Here is a pic of the wire and spring inside my column to the horn pad. I see the plastic sleeve and the black nib on the end. Seems the plastic sleeve SHOULD insulate the spring from the column metal? But it doesn't cover it; the spring/wire would ground to the column by touching it?

http://i43.tinypic.com/25q6sxz.jpg

Nor does the plastic sleeve lock or hold itself inside the hole on the column. It doesn't seem to DO anything! I tried putting the black nib into the slot on the column hole - twisting and placing it all kinds of ways, but it just pops right out.

Seems wrong, and I have no horn function (although that could be a wiring issue).

Thanks...

bump...

The spring, button end, and the black plastic bushing (also called an insulator) all should insert into the plastic horn tower (molded into the plastic turn signal switch cancelling cam) that sticks up through the steering wheel hub. Since the horn tower is plastic everything is insulated. The button end of the wire rests against a brass piece that is part of the underside of the cancelling cam and horn tower. So there is no motion between the button and the brass contact. The spring just keeps the button always in contact.

The plastic bushing with the nib on it looks too long. Are you placing a new steering wheel pad or new steering wheel on your steering column? The reason I ask is that it might be possible the clip off the end parts in the picture and splice the wire end from your previous steering wheel pad on to the new pad. I assume something did assemble into your steering column horn tower in the past.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/JIML82/AF-CarStdSportStrgWheels.jpg
The steering wheel picture on the left is the closest thing that I could find in my 1971 Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual to your steering wheel. It may be hard to see in the picture, but there is a short adapter wire with a button, spring, bushing, and then a short piece of wire with a spade connector on the end. This adapter wire plugged into the horn tower on one end and plugged into a terminal on the underside of the horn pad.

You could also clip off the end parts in the picture. Cut down the bushing (because it looks too long and may actually stick up so far as to hit the horn pad.) Stick the end of the wire with the button, the spring, and hot glue the bushing into the horn tower. Now splice the wire sticking out of the assembly to the horn pad wire (or wires.) Make sure you cover the splice with tape.

Jim

You may have the wrong canceling cam on your column. If the column came out of a 69 or 70 and has a white canceling cam without the notch for the black plastic tube with the tit on it, it will not stay in. You then would need to get the proper caceling cam with the notch for that little tit to lock into. Can you post a picture of your canceling cam showing the notch? Your canceling cam should be black. Did you change columns or just steering wheels? If you changed wheels what year wheel did you have on there? The notch could be damaged or distorted not allowing it to lock in properly. Or the notch could have been home made and is not formed correctly for it to lock into. If the notch is correct it will lock in.

It's the wheel and pad that got changed. This column worked with the old wheel that was cracked. So it's likely the pad and wire. Old pad and wires are gone...

whats the oder that you would put the contact pin, stem and the insulator. I also have a 71 with the cusioned rim steering wheel four spoke. I took the horn cap assembly off along with the horn upper insulator and bellevelle spring off. I see were this stem goes. I put a long wire to make contact and the horn works. But I cant figure out the oder to put the little spring, stem that looks like a nail with a little plastic insulator tip? The car was a colum shift. They changed the part were the shifter was in the colum and it has tilt steering. Anyone have pics. I cant tell with the diagram.

First drop the spring in the canceling cam, then put the pin in with the nail head looking end in first. Now put the black plastic locking piece in. Thats it. It can be installed before or after the steering wheel is put on. Easier before, but no problem after either. Now push the pin in and it will have a spring action, but the pin will not be able to pop out. It is held in by the nail end of the pin. Good luck.

Great , thank you. Ill try it when I get home. Now the hole it goes in I notice is all metal all the way down to the the contact for the horn. Is that the way it suppose to be? There is no plastic insulation were the spring and pin goes? When I place the wire in the hole it made contact on the sides to make the relay click. And buy the way the horns sounds like a sick cow. I guessing bad relay or resistence at the contact point. So what prevents that from sounding off ounce I place spring and pin in the hole?

The horn will sound when contact is made under the horn button. There is large a metal spring washer that make the contact when you press the horn button.

The hole it goes in is plastic and is part of the canceling cam.

I got it to work temporary. I couldnt screw down the horn cap assembly because it would stay sounding. I see the cancelling cam device tru the steering wheel. There is no plastic shaft protruding tru the steering wheel whole for the horn pin. I had to screw the end of the pin into the spring so it wouldnt fall in again. My signal lights on the dash dont work, but it does out side the car. And the signal light does not cancel. So I have to manually shut it off. So Im guessing the canceling cam is broken or missing a part. Its the sports wheel. So I cant tell if the cam is the whole white plastic part where the signal arm connects to or is there an additional part that is missing? Such as the one used on a 69 round device with a shaft for the pin???

If the shaft on the canceling cam is broke replace that and go from there.

Thank you. I hope the steering colum is the original for 71. It was a colum shift. They removed it and replaced the cover with a non colum shift. I noticed the cancelling cam is different between 70 and 71.