Grant Steering Wheel Install

Has anyone installed a Grant steering wheel to their bullnose?

I've got the wheel on and all that is good, but the horn is a problem.

First off, the horn on the truck was working beforehand, so that isn't the issue.

In summary, there are two black wires from the steering column - one for the horn (it sounds the horn when I press it against any contact point in the steering column), and the other I believe is the cruise control.

The installation leaflet says to hook the two wires to the available terminals on the contact rings (there are two rings with one terminal on each). Then install the horn cap which also has a small spring behind it which presses up against the main, steering column bolt.

So, I did all that, and after hooking up the battery and pressing the horn ring, nothing.

I take it all apart, do it again and nothing.

I take off the cruise wire and test the horn wire against one of the three locator bolts on the wheel, and we have a horn.

I try switching the order of the connections, no luck.

I try connecting the "horn" wire to the other terminal, and remove the "cruise" wire, no luck.

I add the "cruise" wire to the other connector, no luck.

Now, there is about 1/8th movement in the contact ring to facilitate the pressing of the contact points on the rings. After calling the tech support number at Grant, that is how it's supposed to be and weren't really able to help with the horn.

Oh - I also had to saw off a nib on the end of the main steering wheel bolt to facilitate the horn - as detailed in the installation instructions.

So, my concern is twofold.

1) Not having a working horn.
2) Is the un-connected cruise wire a battery drain?

... all with the goal of just trying to get the horn to work.

Any help or ideas are appreciated.

Thanks.

With speed control the switch on the steering wheel has 3 connections to make everything work, as shown here: Electrical/EVTM/1985 EVTM/Horn, and shown below.

You can see the three connections on the right: to the horn relay; to ground; and to the speed control module.  You should be able to connect one wire from your switch to the horn relay (dark blue wire) and the other to ground (black wire) and get it to work, although you won't have speed control.  And having no connection to the speed control won't cause a problem.

I was having horn trouble with my truck a while back and the drawings are very confusing. Do you have one wire from your horn button connected to the steering shaft?

No, there are two, black wires coming from the Grant adapter. One of them does nothing when I press the connector against metal, the other turns on the horn when I press it against metal. When I hook each one to separate terminals on the contact plates and install the spring and the horn button, no horn when I press the button.

Thanks Gary. I'm having a little trouble understanding the diagram. So I'll need to study it more until the penny drops.

If I remember correctly, you should have 3 tabs in the steering column onto which wires connect.  One of them had a dark blue wire on it originally and that's where you want to put one of your black wires from your new center.  Another had the black wire on it originally, which is ground, and that's where you want to put the other black wire.

Let's do this another way as well.  I think you said that if you put a jumper on one of the tabs and ground it the horn will honk.  That's where the dark blue wire was and where one black should go.  And when you are looking for a place to ground your jumper when testing to see if the horn honks, try the other two tabs.  The one that honks the horn is where the other black wire goes.

Thanks Gary. Correct, if I use one of the two black wires and hold it against a bolt that holds the new wheel in place, the horn continually sounds. When I stop touching the bolt, the horn stops.

It's my understanding from the instruction leaflet from Grant (steering wheel vendor) that there needs to be some movement between the two contact plates and that when the steering wheel horn button is installed with the spring, the hub hooks into the outer contact plate and the spring prevents the two from touching...

... and when it is pressed, the two contact plates touch and complete the circuit, causing the horn to sound.

Part of the issue is that with both black wires hooked into their respective contact points (one on the bottom contact plate, the other on the top contact plate, and then press the two plates together, the horn does not sound.

 FWEIW, I've already spoken to Grant tech support and while the guy was nice, he wasn't really able to help... which I find odd, as my truck was an unmolested, bone-stock work truck to begin with and aside from my updating the interior with new or refurbished parts, it is essentially just factory wiring and so on.

That being said, where can I hook the black wire? Or do I need to pull it all apart, find the blue wire, run an extension up the column and feed it through the wheel adapter, contact plates etc...

If that is what's needed, there is nowhere in the horn button to affix a wire (not without welding and that would spoil the chrome finish which I would like to avoid).

Apologies for my not "getting it" yet - I'm learning as I go and I really appreciate you taking the time to help.

Pic for reference:

Let's see if this helps: Interior/Steering Columns and see the Steering Wheel Connections tab.

I think you need to connect to the horn connection and then your other wire should have a spring clip that will go into one of those two holes.

The Grant wheel mounting and horn is crap. It has always been crap and the design has not changed one bit since the 60s, when I first realized it was crap. There are some newer more expensive versions from Grant, which are different in this respect. Not only is the mounting and horn operation crap, but it is a fire hazard. It has always been one and still is one,. Amazing it is still here 50 years later. The actual wheel itself is OK quality. Now there are other mounting possibilities out there. They give you a different horn setup and take away all the Grant crap, except the wheel. If you wish to know more, oh I have it to give. Doing restorations for so long I have plenty of experiences with these wheels and their problems.

Thanks everyone. Kind of took a few days off working on the truck - more recent oil leaks are really putting a dampener on my enthusiasm for this vehicle.... I seem to spend every weekend working on it and not driving it....

Anyway, PetesPonies - your post made me laugh - thank you. Yes, please share any information that you feel is relevant regarding the Grant wheel and boss kit.

Thanks!