Vintage 1964 122 Horn Wire in Steering Column - permanent fix

[everyhumanvovo]

Bow-tie steering wheel with center cover off has the wire male connector as part of steering wheel - wire breaks off 1/4" down from the female connector.

Seems like wire must be stopped from sliding out bottom of tube and making wire too taut. Was thinking I could splice in some extra wire at bottom of tube where it comes out of column or steering box area in engine bay, instead of laying an entirely new line. Any insights mucho appreciated !!

 

[planetman]

Hello,

Is there a crimp connector inside the steering column?

 

[everyhumanvovo]

Hello,

Is there a crimp connector inside the steering column?

Hello, Yes, this horn wire has broken off several times about a 1/4" down wire from the crimp connector at center of steering wheel where it slides on the terminal. Wire seems to twist and then break off and get shorter and shorter.

This new horn wire was 'installed' in steering column about six years ago by a vintage Volvo mechanic to fix issue with original or prior horn wire that got shorter and shorter as I surmise it 'twisted' at top of steering column and broke off and finally was too short to reach terminal. Only a couple or few thousand miles since this wire was replaced. Would think many have this issue with wire that twists inside column when just turning wheel to steer. Maybe should use a thicker gauge wire. It seems so elementary, but it has been an issue and would like the honk back for safety.

 

[cwdodson88]

When I did this I fished a new wire, but I did a few things first. Took my length of wire and put about 12" of heat shrink on about 3" from the end of the wire, and before shrinking, I coiled it tightly around a 1/2' rod, then heated the heat shrink. This gave me a piece of wire with a coiled end, like a telephone cable. The heat shrink had enough memory to keep it there, you could add a second wire to this as well to give it some extra backbone. I do this frequently in places were there needs to be extra length for service, but when in use needs to stay pretty well out of the way.

 

[c1800]

Its binding on something. Every time it breaks and you add a new crimp, its stretching the wire, and turning lock to lock will stress and break it.

Suggest you run a new wire from the bottom up, with some slack. (somewhat fiddly to get past the rubber joint). Had 2 amazons, and now an 1800 , new wire with slack, all OK.

 

[planetman]

Hello,

The original wire doesn't have any crimp connectors inside the steering column and the wire is supposed to be 1 continuous piece of wire with the horn contact that touches the back of the horn ring on the steering wheel crimped to 1 end. The other end of the wire is crimped with a butt connector to the 2 horn wires where the wires go through the core support next to the radiator.

The goal is to have the wire be able to move somewhat independently inside the steering column. The wire will twist a little by the influence of the steering column, but it should only twist up to a point. The wire should not stick to the point where it will twist all the way from hard left or hard right turns as this will break the wire, even a continuous piece of wire.

Do you have all 3 pieces that go on the end of the horn wire under the horn ring that sticks out of the end of the steering column inside the car? There is supposed to be a plastic spacer that goes on 1st to insulate the horn contact on the end of the wire, a spring and a metal bucket in that order.

You don't want any excess wire inside the steering column either, so it's important to pull gently on the wire as it comes out of the steering box to take up the slack inside the column so the wire has less of chance of touching the inside of the steering column or the rag joint.

FYI, a new horn wire kit that comes with a new wire and horn contact crimped to 1 end and the above mentioned 3 pieces is available for the 122 and 544, but they are pricey. We usually have them in stock.

 

[bobxyz]

In electronics for wires that flex a lot, you usually use "test lead wire", named for test meter probes that are always getting tossed around. Test lead wire is composed of 50, or 100, maybe 200, tiny tiny little wires. It's often fussy to solder to.

I don't know the wire gauge needed to carry the current for a horn wire, but here's a starting digikey search for 14 gauge, or larger, high conductor count wires: link.

When installed, you want to make sure that there's enough slack so that it doesn't stress the connections at max twist.

 

[Khrrck]

I've found it named "high strand count" more often than "test lead".

