problems

03-06-2021, 01:01 AM	#4
ApacheProject Registered User Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 53	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? Thanks for explaining all of this. I got busy cleaning the shop today and didn’t get a chance to work on the truck. I’ll get back on it next week and hopefully get it going.

03-09-2021, 10:05 PM	#5
_Ogre Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Motown Posts: 7,663	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? I realize that you are new to this site but if you post up pics most of us can pinpoint the exact problem in seconds. Most of us have a camera in our pocket any more. A picture is worth a thousand words, is not just a silly saying __________________ cool, an ogre smiley Ogre's 58 Truk build how to put your truck year and build thread into your signature shop air compressor timer

03-09-2021, 11:11 PM	#6
ApacheProject Registered User Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 53	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? Pics aren’t the problem, posting to this site is. At least to me it is. Update, I stop fooling with the horn to get the wiring buttoned up. I have all the lights working now except one hi beam ( new but maybe no good? ) and the dash lights. I need a new bulb in one socket, do these have to be inserted into the dash to work ( grounded )? The horn will be next and the only thing not connected is the one wire from the steering column. I assume it’s from the bearing and should be grounded? It has a male connector on the end, barrel type I guess it’s called. Thanks to all who helped explain this to me.

03-04-2021, 10:53 PM	#1
ApacheProject Registered User Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 53	What’s missing with my truck horn? Ok, I’m confused here. I attempted to install my stock 58 steering wheel today and can’t seem to figure out the horn. It seems that I’m missing something. It has the turn signal cup, canceling ring installed correctly, contact button installed from the top of the steering wheel, and inner contact plate inside of steering wheel. How does the horn button press down on the plate and raise back up? The plate doesn’t seem to move either, it’s under the steering wheel nut. I searched the forum and many had the same questions but nobody ever posted the solution. Pics would be nice too. Thanks

03-09-2021, 11:54 PM	#7
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,823	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? grab a test light or make a test light. your life will become better. they are easy to operate, ground the wire on the light and touch the pointy end to a power source-the test light will light up. hi beam-to test the headlight socket first try the test light with the clip grounded to a good ground and test the socket for power-headlights on. try hi and lo beam. make a drawing of which wire does what. that should help you figure out which wire is supposed to be ground. then connect the test light wire ground clip to that ground terminal and then touch the pointy end to the hot wire in the plug. headlights on of course. if the test light doesn't light up then you have a bad ground in the system. if you have no ground the power will go through the element to the socket, around the socket to the other element and back feed through the system until it finds a ground somewhere in a connected circuit. sometimes it is a marker light or a dash light bulb that sullies a ground. usually the light will be less bright. for a headlight a lot of the time it is a bad ground on the rad support where the headlight ground wire screws on. try a jumper wire from the frame to the ground wire to see if the hi beam headlight works. if so fix the ground problem dash light bulbs-yes they need to be inserted into the dash to work otherwise there is no ground. the bulb socket only has a single wire on it, right? it needs to plug in for a ground, assuming the dash has a good ground. horn-the one wire with the barrel connector is likely the one that would go to the horn contact on the steering wheel. if that wire is grounded the horn should blow. it is the contact under the wheel that grounds the wire to make a circuit and blow the horn. here is a link to a thread that has a wiring diagram in it http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=550576

03-10-2021, 12:12 AM	#8
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,823	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? to attach a pic click "post reply". when the window opens to post scroll down to the attach files box and find "manage attachments" and click on that. a small window will open that will say "choose file". click on that and pic the file from your computer. pick the file and click "open". it should close that window and bring up the other, previous, window where you had to choose a file. if you look there is a file there ready to upload. click the upload button and soon you should see the file below the manage attachments box. you can click on that to open it and check it out prior to submitting the post, it will open in another tab so remember not to 'X' the top right corner of the internet screen to close the picture or you will close the whole internet and have to start over. try it, you might like it. haha.

03-10-2021, 12:13 AM	#9
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,823	Re: What’s missing with my truck horn? to attach a pic you have to click the "post reply" button, not the quick reply box.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.