 

[everyhumanvovo]

In electronics for wires that flex a lot, you usually use "test lead wire", named for test meter probes that are always getting tossed around. Test lead wire is composed of 50, or 100, maybe 200, tiny tiny little wires. It's often fussy to solder to.

I don't know the wire gauge needed to carry the current for a horn wire, but here's a starting digikey search for 14 gauge, or larger, high conductor count wires: link.

When installed, you want to make sure that there's enough slack so that it doesn't stress the connections at max twist.

Thank you! Apparently was not utilized few years back when new wire laid down pipe.

 

[everyhumanvovo]

Hello,

The original wire doesn't have any crimp connectors inside the steering column and the wire is supposed to be 1 continuous piece of wire with the horn contact that touches the back of the horn ring on the steering wheel crimped to 1 end. The other end of the wire is crimped with a butt connector to the 2 horn wires where the wires go through the core support next to the radiator.

The goal is to have the wire be able to move somewhat independently inside the steering column. The wire will twist a little by the influence of the steering column, but it should only twist up to a point. The wire should not stick to the point where it will twist all the way from hard left or hard right turns as this will break the wire, even a continuous piece of wire.

Do you have all 3 pieces that go on the end of the horn wire under the horn ring that sticks out of the end of the steering column inside the car? There is supposed to be a plastic spacer that goes on 1st to insulate the horn contact on the end of the wire, a spring and a metal bucket in that order.

You don't want any excess wire inside the steering column either, so it's important to pull gently on the wire as it comes out of the steering box to take up the slack inside the column so the wire has less of chance of touching the inside of the steering column or the rag joint.

FYI, a new horn wire kit that comes with a new wire and horn contact crimped to 1 end and the above mentioned 3 pieces is available for the 122 and 544, but they are pricey. We usually have them in stock.

Thank you! A new single wire to top where it is set up to slide on to the male connector, was "installed" few years back. I did put in the later model bow-tie steering wheel. I am thinking the wire slid out some at bottom where it comes out near steering box, and tightened the wire and made it break off near top of steering wheel center where it slides on to electrical contact connector.

Is there a piece or part at bottom that keeps the slack from sliding out bottom so it does not tighten?

Lots of lube gunk on insulated wire at bottom coming out column tube area.

Next question is how to grab end of wire 8" down narrow column tube ???

 

[everyhumanvovo]

Set-up is "bow-tie" 122 wheel and currently under center horn cover is horn wire with female crimp connector, sliding onto the male contact that is part of steering wheel. Seems like wire slides down through hole at bottom of steering tube (wire is black with grease).

If wire did not slide out bottom of tube, wire would not be overtaut and breaking off. Able to push existing wire back up enough to reach with fingers at steering wheel, but now no slack at bottom of steering column. Thinking for now I will add some wire in area below steering box, but want to stop from sliding out hole at bottom of column. Am I missing a part that stops it from sliding out bottom or would something else stop? Maybe just clean up the black grease and opening of steering tube?

 

[planetman]

Hello,

I assumed you had the original steering wheel and horn ring, so my previous advice is erroneous.

Do you have the later steering box with the collapsible column to match?

The wire for the bow tie horn ring is just bulk wire with insulated crimp connectors on each end and is not that hard to replace if your old wire is still installed and doesn't have any inline splices.

 

[everyhumanvovo]

Hello,

I assumed you had the original steering wheel and horn ring, so my previous advice is erroneous.

Do you have the later steering box with the collapsible column to match?

The wire for the bow tie horn ring is just bulk wire with insulated crimp connectors on each end and is not that hard to replace if your old wire is still installed and doesn't have any inline splices.

I think it is the non-collapsible as original I think in a '64. Not 100% as the engine and transmission are from 1970 1800. There is the steering column connecting disc which was replaced with a silicone one, and do not have power steering. Just looking, at this point, for a good way to keep wire from sliding out bottom and make wire too tight in column.